General Questions
Technical Questions
Purchasing Questions
Radio House Tour™Questions for Real Estate, click here
General Questions What Accessories Are Included With The Broadcaster? Each Drive-By Broadcaster™ includes: - Earphone to monitor your recorded messages / House Tours
- Audio Patch Cord to hookup any audio device to the Broadcaster
- Power Supply to operate the Broadcaster on regular house current
- Quick Start Instructions (Complete instructions can be accessed online)
Other Accessories Available for Purchase are: - 12V Mobile Power Adapter
- Hardwire Auto Power Adapter
- Single Line Telephone
- Yard Signs (for Radio House Tour™ Applications)
- Customized Brochures (for Radio House Tour™ Applications)
- Business Card Stickers (for Radio House Tour™ Applications)
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What is the difference between the Drive-By Broadcaster™ and the Radio House Tour™? The Drive-By Broadcaster™ is an all in one FM Transmitter and CD Quality Digital Recorder & Player. This Broadcaster allows you to record your Radio House Tour™ and let prospects who stop by your property listen to your recorded advertisement. You can use up to 4 message boxes and digitally record up to a total of 18 minutes. (Read more how the broadcaster and Radio House Tour™) top
Do You Have the Complete Instructions & Support Materials I Can Download? Yes, please note all files are password protected and will be provided to you after your purchase. Click for details on what is available on the resource site. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader click here to download. top
Technical Questions How Easy Is The Broadcaster To Operate? The Broadcaster is very easy to operate. It only has 2 buttons and a volume control. You set up your playing and recording options just once and it remembers your preferences. You can lock your messages so no one can change them but you. All of the operation features are included in the full instructions on the resources site. We even offer help over the phone if you ever need it. top
How Much Power Does The Broadcaster Use? The Drive-By Broadcaster™ power supply uses less than 2 watts of power. That is less than 1 single Christmas tree light. It will cost about $1 to run the Drive-By Broadcaster™ for a full year. top
What Are The Dimensions Of The Broadcaster? The Drive-By Broadcaster™ is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. 1 3/4" H x 4 1/4" W x 5 1/2" D. top
How Can I Get The Most Distance From The Broadcaster? - Make sure the antenna is as high as possible.
- Make sure the antenna is vertical not horizontal.
- Locate the Drive-By Broadcaster™ on the 2nd floor if possible.
- Have the volume on the player as loud as possible without distorting the sound.
- Some users have lengthened the antenna, this will increase the distance but may violate FCC rules.
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How Far Will The Drive-By Broadcaster™ Transmit? We guarantee a range of 150 foot radius. Many customers say they experience 500 feet in all directions. This variance comes from how high you place the antenna, the type of FM Radio being used and what is in between the FM Transmitter and FM Radio (i.e. trees, walls, etc.). For maximum distance. place the unit in a 2nd floor room on the street side. Your goal is to transmit to car radios. To your advantage car radios today are much better than the clock radio in your house. Car radios have to receive a signal with lots of interference coming from the car's electrical system. To test the real distance you are transmitting do it from your car's FM radio. Radio transmissions are affected by many conditions, antenna height, building material, atmospheric conditions, other nearby transmitters ... etc. Your transmitting distance may vary but it should reach well out into the street. top
Can I Download Messages Stored On My Computer? Yes, this is a very effective way to manage your messages. Most every computer already has voice recording software on it such as Sound Recorder which comes with Windows. You can also get free shareware over the internet that does a great job. We use Media Jukebox. By recording your messages in the MP3 or WAV format on your computer you can edit out mistakes. This will save you lots of time when you don't have to start over every time you make a mistake. Media Jukebox allows you to edit your recordings. You can also store on the computer your often used messages like your sales message, sponsor messages and the wonderful this home is sold message. Downloading these messages to the Broadcaster is very easy. Just connect the supplied audio cable between the computer's audio out jack to the Broadcaster's audio in jack, That's all it takes. Complete details are on the resources site. top
Can I Broadcast Live too? (for an Open House or Other Event) Yes, This is an interesting feature of the Broadcaster. You can connect the telephone put message playing on hold and broadcast live through the telephone, then by touching one button the Broadcaster goes back to broadcasting your messages. It's like owning your own radio station.This is a valuable tool for an open house or for a community event such as business shows. Because you can connect the Broadcaster to any sound system you can use it as a public address system as well as a broadcaster. top
Can I Record Background Music With My Messages? Yes, The Broadcaster was designed with 2 inputs so you can record your voice as well as music or sound effects in the background. You do not need any other special mixing or sound equipment. Complete details are on the resources site. top
