I'm building an AM transmitter

[Paula]

I finally became fed up enough with the limited program options on today's AM radio band, that I decided to order myself an AMT3000 "Low Power AM Broadcast Radio Transmitter Kit" from SSTran.com. Delivery was surprisingly quick, considering that I ordered the kit just this past Wednesday, and it arrived yesterday (Saturday).

I had considered a number of different transmitter designs before deciding on the AMT3000. The kit costs $89.95, including the 18 volt "wall wart" power supply. This place sells the same transmitter, assembled, for $159.95. This past February, Popular Communications published a very informative article on the AMT3000.



I am impressed with the quality of the kit, and especially with the assembly/operating instructions -- very well done. It doesn't look to be a very difficult kit to assemble, with somewhere around 150 parts total. All but one of the five IC's are socketed. The SSM2166S IC is soldered directly to the board, but since the pins are spaced .050" apart, they offer the kit with this item pre-installed for an additional three bucks (which I considered a worthwhile investment!)

I hope to get started on this puppy soon, and I will let you all know how (if) it works out!

Paula

[Celt]

Good deal Paula...I built the better Ramsey AM last year and it sucked.

[Paula]

I had been planning to build the Ramsey too.

[Celt]

The Ramsey's P.S. was a huge source of noise. It's audio was horrid and it barely had enough strength to go across the house. I was very disapointed in it. A far cry from the performance of the tube AM trannies we built when I was a kid...one of which easily went 15 miles.

[Morden2004]

Paula, how about a bit of background info on the "why"? What is the purpose and how is this AM xmitter used? What problem is it going to solve?

Paul

[Paula]

Originally posted by Morden2004
Paula, how about a bit of background info on the "why"?

Having a local AM transmitter allows the restorer to broadcast his own chosen content through his restored receivers.

Paula

[Morden2004]

Sweet!

Paul

That's pretty cool! I was thinking of posting a politely sarcastic response like "What are you gonna do, broadcast CDs through it to your radio in the same room?"

Got me.

[Paula]

Originally posted by Ben
"What are you gonna do, broadcast CDs through it to your radio in the same room?"

Here's how I'm planning to set it up: since most all of the music I listen to is on my computer, I'll connect the transmitter to the soundcard's output, and will theoretically be able to "broadcast" whatever custom playlists I compile in iTunes to the various radios located throughout my home.

[Maybe it'll even work! ]

I can't see why it wouldn't work, and a cool idea to boot...

[CarlV]

My main use for the transmitter will be to listen to my big-band, swing, and jazz MP3's, processed through the warm tube-audio output sections of my favorite old radios.

I don't know if you listened to this station when you were out here but it probably be a fun one to stream off your computer to an old tube radio once in a while. Mostly 40's to 60's - usually softer "sweet music" stuff since CC bought it.

Carl

http://www.960kabl.com/main.html

I'm also broadcasting through my antique radios; right now my system consists of a Yamaha 5-disc CD changer, fed into an old Altec Lansing mixer. The 600 ohm output of the mixer is fed into an Altec graphic equalizer, which is fed into a CBS Audimax compressor/limiter. The Audimax feeds into a CBS Volumax peak limiter, which drives my little 100mw crystal controlled AM transmitter. I built the transmitter from plans which appeared in one of the Mid-Atlantic antique radio club newsletters about 15 years ago. This system works real well. and sounds just like one of the old-time AM stations. I program it with custom CDs which I burn on the computer; loaded up with 50s-70s oldies. I'm considering using an LPB carrier-current transmitter (pulled out of a drive-in theatre) to increase my range.

[Sandy G]

Yes, I know I'm weird, but I've had a stroke & it messed w/my pea-brain, so there. Anyhoo, while I do still like to kick out the jams, mofos, but now that I'm staring the big 50 in the face, & it ain't blinkin at all, I find myself searching out stations like that more & more. Developed a certain affinity, dare I say appreciation for Les Baxter, Percy Faith, Martin Denny, Vaughan Monroe, et al. Pretty good musicianship, even if the stuff is liteweight enuff to make Madonna sound profound by comparison. Sure beats listening to some hoodlum talking about how many policemen he's murdered, or a discourse on his sexual prowess. I think it would be neat to have all the Boatanchors playing "Riders in the Sky" or "April in Portugal" all at once. -Sandy G.

[Celt]

680 in Memphis plays some nice, laid back tunes...

[drh4683]

Those 1960s easy listening stations are the best! We had one in chicago at one time, AM 850 and its long gone now, since around 1998 The only AM stations to play 1950's 60s tunes now is AM 1690, but its all the typical oldies that youve heard about a billion times. What I like to call the "car show soundtrack" If you've been to car shows, you'll know exactly what I mean. (the same oldies everywhere you go, over and over)

I always had my Grundig 1088 table radio tuned to 850. the best is when they played "A Walk In The Black Forest". that was the perfect radio to play that tune, and it sounded great!