I want to start a low-power FM radio station/broadcast. What do I need?

I'm not getting a liscence, fuck that and the FCC. I want to be able to say Fuck and Nigger and 12-year-old pussy. i dont plan on selling advertisement space or paying artist royalties either.

So I'm figuring I need some sort of FM broadcaster device with at least a 15-mile radius, that has either an RCA or 1.5mm Headphonejack sound input.

Does anything like that exist?

Moving to RFA.

Like Radio Free Roscoe? That show was badass.

Posting before it gets moved to RFA.

Fuck, I lost again. Too fast meta, too fast. :mad:

A friend and I were talking about doing something similar, but having it more like that episode of King of the Hill where Dale starts a 24 hour talk radio station

I don't know if this could work: use one of those FM transmitters for listening to an iPod in a car and connect it to a linear amplifier.

I don't know if this could work: use one of those FM transmitters for listening to an iPod in a car and connect it to a linear amplifier.

That should theoretically work, but make yourself a nice dipole antenna along with that amp.

Buy a 2-way radio that transmits on lower frequencys (80 mhz-107 mhz) and amplify it. Course, I dont know is such a walkie talkie is even made by any company.

FYI, the FCC will track you down if it interferes with anything and anyone notices, you will get fined, and maybe see jail time.

FYI, the FCC will track you down if it interferes with anything and anyone notices, you will get fined, and maybe see jail time.

It'll be worth it.

FYI, the FCC will track you down if it interferes with anything and anyone notices, you will get fined, and maybe see jail time.

This. Directional antennas make it pretty easy to pinpoint where its coming on. Your best bet is to build it in a neighbors attic, and wirelessly transmit audio to it :)

Like Radio Free Roscoe? That show was badass.

I HATE that show.

This. Directional antennas make it pretty easy to pinpoint where its coming on. Your best bet is to build it in a neighbors attic, and wirelessly transmit audio to it :)

Or just set it up somewhere that isn't your house. Like somewhere out in the woods, but with a power hookup. You don't have to broadcast LIVE, you know...

I have had this idea for years, but never did it 'cause I don't have the money. Hide your transmitter in a place with wifi, hook it up a to a laptop, and control the laptop from your home computer.

How much trouble would it be to start my own FM radio station from scratch, I want to have a radio station that plays music but I have no previous experience with any of this. I want to start up a station that plays a certain type of music that no other station plays just that kind, like there is no pure Rap / hip hop stations here and I want to start one up. Now dont get me wrong I love all kinds of music from country to death metal and all the way back, but this city has no stations that are pure, maybe some top 40 stations play a little bit , but than you get a earful of those fucking putrid jonas brothers or some other pop shit like those fuckin New Kids on the Block , like when the fuck did those guys find there way back? Anyway, what kind of costs am I looking at to start up, I have some money but not no unlimited budget. what kind of equipment will I need? I know I will need a local FM Broadcasting license ... Im am serious about making this happen, I know you guys can help me out, Thanks Totse.

That shit is all corporate owned.

But you'd need an audio board, an automation program (or an on-air talent for whatever hours you'd be broadcasting), a tower, a transmitter, equipment to actually play the music, and a bunch of other shit. It wouldn't be worth all the trouble.

I would suggest going to university, volunteering at the school radio station, and then picking whatever music you want. That's what I did.

Yeah that might be an idea, but it wouldn't really make me any money, and it wouldn't play all over the city, hmm thanks for the info Skel!

That would be fuckin awesome, but i remeber on malcolm in the middle, hal did this in an old van and would preach about the gov. then they caught up with him. Do it, itll be sweet!!!

Maybe in a small town you can get away with it.You could never get off the grid.They'll get you.

Do they have a bunch of nerds riding around in a van LOOKING for people transmitting radio?

If so... I want that job... sounds like an easy paycheck.