Can I Attach Speakers Or An Amplifier? Yes, the audio out jack of the Broadcaster allows you to feed the output into a stereo system or any other amplifier. This gives you the ability to play your messages in your office or at an open house. complete details are on the resources site. top
How Do I Record A Message? Recording a message is simple and easy. The quickest way is to use your home or office telephone. The Broadcaster has a telephone jack on the back. Plug your phone in the jack pickup the handset and you are ready to go. With the telephone handset you have a quality microphone and the ability to monitor the message as you record and after you record you can review the message.You can also take messages you have on your Computer, CD, Tape or MP3 player and download them into the Broadcaster. The "Audio In" jack and the audio patch cord supplied will allow you to use any audio device to record messages onto the Broadcaster. The full instructions on the resources site has complete easy to follow details. top
Why Are There 4 Message Boxes? The 4 message boxes give you flexibility and easy management of your messages. You can record everything into one message box or you can split it up into 4 boxes. Recording 4 shorter messages is easier than 1 long message. The longer the message the more chance of a mistake which means you have to start over.You may want a message giving details on your special that changes often and then a message on info that is always the same. By having them in different boxes you do not have to record the messages that do not change. top
What If The Power Goes Out? If the power goes out their is no problem at all. The Broadcaster is designed to restart in the same mode it was playing in when the power went out. Messages are stored in non-volatile memory which means once they are recorded they stay in memory until you erase them or record over them. No matter why the power goes out, power failure or because it was unplugged the Broadcaster will automatically start to play and broadcast all stored messages the moment power is reapplied.This feature gives you peace of mind knowing that you will never have to go back to the client to re-record a message or start it back up from an accidental unplugging. The Broadcaster does not even have an on / off switch so it can not be turned off accidentally... if the power is on it is working. top
Do You Provide Technical Support? The Broadcaster is very easy to operate you should have all of your questions answered from the resources site. However is you need extra help we do offer technical support over the phone at 877-203-5852 or contact us via email. top
What Is On The Resources Site? The Resources Site contains the following items: - Full Broadcaster Operating Instructions
- Drive-By Broadcaster™ Logos for web site and print media
For Radio House Tour™ Applications: - Yard Sign instructions
- Brochure software
- Sample letter For FSBO listings and to find sponsors
- Radio House Tour™ logos for your web site and print media
- Business Card Sticker software for the back our your business cards
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Can I Record From MP3, CD, Tape? Yes, It is very easy to record from any audio device that has an earphone or audio out jack. Simply attach the Broadcaster audio cable to the audio out or earphone jack of the audio device and attach the other end to the audio in jack of the Broadcaster. It is that easy. Complete details are on the resources site. top
How Do I Set Up The Drive-By Broadcaster? Assuming you have already recorded your Messages - Listen on your car's FM radio to these 7 FM stations (106.7, 106.9, 107.1, 107.3, 107.5, 107.7, 107.9). When you find one that has no broadcast on it set your Channel Select Switches on the back of the Drive-By Broadcaster™ to that station. The transmitter will stay on that station until you change it -- it will not drift between stations because of the PLL Digital Tuner Technology.
- Select a street side window in the building you will locate the Broadcaster in. If possible select a 2nd story room and mount the antenna wire vertical as high as possible on a window or outside wall.
- Plug the power supply into the broadcaster it will immediately start to play and broadcast. If you have not already done so, program the Drive-By Broadcaster™ to play 1 or multiple messages. See quick start instructions or resources site for details.
- Adjust the volume on the Drive-By Broadcaster™ to be as loud as possible without distorting the sound. It is best to check this from your car radio.
*Please note, if placing the Drive-By Broadcaster™ in a vehicle keep it out of the direct sunlight. If possible extend the antenna out of the car or cab for best results. top
What is the Power Output & Distance the FM Transmitter will go? The power output of the Drive-By Broadcaster™ is designed to comply with FCC Part 15C (Section 15.239) click here for more information about this rule. The distance the FM transmitter can go will very greatly on your environment and quality of FM Receiver so providing an exact distance is not possible. We do guarantee a minimum of 150 feet when setup properly and using a FM Receiver of reasonable quality. Click here for more information about why the FCC uses microvolts (µV) to determine the power output of a FM transmitter. top
Is This FM Transmitter Designed to be FCC Compliant and What Exactly are the FCC Rules? Yes, the Drive-By Broadcaster™ is designed to be FCC compliant with Part 15C [Section 15.239(b)] which states: The field strength of any emissions within the permitted 200 KHz (88 - 108MHz) band shall not exceed 250 microvolts/meter at 3 meters. The emission limit in this paragraph is based on measurement instrumentation employing an average detector.
