Mike Check 1… Check 2… Check 1

This afternoon I decided to build an FM radio station, you know, for the free backstage passes and access to deep conversation with groupies in push up bras and silk thongs. Actually, the goal is to get rid of some wires that run all over the Ranch to feed MP3s and CDs to the various sound systems. The simplest way to do that was obviously to buy a Ramsey FM10a electronics kit for a Low Power FM Transmitter to broadcast the source in a 3/4 mile radius. After dusting off my soldering iron and running to Radio Shack for some missing 0.0047 ceramic capacitors, a few hours later the transmitter was operational and ready to tune. Finding an audio source was a little trickier that normal, my DJ mixer and turntables were disconnected for a remodeling project.

The first source was my XBOX playing Spy Hunter which worked but it was difficult to hear the sound quality over the rail downstairs. After digging out some cables, my laptop became the next source. I first fired up the latest Radio Essential Mix stream and started scanning the FM band on the stereo for an open frequency. Since I don’t listen to the radio often I was a little surprised to find how crowded the radio dial is. The largest gap I found was at 99.9 so I switched on the transmitter and started adjusting the frequency setting which is a variable resistor you turn with a plastic screwdriver. After a few attempts, I was able to lock it in on 99.9 even though there is a tiny 2 degree margin of error turning the resistor. The next adjustments were the line level inputs and the stereo balance.

The Essential Mix streams are OK, but not CD quality so I slapped in Ultra Chilled Volume 3 and continued adjusting. After 20 minutes, I’d zoomed in on the best settings. I checked a few other tuners in the house and the broadcast did reach everywhere, even in my car in the driveway. The kit was nicely done with clear instructions and an easy layout, but the sound quality of the transmitter won’t work for what I’m trying to do. It has a constant background hum and the signal drifts slightly. The FM10a could work for broadcasting voice content from a radio scanner or even a TV broadcast, but not chill out in stereo. So, I’m off to buy another kit, probably a Ramsey FM25 or the digital FM30.