Legal, License Free Low Power Radio Broadcasting
You've found the authoritative reference that will help you learn more about legal, license-free low power broadcasting. Here's your opportunity to dabble in on-air radio, thanks to low power AM and FM broadcasting with your own radio transmitter. From around your house, up and down the street, around your school campus or around the local shopping center or merchant area - low power Part 15 broadcasting can be useful, fun, profitable and rewarding. Simply put, it's radio YOUR way!
While the FCC regulations encompass many different portions of the radio frequency spectrum, the primary focus of HobbyBroadcaster.net is transmission on the AM and FM broadcast bands. The United States regulations that govern the use of unlicensed radio devices, Title 47 Part 15 Code of Federal Regulations, are enforced by the Federal Communications Commission here in the United States. Our neighbors to the North, Canada, has similar regulations which are enforced by their regulatory body, Industry Canada. HobbyBroadcaster.net specifically addresses operation within the regulations of these two countries. Residents of other countries are advised to adhere to their local regulations regarding any operation of unlicensed radio equipment.
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Welcome To HobbyBroadcaster.net
The mission of HobbyBroadcaster.net is to educate, inform and assist those interested in harnessing the power of legal, license-free low power AM and FM radio broadcasting, commonly referred to as Part 15 radio broadcasting.
You have discovered the web site that will allow you to get the most from your low power radio experience. HobbyBroadcaster.net focuses on AM and FM broadcasting for the low power radio enthusiast interested in hobby broadcasting endeavors such as legal neighborhood and local microcasting community radio. CampusBroadcaster.net spotlights the use of campus limited low power broadcasting used by high school radio stations as well as college and university radio stations. BusinessBroadcaster.net focuses on business uses for legal micro-power radio such as informational radio and talking signage applications. The three areas of interest have had their valuable resources combined into the main HobbyBroadcaster.net site to provide the ultimate online reference for legal, license free low power radio broadcasting compliant with FCC regulations.
Much More Than Forums!
Valuable resources are plentiful here, ranging from legal and technical references, broadcaster profiles, station directory as well as equipment evaluations performed utilizing the same test equipment used by licensed broadcasters and their engineers.
HobbyBroadcaster.net is the only low power radio web site of its kind to be operated by a broadcast engineer. Perhaps this is why both HobbyBroadcaster.net and its webmaster have earned national recognition in publications including Monitoring Times, Popular Communications as well as the trade journal of the broadcast industry, Radio World. Why would you trust any other web site?
Often imitated but never duplicated which is why HobbyBroadcaster.net is recognized as the reference for legal, license-free low power radio broadcasting.
Your Part 15 Low Power Radio Broadcasting Reference
Did you know that under Part 15 of the Federal Communication Commission regulations that citizens are allowed to legally operate certain low-power radio devices which enable you to transmit on the AM or FM broadcast bands? These rules allow you to do this all without requiring a broadcast license! Potential users for these unlicensed ow power AM or FM radio transmitters include schools and universities, campgrounds, parks, shopping malls, real estate agents and individuals just looking to broadcasting for fun and profit.
Campus-Limited Broadcasting Alive and Well
There are plenty of educational institutions ranging from college and universities, high schools and even junior high and elementary schools offering their students a broadcast learning experience thanks to their own school-based radio station. In spite of not having a full power radio station, many of these schools can give their students a real-world radio experience thanks to campus-limited low power radio, all thanks to legal, license-free broadcasting.
The college and high school stations profiled here are just a small sample of the many campus-only stations that exist in the United States and Canada. These schools realize the benefits in offering a variety of opportunities for learning the broadcast media arts and having their own on-campus radio station expands their student's horizons. While some stations are operated strictly as a student extracurricular activity others are operated in conjunction with their academic programs.
HobbyBroadcaster.net academic focus through CampusBroadcaster.net is always looking to profile stations operated in education environments. Sharing the experience with your school's campus-limited radio station may inspire another school to offer their students something exciting as well.
Low Power Radio Broadcasting Articles In Print
The September 2011 issue of Monitoring Times magazine features Bill DeFelice, HobbyBroadcaster.net Founder, discussing campus-limited broadcasting (the article is available for reading here. DeFelice also discusses the buildout of his high school campus radio project and various aspects of license-free low power radio in his article Low Power Radio Takes On Many Forms (PDF) which appeared in the June 2011 edition of Radio World, the trade publication of the broadcast industry.
The September 2011 issue of Popular Communications magazine features Broadcast Technology Editor Bruce Conti's article about low power broadcasting which includes "McMahon FM," the high school campus station built by commercial broadcast engineer Bill DeFelice and served as his inspiration for the creation of the HobbyBroadcaster.net web site. The publisher of Popular Communications granted permission to republish Bruce's article entitled Part 15 Broadcasting: How You Can Become a Pilot of the Airwaves.
You're The Pilot Of The AM and FM Radio Airwaves!
Hobbyists will most often use radio transmitters with a intentional radiator (i.e., antenna) as these self-contained transmitters offer simplified installation and operation. Transmitters are readily available in both kit form as well as pre-assembled units. Pre-assembled low power AM and FM transmitters that have received certification assures you that the transmitter complies with the regulations set forth by the FCC. Kit transmitters allow the electronics enthusiast the opportunity for personal enrichment while they learn about electronics theory and practice their soldering skills. Kit transmitters also offer a cost savings for the do it yourself broadcaster as they supply their own labor for assembly. Hobby broadcasting is within your reach thanks to kit and low cost pre-assembled transmitters.
Campus-limited broadcasting applications can often be accomplished using carrier current AM transmission in addition to both antenna and radiating coaxial cable AM or FM transmission. These systems can be engineered to provide coverage not only to a school's main campus buildings but to other campus areas such as dormitories, athletic facilities, student centers and performing arts and theatre areas. The potential of providing a real-world broadcasting environment for curriculum teaching is only limited by one's vision and available budget. Here's a way to build your own high school radio station or college radio station when full power facilities are unable to be built due to budget or available frequency limitations.
Businesses and merchants often use this same license-free broadcasting to inform their customers about their product offerings. For decades, real estate agents have been informing potential home buyers about properties using an on-premises LPAM transmitter. While parked in front of a property using one of these legal, low power AM radio transmitters a prospective home buyer only needs to tune to the appropriate frequency on their car radio to hear details about the property listing as well as obtain the agent's contact information.
