This page deals with the problems of setting up a radio station. Our (MAX) kits will be used as an example, although others could be used as well. First you need to establish what kind of an area do you want to cover.

Range is limited by:

a) Optical visibility. This can sometimes be up to 40 miles, if you are looking out from a mountain top.

b) Interference from other stations on the same or close-by frequency.

c) Transmission power. Even if optical visibility is 20 miles, 1W probably won't get you more than a mile. If 50 Watt ERP is used, it's very likely that 20 miles of range will be achieved. This is because 50 Watt ERP is ample power to propagate a strong signal 20 miles. If 1 Million Watts of power is used, it is very likely that signal will only propagate just over 20 miles. This is because the range is limited as described in point a) above.

Assuming the antenna has a clear view, the frequency is clear and an average (poor) quality portable receiver is used, typical transmission power vs range figures are as follows:

It is not normally possible to have hundreds of miles of range on FM broadcast band (87.5MHz to 108MHz), even if terrain is perfectly flat and you have your antenna on the top of the mountain and you're using killowatts of power. It is occasionally possible due to special atmospheric conditions, such as inversion etc. Such special conditions happen rarely and only last for a very short time so it is not possible to rely upon them in any way. In order to cover so many square miles it is necessary to setup a grid of transmitters and link them via wireless audio links, making sure they do not transmit at the same frequency as they could interfere.

There is no difference in range between transmitters of different manufacturers, provided they're operating at the same power level. The difference can show in audio quality, reliability, life span and spurious emissions.

First, we have provided a number of prepared combo packages for you, explaining and containing everything you need to start broadcasting immediately. These complete packages can be reviewed here.

Here is a list of things that you need to start your own radio station:

1.) Transmitter. This can be any of our transmitters, depending on your budget and your target range:

- If you just want to cover your property (house, apartment, yard), think about PCI MAX. This transmitter is a PC card, you insert it into your PC (just like any other computer board) and it turns your PC into a FM radio station.

- If you want a higher quality stand alone solution, think about our boxed standalone transmitters: Cyber MAX LCD or Cyber MAX FM. You can still use PC as audio source for these transmitters.

- Even cheaper are our FM exciter boards (mono and with no enclosure). They are assembled or in a KIT form. They can be upgraded to stereo with any of our stereo encoders.

5.) Audio equipment. This can be a limiter & compressor, tape decks, mixing tables, cd players or even a PC. Note that it is not necessary to use PCI MAX in order to use your PC as audio source. In fact even professional radio station use PC's today to stream their audio.

This is our most popular boxed unit. Probably for its simplicity and features at a great price. It has LCD display so it is easy to control frequency and use the unit. It also has a built-in power supply so no extra cables and boxes. Another strong point is the optional built-in RDS encoder (for US; This is a system which makes it possible to send text messages to your radio receiver). Its hard to beat this package on features and price.

Cyber max LCD, stereo FM transmitter at an affordable price, and Comet antenna, a perfect companion for this transmitter

ADVANTAGE
Price and features, optional RDS, built-in mains power supply, easy to handle and less cables.

DISADVANTAGE
Hardly any, if you want more power you need to consider stronger model

RANGE
It is never easy to predict range. Check this to get some idea. Basically depends a lot on your antenna location.

WHAT'S INCLUDED?
- Cyber max LCD with power supply and optional RDS
- Comet antenna

WHAT ELSE WILL YOU NEED AND IT WASN'T INCLUDED?
- Coaxial cable (50 ohm coaxial cable RG213, RG58 or Belden - best), keep it short, you can get it HERE.
- SWR meter to tune your antenna (optional). See accesories on the left.


NOTE
It is a good idea to use PC as audio source and run some kind of audio processing software to form a cheap limiter/compressor (MLB4 or Winamp plugins, such as rocksteady).

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Check out the remaining guide sections for additional information about antenna designs, power supplies, audio equipment and more. You can order everything discussed above by choosing an appropriate product category in the first selection box (Our products) in the frame on the left.

Problems or questions? CONTACT US

Comparison of our boxed units

Type	Power	Stereo	SWR protection	RDS encoder	Power	Setting power	19" rack enclosure	Tuning	Stability	RF filters
Cyber max LCD	5-7W		-		12V or mains	Internal trimmer	-	Easy tune	PLL
Cyber max FM	15W			-	12V or mains	Potentiometer - very easy		None	PLL

Comparison of our KIT units

Type	Power	Stereo	SWR protection	Antenna connector	Power	Setting power	LCD display	Tuning	Stability	RF filters
AM MAX II	5-10W	-	-	BNC	15-24V	Trimmer		None	PLL
MAX PRO I	5-7W	With SE3 or SE4	-	BNC	12-14V	Trimmer		Easy tune	PLL
MAX PRO II	5-7W	With SE3 or SE4	-	BNC	12-14V	Trimmer	-	Easy tune	PLL
MAX PRO III	15W	With SE3 or SE4		BNC	12-15V	Potentiometer or via LCD		None	PLL

Problems or questions? CONTACT US

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