Temporary mobile FM radio station?

[CJones]

Just out of curiosity, is it reasonably possible to create a temporary (1 week life-cycle) mobile (moves within one state) FM broadcasting (music and talk) radio station with approximately 75-100 mile range.

I assume there are some hefty FCC reg's to follow. Do states usually have extra regulations on that type of stuff.

I know they have a temporary radio station at OSH, but it doesn't move around at all, so I'm not sure how the requirements are different.

Any ideas?

 

[SCCutler]

75-100 miles? That's a large antenna and 100,000 watts.

You can have unlicensed LPFM (Low Power FM), range of maybe a mile.

I have no idea how they do a temporary FM station for Airventure. Bet it costs a raft of money.

Paging Bill Suffa...

 

[mikea]

I'll bet that EAA has a license for the Oshkosh FM(? AM) station..and it's only a watt or two.

We have local low-power AM traffic stations that work over a fairly large area near the roads. I'll bet the EAA station falls under the same rules.

 

[jesse]

I really doubt you're going to get approval to do a moving station with a 100 mile range. That is a lot of antenna / power. Most of your "listeners" are not well equipped with antennas so it takes some trying to get a signal to them.

The frequency assignment issues alone with a station that strong moving would be difficult. I doubt the FCC would approve anything like this -- even if you threw a bunch of money at them.

 

[gkainz]

Arggggh! We Be Pirate FM!

 

[CT Arrow]

Just out of curiosity, is it reasonably possible to create a temporary (1 week life-cycle) mobile (moves within one state) FM broadcasting (music and talk) radio station with approximately 75-100 mile range.

I assume there are some hefty FCC reg's to follow. Do states usually have extra regulations on that type of stuff.

I know they have a temporary radio station at OSH, but it doesn't move around at all, so I'm not sure how the requirements are different.

Any ideas?

Who are you trying to reach? Content? A remote broadcast would work if you partner w/ an existing AM or FM station. You could be mobile and easily get an audiofeed back to the station where they would broadcast your voice. Done everyday!

 

[CJones]

Darn. Not the answers I was hoping for (but not far from what I was expecting ).

My 'million dollar idea' was based on an annual 'moving' event of about 20,000 people. My idea was to follow the crowd along the way with a new base-station each day. The content would be focused on the event itself - weather specific to the event and its route, details about the event, music specific to the event, event-specific advertising, etc.

A 'remote' with an existing station doesn't really work because the group moves anywhere from 40-80 miles per day (so I guess the range would really only need to be about 50-60 miles to get the majority of the group).

Oh well...

 

[wsuffa]

Not a chance.

You can do short-range (a few hundred FEET) without FCC licensing. But everything else requires a license and extensive engineering studies to protect existing broadcasters. A moving station compounds the matter.

FWIW, the FCC's engineering data presumes that a 100 KW station at 1000' would cover about 92 kilometers (55 miles) radius from the station.

 

[Lawreston]

My first thought was that Bill Suffa would pontificate. Not far from here we have an AM station, WJTO, which broadcasts "good" music(and no commercials) and is a daytimer.

It's a 1000 watt station in the daytime and the signal reaches from Bath, ME down into Cape Cod, MA. But its transmitter position is in a marsh area(excellent for signal) and near the ocean. At sunset it has to reduce power to 24 watts or it would interfere with the "730" on the dial station which bombs in at night from Canada. After reducing to the 24 watt power its night time signal is only good for not too many miles as the crow flies, hence local coverage. FM signal would be better for your project but the project won't fly re FCC.

HR

 

[Trapper John]

Darn. Not the answers I was hoping for (but not far from what I was expecting ).

My 'million dollar idea' was based on an annual 'moving' event of about 20,000 people. My idea was to follow the crowd along the way with a new base-station each day. The content would be focused on the event itself - weather specific to the event and its route, details about the event, music specific to the event, event-specific advertising, etc.

A 'remote' with an existing station doesn't really work because the group moves anywhere from 40-80 miles per day (so I guess the range would really only need to be about 50-60 miles to get the majority of the group).

Oh well...

Maybe a webcast would work. A lot of people have 3g phones these days. No one really has portable AM/FM receive capability anymore unless they're in their car.


Trapper John