Ottawa radio frequency.

This won't be interesting to some, to others it will be worth a look.

In the Nepean area of Ottawa, there's a radio station that spans all the way from 92Mhz to 100Mhz, only cutting out when you pass the frequency of stations overpowering it.

Now, I know plenty about how FM radio works. I know it's not that hard to broadcast over a wide range of frequencies... but I thought it wasn't legal. I thought the broadcasters had to stay within a certain frequency range so they don't tread on another broadcasters purchased range. The station's range overstepps 5 other local radio stations to my count. That's quite the range.

Anywhoo, anyone passing through the west part of ottawa, with an analogue radio, slowly tune between 92, and 100... it's nice classical, and I havent heard a single commercial, or announcer for over 2 hours now.
I don't think a digital tuner would pick it up, it would be programmed to look at certain frquencies... not something broadcasting over 16 legitimate broadcasting frequencies.

If they are an underground braodcaster, I hope they keep going. I love their selection of classical.

Nevermind, I tracked the signal down.

Someone at the Algonquin College decided to build themselves a transmitter. I had a talk with him, he did a rather good job on building it, quite the powerful transmitter I must admit, but he used some very crude components, and hence, he spanned many frequencies he had no intention of spanning.

He's not going to take it down, he's just going to try to refine the signal.

I give props to him, he's only in his first year of electronics, and he's already building some very powerful transmitters. At that point in Robotics, I was making small coin sized transmitters... the kind of thing you'd use to spy on someone. I never spied on anyone of course... but I never gave much thought to making a proper transmitter.

Good job.

I tried finding it last night when you made your origional post, but was unable to locate the signal with my radio (maybe too far away from Algonquin), but am glad to hear you found out where it was coming from.

[edit on 10/3/2006 by pstiffy]

I was a radio tech for a number of years and now it is easy to buy rf power amp modules on the web and even tunable front ends and modulators etc. But you are correct that without a tunable wave filter and good antenna and good equipment to line everything up you will be wide on the spectrum. Good work finding the person. Do you work for the government btw?

Originally posted by johnsky
Now, I know plenty about how FM radio works. I know it's not that hard to broadcast over a wide range of frequencies... but I thought it wasn't legal. I thought the broadcasters had to stay within a certain frequency range so they don't tread on another broadcasters purchased range. The station's range overstepps 5 other local radio stations to my count. That's quite the range.

I've always loved how you can lease certain frequencies in the EM spectrum. I've often wondered if I could buy... blue. Maybe green.

Originally posted by apc
I've always loved how you can lease certain frequencies in the EM spectrum. I've often wondered if I could buy... blue. Maybe green.

hahaha, if you get the blue spectrum, I get the red one!

denythestatusquo : No, I don't work for the government, I do however have government security clearance... but then again, just about half of Ottawa does. You need it if you want to open doors for work.

I know how to home in on radio transmitters because I am in Robotics engineering. It doesnt take much to piece a crude version of one together... well, I lie... it takes ALOT of patience...

after finding out it was coming from the residence, my task of finding the transmitter became very easy. The owner sparked up a conversation with me, probably because of the crude electronics I was carrying.