Cost of the Cheapest LoFi AM Transmitter ~ 20 - 30m Range

[Bret Cahill]

Beacons/transponders would greatly alleviate the problem.

I have a bright idea - make it instantly universally compatible by using light instead of radio waves

If Caltrans put up reflectors on curves, that would help at night, same as Bluetooth day or night.

But it would be easier to just use AM which can make it around the curve natcherally and be picked up day or night by tuning into the right channel.

Do you really expect people to drive around with an AM radio on,

In China motorists will often throw it in reverse to finish off the cyclist so he cannot sue. Most U.S. drivers don't want to sideswipe a cyclist.

Insurance companies would pass out $3 dedicated receivers along with their $12 fire extinguishers.

The state requires brakes, windshields and other safety features. That should be done here as well.

not tuned to a broadcast transmitter in these days of electrical noise from so many switching power supplies? Even those damned LED traffic signals radiate noise. In rural areas, I can pick it up before I see the lights. At times, over a mile.

With just a crap Part 15 transmitter, what good is it? You have no idea where it is coming from.

I've never seen it anywhere else but Klamath river road has a light the cyclist activates by pushing a button to warn motorists over a several km stretch of road. I'm not sure how it gets turned off but 30 - 50 m would be much more accurate.

> Did that 'excited guy at the FCC' explain the costs to approve a system like this to you?

That's what he was enthusiastic about. The individual transmitters would not need a license and could be sold like any other consumer electronics.

> Around here, areas where people ride bikes there would be more than one signal.

Then motorists would know to drive even slower. Moreover, a lot of cyclists know it's 15X more dangerous at night and don't cycle.

Finally, if you have a lot of cyclists at all times of the day and night, they should eventually be able to get a bike lane.

In the meantime . . .

> How long do you think that people would put up with the noise and false alarms? AM radios don't have a squelch, and newer car radios are often FM only.

Most believe an occasional false positive would be better that ever hitting anyone. This is particularly true with tourists on scenic roads. It's easy for a driver to get distracted by 9 m waves.

https://www.surfline.com/surf-report/caspar-beach/584204204e65fad6a770997d


Bret Cahill

 

[Michael Terrell]

On Thursday, January 2, 2020 at 1:31:31 PM UTC-5, Bret Cahill wrote:

Beacons/transponders would greatly alleviate the problem.

I have a bright idea - make it instantly universally compatible by using light instead of radio waves

If Caltrans put up reflectors on curves, that would help at night, same as Bluetooth day or night.

But it would be easier to just use AM which can make it around the curve natcherally and be picked up day or night by tuning into the right channel.

Do you really expect people to drive around with an AM radio on,

In China motorists will often throw it in reverse to finish off the cyclist so he cannot sue. Most U.S. drivers don't want to sideswipe a cyclist.

Insurance companies would pass out $3 dedicated receivers along with their $12 fire extinguishers.

The state requires brakes, windshields and other safety features. That should be done here as well.

not tuned to a broadcast transmitter in these days of electrical noise from so many switching power supplies? Even those damned LED traffic signals radiate noise. In rural areas, I can pick it up before I see the lights. At times, over a mile.

With just a crap Part 15 transmitter, what good is it? You have no idea where it is coming from.

I've never seen it anywhere else but Klamath river road has a light the cyclist activates by pushing a button to warn motorists over a several km stretch of road. I'm not sure how it gets turned off but 30 - 50 m would be much more accurate.

Did that 'excited guy at the FCC' explain the costs to approve a system like this to you?

That's what he was enthusiastic about. The individual transmitters would not need a license and could be sold like any other consumer electronics.

Around here, areas where people ride bikes there would be more than one signal.

Then motorists would know to drive even slower. Moreover, a lot of cyclists know it's 15X more dangerous at night and don't cycle.

Finally, if you have a lot of cyclists at all times of the day and night, they should eventually be able to get a bike lane.

In the meantime . . .

How long do you think that people would put up with the noise and false alarms? AM radios don't have a squelch, and newer car radios are often FM only.

Most believe an occasional false positive would be better that ever hitting anyone. This is particularly true with tourists on scenic roads. It's easy for a driver to get distracted by 9 m waves.

https://www.surfline.com/surf-report/caspar-beach/584204204e65fad6a770997d


Bret Cahill

In other words, you are clueless. How do you intend to transmit on the AM BCB? It takes a properly loaded, and physically awkward antenna. 1.5 MHz has a wavelength of 200 Meters. A $3 receiver? You have to be kidding. Once again that needs an antenna on the vehicle. At least the receive antenna can be the usual 31" FM whip, since it is used as a voltage probe. What modulation do you intend to use? What about a squelch circuit in the receiver? I repaired thousands of car radios as a teenager, and I was the Engineer at several AM BCB stations. AM was marginal at 100mW, 50 years ago. The noise floor is much higher, today.

