About HobbyBroadcaster.net
A Broadcast Engineer's Mission Comes True
The mission of HobbyBroadcaster.net is to provide individuals, educational institutions and commercial entities with the highest quality available resources to allow them to legally broadcast on the AM and/or FM radio broadcast bands by utilizing legal, license-free low power radio technology compliant with FCC Part 15 regulations. The site focuses on low power radio broadcasting for school campus radio and special purpose business applications in addition to hobby radio broadcasting or hobby broadcasting / micro broadcasting for individuals and hobby radio enthusiasts.
About CampusBroadcaster.net and BusinessBroadcaster.net
On-Premises Broadcasting for Schools and Businesses
The use of low power Part 15 radio in an academic environment became the focus for sister site CampusBroadcaster.net while BusinessBroadcaster.net came online to support business-class use by real estate agents, automobile dealerships and similar retail and commercial applications. These three operating sectors were eventually combined into the main HobbyBroadcaster.net web site to provide the ultimate reference for those wishing to use Part 15 radio broadcasting.
HobbyBroadcaster.net is an online information resource. This site does not sell equipment or services for starting your radio station. The information contained on this site is organized and designed to allow you to determine what you need to operate a Part 15 low power radio station including equipment and installation servicing contractors. This information is equally beneficial for primary and secondary schools, colleges and university campuses all the way through to hobbyists and small businesses that wish to utilize this method of low power radio transmission.
Who started this site?
HobbyBroadcaster.net and its associated web sites were developed by Bill DeFelice, a Connecticut broadcast engineer of nearly four decades. An SBE certified audio and video engineer, his background includes terrestrial AM and FM broadcast engineering in addition to television production and engineering, web streaming and computer technologies.
Having experimented with low power radio during his pre-teen years, DeFelice became active in licensed full power broadcasting at the age of 13. He became involved with radio station WMNR-FM (88.1 MHz) which at the time was a 330 watt community station located at his hometown high school. Serving as the station's student chief engineer, he learned about the many aspects of broadcasting ranging from audio production techniques, engineering practices to FCC law. He also assisted in a major studio relocation project as part of the high school's 1976 building renovation. After graduation, he went on to serve as Director of Engineering for Minuteman Broadcasting's WMMM & WCFS 1260 AM Stereo in Westport, Connecticut and has provided contract engineering services for a variety of stations including WREF AM 850 KHz in Ridgefield, Connecticut, WGCH-AM 1490 KHz in Greenwich, Connecticut and WEBE 108 FM in Westport, Connecticut. A member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, he previously served as secretary and newsletter coordinator for SBE New York Chapter 15. He currently provides freelance engineering and consulting for broadcasters in addition to his role as an information technology / computer and electronics technologist in the field of education.
Why trust this site?
The main objective of HobbyBroadcaster.net site is to provide accurate information to allow those interested in low power Part 15 radio broadcasting to do so while maintaining legal compliance with applicable Federal Communications Commission regulations. The founder, operator and support personnel of this site possess extensive long-term and industry recognized hands-on experience in commercial radio broadcast engineering - no "wannabe" radio types and not somebody in it "just to huck a buck," but seasoned professionals with proven engineering experience in the broadcast industry. This is evident in the equipment reviews that use the same test equipment that commercial broadcast stations and their engineers use. Not everybody has this equipment at their disposal, but HobbyBroadcaster.net made the investment to provide you with accurate test results.
In an effort to maintain a high integrity site, HobbyBroadcaster.net does not accept advertising for products which do not comply with Part 15 regulations or where the business practices of any manufacturer or merchant are questionable.
In addition, this site does not in any way promote, advocate or endorse unlicensed operation of any AM or FM broadcast band transmitting equipment operating in excess of FCC Part 15 regulations for power and/or field strength levels. Illegal operation, sometimes referred to as "Pirate" radio, is outside the scope of discussion of this site.
What inspired the creation of the site?
The inspiration for creating the HobbyBroadcaster.net site occurred during the construction of the McMahon FM high school campus radio station project. With very limited quality information available online regarding Part 15 low power radio broadcasting on the grounds of an educational institution, DeFelice compiled an extensive collection of resources during the execution of the school station project. He was inspired to share these copious resources, creating a high quality online reference depository as well as an online forum community where educators, students, businesses and hobbyists alike can discover the power of legal, license-free low power radio broadcasting. The result of this labor is the web's most comprehensive online resource for legal, license-free low power radio enthusiasts and Part 15 broadcasting - HobbyBroadcaster.net.
What about licensed broadcasting?
HobbyBroadcaster.net only provides information for Part 15 low power license-free radio broadcasting, as applicable to the laws and regulations of the United States. Due to the complex nature of facility design and the licensing, engineering and legal requirements involved with full power broadcast stations this site does not provide specific information about constructing or operating broadcast facilities that are required to be licensed under the FCC regulations. It is strongly advised that you contact experienced and qualified engineering and consulting services should you wish to construct a full power broadcast radio station or low power FM (LPFM) radio station which requires licensing under Federal Communications Commission regulations.
How about online streaming and internet radio?
While some Part 15 operators may choose to make their programming available online with streaming audio, there are many issues to be addressed. Internet bandwidth for any appreciable number of listeners is very expensive. In addition, keeping an online radio stream legal includes payment of music royalties and maintaining related documentation, as royalties are calculated on a "per song/per listener" basis. The high cost of both bandwidth and music royalties makes streaming radio unattractive as either a hobby or as a business venture unless the operator is fortunate to have substantial funds available. While some of the technical aspects discussed on this site may be applicable to the would-be internet stream operator, such as studio construction and operation, specific technical and legal information regarding starting or maintaining an internet radio station is outside the focus of this site.
