SIGNAL PEAK !!!!!!

[james]

hi i was wondering if anybody has used a PCI Max 2005 on a tower block about 20 floors high, antenna on the roof ? With a high gain antenna, good quality coax....., with a good(all-clear) line of site, or course with the 15 watt booster etc.....,

How far was the signal going ? in stereo and mono (further with mono i guess), but how far ?

How far would the singal lock on a fm reciver ? (scan lock)

How was the rds, does the rds decrease the strength of the signal ?

Can u use rds while in mono (might be a dum question) ?

[dal]

To answer your question, a mono signal will have a greater listenable range but most broadcasters use stereo for music. Unless you're broadcasting voice only, stereo is the preferred choice. Be careful broadcasting in a city where the FCC can find you. Local commercial broadcasters don't like pirate operators and will turn you in in a heartbeat. It's easy to locate your transmitter site. Try to limit your operating hours or consider using less power. Also remain anonymous! I would never use my own voice on a pirate station.

I have heard the FCC focus is mainly on higher power pirates 5 watts or greater. You will qualify in the setup you describe. They will take all your equipment and the fines can be extreme.

To answer your question about how far the signal can be heard from the top of a 20 story building with a 15 watt xmtr into a high gain antenna.
Assuming the antenna is between 150 and 200 feet tall, the terrain is relatively flat and the antenna has a gain of 4 to 6 db, here are some predicted signal contours.

I am using FCC contours to describe distances here. 70 dBu is considred city grade, this is a very strong local signal that most radios will get loud and clear. 60 dBu is not quite as strong but still good on all car radios and the majority of other radios. 40 dBu is a very weak signal that only can be picked up on a very sensitive radio like most car radio radios. Any terrain obstructions and the signal will not be heard at these distances. FM is mainly line of site and terrain greatly impacts coverage.

Based on your criteria:
70 dBu from 2 to 3 miles
60 dBu from 3 to 4 miles
40 dBu from 10 to 13 miles

The signal required to "lock on receivers varys greatly but usually falls between 54 and 60 dBu so figure 5 miles on the average. RDS does not effect range. It's a cool feature, but very few radios it. Hope this helps.