FM 103.5 MHz.  If you get close to my house you can listen to my vinyl rig...

I had two problems... wanting to hear vinyl on the other side of the room without running long cables and a MR71 tuner not getting any use because radio around here sucks so bad you can't listen to it.

I decided to set up an FM transmitter on the east end of my listening room where my turntable and phono stage live and then transmit to the west end of the room where my House Speakers, the Headwreckers, and a variety of other speakers frequent so I can hear them on vinyl.

I dialed in the transmitter antenna length to 31.75 inches and then by ear the output level to .4 watts which is 4 x more than is needed to get across the room, but it sounds a lot better at .4 watts than at .1.

I have to say I am shocked at the sound I am getting from this setup.  Tonight just for kicks I decided to hook the Holo Audio DAC to it and stream with Roon just to see what happens.  To my surprise I have recreated the vintage sound I grew up with, we all grew up with.  Juicy tube console stereos that sounded warm, rich, big, and tight.  In a word ' musical ', in fact that's where the term probably comes from, that specific sound.

I've tried to reproduce that specific sound since the onset of Decware, but have never been able to capture it and without getting long winded I found out why.  It's the transmitter and receiver modulating the music on a carrier wave and the vintage tube radio that is making it happen. And the gain structure between the input and output of the transmitter relative to the tuner. Really fascinating. I wouldn't be surprised if when I put the west end of the room back on it's own DAC that I feel let down.  We'll see.

The sound is vintage, almost like magic, so much easier and more enjoyable to listen to than stock!  I really can't believe it.

Behind the transmitter is the tape machine and next to that is a wall full of radio station tapes spanning 1960-1990.  Each reel is 80 minutes.  Hmmm.




The transmitter above.  Cost around $400 plus a linear power supply $250.  I also now have an understanding why growing up some FM stations sounded great and there were always a couple that sounded comparatively like crap. When I was dialing in the transmitter I was able to achieve both sounds, so it was how the transmitters were dialed in more than the electronics. Lower power with higher gain sounds thin, compressed.  Higher power with lower gain sounds the opposite.

It sets on the amp transformer with strong magnets so that it becomes solidly grounded to earth.  Made it sound better.

The experience



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Some of the things us old birds think of! Decware radio spanning the Peoria metropolitan area with daily build list updates while playing your favorite 60s acid tunes

Going to move that triangle to make room for an antenna 📡?

All kidding aside, I use to have a Pioneer SX750 reciever that on special late FM broadcast nights would blow my socks off with out of this world 3D imaging. Gave it to my daughter when she attended college working on her masters with custom built speakers. Got the speakers back being used in my shop. Not sure what happened to the receiver. Wish I still had it!

My first recognition of high quality music came in 1945.  Sitting on my Grandmothers lap listening to her floor standing radio.

That radio sounded so much better than her crank up Victrola.

Later, I peeked around back of the radio and saw those glowing tubes.  Still love to look at the tubes.

Memories........

Good Morning JBzen,,

I should have known there was someone out there that still enjoys the sound of the old technology.  That was just my three year old experience.

Also, you would likely be horrified to learn that I once took a beautiful floor standing Victrola and gutted it and installed a big old SS amp inside.  That is something that I would not do in today's world.

Please forgive me.

Obviously I'm not the only "Old Salt" in the crowd.

As a very young lad I had a radio with a pin and a rock and headphone.  It was fascinating  to be able to listen to broadcasts from far away places.

FM radio got me hooked on music. I still listen to a lot of fm radio, thankfully Boston has some cool stations. I currently listen via a Magnum Dynalab 108t and it is sublime.
Imagine being Steve's neighbor? God would that be a blast.

JD

Call sign WZEN?

WARE