FM transmitter

videoman3857

Full time elf
Joined
Apr 21, 2016
Messages
445
Location
Glass House Mountains
Wanting to get some input on the preferred FM transmitters used by the peeps @ ACL


The pro's and the cons.

I am leaning towards the EDM-LCD-P
As the kit only comes with a test antenna, should I look at getting the Rubber Duck (BNC) Antenna
or should I use a Dipole antenna.?
I am on 4 acres I want to to transmit throughout the property to Radio DJ speakers located throughout the display area.


Peter
 

Fing

Full time elf
Generous elf
Joined
Dec 31, 2014
Messages
405
Location
Muswellbrook
Hi Pete,


I have the EDM, it is a great little radio. I have the rubber duckie ant which i remote mounted under my eves. Running on the lowest setting it gets a good 100m, to the end of the street which is plenty for me. I think the ant was only $10 ?? worth it just for a test ant out of the box. and easy enough to build a dipole if it doesn't work. the radio is very clear and has good audio qualities. Mine did take a bit of time getting here as it was shipped out of the US via USPS which is very slow when it wants to be.


Whilst on the subject I also use a little Behringer mixer which I use to control the volume and tone and allows me the ability to run other sound inputs, including a mic should I need to, and also allows me to monitor the feed to the radio. I think it was about $80 ish ?? from ebay
I also connected a compressor to the input of the radio, but the radio is that well designed I didn't need it.


Cheers
Fing
 

BundyRoy

Dedicated elf
Joined
Apr 9, 2014
Messages
1,026
Not sure what my FM transmitter is but it is small and only has a 3m long thin wire coming out as an antenna. I got it as part of my LOR package before I knew about ACL. It's great. It transmits about 4 blocks in every direction. I have it in the middle of my house and have never had an issue in 2 seasons (other than occasionally forgetting to plug it into the computer headphones jack). So mine is whatever the standard LOR transmitter is.
 

videoman3857

Full time elf
Joined
Apr 21, 2016
Messages
445
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Glass House Mountains
So BundyRoy, are you a dedicated LOR man, or have you integrated different DMX controllers into your system as well ?
I have just made contact with a lady from Ayr in Qld who is selling off her LOR stuff and I am going to go a mixture of both - eventually. Her LOR system comes with showtime director, but no transmitter. She has also included her music and sequences, so it's going to be the fastest and easiest way for me to get some sort of a first year light show going.
LOR cosmic ribbons are too expensive so I will eventually get some form of pixels from Ray Wu and probably a falcon board (allowing for growth) to control them.
 

BundyRoy

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Joined
Apr 9, 2014
Messages
1,026
Peter, I have 1 LOR AC controller. I bought it at the LOR sale before I knew anything. I now have 4 mini trees run off it with my t brite lights on them. I run it through dmx from a pixlite 16 controller. I also have a 2d pixel tree and 6 pixel arches run off the pixlite. I run all my old static big w light strings through a 2811DC30 controller (i had just enough to fill the 30 channels, worked out well). I use LOR software but will change this year to xlights. I've only done two seasons to date and my second season was exactly the same as year 1 as I lost a little enthusiasm there for a while (it's back now). If I had my time again I wouldn't buy the LOR AC controller. I only kept it out of stubbornness (and to save admitting I was wrong with the wife). Will probably sell it down the track. I am glad though that I can still use my big w lights.


Have just bought a mega tree with 2000 pixels and am hoping to make some singing faces so pixels are starting to take over.
 

Bill Ellick

Full time elf
Joined
Dec 31, 2011
Messages
282
Location
NY
I use an EDM transmitter with a home built coax dipole antenna that gives me approx. 1500 to 2000 feet of nice clean strong signal.
I am not at home now but will get the pdf for the antenna and post tomorrow for you.


Here is a basic antenna that works very well with the EDM. You can use a piece of 3/4" pvc for the broomstick piece and I crimped a ring lug on each end of the antenna "leads" so that I could use a thumb tack to hold it up.
 

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videoman3857

Full time elf
Joined
Apr 21, 2016
Messages
445
Location
Glass House Mountains
I only kept it out of stubbornness (and to save admitting I was wrong with the wife).
LOL. I'm that way too.
I also purchased LOR (sale) and 2nd hand Controllers before I found out about ACL.
I will be using a LOR AC Controller to turn off lights that I don't want on during my display.
I have 13 of the CMB 16 D to use on my RGB Floods, RGB dumb pixels etc.
I have a heap of 2 wire Lytworks led strings and ropes lights. I will turn them on and off only with the LOR AC controller until I can afford to get the new controller (model eludes me) to control them
This year I will use the LOR software - as it came with the 2nd hand stuff which also had music and sequencing.
Questioning other users at the Brisbane mini revealed that most people were using Xlite so I have downloaded it, but yet to trial it.
Next year I start to plan using pixel lights and will use the appropriate controllers in conjunction with my LOR stuff.
I am running out of time this year as I have a 2 month overseas trip staring in September and it will cut me short of doing my Christmas thing. Darn holiday !
 
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