# Crane FM transmitter vs. Whole House FM Trans.



## dbuff

I have been looking for a FM transmitter to connect to

a computer to broadcast to my various receivers through

the house. I want one that has good range and

I have seen two listed with an A/C power at Amazon.


Anyone looked at these things?


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## STEELERSRULE

Now I never connected it too a computer, but I have the CCrane model, and it works beautifully. Especially after the modification to increase it's range.


Here is a link to the discussion over at SiriusBackstage:

http://www.siriusbackstage.com/forum...x.html?t=92074 


Here is a link to something else to consider:

http://www.siriusbackstage.com/forum...x.html?t=93896 


But that second one is for people who seem to want to transmit it over a HUGE distance for some reason.


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## hlly

Try to use o.5W Fm transmitter from HLLY ELECTRONICS


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## dbuff




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *STEELERSRULE* /forum/post/9662825
> 
> 
> Now I never connected it too a computer, but I have the CCrane model, and it works beautifully. Especially after the modification to increase it's range.
> 
> 
> Here is a link to the discussion over at SiriusBackstage:
> 
> http://www.siriusbackstage.com/forum...x.html?t=92074
> 
> 
> Here is a link to something else to consider:
> 
> http://www.siriusbackstage.com/forum...x.html?t=93896
> 
> 
> But that second one is for people who seem to want to transmit it over a HUGE distance for some reason.




Tried the Crane and made the Mods to it - still wasnt working good enough enough to keep it. Not that Crane is bad, but I think there are just too many radio stations on the dial. I could never find a really really clear open channel.


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## ClubSteeler




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *dbuff* /forum/post/14074186
> 
> 
> Tried the Crane and made the Mods to it - still wasnt working good enough enough to keep it. Not that Crane is bad, but I think there are just too many radio stations on the dial. I could never find a really really clear open channel.



Really? You may need a more powerful transmitter (it will be in violation of the FCC, so just don't crank it up so high that your neighborhood lose their stations and complain).


Try this.....


Find the best frequency, with th least interference, and hopefully no strong channels just above or below it. Put your Ccrane as high as possible. Mine is on a shelf just a couple feet below the ceiling. Try to put it in a central location to minimize transmitting distances in all directions.


Finalls, get some cheap speaker wire, maybe 3 to 5 feet of it, and strip off the insulation exposing about 2" of copper on both sides. Wrap one copper end around the top of your Ccrane antenna, and run the wire high up to your ceiling, and along the edge for a few feet. Also, you could add the same wire to any of your receiving radios' antennas to boost reception.


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## gvc

Mobile blackbox V6000 mfg states :


"The transmit range of the V6000 is up to 450 feet depending on the power setting, frequency setting, antenna type and environment"

http://www.mobileblackbox.com/content/view/40/75/ 


But the caveat is that it will not transmit in stereo.



I use the "whole house" transmitter and it works good for me in a two story house.

http://www.wholehousefmtransmitter.com/


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## Vagias

Just a couple things to consider when looking for an FM transmitter:


To begin with, most of these inexpensive units operate in the micro-watt (uw)pwr range. That said, the antenna system becomes very important if any appreciable range is to be obtained. It's very important that the antenna is tuned to 1/4 wavelength of the FM band, which = 28.5". Also, the antenna needs to be referenced to 0V, which can usually be accomplished by placing the xmitter on a metal ground plane, such as a filing cabinet. Antenna height is also important since FM is pretty much line-of-sight transmission, so obviously higher is better, in most cases.


Unfortunately, even under ideal conditions, the very low amt of output power limits their operating range (usually around 100-300 ft or so). In order to xmit at greater distances, the only practical solution is to use a more powerful xmitter. Besides being more powerful, these xmitters are more costly, and may require FCC licensing. The main issue with using higher power'ed xmitters, is not so much the output power, but rather it's the "Signal Field Strength", as measured at a given distance from the antenna. The FCC has a program called LPFMT (Low Power FM Transmission), which can be referenced on their web-site, for more info.


Jim


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