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I think lots of communities running localised AM stations could be super cool. > There could be a minimal licencing regime to demonstrate the individual is not

by bArray 2y ago

I think lots of communities running localised AM stations could be super cool. > There could be a minimal licencing regime to demonstrate the individual is not a complete numpty [..] I wouldn't bother and it just adds more resistance. > [..] and a fee to PRS for music rights along the lines of how streaming works. I think the quality is so low and the audience so few that it wouldn't matter. > Maximum power could be kept low especially at night to avoid interfering with countries in Europe where AM radio is still an active platform, [..] Yeah, not sure where the sweet zone would be though. > [..] and I don't think there'd need to be a lot of enforcement with respect to content since you'd only realistically be broadcasting to other anoraks. That would be the point, just low-power decentralised communities. Only real reason to get involved is if the power goes too high or band use is not respectful to other users.

BoxOfRain 2y ago
That's a good point about the regulation given the low quality, I suppose if it was a problem they'd already have gone after public SDRs capturing the broadcast bands. It doesn't sound like the sort of thing Ofcom would go for as I suspect it'd be seen as making unnecessary work for them, but you never know. Someone there clearly likes Radio Caroline (despite Ofcom's predecessors having fought to close it for decades in its pirate days) because they got awarded a 1 kW and later 4 kW power limit when AM community stations are usually much lower, so there might be sympathy towards the idea of more community AM generally. It would be a difficult thing to lobby for politically I think because it's such a niche interest, but it'd be an easy thing for them to do and there's not much else that part of the spectrum can be used for easily.
dgacmu 2y ago
The reason for licensing is similar to the reason for licensing ham radio: you get a slightly higher level of clue about not creating huge amounts of accidental interference, and a point of contact to yell at if they do. and a little safety education.... The ham radio licensing process is not onerous.
- bArray 2y ago
  I went through it (admittedly many years ago), but ham licensing wouldn't really do anything for safe radio operation. I learned the real stuff from two very experienced operators. It would probably be easiest to regulate the transmitters than the people using them.
  - dgacmu 2y ago
    Me too, but at least there's some stuff in there (for extra) about RF safety. Not a lot, but enough that someone with an extra class license should know that they need to go do some calculations about the safe distance from their antenna based upon radiated power, etc., and hopefully that's enough to get them to actually do it. IIRC there was a question or two in the pool about RF burns. Not much in there that would stop you from electrocuting yourself, though, I agree. Licensing the transmitters is the FCC's other standard approach and would probably work except for radiated power safety and antenna issues -- which can be pretty big. You could easily create significant interference or hazard from a botched antenna or connection. (But also which you don't learn enough from just passing the exam.)
    - bArray 2y ago
      Electrocution I think is an easier risk to manage than the RF side, it's less intuitive and you'll be burned but not necessarily understand why. Ham is better than nothing, but I wouldn't feel personally comfortable operating a 1kW+ AM rig. It seems like it needs more thought, but I still like the idea of de-centralised community AM transmitters operating.
WarOnPrivacy 2y ago
> I think lots of communities running localised AM stations could be super cool. I agree. My US thoughts on the likelihood of (and potential outcome of) opening AM to the public - they all focus on content. US AM content is mostly religious, conservative, sportsball and ethnic-usually-Latino. Those are the opposing interests to opening AM. To counter opposition, I'd open the upper half of the AM band to the public. To ease friction, I'd lift any regulatory fees and offer subsidies to offset costs. As for content on the newly open bands, I could see at least 2 of the current AM interests firehosing cash to saturate the newly open bands and markets (which might unwind over the long term).
- the_arun 2y ago
  Where is the energy coming from? The power source towers are connected? Already our electric bills are super expensive. How can we run localized AM Stations with high cost of maintenance?
  - bArray 2y ago
    It depends how powerful, but running a 1kW station could be feasible for a home owner. Also I imagine they would generally have operating times which would greatly reduce operational overheads.
    - WarOnPrivacy 2y ago
      True and a community station might have community content and funding. Buying airtime is as old as broadcasting. It could also power down for a bit. I'm old enough to remember commercial TV going off-air overnight.

by bArray 2y ago

BoxOfRain 2y ago

That's a good point about the regulation given the low quality, I suppose if it was a problem they'd already have gone after public SDRs capturing the broadcast bands. It doesn't sound like the sort of thing Ofcom would go for as I suspect it'd be seen as making unnecessary work for them, but you never know. Someone there clearly likes Radio Caroline (despite Ofcom's predecessors having fought to close it for decades in its pirate days) because they got awarded a 1 kW and later 4 kW power limit when AM community stations are usually much lower, so there might be sympathy towards the idea of more community AM generally. It would be a difficult thing to lobby for politically I think because it's such a niche interest, but it'd be an easy thing for them to do and there's not much else that part of the spectrum can be used for easily.

dgacmu 2y ago

The reason for licensing is similar to the reason for licensing ham radio: you get a slightly higher level of clue about not creating huge amounts of accidental interference, and a point of contact to yell at if they do. and a little safety education.... The ham radio licensing process is not onerous.

bArray 2y ago
I went through it (admittedly many years ago), but ham licensing wouldn't really do anything for safe radio operation. I learned the real stuff from two very experienced operators. It would probably be easiest to regulate the transmitters than the people using them.
- dgacmu 2y ago
  Me too, but at least there's some stuff in there (for extra) about RF safety. Not a lot, but enough that someone with an extra class license should know that they need to go do some calculations about the safe distance from their antenna based upon radiated power, etc., and hopefully that's enough to get them to actually do it. IIRC there was a question or two in the pool about RF burns. Not much in there that would stop you from electrocuting yourself, though, I agree. Licensing the transmitters is the FCC's other standard approach and would probably work except for radiated power safety and antenna issues -- which can be pretty big. You could easily create significant interference or hazard from a botched antenna or connection. (But also which you don't learn enough from just passing the exam.)
  - bArray 2y ago
    Electrocution I think is an easier risk to manage than the RF side, it's less intuitive and you'll be burned but not necessarily understand why. Ham is better than nothing, but I wouldn't feel personally comfortable operating a 1kW+ AM rig. It seems like it needs more thought, but I still like the idea of de-centralised community AM transmitters operating.

WarOnPrivacy 2y ago

> I think lots of communities running localised AM stations could be super cool. I agree. My US thoughts on the likelihood of (and potential outcome of) opening AM to the public - they all focus on content. US AM content is mostly religious, conservative, sportsball and ethnic-usually-Latino. Those are the opposing interests to opening AM. To counter opposition, I'd open the upper half of the AM band to the public. To ease friction, I'd lift any regulatory fees and offer subsidies to offset costs. As for content on the newly open bands, I could see at least 2 of the current AM interests firehosing cash to saturate the newly open bands and markets (which might unwind over the long term).

the_arun 2y ago
Where is the energy coming from? The power source towers are connected? Already our electric bills are super expensive. How can we run localized AM Stations with high cost of maintenance?
- bArray 2y ago
  It depends how powerful, but running a 1kW station could be feasible for a home owner. Also I imagine they would generally have operating times which would greatly reduce operational overheads.
  - WarOnPrivacy 2y ago
    True and a community station might have community content and funding. Buying airtime is as old as broadcasting. It could also power down for a bit. I'm old enough to remember commercial TV going off-air overnight.