Knowledge of "advanced goggles" has brought me to the page of my interest, an surprisingly active community rounding free radio and a reference to some knowledge! After "drinking the milk" as a system friendly to CAPTCHA suggested on the registration page, I quickly am starting the topic of my own.
While technical skill of mastering studio equipment concerning all sizes of boards, miking setups and computer automation / streaming my neurons still are unfamiliar to transmitters when it comes out of the basics. My station projecting decision on using FM as transmision technology was based due to high availability of FM recievers on the listener's side comapring to short or mid wave that has only staed a button on the radio with 85% population.
At stage of fine "tuning" and arranging for transmission in June 2011, I am searching for a clear frequency on the 88 - 107.9 MHz band. As I have never done such scanning before and am not properly equipped with for instance an oscilloscope, I am narrowing the selection only using a great old Grundig radio reciever compatible with all three waves and an "external" antenna hanging from the window with a beautiful view from the hilltop that I live on.
So, how to identify a clear frequency? Do you maybe have some tips / audio examples on finding it?
This site should be extremely useful to you... www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/vacant Just type in your zip code and state and it will show you all the vacant channels on FM in your area from best to worst. Take a piece of paper and write down the ones listed under "best" and drive around in a car to different parts of your town and test those channels to make sure they aren't being used. Pick the clearest one and your set! Welcome to the forums.
Post by Ozone Express Radio on Nov 19, 2010 14:36:41 GMT -6
I'd second Darklife's comments and use radio-locator. It works very well.
Also, be sure to check back every so often on their site and "field-check" the emptiness of the frequency you choose on a regular basis. If your area is anything like most, stations do tend to come and go, and you don't want to find out the hard way that you are trampling on someone else's signal.
In fact two of the empty frequnecies shown on radio-locator in my area are now in use by other stations, and a couple are not even usable due to one station over-modulating by a fair margin.
Both of you, thank you for replying. Sadly, my area is not covered under Station Locator. I should note even in the first post that the frequency in search is in Slovenia, Europe not the United States. The govermental authority provides internet access to the registry of legit stations with complete frequency listing but there is no possibility to margin the search by location or only to see empty frequencies.
In your situation, nothing will be better than the "tried and true" method of spending time on the band listening from channel to channel over a week or so. Write down the quietest freqs and then check them each day for a few days.
Keep a list of the quietest ones, then "operate accordingly".
Here's what I did. I Googled every radio station and their frequency within 100 miles. I made sure this included LPFM stations. Then I wrote them all down and chose the frequency with the widest space between two other stations. I then went to the highest point in the area. Remember that the most sensitive radio is your car radio. I drove around continually scanning the entire dial and found the clearest spot. It was the same frequency. Unfortunately I didn't take into account repeaters. It turns out there is a 10 watt repeater across the river. It belongs to an ultra-evangelical religious station. I had already committed to my frequency. I did a lot of field surveys and I'm not that worried. They are more directional in the state across the river. The only time there is a conflict is at the very fringe areas. And I sound like a regular radio station, i.e. mostly music, not Hip Hop, obscene or ranting and raving. Remember, there are only two ways you're going to be found out. If you cause interference, and a check of your neighbors should let you know about that. And if you make somebody mad. Even if the FCC happens to knock on your door, just stop and they usually walk away. You really have to piss them off to get fines or confiscation. This month celebrates my station's 6 month on the air. Pretty cool huh? Good luck
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