top
East Bay
East Bay
Indybay
Indybay
Indybay
Regions
Indybay Regions North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area California United States International Americas Haiti Iraq Palestine Afghanistan
Topics
Newswire
Features
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature

Low Power TV r us

by Dan Mattson (handyman [at] california.com)
On Nov.8, Free Radio Berkeley held an open house to introduce low power television.

5 minute realvideo.
Copy the code below to embed this movie into a web page:
The Revolution Will Be Televised
From Free Radio to Free TV Broadcasting

It is now time to "Turn on, tune in and take over". Finally, guerilla media activists will be able to say:

“There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image, make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure.” (Outer Limits intro circa 1963)

Free Radio Berkeley's engineering staff has managed to design and develop low power VHF and UHF transmitters by the creative use of off-the-shelf technology. So far, design and engineering efforts have yielded TV transmitters capable of reaching a distance of 4-5 miles. Estimated cost for a VHF transmitter and antenna system with an effective radiated power of 75 watts is about $500, $700 to $800 for a system with an effective radiated power of 400 watts. For an UHF system, add about $300 to the above amounts. Coverage pattern is 220 degrees, not fully omni-directional. Further work is continuing on the development of antenna systems.

TV broadcasting kits will be made available starting in mid November. The transmitters accept any composite video source with line level audio. Typically, the video source will be a multiple disk DVD player or a computer with video files stored on a large capacity hard drive. Live broadcasts are certainly a possibility. This would require several video cameras and a video switcher/mixer. A 200 disk DVD juke box style player would hold almost two weeks worth of program material, assuming two hours per DVD. Considering the quantity of video material available, most of which will never be seen on either broadcast TV or cable/satellite feeds, there should not be any problem providing audiences with an exciting and compelling selection of material.

No doubt, the FCC, the National Association of Broadcasters and other entrenched interests will most strenuously object to Micropower or FreeTV Broadcasting. What better way to respond to the latest media debacle involving Sinclair Broadcasting and the total propaganda environment that has been created than with guerilla TV broadcasting.

For folks who wish to engage in Low Power TV Broadcasting, an all day introductory workshop on Low Power TV Broadcasting will be held on Saturday, December 4 from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Contact Free Radio Berkeley for further information.
510-625-0314 / xmtrman [at] pacbell.net / http://www.freeradio.org
Mailing address: 1442A Walnut St., Suite 406, Berkeley, CA 94709
Shop location: 2311 Adeline, Unit P, Oakland, 94607 (at West Grand)
§broadband version
by Dan Mattson (handyman [at] california.com)
Copy the code below to embed this movie into a web page:
Add Your Comments

Comments (Hide Comments)
by me
Hopefully they'll work better than the radio transmitters.

Not to discourage your efforts but Dunifer has a weak record on delivering the goods. And I like Stephen!!
by Stephen Dunifer (xmtrman [at] pacbell.net)
Yes, the TV transmitters actually do work and are actually a bit easier to put together than the FM units since the only two items that require assembly are the amplifier and the antenna. The amplifiers use a broadband power module which requires only a few external components. The cable TV modulator is a commercial, off-the-shelf unit.

As far the other issues are concerned, I do admit we have been glacially slow at times in sending out orders. Our process has improved over the last few months, however. Keep in mind that we have conducted 4 radio camp session since the end of May this year with a 5th session scheduled for Nov 19-22. They have been our probably most successful single endeavor in terms of getting transmitters distributed and folks trained in setting up radio stations. Averaging 8-10 people per session, these workshops have attracted folks from not just inside the US but from outside as well. Provided visas are in order, the next session will be the most internationally attended one so far.

We have engaged in a considerable amount of new design work this year resulting in a series of no-tune FM broadcast amplifiers ranging from 15 to 100 watts. Our 100 watt unit has proved to be extremely reliable and easy to use. Further efforts will yield transmitters with the same features such as integrated power monitoring, fault protection, keypad entry of frequency, etc. that are found on commercial gear.

