Brian -
Having announcements over the radio is a great idea. One of the regions I
autocross in does it, and I love it! As soon as I cross the finish, I
redirect my attention to the radio and hear my time.
But of course there is a problem. The FCC limits the power and antenna
size of all AM and FM transmitters. At the limit, FM only shoots about a
hundred feet. AM theoretically goes further (as much as a mile, I have
heard - theoretically), though there are practical problems. . . Such as
requiring a perfect true ground. I would recommend staying with FM. Any
power enough to cover the autocross field would be illegal in FM.
But the FCC is quite nice, in that after they notice you doing illegal
transmitting, they send you a letter asking you to stop. And if you stop,
you're fine (according to one of many pirate radio web sites I checked).
Step through the AM dial any Sunday morning and you'll find 50 churches
transmitting in Atlanta, and the FCC doesn't stop them. And of course if
you're in a major city you run the risk of an FCC employee showing up to
drive. . .
The FCC started a program for "low powered stations." As of a year ago,
they had yet to approve any, and it takes a lot of paperwork, from what I
heard. So getting permission is unlikely.
But in Atlanta we made the decision to "do the right thing." Other regions
push the envelope. You can find a ton of kits on the internet, that are
far beyond the legal power range, that will do you just fine. Many for
under $100.
Chris Eckles
Atlanta
Blue M Coupe
>
Hey folks,
I only lightly followed previous FM transmitter discussions the last time
it
came up on team.net and I tried looking at
http://www.listquest.com/auto/index.html for the archives, but they weren't
working.
Did anyone save any emails about the FM transmitter stuff? Our region
would
love to have an FM setup to transmit times and so forth. I've been put in
charge of researching it, so any information anyone can give me, I would be
very appreciative!
Thanks,
Brian
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