Post by doulblestackjack on Jul 3, 2013 8:10:32 GMT -6
hi guys im in need of a few rigs ariels and linkbox band 1 as my usual rig guy in brum has stopped work any help would be great new or secondhand ok ty guys
They're from China but these are good performers and the power level adjust is very consistent and allows for fairly accurate adjustments unlike many other Chinese FM transmitters where every other power setting besides 'Max' will jump all over the place (such as the infamous 'ELE' transmitters). You'll still want an RF meter of some sort to measure the output power. An SWR meter will usually do the trick.
This particular seller I've dealt with before. Great packaging and the item ships reasonably quickly considering the distance. You'll be able to negotiate the price down to $85-$90 for one unit but since you seem to need several, I'm sure bulk pricing will be available.
So that was the exciters. Now you'll need something to drive them (unless 1 watt is sufficient for your application(s)). I have personally used these and they work great and are rock solid in performance: www.aareff.com/en/30w-fm-transmitter-amplifier.htm
These come in either, 12 watt, 30 watt, 100 watt and 200 watt modules. The only thing with Aareff product that I find is their prices tend to be a bit on the high side for what you get in terms of hobbyist grade equipment these days as the Chinese market in recent years has really driven prices down. When I first ordered Veronica/Aareff product back in the mid 2000s, they were quite reasonably priced in comparison to what was out at the time. However, since I only speak of stuff I've personally had experience with, Aareff gets my vote and IMO is money well spent.
I've always STRONGLY recommended keeping away from the 15/20/50 watt 'transmitters' from China. These are essentially exciters with a built-in RF amp housed in the same enclosure and more often than not, they have an insufficient cooling system and end up running too hot and as such, become unstable in performance.
As for a simple but effective antenna, any of the 5/8 wave omnidirectional ground plane anntennas on the market do quite nicely and typically give you at least 3.5dB of gain.
These antennas are easy to assemble, easy to mount and super easy to tune. Also, one of my favourite features of the 5/8 wave GP antennas are that they don't 'look' like an FM broadcast antenna and perform reasonably well at lower installation points with a nice doughnut pattern. Although personally, I'd never try anything under 20 feet above average terrain.
Now....linkbox band 1....you're on your own there mate. Never had to use one of those. My 'transmitter site' and studio are on the same property all linked by cable. Perhaps someone else can chime in with their input in regards to this?
Hope this was at the very least of some help. Happy Broadcasting!
