6 November 2015, 11:07
6 November 2015, 12:17
Sorry,, this thread diverted away from posed question:
So, anyone (RS?) care to comment on the possible future application of private local FM Broadcasting?
So, anyone (RS?) care to comment on the possible future application of private local FM Broadcasting?
6 November 2015, 18:07
Low power local FM stations are a perfect outlet for emergency public safety information, bulletins and general information. I would envision not continuous operation, but scheduled daily broadcasts several times daily, of short duration, perhaps 15 minutes each at mealtimes, with news and general information. Maybe a late evening entertainment reading a chapter from Charles Dickens...
6 November 2015, 19:20
<2p>
re Post SHTF Comms
Quite right – I was involved in experiments here.
Lets recapitulate.
Firstly legalities – Totally illegal except if you have a HAM Licence on certain wavenlengths. (Bands). In a post SHTF situation, I personally wouldn’t give a monkeys and if you are doing it on behalf of the community then you are providing a measure of resilience (a good thing). I think tptb will have far more important things to do that chase radio pirates. (Unless we have a Marxist takeover in which case there are other considerations).
Morse Code (CW) – there was a thread recently originally started by NR and highjacked by LS and myself ☺ regarding low power transmitters. As and when I receive mine we’ll see how they work. As far as my very limited knowledge goes, CW works on lower power and greater distances than Voice.
Voice (FM) about a year ago methinks I invested £48,76 in this little 5w-7w FM Transmitter.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CZE-1W-7W-FM-S...XQlgtS-T0u
Distance covered with a decent aerial highup would be around 5 miles or so.
A cheaper alternative with slightly lower power would be for £28.67 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-W-Digital-PL...XQuTNTO3te
Having said that I would be happy to have anyones views on which 20W transmitter would be useful. The ones on the bay range from a few hundred quid to a few tens.
Data (Server). I was far more interested in getting a community server up and running containing a preppers library and elemental message switch. I got the server up and running on a small 5v battery using Wifi to which you could connect with your smartphone or pad. Sadly even with a decent aerial I couldn’t get any useful distance out of it. I did consider (theoretically) networking a couple of servers over a few miles and connecting them using some form of protocol (AX.25??) over a pair of UC5R’s – maybe even a repeater with cascading data but things got in the way (or in the words of the late Harold Macmillan (“Events dear boy – events).
All this seems dreadfully technical but being able to have some kind of broadcast comms that is independent from “The man” would IMHO be useful in a post STF Situation.
</2p>
re Post SHTF Comms
Quite right – I was involved in experiments here.
Lets recapitulate.
Firstly legalities – Totally illegal except if you have a HAM Licence on certain wavenlengths. (Bands). In a post SHTF situation, I personally wouldn’t give a monkeys and if you are doing it on behalf of the community then you are providing a measure of resilience (a good thing). I think tptb will have far more important things to do that chase radio pirates. (Unless we have a Marxist takeover in which case there are other considerations).
Morse Code (CW) – there was a thread recently originally started by NR and highjacked by LS and myself ☺ regarding low power transmitters. As and when I receive mine we’ll see how they work. As far as my very limited knowledge goes, CW works on lower power and greater distances than Voice.
Voice (FM) about a year ago methinks I invested £48,76 in this little 5w-7w FM Transmitter.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CZE-1W-7W-FM-S...XQlgtS-T0u
Distance covered with a decent aerial highup would be around 5 miles or so.
A cheaper alternative with slightly lower power would be for £28.67 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-W-Digital-PL...XQuTNTO3te
Having said that I would be happy to have anyones views on which 20W transmitter would be useful. The ones on the bay range from a few hundred quid to a few tens.
Data (Server). I was far more interested in getting a community server up and running containing a preppers library and elemental message switch. I got the server up and running on a small 5v battery using Wifi to which you could connect with your smartphone or pad. Sadly even with a decent aerial I couldn’t get any useful distance out of it. I did consider (theoretically) networking a couple of servers over a few miles and connecting them using some form of protocol (AX.25??) over a pair of UC5R’s – maybe even a repeater with cascading data but things got in the way (or in the words of the late Harold Macmillan (“Events dear boy – events).
All this seems dreadfully technical but being able to have some kind of broadcast comms that is independent from “The man” would IMHO be useful in a post STF Situation.
</2p>
6 November 2015, 19:31
I shall just sit here with a pencil up each nostril, wearing underpants on my head and say " Wibble" and pretend I understand the technical stuff you guys are expressing in such an eloquent manner 
6 November 2015, 20:00
Exploring what information would be useful for a remote community FM station:
Security bulletins - who saw a couple of strangers near their barn or a bunch of caravans in a nearby field.
Heads Up - TPTB have managed to send a truckload of fresh water, or perhaps a coal lorry has visited the village. Mr Steve has some pork for barter, looking for cider.
Barn Raising - or well digging, harvesting, ditch digging - anything that needs a bit of labour.
Social occasions - people like to socialise, when times are hard communities can become stronger.
Security bulletins - who saw a couple of strangers near their barn or a bunch of caravans in a nearby field.
Heads Up - TPTB have managed to send a truckload of fresh water, or perhaps a coal lorry has visited the village. Mr Steve has some pork for barter, looking for cider.
Barn Raising - or well digging, harvesting, ditch digging - anything that needs a bit of labour.
Social occasions - people like to socialise, when times are hard communities can become stronger.
6 November 2015, 20:20
Steve
Well done for those suggestions. Thinking about "programming' rather than the hardware side of thing, your ideas are a great start.
I would add perhaps some 'how to's', eg. water, medical etc
maybe a bedtime story for the children and just to annoy the heathens
amongst us, an epilogue :-)
Well done for those suggestions. Thinking about "programming' rather than the hardware side of thing, your ideas are a great start.
I would add perhaps some 'how to's', eg. water, medical etc
maybe a bedtime story for the children and just to annoy the heathens
amongst us, an epilogue :-)
6 November 2015, 20:23
Where wild food crops like berries are ripe, where wild fishing is good, Want / need requests,
6 November 2015, 20:28
Thinking about the services offered over a community FM station made me realise that a lot of these things would have been offered by local churches - and that churches have high steeples and ample, usually quite defendable, meeting space. So, perhaps St Marys is the logical home for the transmitter.
6 November 2015, 20:41
steve
my local vicar wears a paracord cross !!
my local vicar wears a paracord cross !!