PART 15US
RADIO BRANDY
WELCOME TO THE SSTRAN ANTENNA SITE!
This coil-based antenna will work with most part 15-kit-based transmitters. If you require 50 ohm/coaxial cable, this antenna will not work for you.
For those of you familiar with this site, this year we are only constructing one, updated antenna, based on the instructions included on the sstran site.
This antenna is built to be used with the sstran AMT-3000 transmitter for those of you interested in constructing a part 15/community AM radio station.
The improvements in this years product is based on the requests of customers, and the products I built, and sold last year.
AM BASICS: Ranges using a part 15am transmitter utilizing the included 3 meter wire antenna are from 150-300 feet, perfect for those who are interested in covering their home or yard in broadcasting to a personal radio. If you plan to build a community or personal radio station, a coil (base) loaded antenna is needed to extend the range of a part 15 1/10 watt (100mW) transmitter. There is not a way that a 1/10th watt transmitter will compete with a 250 watt commercial radio station. Due to FCC rules, part 15 radio stations must use an electrically short antenna and walkie-talkie-like power. Commercial stations usually use a 1/4 WAVELENGTH antenna...there is quite a diference.
If you are thinking about commercial-station-like range, please forget about part 15 radio.
As a group of 63 customers in 2005, most customers have experienced about 3/4 miles of range; some much more, some a little less. There are three major reasons which contribute to expected range, based on your particular area:
1. Ground conductivity: Sea water and areas inside the U.S. have high ground conductivity; thus, a good ground system contributes to your signal. Most areas within the U.S....especially sandy soils, rocky soil areas, have poor conductivity levels.
2. Clear Frequency: Part 15am lends itself to the low part of the band, that is 1500-1700 kHz. Our antenna performs best in that region of the spectrum, and relies on finding a clear frequency or the quietest, to broadcast as clear a signal with the best range as is possible.
3. Proper Installation: This antenna is best installed in the ground. AM is a ground-based broadcast system. Elevating the antenna onto a tower or on top a house elongates the ground wire and therefore is subject to FCC inspection.
A properly installed ground system not only adds to the signal, but also makes tuning of the antenna easier. Range intensifies with an extensive ground system; in effect, it elongates an antenna that is short, according to FCC law. This is a "coil-based" antenna; similar to a a commercial broadcast station in that it needs to be tuned. The coil is essentially an "ATU" (antenna tuning unit). This is not something that someone not familiar with systems like this can easily tolerate. There is a lot of initial testing; tuning the antenna is an excercise in getting the antenna pipe (that is, the antenna proper) in the right position as to achieve resonance. Resonance simply means that the antenna is placed correctly to broadcast the signal on the frequency you have chosen. Everyone wants to know what the range of the antenna/sstran transmitter is. That is impossible to predict; however, based on proper installation, and poor conductivity, the sstran/coil based antenna has strong to very strong range in the average of 1/2 mile. Average range is 3/4 mile. I have acheived over 1 mile of strong coverage in clay/rock soil. Nearly all of my customers in a city location have 1/2 mile of solid coverage, I have one customer who reported 4 miles in a forest-like surrounding. To be sure, remember that AM is NOT an air-based broadcast service as FM is.
I am proud to say that our antenna is being used at schools and churches across the U.S!......and 63 part 15'ers this year are using our products!
THE 2006 SSTRAN COIL BASED ANTENNA:
There are several changes to the basic antenna this year: the construction changes were made to accomodate nearly every request made during 2005.
1. The new basic antenna is 1/4" wider. Why?..wider surface space equals a better signal....it is stronger against wind as well!
2. The Electrical box is bigger: to accomodate wiring and more wiring that customers wanted to include.
3. The Ground System is 100% bigger!
I feel personally that the ground system is just as important as the antenna is.....(the antenna shoots signal into the ground, the ground system delivers it...therefore, the bettter the ground system, the better).
4. This year we are not accepting Pay-Pal; be positive you are sure of your purchase: while we will always support you with your questions with up-to-date answers, YOUR PURCHASE IS FINAL!!! (we can't sell a used antenna!)
5. I build your order TO order. Please allow 2 weeks from when I recieve your cashiers check/money order to when I ship your antenna. I need a UPS/Fed-Ex shipping address with your order. I will email you a tracking number and date of shipment, along with insurance information.
SELECTIONS:
1. AMT-3000 ANTENNA:
Includes: 1"x10" copper pipe base, Iron, Copper and PVC connectors, @8"x8" elecrical box, connected, not drilled, 2"- PVC-supported 20 - 10'-0" radial ground system, 1"x12" tapped(screw ends) iron mast pipe, drilled for ground system, 3" capped 10" ATU coil, tapped, scraped, soldered, laquered, 3-1 1/4" pipe clamps, insulator pipe, plastic straping and shipping and handling included within the continental U.S
PRICE: $399.99 Cashers Check or Money Order
You need to provide:
1-3/4x98" piece of Type L Copper Plumbing Tubing, available from your local home center..@$15.00 (which will serve as the "antenna"). 3/4" copper cap, solder, torch/soldering gun, 3/4" drill bit and drill, shovel. FYI: I stopped providing the 10 foot copper tube as it became too expensive to ship, thus adding on to the ulitimate cost of the antenna.
2. BUILD YOUR OWN ANTENNA: JUST BUY THE GROUND SYSTEM: #12 bare copper wire, soldered together around 2" PVC with ground wire, curled and ready to spread around your antenna:
A: 10-10'0" RADIAL SYSTEM: $95.00
B:25-10'0" RADIAL SYSTEM: $170.00
C: 40-20'0" RADIAL SYSTEM: $295.00
Shipping and Handling included
.
3. BUY THE COIL ONLY:
3'x10" PVC coil, capped on both ends, #12 magnetic wire, tightly wound on laquered/sanded PVC, laquered wire, 11 formed taps, scraped and soldered, tunable from 1500-1710kHz: $110.00 shipping and handling included.
EMail address:
wcrv977fm@aol.com
Cashier's Check or Money Order accepted; Mail to:
Carl Van Orden
954 Golf Park Drive, Apt C
Lake Ariel, PA 18436
ALL SALES ARE FINAL!!!
Please allow 2 weeks from recipt of payment to delivery via UPS/FedEx/USPS.
Support via email totally guaranteed, 24/7. Special Orders, as always, will be accepted; We have built: 6.5 foot/tophat antenna
In-line standard antenna
Ground systems to your specifications.
Email your special requests.
Check our Customer Comments
SStran Website:
Metzo Website
This antenna is not compatible with Rangemaster or Talking House Transmitters. Coax cabling is not applicable with this antenna. It is advised that the antenna be mounted in soil for best performance. The sstran AMT-3000 transmitter can be purchased as a kit by emailing info@sstran.com
The sstran AMT-3000 transmitter can be purchased, BUILT, and ready to be used with this antenna by emailing Pat at ontheair3.com________________________ or Richard at oldtimeradioprograms.com.
Be SURE TO SPECIFY, when ordering an AMT-3000 that you intend to use the SSTRAN coil-based antenna: it needs to be built/configured to accept this antenna for community-broadcasting.
The builders of The AMT-3000 transmitter, the assemblers, and the antenna builder are independents~ pricing/specs up to date as of 2/14/07
wcrv977fm@aol.com
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