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Author Topic: Procaster AM Transmitter Review  (Read 5322 times)

Offline Capt. Kidd

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Procaster AM Transmitter Review
« on: November 28, 2017, 1946 UTC »
I recently attempted, and failed, to buy a sstran amt 5000 for $229. after two months of waiting I opened a claim with paypal to get my money back. After I received my refund I impulsively bought a Procaster AM transmitter for $696 with $55 for shipping for a grand total of $750 plus about $100 worth of pawn shop studio equipment as well as wires, ground rods, and a long aluminum pole to mount it on. The tx has amazing range of about two miles when well tuned and grounded and is connected to a audio and power source inside the house via a cable that i believe is nothing more than a length of phone cord. This allows for the tx to be almost entirely controlled from inside the house with the exception of the tuning and frequency selection. The only problem i have withe the tx is that there is no good way to ground it without breaking part 15 law. The instructions call for an eight foot grounding rod, however this combined with any length of wire would violate part 15 law leading me to believe that when the fcc was inspecting the tx for certification, it wasn't grounded at all. Bearing that in mind i, knowing i had to ground it for lightning protection, bought forteen feet of six gage wire and an eight foot copper ground rod and plan to add even more grounding in the future.

All in all I'm very pleased with the tx. Even with my minimalist approach to the part 15 hobby i can still cover my neighborhood as well as several others in the area. I haven't had any problem from ether the fcc or the tx and i don't think i will. if you're looking for a good part 15 tx the Procaster is what i recommend.


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Offline Stretchyman

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Re: Procaster AM Transmitter Review
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2017, 1752 UTC »
$750!

I sell a 1W TX with a built in MP3 player for $150!

I can't beleive folk spend so much on a puny TX

I'd want a KW+ for that!

 ;)

'It's better to give than receive' so why Rx when you can Tx!

                                              ;)

Offline redhat

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Re: Procaster AM Transmitter Review
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2017, 1648 UTC »
Agreed, for that much money I could probably build a 250W or better rackmount stereo transmitter.  I do understand that a lot of folks want plug and play, however.

+-RH
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Offline ThaDood

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Re: Procaster AM Transmitter Review
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2017, 1354 UTC »
          What's so costly is the FCC Certification. The dude behind,  http://www.pll.gr/  , transmitters in Greece is having that issue. I bought the mono 20W AM transmitter for $550.00 two years ago with the USD and the Euro brought the price close for that. That transmitter is to add beefiness to my AM Carrier-Current station. Radio Systems wants $3,500.00 for their FCC Certified 10W transmitter, and I knew that price-wise I could do better. On Part #15 radiating, I made a 9ft 3/4" copper pipe with a capacitive tophat. My I Am Radio,   http://www.iamradio.net/    , with the massive PEP of 92mW can be heard at 2 1/2 miles away, albeit weak, but listenable on a car stereo. Out that far, any electrical QRM and night DX totally obliterates it.
I was asked, yet another weird question, of how I would like to be buried, when I finally bite the big one. The answer was actually pretty easy. Face-down, like a certain historical figure in the late 1980's, (I will not mention who, but some of you will get it, and that's enough.) Why??? It would be a burial that will satisfy everyone: (1) My enemies will say that it will show me where to go. (2) On the same point, I can have my enemies kiss my butt. (3) It will temporarily give someone a place to park a bicycle. See??? A WIN / WIN for everyone.

Offline redhat

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Re: Procaster AM Transmitter Review
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2017, 2122 UTC »
Part 15 certification is not that expensive, and we all know how effective the FCC is at policing that anyway.  In the end I believe the cost to be a combination of development, and a vendor that believes they have a corner of the market and can name their price.  I am willing to pay extra for quality, but anymore that seems money wasted.

+-RH
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Please send QSL's and reception reports to xfmshortwave [at] proton [d0t] me

Offline digitalmod

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Re: Procaster AM Transmitter Review
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2017, 1712 UTC »
 8) Dudes, please spare me. The FCC is nothing but a filter for Capitalistic Money Grubbers. Can you imagine what part 15 really says. Oh dear, lots of luck because it assures you that if you can hear it from your bedroom to the basement. Good luck!
As for type accepted, again just another road block the money elites throw up at anyone wishing to use space for communications. They over reach all the time and today HF is becoming more a dinosaur than not so many frequencies are open, but watch your step. If Busted 100 grand fines? Now, can you guess who the communication laws are written for? No YOU. :-X
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Offline Capt. Kidd

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Re: Procaster AM Transmitter Review
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2018, 1741 UTC »
          What's so costly is the FCC Certification. The dude behind,  http://www.pll.gr/  , transmitters in Greece is having that issue. I bought the mono 20W AM transmitter for $550.00 two years ago with the USD and the Euro brought the price close for that. That transmitter is to add beefiness to my AM Carrier-Current station. Radio Systems wants $3,500.00 for their FCC Certified 10W transmitter, and I knew that price-wise I could do better. On Part #15 radiating, I made a 9ft 3/4" copper pipe with a capacitive tophat. My I Am Radio,   http://www.iamradio.net/    , with the massive PEP of 92mW can be heard at 2 1/2 miles away, albeit weak, but listenable on a car stereo. Out that far, any electrical QRM and night DX totally obliterates it.
Yeah for some reason people like to use fcc certification as a selling point. I’ve been kicking around the idea of selling my own part 15 kits for around $75 for years.
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Offline digitalmod

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Radio is dying. We need to give it shelter

Offline digitalmod

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Re: Procaster AM Transmitter Review
« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2018, 1925 UTC »
RedHat: Bro are you up for a 250 watt for 43 meters? One that is not a heap of junk, like QIX stuff and rack mountable? 8)
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Offline redhat

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Re: Procaster AM Transmitter Review
« Reply #9 on: January 14, 2018, 2015 UTC »
Once I have three built for myself, I'll consider it  8)

Although, $1200 isn't a bad price considering someone had to design and build it....of course it is illegal to sell such things in this country...perhaps a trade is in order ;)

+-RH
« Last Edit: January 14, 2018, 2020 UTC by redhat »
Somewhere under the stars...
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Please send QSL's and reception reports to xfmshortwave [at] proton [d0t] me

Offline digitalmod

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Re: Procaster AM Transmitter Review
« Reply #10 on: January 16, 2018, 0123 UTC »
To red Hat:
 In US certainly not illegal to build, but its how its used. Like Guns. So there is nothing to stop US receivers from getting these transmitters. heck 41 meters is just at bottom of the Hammer 40 meter band, and any AM transmitter can with a very basic Ham license be used on 40 meters.
So, its all in how its used.
But I have felt for years many countries have very draconian laws to protect the power of wealth and propaganda radio networks.
You can see I believe its the people's rights as long as no provable danger to the public exists.

FCC has made up garage excuses for years to get the public off their own Natzi backs when they bust a station. They always say, it might or did cause interference  to aircraft etc. Liars they are.  :'(
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Offline Capt. Kidd

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