 

[Bret Cahill]

Beacons/transponders would greatly alleviate the problem.

I have a bright idea - make it instantly universally compatible by using light instead of radio waves

If Caltrans put up reflectors on curves, that would help at night, same as Bluetooth day or night.

But it would be easier to just use AM which can make it around the curve natcherally and be picked up day or night by tuning into the right channel.

Do you really expect people to drive around with an AM radio on,

In China motorists will often throw it in reverse to finish off the cyclist so he cannot sue. Most U.S. drivers don't want to sideswipe a cyclist.

Insurance companies would pass out $3 dedicated receivers along with their $12 fire extinguishers.

The state requires brakes, windshields and other safety features. That should be done here as well.

not tuned to a broadcast transmitter in these days of electrical noise from so many switching power supplies? Even those damned LED traffic signals radiate noise. In rural areas, I can pick it up before I see the lights. At times, over a mile.

With just a crap Part 15 transmitter, what good is it? You have no idea where it is coming from.

I've never seen it anywhere else but Klamath river road has a light the cyclist activates by pushing a button to warn motorists over a several km stretch of road. I'm not sure how it gets turned off but 30 - 50 m would be much more accurate.

Did that 'excited guy at the FCC' explain the costs to approve a system like this to you?

That's what he was enthusiastic about. The individual transmitters would not need a license and could be sold like any other consumer electronics.

Around here, areas where people ride bikes there would be more than one signal.

Then motorists would know to drive even slower. Moreover, a lot of cyclists know it's 15X more dangerous at night and don't cycle.

Finally, if you have a lot of cyclists at all times of the day and night, they should eventually be able to get a bike lane.

In the meantime . . .

How long do you think that people would put up with the noise and false alarms? AM radios don't have a squelch, and newer car radios are often FM only.

Most believe an occasional false positive would be better that ever hitting anyone. This is particularly true with tourists on scenic roads. It's easy for a driver to get distracted by 9 m waves.

https://www.surfline.com/surf-report/caspar-beach/584204204e65fad6a770997d

<crickets>

 

[Michael Terrell]

On Friday, January 3, 2020 at 11:23:14 AM UTC-5, Bret Cahill wrote:

Beacons/transponders would greatly alleviate the problem.

I have a bright idea - make it instantly universally compatible by using light instead of radio waves

If Caltrans put up reflectors on curves, that would help at night, same as Bluetooth day or night.

But it would be easier to just use AM which can make it around the curve natcherally and be picked up day or night by tuning into the right channel.

Do you really expect people to drive around with an AM radio on,

In China motorists will often throw it in reverse to finish off the cyclist so he cannot sue. Most U.S. drivers don't want to sideswipe a cyclist.

Insurance companies would pass out $3 dedicated receivers along with their $12 fire extinguishers.

The state requires brakes, windshields and other safety features. That should be done here as well.

not tuned to a broadcast transmitter in these days of electrical noise from so many switching power supplies? Even those damned LED traffic signals radiate noise. In rural areas, I can pick it up before I see the lights. At times, over a mile.

With just a crap Part 15 transmitter, what good is it? You have no idea where it is coming from.

I've never seen it anywhere else but Klamath river road has a light the cyclist activates by pushing a button to warn motorists over a several km stretch of road. I'm not sure how it gets turned off but 30 - 50 m would be much more accurate.

Did that 'excited guy at the FCC' explain the costs to approve a system like this to you?

That's what he was enthusiastic about. The individual transmitters would not need a license and could be sold like any other consumer electronics.

Around here, areas where people ride bikes there would be more than one signal.

Then motorists would know to drive even slower. Moreover, a lot of cyclists know it's 15X more dangerous at night and don't cycle.

Finally, if you have a lot of cyclists at all times of the day and night, they should eventually be able to get a bike lane.

In the meantime . . .

How long do you think that people would put up with the noise and false alarms? AM radios don't have a squelch, and newer car radios are often FM only.

Most believe an occasional false positive would be better that ever hitting anyone. This is particularly true with tourists on scenic roads. It's easy for a driver to get distracted by 9 m waves.

https://www.surfline.com/surf-report/caspar-beach/584204204e65fad6a770997d

crickets

In other words, you have no answers. Here are questions for you.

What frequency do yo intend to use? There isn't any AM channel that isn't used by multiple stations.

How do you intend to ground the transmitter, so the antenna actually transmits RF? There isn't enough metal in a bike frame to be a counterpoise.

What if there is a metal building between the bike and any motor vehicle?

Typical of your grandiose schemes, you are on the level of Skybuck. All mouth and no practical ideas.