Since this is a question the FCC receives a lot they have also issued a Public Notice dated July, 24 1991 that helps clarify the maximum distance you can transmit without needing a FCC license. They provide an "Approximate Maximum Coverage Radius" of 200 feet. The FCC also has a section on their web site dedicated to low power transmitters and Part 15, click to see that site. Also, here is a copy of FCC Part 15 dated August 14, 2006. It is 155 pages so it may take a while to download depending on your connection speed. **Please note the information we are providing here is for educational purposes only, we do not claim to be experts in FCC law. top
Why Does the FCC use Microvolts(µV) to Determine the Power Output (Field Strength) of a FM Transmitter? Great question, the best source we've found to help explain that is at Ramsey Electronics.com. Below is a copy of what they say: The new FCC Part 15 Rules specify a maximum "Field Strength" of your transmitted signal. Since it is unlikely that you have the equipment to carry out accurate field strength measurements in microvolts, it is useful to understand at least the theory of field strength so that you can understand both what you can expect from such transmitters, and what limits the FCC intends. Previous limits on non licensed FM-broadcast band devices were defined as a maximum field strength of 40µV per meter measured at a distance of 15 meters. The June 1989 revised rule specifies a maximum of 250 µV per meter, but measured at 3 meters from your antenna. The term, "250µV per meter" means that an accurate field-strength meter with a calibrated and scaled 1-meter antenna may indicate a maximum signal field strength of 250µV (In contrast, non-licensed operation from 26.96 to 27.28 MHz, your standard CB walkie-talkie, is limited to a field strength of 10,000 µV per meter at 3 meters). In all cases, the field strength of a signal decreases in direct proportion to the distance away from the antenna. Power decreases by the square of distance: for every doubling in distance, the signal power is quartered, but the field strength voltage is only halved. Using this theory, we can construct a simple chart to show the maximum permitted performance of a non-licensed FM band transmitter. The theoretical figures assume a simple 1 meter receiving antenna in all cases and do not take into consideration that reception can be greatly enhanced with larger, multi-element antennas and preamplifiers on the receiver. In the following chart, the field strength (theoretical minimum) gets stronger as you move from the edge of these circular boundaries toward the antenna:
Distance From Transmitter Antenna | | METERS | FEET | FIELD STRENGTH (µV) | TOTAL AREA RECEIVED | | 3 | 10 | 250 | 314 FT | | 6 | 20 | 125 | 1256 FT | | 12 | 39 | 63 | 4800 FT | | 24 | 78 | 31 | 19113 FT | | 48 | 157 | 15 | 1.8 ACRES | | 96 | 315 | 7.5 | 7.2 ACRES | | 192 | 630 | 3.8 | 28.6 ACRES | | 384 | 1260 | 1.9 | 11.4 ACRES | | 768 | 2520 | .95 | 458 ACRES | | 1536 | 5036 | .5 | 1830 ACRES |
This "exercise in meters and microvolts" demonstrates that the FCC clearly intends to limit the theoretical range of non-licensed devices operating in this band. It also shows the potential for causing interference at a home down the street from you. But it also shows that you can legally put out quite a good signal over wider areas than you might have imagined. For other kinds of radio services, the FCC restricts such factors as transmitter power or antenna height, which cannot really limit the possible "range" of a transmission under good conditions. By restricting the maximum field strength at a specific distance from your antenna, the FCC clearly plans for your signal to "die out" at a specific distance from your antenna, no matter what kind of transmitter power or antenna you are using. On the other hand, the FCC standards do make it legal and possible for you to broadcast on a school campus, campground or local neighborhood, as long as you remain within the field strength limitations and do not cause interference to broadcast reception.
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Purchasing Questions Do You Offer a Dealer Program? No, we currently are not accepting any new applications to become a dealer. top
Do You Offer Financing? Yes, We offer a Rent-to-Own Program. top
Do You Offer Quantity Discounts? Yes, We offer quantity discount plans over and above the current discounted price. call us for complete details (877) 203-5852. top
How Long Does Shipping Take? We ship almost every business day. If you made a purchase by credit card or certified funds your purchase will most likely be shipped the next business day. Because we ship everything by Priority Mail and we ship from the Midwest so your product should arrive within 2-3 days from the shipping date. You will receive an email when your purchase is shipped with a tracking number so you can follow the shipment. top
How To Contact Us Please see our Contact Us page top
Do You Offer a Guarantee? Yes, please see our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee page for more details. top
Do You Offer a Warranty and What Are the Terms? Yes, please see our warranty page for more details top |
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