Quote:
Originally Posted by dtvmcdonald
I was not aware that transmitters needed FCC approval to be used on ham bands. Sold specifically for ham band use, commerically, yes.
They just need to meet the requisite power and bandwidth rules.
As far as AM goes, I hear AM all the time on 80 and 40 meters,
and even on 160 meters at times.
A broadcast band transmitter of say 1 or 2 kW or less, if not specifically designed for only the lower parts of the band, should be easy to get to work around 1.9 MHz. It would be crystal controlled, of course, but any competant builder could build a tube or transistor buffer amp to take output from a synthesizer or VFO and use it to feed the nominal crystal oscillator.
If the transmitter did not have a built-in audio limiter with essential bandwidth filter, a simple external filter would satisfy the bandwidth requirment. If it did have that, the internal audio filter would need serious modification.
Somebody should take this transmitter and do it!
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Homebrewing has always been a major part of the ham radio hobby. Anyone can make/modify and use their own TX and RX gear without the gear needing government certification as long the gear complies with relevant power limits for the frequency it is used on as well as other standards and the operator is ham with the proper license.
Unless someone wants to use it as an AM broadcast band rig in the future there's nothing wrong converting it to a ham band.