My FM transmitter

[MrWoodstarr]

Yes big up mate, and that`s is how I started too. playing with radio`s! A long time ago now!!!!

[MrWoodstarr]

Its got to be said, someone could really hurt themselves, if your going to play with your radio, don`t plug it into the mains, use batteries. And unix001, if you really want something challenging, I can find you a schematic, which, as long as you can solder? using 1 transistor, and a few resistors and caps, that line of sight, will do at least a mile! Build that and then put on the net. Fair play, I am only trying to help.

[unix001]

@MrWoodstarr yea i feel you man. this was just a quick project i did and i wanted to share my findings. im taking a wireless communications class as part of my college studies. so after that class i will be way more knowledgeable about this type of thing.

[howcin]

@MrWoodstarr You should pm me the schematic... also you know how to amplify the signal to go further than a mile?

[MrWoodstarr]

Try this, London`s biggest pirate Radio station, flex Fm 99.7, or fly to all the w`s flexfm.co.uk

[unix001]

@MrWoodstarr you're right. not all radios are the same. so use your brain and figure it out.

[icaromix1]

please give me a tutorial to practice because the link to work samples

[MrWoodstarr]

All radios will transmit without any modifications try it! Get 2 FM radio`s, tune one to a clear frequency, so all you can hear is hiss, "noise" then tune the other one from 88 to 108 Mhz, at some point the hiss will stop, and the sound goes clear. Wow your transmitting! This is what`s called a carrier. Poke around the radios circuit with an audio signal, at some point your going to find the local oscillator, and your the BBC, well, for a couple of feet.

[jbrunson88]

i know that song from a Proton Jon Mario ROMhack video!! :DDD

[a2zhandi]

this is good survival gear. Better hold on to it for FUTURE USE!

[Infocollective22]

Imagine playing the most irritating music in the transmitter across your neighbourhood......

[ThisIsMrHollywood]

and how far does this transmitter work to? im trying to start my own radio station (home made) but i want to be able to go threw out my city?

[Infocollective22]

@ThisIsMrHollywood If you have a well-made typical Fm transmitter,you are going to make 100 metres or so.

Try and boost the signal,it might get it further than that

[LolMatey]

I looks really easy, but ive been trying for weeks :@ How long did it take you to make this one? And could you give me a list off ALL the things you needed to make it plz.

[unix001]

@LolMatey this took me like an hour or so to make, theres a good tutorial video in the description of the video. which is the one i used to build this one.

[LolMatey]

@unix001 I've tried that one and the guy is SOOOOOOOOOO annoying, he just goes on and one about just random stuff like "im using a piano bench as a table just in case you want to know"... why would we care? I cant stand that guy lol! From your video it looks like that youve only used a few croco clips and a 3.5 sound cable, is that right or...?

[unix001]

@LolMatey yea, thats how you wire you audio source to the transmitter. the best way to learn is to watch the tutorial, but basically you want to locate the inductors near the tuning capacitor. then carefully unwind one, cut it and then wire the audio source. theres usually more than one coil so you just have to guess and check. if it doesnt work with one, re-attach it and try another.

[LolMatey]

@unix001 You made it sound so easy lol. How do u actaully knw what station your broadcasting from???

[unix001]

@LolMatey you have to tune ur transmitter to the receiver radio. so take ur receiver radio and tune in to a station that has nothing on it, usually at the top of the band near 108, then tune ur transmitter until the static on the receiver goes away. then you'll have the two tuned to each other

[Infocollective22]

@unix001 So the corcodile clips on the battery input in the transmitter are in turn connected to a 9V battery,right?

[Infocollective22]

@LolMatey Took me an 90 minutes to do two of them,but then that's me.....

[chris07081]

so how do detirmine what channel (like 96.0 or someshit) you are on?

[unix001]

@chris07081 well what you do is set the receiving radio to an open station, and you should hear static. next you start the transmitting radio at the lowest frequency and slowly tune it up until the static on the receiving radio cuts out. then basically you have tuned the two radios together

[chris07081]

@unix001 cool thanks

[Infocollective22]

@chris07081 9.60 or someshit LOL

[jks2]

how do i know which coil i have to cut through for the audio input and what should i do with the other coils

[unix001]

@jks2 you dont know. you just have to guess... if you cut a coil and it doesnt work you can connect it back and try another, although sometimes after you cut a coil it may not work, and you'll have to get another radio. i recommend doing this on a radio you dont mind messing up...

[MSTLOM]

Ah yes! Using the "Local Oscillator" as a Transmitter... I was doing that back in the early 80's I got out about 3/4 mile!!

[69mathew69]

i tried to make one and it didnt work haha. is there a way to know witch coil to attach it to?

[unix001]

@69mathew69 no not really, its just a guess and check thing... if you try a coil and it doesnt work you can connect them and try another coil although sometimes you one you cut a coil the radio is pretty much shot and you have to get another one

[pitcalco]

That is really cool. All you need now is some real music to transmit. ;)



[ReachForSkymax]

what type of cord are you using out of your ipod to generate the signal across the coils? Is anything specially configured from it or did you just strip it and then solder it up?