Or...you buy a transmitter and go on the air. I bought one from a guy who applied for an LPFM license, then didn't get it. He jumped the gun and bought a 100 watt Veronica transmitter outfit. When he needed money, I bought it and tried it out. It covers about 20 square miles and sounded good. Then I got bored....and it still sits here....any takers? LOL

i dunno

Yes they actually do have that job. The FCC has stations setup that monitor all illegal broadcasts. They will triangulate your approximate location. Then they will send a team of vans to pinpoint your location.


A textfile (http://www.textfiles.com/hamradio/avoiding.9x) about it.

For more information search 'pirate' on this page (http://www.textfiles.com/hamradio/).

And monitoring stations locations (http://www.totse.com/en/media/radio_free_amerika/fccmon.html).

Or...you buy a transmitter and go on the air. I bought one from a guy who applied for an LPFM license, then didn't get it. He jumped the gun and bought a 100 watt Veronica transmitter outfit. When he needed money, I bought it and tried it out. It covers about 20 square miles and sounded good. Then I got bored....and it still sits here....any takers? LOL

If you'd be willing to give it away (for free) and ship it to washington (for free), than I'll take it off your hands!

I promise it'll get used!

I just want it so I can broadcast over KUBE 93.3 because all they play is nigger shit, I just want to play my stuff over it, or at the very least fuck up the signal enough so any radio within 20 miles of me won't be listening to 93.3

1. Buy a boat

2. Go a few miles off shore into international waters, where the FCC has absolutely no jurisdiction

3. Point directional antenna towards land

4. Broadcast on every single channel

5. ;)

1. Buy a boat

2. Go a few miles off shore into international waters, where the FCC has absolutely no jurisdiction

3. Point directional antenna towards land

4. Broadcast on every single channel

5. ;)

They'dcall you a terrorist and blow up your boat

I see alot of threads about starting radio stations that are "clandestine, off-the-grid, pirate" or otherwise unlicensed and unauthorized by the Federal Communications Commission, Washington D.C.

Let me be forward with everyone. TOTSE does not condone criminal activity, and pirate radio IS criminal, and is a Federal Offense.

However, if you want to continue regardless of the above warning, let me give you a brief rundown of the items you'll want.

A High-Quality Source: CD's or High Quality MP3 or other digital source. Low quality MP3's, Vinyl, or Cassette are just too low for broadcast, and will sound like shit.

Control Board: The gate between your source, you, and your transmitter. A simple 5 channel board can be had for a couple hundred dollars from a music supply shop. If you want to go whole hog, there are digital touchpanel boards (much like the Star Trek LCARS panels) for a few thousand.

Microphone (if you want live DJ action): Shure and Sennheiser make nice ones. A cheap Radio Shack one can be had for $20 USD

Transmitter- What puts you on the air. Makes your audio signal into radio waves. Low Power FM ones like those used by Fast Food Drive Thru staff or school radio stations are about $500 USD. Anything higher, and you're into the thousands, and millions of dollars for the newest 100,000 watt powerhouses.

Antenna- Obvious what it's for. Plans for construction of an antenna can be had online, but it has to be done accurately, otherwise your signal will do nothing. A manufactured one tuned for your frequency is expensive to buy.

If you just wanted to spread propaganda for a cause or something, you could get going for just a hair over $1000 USD.

The average guy really can't afford to be legit through the FCC, as licenses start at $25,000

Anybody have any thoughts to add?

^Lets not forget production stuff too if you want to pre-record things like commercials or whatever you feel like spewing out repeatedly. The advantages of pre-recording things like this are numerous.

That said a live mic is an important thing to me personally, and that's how i'd do most things just like i do at my job as a DJ.

Production computers can modify whatever audio you have, to make it clearer, increase or decrease volume, cut to length and eliminate dead air etc.

Open source software like Audacity work in much the same way as more expensive programs like Adobe Audition.

Other software that might be of use to you such as virtual cart machines and whatnot would be pretty useful. For more info on these read here. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cart_machine) The virtual cousins of these machines work on your computer and do essentially the same things.

