The antenna and the transmitter are your broadcast transmitting elements. This is where your signal originates and goes out into the airwaves. These two pieces of equipment are usually (but not always) installed in proximity to each other. For LPFM, the FCC requires that your transmitter and antenna be located within 10 miles of where your organization functions.

An FM antenna is similar to a television antenna that you might put on a roof to improve TV reception. It can be installed on a mast or pole secured to the roof of a building, on a freestanding tower, or on some other structure that elevates it above the ground. This can be anywhere from 100 to 1000 feet or higher, if it is on a hill or mountain.

The signal reaches the radiating elements of the antenna through a special cable that is connected to the transmitter. The cable leaves the transmitter and must be long enough to reach the antenna, feeding the broadcast signal.

The transmitter is generally located in a closet or room on or near the roof, somewhere else in the same building as the antenna, or in a shack or building on the ground under the tower.

The antenna does not need its own power. It gets its power from the transmission signal and is designed to be outside.

The transmitter needs electricity and must be inside, protected from the weather.

Both your antenna and your transmitter must be ìtunedî to the frequency you are assigned by the FCC, so that the signal is broadcast on the correct channel and only that channel. When you purchase your transmitter, you will tell the manufacturer your frequency and it will arrive pre-tuned or with instructions on how to tune it. LPFM antennas are broadband, and will be able to transmit from any frequency you are assigned. The manufacturer will tell you if it needs to be pre-tuned.

The programs you broadcast originate from a control room, also called a broadcast studio. This is the place where the microphones, CD players, cassette machines, and other equipment is located so people can produce live and recorded radio programs. Most commercial and many non-commercial public radio stations have several control rooms and studios, where they can record, edit, mix and broadcast programs all at the same time. But a radio studio does not need to be either expensive or complicated to sound good and be easy to use.

You do not need an FCC license or any permissions to build and run a radio production studio.

You do not need any kind of special room. The studio can be in its own dedicated room, in a closet, or even in a corner of a room that is used for other purposes. The main condition is that it be quiet enough that the room noise does not overly distract from your radio broadcast, or be too confusing to listeners.

Consumer quality equipment, such as CD players and cassette decks, is adequate for most broadcast uses that you might have.

However, if you intend to learn or teach more advanced radio skills or production techniques, or use some equipment very heavily, you might want to invest in professional quality equipment which is more expensive but designed for long-term durability.

To be heard on the radio, the programs that you originate in your studio must travel to the transmitter in one way or another, by cable, or through the air. Try to locate your studio as close to the transmitter as possible. If you can, put the studios in a room nearby where the transmitter is located. Then, connecting the equipment in your studio to your transmitter might only need some cables.

If this is not possible, try to put your studio in the same building as the transmitter. Often, studios are located on one floor of a building and the transmitter is on the roof. The cable between them is run through an elevator shaft, stairway, or other conduit that connects them.

You might have to locate your studio in another building or some other place distant from the transmitter. In this instance, you will need an STL Studio to Transmitter Link that will connect your program signal to the transmitter in a reliable way.

There are several ways to set up an STL. One of the simplest is to get a land line to provide a dedicated connection between your studio and your transmitter. This is arranged through a phone service provider and is similar to getting a regular dial-up phone line, but with better quality. There are also other technical solutions, such as using a microwave link, which requires a different kind of license from the FCC. The most cost-effective and reliable method for your station will depend on the particular circumstance and location of your facilities. [You will probably need an engineer to help set up an STL.]

When these three elements - antenna, transmitter, and studio -- are hooked up and turned on, you're on the air!!!

The technical costs for an LPFM station fall into three categories. In each area, there are great variables, but you can use these as general guidelines for costs.

This is a relatively simple form to fill out, but it requires being able to answer a number of specific technical questions required by the FCC. This Guide will help you, but if you decide you cannot or do not want do this on your own, we recommend that you hire a qualified broadcast engineer to fill out this section of the application. Engineers will already know the basic rules for geographic and frequency separation and have the software on hand.

If you hire an engineer, he/she does not have to be local. They do not have to visit you to fill out the application, as long as you provide them with accurate information. The same technical rules apply across the country, and they can run the computer program no matter where you or they live. The costs we have been quoted for doing a frequency search and filling out the application range from $250 - $1,000, but some engineers are charging more. Most applications will probably cost around $500 to complete. However, if your location has special conditions, or if you need an exhibit or additional technical work, be prepared to pay more. [See list of engineers.]

By itself, an LPFM 100 transmitter will cost $3,500 - 6,500, and an antenna will be $1,000 - 2,500. In addition, you will need coaxial cable to connect them, some related monitoring equipment, and mounting hardware. You might need a rack or other furniture for your transmitter, and there are always unanticipated costs that are be required out of pocket.

All the equipment is produced by different manufacturers, and you can purchase each piece individually. But equipment dealers will be putting together transmission packages so you can order everything you need for your transmitter and antenna at the same time. Based on such variables as how far away your transmitter is from your antenna, and if you will be broadcasting in monaural or stereo, you should expect a complete transmitter/antenna package to cost $5,000 - $15,000. In most cases, buying a complete transmitter/antenna package individualized for your location will be the most cost effective way to get what you need.

Unlike transmission facilities, there is huge variety in what you may want to put in your studio. You can put together studios with consumer-grade equipment that is purchased or donated, or standard professional quality equipment that costs thousands of dollars.

It is likely that the most expensive single item you will need to purchase is a mixing console, the piece of equipment that allows you to mix microphones, CD players, and other music and recorded sources together to go out over the air. A simple mixer can cost $350 - $2,500 new. Everything else - microphones, CD and cassette players, headphones, etc.-- can range wildly in price. If you are buying everything new, a modest package might cost as little as $2,500. The price goes up from there. You will pay more if you want all digital equipment, or plan to invest in a digital audio workstation (DAW) for program production, which is a computer-based editing system.

Here again, there will be a range of packages available from equipment dealers who will want to sell you stuff you wonít really need. You can hire an engineer to help you with this, but since most of it is regular audio equipment, you can get help from a friendly local musician, sound technician, audiophile or radio producer who knows audio recording and would be pleased to advise you about putting together an appropriate complement of studio equipment.

It is likely that at some point during your station construction, you will need a broadcast engineer to assist you with an on-site installation or facilities problem, such as transmitter testing or installing an STL. You might want to make friends with one of the engineers who work for the local commercial or public broadcast station. (Often engineers will work for several stations at the same time.) Most of them will work on an hourly basis for specific projects or emergencies, or on a contract basis for a longer term project. Many of them might be willing to advise you as a volunteer, or charge you only nominal fees.

You can also look for free or inexpensive help from other local technical folks - amateur (ham) radio operators, musicians, producers, computer technicians - people with technical expertise in related fields who can provide the technical assistance you need. It isn't necessary that they be an actual broadcast engineer to be skilled and knowledgeable about equipment operations.

If you have an especially difficult technical problem, you may have to bring in an outside "expert" from a professional engineering firm. Be prepared to pay full non-commercial rates for such service, but don't hesitate to negotiate.

"Turnkey" Operators

There are engineering firms that will offer to set up your station on a "turnkey" basis. That is, for a single fee, they will do all the work and handle EVERYTHING, from filling out and submitting the application, to ordering and installing the transmitter and building the whole studio. The costs for such services are generally high. Because most LPFM stations will be technically simple to construct, hiring a turnkey operator is probably not cost effective. However, if you want to consider a turnkey operator, get several bids. Use the cost guidelines outlined above for hardware, and add costs for labor and overhead to provide a rough estimate of what the bid should cost. Be sure the bids are within reasonable range.