[unix001]

@ReachForSkymax you just strip a 1/8in. headphone jack and wire it up. i use alligator clips

[electro5]

@unix001 Hi, I don't know much about electronics and radios but how exactly do I connect the headphone wires to the coils? I'm using an Original Ipod Headphone cable and when i stripped the cable all i could see were some fuzzy string like wire and i don't know what to du with it :P can i solder on that or do i have to use alligator clips? plz help thnx

[unix001]

@electro5 those ipod cables are not very good. those fibers are actually very very thin copper wires, there designed to not work when spliced.... im not sure how you would wire them, you may have to find a different cable...

[electro5]

@unix001 Okey, Thnx anyway :) i tried to hook up the ipod cable to the speaker that i found inside my radio and it worked but not that good, i think i need an amplifier to make it sound better :/ well I have another question: Where should i put the antenna can i keep it on the original place or is it a "transmitting" place i have to connect it to? :P Thnx ;)

Sry for my crappy English, I'm from Sweden so my English and swedish grammar get mixed up sometimes :P

[unix001]

@electro5 there is a 'transmitting' place where the antenna should be hooked up but that location varies depending on the radio. although you best bet is to hook it on one of the leads of the tunning capacitor (thing you turn to tune the radio) or anything metal on the radio....

[electro5]

@unix001 Oh, well now i know why it didn't work :D Thx alot ;)

[electro5]

@unix001 is there away to see or hear when i hit the right spot? how can I know when i'm "broadcasting" ? hehe, sorry for nagging with all these question :P

[unix001]

@electro5 haha its cool man. all you need is another radio to pick up the signal like i did the video. thing is though you have to tune the transmitter to the receiving radio. to do this put the receiving radio on the highest frequency possible then on the transmitter start at the lowest frequency and slowly go up untill the static on the receiver goes away.

[link9367]

what could you do to make it stereo?

[TheOptimod]

@link9367 You need an MPX stereo encoder unit. At low power it's not worth going stereo, very few listeners will be able to get hiss free reception so people will assume the station is really weak. Good mono signal is a way better bet for lower power and best reception.

[savkekg]

did you take apart only one coil (the one that is connected to audio source)?

thanks

[SmashCOBamberg]

mine is 40 miles (300 watt pro pll xmitter)

[cosmos180]

little kids stuff man o man build some normal pll driven stuff and with some output this it where i played with when i was 7 years old shaka

[fulaingt]

@cosmos180 Sooo effectively you're saying this PLL driven stuff is ... little kids stuff.. Since you were doing it at 7.

Man, you're the bomb....

[philnauer]

does this unit allow you to change your transmit frequency from your fm transmitter and have your fm receiver pick it up on the changed frequency?

[unix001]

yes it does. all you have to do is set the frequency on the receiver to the frequency you want to broadcast on, then with the transmitter and the reciever on move the tunner on the transmitter from one side to the other until the static on the reciver goes away.

[higgybaby1239876]

sorry never mind...

[higgybaby1239876]

how did you connect your ipod to it?

[what8586]

haha yeah i messed up two radios already im writeind down model numbers so if i find another one i dont make the same mistakes

[unix001]

yea, iv messed up to as well. the last one i messed up stoped working after i unwound one of the coils, and i didnt even cut it!? so yea im thinking about getting a sterio and see how that works out. let me know how it works for you!

[what8586]

by any chance was the right coil spun 4 times on yours

[unix001]

yea it was.

[what8586]

what model is the radio

[unix001]

i have no idea. it works with pretty much any radio. this one is just a kitchen clock radio...

[alexeidig]

isnt this illegal??

[unix001]

yes, but im transmitting no further than 20feet in radius...

[alexeidig]

i see...

if i transmitt about 1 kilometer, police will arrest me??

[unix001]

not really. depending on where you live it might not be illegal. i know it is in the US. but i mean if the police do find your transmission 1. how are they going to know its not a legal station. and 2. how are they going to find you?

[alexeidig]

hmm!! how many watt is your transmitter?

[unix001]

proby no more than .5watts... but i really have no idea.... but if your interested in transmitting around 1kilometer then your going to need anywhere from 10 to 12 watts and a good 'balanced' antenna. for FM frequencies

[alexeidig]

in cristmas i am going to bue a 4 watt transmitter. but i want to transmitt in a big area so people can hear it!!!

[unix001]

well 4 watts is going to get you about 300 or so feet with a good antenna. you can maximize the range by the height of the antenna, so i the higher you get it the better! good luck

[alexeidig]

thanks!!

keep up transmitting!!!

[imkoolkid]

ive heard of people doing two miles with a 5/8 wave antenna and 5 watt tranmitter

[unix001]

@imkoolkid : dude thats crazy. whats a 5/8 wave antenna. is that like a ratio or something?

[imkoolkid]

type in 5/8 fm brodcast antenna its pretty nice but you have to have a nice place to put it like on top of your house or aptment buiding

[djgiggscom]

With a 5/8 wave antenna + 5 Watt transmitter you can atleast get 5 miles + from a hilltop, 2 miles is probley with the antenna indoors like the attic

[purctry985]

two miles=( i can get 6 to 8 miles on my 5/8 antenna with two watts

[unix001]

what the hell is a 5/8 antenna!?!?

[imkoolkid]

well my antenna is low and my transmitter isnt working right now anyway im buying a 15 watt or 20 watt and setting my antenna on a tree or on top of my house.

[Alrude1]

@unix001 to transmitt 1 killometer ull need no more than 0.5 watts 5 watts will get u like 2 - 4 miles

[thekeyboardologist]

Nice job. Good camera shots too.

[tostrong4you]

Awsome project! Looks like so much fun. I deffinetly want to do this someday.