Equipment Review
ChezRadio Procaster 100mW Part 15 Certified AM Transmitter
ChezRadio - Bolton, Ontario, CanadaChezRadio is no stranger to the low power AM transmitter market. Their TS100 Talking Sign transmitter with built-in messaging is widely used in realtor and other talking billboard applications. Their latest product, the Procaster, marks the company's official entry into the high-end Part 15 broadcast grade transmitter market.
The idea of evaluating the Procaster was well received by HBN staffers. Participating in the evaluation was our friend Joe from Pelham Communications and Satellite Services. Joe's background includes two-way and satellite systems, broadcast engineering for the local Cumulus Media stations in addition to installing various single and multiple transmitter Part 15 stations in the Northeast.
Opening The Box:The Procaster came to us shipped via the postal service. The transmitter is housed in a compact metal enclosure. The antenna comes with the unit and consists of three aluminum mast elements that telescope within each other. Other items that comprise the Procaster unit include the studio unit which connects the audio and power to the transmitter, two small hose clamps that secure the antenna, the "wall wart" AC power adapter, 50 feet of 4 conductor cable as well as the manual.
The Inside Story:The weather sealed hinged cover is secured with three Phillips head screws and clips. Upon opening the transmitter we were quite surprised to see just how compact the unit is, most likely due to the use of surface mounted integrated circuits. The interior of the unit also has an integrated tuning meter, the output tuning coil, the 10 position DIP switch to adjust the transmit frequency and audio features, two audio trimmer potentiometers and the four position terminal block for the audio and power connections. The bottom of the unit has a watertight pass thru for the wiring in addition to a grounding terminal. The side of the transmitter sports the two antenna mounting screws. Being a metal enclosure, the screws are isolated from the chassis itself with plastic bushings.
The Test RangeIn discussing the Procaster evaluation with several local engineers, they suggested evaluating the performance under the worst case scenario. While most users will be able to perform a very good to ideal installation, some may have difficulty due to issues beyond their own control such as landlord issues, etc.
The "City Dweller" test takes into account someone who may not have the ideal situation for mounting the transmitter. The transmitter was mounted to a typical chain link fence found separating property lines in urban areas. A far from ideal environment will allow the test team to see how things improve when the installation becomes closer to ideal.
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