After 2 years of operation on 87.7 Mhz a Rap station in Va Beach signed on This means that Now The Legacy will have to use AM and as an Album Rock station we are not happy about AM Radio. AM is plagued by all sorts of issues. Static from florescent lights, Power supplies, Hydro, AC units in the summertime and lets not forget that for most ITS MONO a no no for most Album Rockers.
There is another Huge variable too and this is the God awful rip off expense of an AM transmitter compared to FM. FM transmitters start off for a good one for around $100 plus your SWR meter and extra patch cord $30 and then a 1/4 wave dipole or ground plane. I got mine for $50.
I have a Talking House AM Transmitter what a pathetic piece of garbage that is truly a kids toy. It only goes about 600 Ft and that is on a good day. If you don't mind the power supply hum and the audio quality that reminds me of a pocket transistor Radio you'd buy at a dollar store maybe that is for you. NOT ME I HATE THE DAMN THING.
I've heard some good audio from those Procaster and Rangemaster transmitters but again I want at LEAST a 2 mile range. I want to cover from the Deltaville market to the Stingray Boat Works marina. This is where I used to cover on FM with 7 Watts FM.
I'm thinking because I'm not going to be able to put up ground radials maybe I could just put the TX on top of a pole and run a long lead to a ground rod or come up with an AM dipole or ground plane antenna but if not MORE POWER. I'm thinking 0-10 Watts.
NestKast has a built in compressor/limiter but I may have to use Stereo Tool to give AM a more punchy sound. Plus I'd like to know if there is a way to force a C-Quam AM Stereo signal onto any AM Transmitter or am I going to have to add the cost of a C-Quam Stereo transmitter to the mix?
Being on disability I'm trying to raise at least $700-$800 for this project and get the citizens of Deltaville who want true Album Rock to join in and donate. I have a few who are jumping on the bandwagon so they say.
Being legally Blind and having other disabilities I need this to be as easy as possible and still sound good. I can't build my own transmitter as some of these transmitters are kits. It needs to be fully assembled ready to install.
