Y'all are probably going to condemn me for not getting into the hacker
spirit, but I use an Airport Express to do this. iTunes to manage my
music library and the audio out on the Express to link into the
auxiliary input on my stereo on the other side of the house. As a
bonus, the Express acts as a wireless bridge and firms up the wireless
reception on that side of the house too. (Keeps the wife happier with
her laptop)
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB321LL/A/AirPort-Express-AirTunes
Rene
[email protected] wrote:
First off, I should say that I know very little about this hardware
stuff, so I'm sure others will correct me. Having a receiver and
transmitter on the same card would be challenging to engineer: when a
transmitter is close to a receiver, there's leakage. Even if the TX/RX
frequencies are far apart, it's still possible for interference,
depending on harmonics and stuff that I don't understand well enough
to explain. Of course, it may not be necessary to support simultaneous
RX and TX, but it's worth considering.
And of course, there's a reason the available consumer FM transmitters
are so weak - FCC rules. Even many of those weak FM transmitters used
in cars are even running in at illegal power levels - NPR has been
lobbying to get the FCC to enforce those rules more. Legally, these
things are only supposed to have a max range of something like 12
feet. Not that it would really harm anyone to build a transmitter that
is little more powerful, but it's worth noting.
For receivers, there are a lot of PCI FM receivers out there.
AudioScience even makes one with 4 HD receivers, or 8 standard FM
tuners, and they have open source Linux drivers. But, they cost more
than most computers these days - they're really aimed at radio
stations monitoring multiple transmitters, not consumers.
It's a great idea though. Right now, my little home server computer
plays my music collection using MPD, using the built audio card, and
Icecast. I've been trying to figure out how to get audio to other
places in my apartment. I don't really want to invest in stream
receiver radios/computers, and I don't want to run audio cable since I
don't own the place . . . an FM transmitter might be a nice solution.
Asa
On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 10:38 AM, Rion D'Luz <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Hail Vaguers:
An acquaintance forwarded me this email with the hope that this list
might provide a tip or pointer.
Me, I'm clueless.
Rion
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Subject: PCI FM Transmitter
Date: Thursday 18 June 2009
From: Stephen Alrich Marshall <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>>
To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
Rion,
I hope all is well with you. I have a project that V.A.G.U.E.
might take
an interest in. I could use at minimum advice.
I like to broadcast from my computer directly to radios around my
house.
The unit I am using does not provide a reliable signal beyond one
room.
So I have found several schematics for transmitters online. Thinking
about how to build this, I thought it would be cool to attach it
directly to a sound card, or build it onto a sound card, and put up a
broadcast antenna behind my computer. To have it powered directly
by the
computer would be doubly cool.
Another cool idea would be to build a receiver directly onto a sound
card, for direct reception and recording.
Of course, why not put the receiver and transmitter on the same card,
with a sound card? So far I don't see any need to program anything,
although programmed tuning (on screen) would be cool.
Hopefully this idea will peke your interest, and I will hear from you.
Stephen Marshall
-------------------------------------------------------
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