When will FM be switched off

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freeviewfan

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#82090 21-Apr-2011 13:26

dose anybody know when as my mate wanted to sell me a usb radio tuner for $18 i love radio

when do you think it will be?

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#461300 21-Apr-2011 13:30

I can't see it happening in the next 15 years. Analogue radio receivers are more ingrained in our society than analogue TV.

richms

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#461308 21-Apr-2011 13:57

IMO never, its only got 20MHz of band for it, the upper end is limited by aviation stuff which would be an epic challange to move, the lower end goes into RT stuff which is also licensed, so there is a 20MHz chunk that is pretty useless for anything but sending mid-fi stereo audio to many people.

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BlakJak

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#461310 21-Apr-2011 13:58

What richms said. Broadcast FM has a lot of positives. Not heard of anyone discussing end-of-lifing it yet...

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freeviewfan

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#461315 21-Apr-2011 14:05

thanks for the info guys the tuner can broadcast like 0.5km to 1km MAX witch is not that far so what ever audio is playing on my pc i can listen to on a portable FM radio is it illegal to do this because other may be able to pick it up i just going to setup my iTunes on my pc so when im outside ill be able to listen to music well i work

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#461317 21-Apr-2011 14:09

Its an FM transmitter then, not a tuner.

In that case, it will never be "turned off" for you because you wont be relying on anyone else to provide the transmission, just your own equipment.

There are limits on FM transmitters I think, Im sure someone else in this thread will know for certain :)

XPD / Gavin

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boby55

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#461319 21-Apr-2011 14:12

freeviewfan: thanks for the info guys the tuner can broadcast like 0.5km to 1km MAX witch is not that far so what ever audio is playing on my pc i can listen to on a portable FM radio is it illegal to do this because other may be able to pick it up i just going to setup my iTunes on my pc so when im outside ill be able to listen to music well i work

I don't think it is?

Its the same principle as when I use my iTrip to tune my car radio into my ipod.

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freeviewfan

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#461322 21-Apr-2011 14:16

xpd: Its an FM transmitter then, not a tuner.

In that case, it will never be "turned off" for you because you wont be relying on anyone else to provide the transmission, just your own equipment.

There are limits on FM transmitters I think, Im sure someone else in this thread will know for certain :)

cool

its a cheap Asian made one so i don't think it will reach that far at all

richms

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#461326 21-Apr-2011 14:19

Thats not a tuner, its a transmitter.

There are 2 GURLs that deal with the FM band, one is the LPFM one that gives you up to a watt on a few overused channels at the end of the band, and you have requirements of transmitting your name every hour or something.

The other is the useless power output license for iTrips etc. That gets you about 3 meters if its actually legal. Most of the ones sold are not and have way more power than is legit.

http://www.rsm.govt.nz/cms/licensees/types-of-licence/general-user-licences/low-power-fm-broadcastin.../

http://www.rsm.govt.nz/cms/licensees/types-of-licence/general-user-licences/short-range-devices -50dBW is 10 microwatts, which is pretty close to nothing.

So you are basically wanting to do what I am wanting to do so I can listen to ustreams and stuff while walking around the house, its not really legal to do that on any freq, but you can do it on the end ones if you comply with the GURL requirements for LPFM which are on the first link.

Richard rich.ms

wallop

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#461328 21-Apr-2011 14:20

As you are broadcasting a radio signal I would have thought it would be illegal if you don't have a license. Could be wrong. I know down here a small local radio station was going to be prosecuted for interfering with other broadcasts. Not sure if it was am of fm. Basically their gear was not keeping to their frequency.

Could be wrong and off course someone would have to complain.

richms

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#461330 21-Apr-2011 14:22

freeviewfan:
xpd: Its an FM transmitter then, not a tuner.

In that case, it will never be "turned off" for you because you wont be relying on anyone else to provide the transmission, just your own equipment.

There are limits on FM transmitters I think, Im sure someone else in this thread will know for certain :)

cool

its a cheap Asian made one so i don't think it will reach that far at all

The cheap asian made ones have WAY more power than the legit ones. I have one here that will go a good 50m to the mobile phone, which has to have the worlds most useless FM tuner ever made in it. Goes about 200m to the car and thats from inside.

No way is it legal. Problem is it sounds like absolute crap with a high pitched whine, lousy stereo seperation (the light comes on, but barely any stereo even with the PC on full left or right and it was virtually mono) and it clips at anything nearing a decent input level so its really quiet.

The genuine iTrip I have will go 4-5m to the home stereo with the piece of wire inside connected, with the rooftop FM connected, it gets nothing unless touching the stereo, and to the phone its about 2 meters before it loses the tuned indicator and at 4m its just hiss. Thats about what a legal transmitter will deliver.

Richard rich.ms

freeviewfan

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#461331 21-Apr-2011 14:24

great info guys

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freeviewfan

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#461333 21-Apr-2011 14:30

richms:
freeviewfan:
xpd: Its an FM transmitter then, not a tuner.

In that case, it will never be "turned off" for you because you wont be relying on anyone else to provide the transmission, just your own equipment.

There are limits on FM transmitters I think, Im sure someone else in this thread will know for certain :)

cool

its a cheap Asian made one so i don't think it will reach that far at all

The cheap asian made ones have WAY more power than the legit ones. I have one here that will go a good 50m to the mobile phone, which has to have the worlds most useless FM tuner ever made in it. Goes about 200m to the car and thats from inside.

No way is it legal. Problem is it sounds like absolute crap with a high pitched whine, lousy stereo seperation (the light comes on, but barely any stereo even with the PC on full left or right and it was virtually mono) and it clips at anything nearing a decent input level so its really quiet.

The genuine iTrip I have will go 4-5m to the home stereo with the piece of wire inside connected, with the rooftop FM connected, it gets nothing unless touching the stereo, and to the phone its about 2 meters before it loses the tuned indicator and at 4m its just hiss. Thats about what a legal transmitter will deliver.

i just asked my mate he said i can change the broadcasting range

but looks like i just use it to listen to the radio on my pc

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#461349 21-Apr-2011 15:14

wallop: As you are broadcasting a radio signal I would have thought it would be illegal if you don't have a license. Could be wrong. I know down here a small local radio station was going to be prosecuted for interfering with other broadcasts. Not sure if it was am of fm. Basically their gear was not keeping to their frequency.

Could be wrong and off course someone would have to complain.

Indeed. It was an LPFM station.

Check out my LPFM Radio Station at www.thecheese.co.nz - Now on iHeart Radio, TuneIn and Radio Garden

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allstarnz

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#461363 21-Apr-2011 15:55

on this topic, it amazes and annoys me that there is no traction on digital radio in New Zealand.... is getting underway properly in Oz now, and has been in UK/Europe for at least 10 years

maybe that comes under another topic.

richms

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#461383 21-Apr-2011 16:40

What does digital offer that 30odd channels of analog FM doesnt? Sound quality isnt a concern for broadcasters, that much is clear with the crap hyperlimited mess that comes out from the big broadcasters, and the talk about using 64k codecs on digital platforms which is again an insult to the ears.

Selection isnt really an issue since it would just result in more of the same. With only 2 main broadcasters, they each have one station in each category, more channels just means more dilution of advertiser dollars.

There is already many many niche stations popping up on the in between lower power channels, Most seem to be ethnic, so again, that isnt a reason to go digital.

All it does is make broadcasters have to invest $lots in gear to broadcast to an exceptionally small and undetermined number of listeners, and that's not a good way for them to sell to advertisers.

Richard rich.ms

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