Strong Portable FM Transmitter

[Christian K]

So here is my vision: Riding my bicycle with my Ipod while
transmitting it on an FM frequency so that those I am riding with can
pick up my station clearly with their portable FM radio. I believe
all I need to do is get a mini-jack splitter and a quality portable FM
tranmitter.

The question is: What portable FM transmitter would be strong enough
for another bicycle rider within 20 feet (in motion) could pick up a
clear signal on a cheap fm radio?

I do not believe the iROCK! 300W FM Transmitter would be powerful
enough. The C. Crane: FMT-FM Transmitter 70ft Wireless Audio Transfer
sounds like it might be upto the task but I am still concerned about
the size, battery life, and signal strength and price a little too.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

(Yes, I know riding with a radio can be slightly dangerous and maybe
illegal...but not if one is super-careful and not anymore than a 35
mile an hour headwind...thanks for your concern)

Christian

 

[valhalla]

So here is my vision: Riding my bicycle with my Ipod while
transmitting it on an FM frequency so that those I am riding with can
pick up my station clearly with their portable FM radio. I believe
all I need to do is get a mini-jack splitter and a quality portable FM
tranmitter.

The question is: What portable FM transmitter would be strong enough
for another bicycle rider within 20 feet (in motion) could pick up a
clear signal on a cheap fm radio?

I do not believe the iROCK! 300W FM Transmitter would be powerful
enough. The C. Crane: FMT-FM Transmitter 70ft Wireless Audio Transfer
sounds like it might be upto the task but I am still concerned about
the size, battery life, and signal strength and price a little too.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

(Yes, I know riding with a radio can be slightly dangerous and maybe
illegal...but not if one is super-careful and not anymore than a 35
mile an hour headwind...thanks for your concern)

Christian

300 milliwatts should be more than enough. Even a few milliwatts should
work over a distance of 20 feet, given a reasonable transmitting antenna.

What's a reasonable transmitting antenna? It's hard to beat the good old
1/4-wave. I can see you now, with an 18" whip sticking up from your
helmet (you do wear a helmet, right?) Your body and bike should provide
enough of a groundplane, but if you want to add some 12" radials to your
helmet just for effect, go for it! ;-)
--
Regards,
valhalla

[email protected]---+
| Liberadio forever! |
+--------------------------------+

 

[valhalla]

[...] with an 18" whip sticking up from your
helmet [...]

Oops... make that more like about 30" for 1/4 wave. Maybe not entirely
practical on the helmet.
--
Regards,
valhalla

[email protected]---+
| Liberadio forever! |
+--------------------------------+

 

[:-: Ghost Chip :-:]

[...] with an 18" whip sticking up from your
helmet [...]

Oops... make that more like about 30" for 1/4 wave. Maybe not entirely
practical on the helmet.
--
Regards,
valhalla

[email protected]---+
| Liberadio forever! |
+--------------------------------+

Underpasses will be ok but watch out for trees.
Ghost

 

[Steve Silverwood]

So here is my vision: Riding my bicycle with my Ipod while
transmitting it on an FM frequency so that those I am riding with can
pick up my station clearly with their portable FM radio. I believe
all I need to do is get a mini-jack splitter and a quality portable FM
tranmitter.

The question is: What portable FM transmitter would be strong enough
for another bicycle rider within 20 feet (in motion) could pick up a
clear signal on a cheap fm radio?

I do not believe the iROCK! 300W FM Transmitter would be powerful
enough. The C. Crane: FMT-FM Transmitter 70ft Wireless Audio Transfer
sounds like it might be upto the task but I am still concerned about
the size, battery life, and signal strength and price a little too.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

(Yes, I know riding with a radio can be slightly dangerous and maybe
illegal...but not if one is super-careful and not anymore than a 35
mile an hour headwind...thanks for your concern)

Christian

"Valhalla" has the right idea here. I don't know if you can hook an
external antenna to the iRock unit, but even if you can't you should be
able to share the tunes over such a short distance.

I would suggest, though, that regarding the headphones you opt only to
use mono rather than stereo and only use a single-ear device. It's the
law in motor vehicles and it's just plain common-sense safe for cyclists
(and pedestrians, too). You HAVE to be able to hear the traffic around
you, unless you're perhaps on a closed track where it's just bicycles
and no vehicles or pedestrians.

--

-- //Steve//

Steve Silverwood, KB6OJS
Fountain Valley, CA
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://home.earthlink.net/~kb6ojs_steve

 

[Jon]

From: valhalla <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics,alt.radio.pirate
Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 05:02:30 GMT
Subject: Re: Strong Portable FM Transmitter

[...] with an 18" whip sticking up from your
helmet [...]

Oops... make that more like about 30" for 1/4 wave. Maybe not entirely
practical on the helmet.

Maybe you could put up a longer whip and disguise it as one of those flag
poles for kids bikes. You would, of course, look like a dork...

Jon

 

[Gregg]

Behold, Jon signalled from keyed 4-1000A filament:

You would, of course, look like a dork...

And this concerns a true geek, how?

;-)

 

[Jon]

From: Gregg <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics,alt.radio.pirate
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 05:58:04 GMT
Subject: Re: Strong Portable FM Transmitter

Behold, Jon signalled from keyed 4-1000A filament:


And this concerns a true geek, how?

;-)

Hey, I only know about those whip flag poles for kid's bikes because I had
one...

Jon

 

[valhalla]

Hey, I only know about those whip flag poles for kid's bikes because I had
one...

Jon

Well, there ya go, see. You're cool. We all had those on our bikes!

Look like a dork? Pah.
--
Regards,
valhalla

[email protected]---+
| Liberadio forever! |
+--------------------------------+