I was thinking of doing a carrier-current (or is it current-carrier?) transmission. How would I go about making/buying what I need? And can I get some theory behind it?

if the op does it, he better name it WYAR, flagship of the Pirate Radio Network. And use the word "swashbuckle" a lot. Srsly though, the feds WILL find you eventually if you're in a populated area.

You would need a powerful antenna (The kind that gets you attention from the FCC) to get any decent coverage. This antenna would have to be fairly high, above rooftops and other obstacles. And still the coverage would be limited. Radio towers use huge amounts of power and are hundreds of feet high.They also use point-to-point transmission with other towers, so you are never really far from at least one.

The RF spectrum is a very hot commodity these days. The FCC and CRTC like to be strict on who owns which band and how much bandwidth they have.

Anyone know the legality of broadcasting on AM? I would think that the FCC would pay less attention to that band.

That would be fuckin awesome, but i remeber on malcolm in the middle, hal did this in an old van and would preach about the gov. then they caught up with him. Do it, itll be sweet!!!

Haha I remember that episode.

Anyone know the legality of broadcasting on AM? I would think that the FCC would pay less attention to that band.

They would, largely because it has a shorter range; but the feds are there scanning it and any place of interest for an AMer would have feds that monitor the place. You could do it in the middle of nowhere, but what's the use in that? They check both, but yes if you wanted to carry through it would probably be good to use AM (if only for financial reasons).

AM has lower range than FM, pfft.

All those stations that are heard allower the world (Voice of America, Radio Moscow, BBC, etc) are using either shortwaves or the AM bands. The problem with AM is the fact thatthe easiest way to make a reasonable power AM trasnmitter is to use vacumtubes and thus playing with dangerous voltages.
But a lowpower few watt AM station should cover some few miles with a long wire antenna.

I found a killer reference on how to operate legal low power license free radio on the AM or the FM broadcast bands under Part 15 regs. HobbyBroadcaster.net (http://www.hobbybroadcaster.net) has all sorts of legal and technical references, instructional how-to info, an online station directory with featured broadcasters, equipment evaluations and an online community to share tips and advice.


rob

What is the limits of low power broadcasting? In canada btw but we have the same FCC reg I think.

Or...you buy a transmitter and go on the air. I bought one from a guy who applied for an LPFM license, then didn't get it. He jumped the gun and bought a 100 watt Veronica transmitter outfit. When he needed money, I bought it and tried it out. It covers about 20 square miles and sounded good. Then I got bored....and it still sits here....any takers? LOL

How much do you want for it?

Or...you buy a transmitter and go on the air. I bought one from a guy who applied for an LPFM license, then didn't get it. He jumped the gun and bought a 100 watt Veronica transmitter outfit. When he needed money, I bought it and tried it out. It covers about 20 square miles and sounded good. Then I got bored....and it still sits here....any takers? LOL

http://i36.tinypic.com/121tn9i.jpg

I support this thread but contribute nothing but lawls.

http://i36.tinypic.com/121tn9i.jpg

I support this thread but contribute nothing but lawls.

Too bad you didn't even deliver that :(

Too bad you didn't even deliver that :(

ZING!


But on topic: Me and my mates thought about it. your looking at upwards of 1.5grand if you want to reach people, and you will get busted quickly.
But hey, if your going to do it name the radio station Totse, &T Radio, Temple Of The SCREAMO Electron.
Just my $0.02

ZING!


But on topic: Me and my mates thought about it. your looking at upwards of 1.5grand if you want to reach people, and you will get busted quickly.
But hey, if your going to do it name the radio station Totse, &T Radio, Temple Of The SCREAMO Electron.
Just my $0.02

Here we have a radio station.. 99.9 KZOK... First time I saw that, I thought Zok was a kick ass rock lovin' &t admin... then I just realized he's an over payed (I know he works for free here) douche that doesn't even have a radio station =(