Yes, we have our faults but just rememer that we are able to conduct fairly major R&D efforts with very little in the way of resources and support. And, I would like to credit two of our volunteers, Jack and Vic, plus our associates in Austin for their collective efforts on the engineering and design side of things.
by JA
BEFORE MOVING ON AND DIVERTING FUNDS, TIME, RESOURCES, PERSONNEL, AND HUMAN EFFORT, HOW ABOUT JUST GETTING "BERKELEY LIBERATION RADIO" ENOUGH POWER TO BE HEARD OVER EVEN MOST OF BERKELEY OR OAKLAND?

HOW ABOUT GETTING MORE DECENT MICRORADIO KITS OUT TO COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE ALREADY ASKED ABOUT OR ORDERED THEM FROM YOU? YOU'VE BEEN PRETTY SLOW/DERELICT ON THAT IN THE PAST.

WHAT'S THE SIGNAL POWER OUTPUT OF BLR -- ABOUT A MEASILY 40 OR 50 WATTS AT BEST? -- UP FROM A MEASILY 30 WATTS (THAT ONE COULD HARDLY HEAR A COUPLE MILES AWAY OR SO AT GROUND LEVEL) FOR YEARS.

YOU CAN'T EVEN HEAR THE STATION AT GROUND LEVEL ON SPROULD PLAZA AT UC BERKELEY WITH A HUGE STUDENT POPULATION -- ONLY A FEW MILES AWAY.

LET'S GET A GOOD WALK GOING, BEFORE WE START TRYING TO RUN.
by reader
nice to hear what the real situation is.

It would be GREAT if we can do this. And if the development can work in parallel with radio, great. But TV is the most hypnotic means to control public opinion out there - like with the Green Party, whose convention was hijacked and infiltrated by Dems, one has to have a good structure in place with a means to prevent being misused. TV is like cocaine compared to radio, which might be like pot, relatively speaking.
by Kurt Brown, alias Saint Ram Bone
I really like the set up. Most people use cable in the city where I live and satellite in the outskirts. However, as a refugee from many american cities, LA, SF, NO, and the ghetto of the coastal sheet-hole Mobile, Alabama which is Prichard, I think that is the only place I could use it and be heard.

I would like to become like Johnny Walker Red and lead a thousand po ass folks into my city council meeting where I am barred from attending in Mobile Alabama. Maybe if I offered free wine and cool aid and some bogus herb I could awaken a mass contingent.

Since youse guys are technicians, perhaps you can tell me why Mobile Alabama has air raid sirens hovering in the sky in various points of the city. I saw where radio waves and sound in an ether created a 3 dimensional apparition.

http://materializer.exto.info/gallery/objects/id/2811.html

My city councilman, Copeland has a small horn on his head and so does the mayor Dow when he is near Copeland in City Council meetings, and a corrupt judge in Mobile, who is McMaken has a head shaped like a spring loaded coil tensioner was placed there and it now looks like Frankenstein.

I need technicians with equipment to visit and assist. I want to run some tests. Something is weird about this place. I mean truly weird, like denying people entry into government meetings, denying people the right to vote, and possible even abuse in the hospitals of children at birth.

I really like the small broadcast station. I may be in the Berkeley area and will make note of your event.

I joke and kid, but Mobile Alabama is like Hell and has been my entire life. Something is weird that they do not allow the educated into their meetings. Is there some sort of Nazi stronghold here? come see, come sa, Mobile Alabama City Council Meetings, 10:30 on Tuesdays, Downtown Courthouse.

Bring Dennis Peron, I want to talk about teeth implants and oral implants by the government, and he seems to be missing some, teeth, that is. Was he an experiment too? I was a victim, after working at the FDIC in San Francisco, controlled by mobsters r us, with the help of the National Treasury Employees Union.

Ciao and tunin in.
by John Parulis
This is really great Dan. Thanks for the info and see you there!
John
by luke crawford
Stephen Dunfier is a crook.

I am still waiting after a year and a half for him to finish filling my order. The first gear he sent to me did not work, I had to return it it to be fixed. It was a miracle that I even recieved it back in working order.

He refuses to give out the frequency table for the dip switch to set the transmitter to its FM frequency.

****DO NOT DO BUISNESS WITH THIS LOSER****

I am surprised someone has not put him out of buisness yet with the amount of people he has screwed over.

Luke.
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!

Donate

$230.00 donated
in the past month

Get Involved

If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.

Publish

Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.

IMC Network