nofars.net

The FCC Pays a Visit to Jacksonville’s Fun Radio
By Ross Goodall, WD4NJV

Back during my teen age years Allied Radio was known for their Knight Kits.  One of their best sellers was the Knight Kit Radio Broadcaster which put out a FCC Part 15 low power unlicensed signal on the AM broadcast band.  My friend, Robert, and I both built these units and we both enjoyed building them and having our own broadcast stations.

Robert was blessed with a good weekly allowance of which he invested in buying 45 records.  He even had a Top Five Record Survey, which was similar to the Billboard Surveys and local Top 40 stations.  He printed them and distributed them to some of the shops in a local shopping center.  

He operated the station seven days a week from 4 to 6 PM.  At 6 PM it was time for dinner and the winter night skip started coming in.  The first hour was pre-recorded and the last hour was live.  This went on for about four years.

One day after school it was my turn to go to his home to turn on the station and get the tape unit started.  I noticed a station wagon with several antennas drive by as I was leaving but did not think much about it. That evening the FCC knocked on his door and discussed with him and his parents the station operation and asked to see the transmitter.

The polite FCC official made it clear that we could not use another licensed call sign, WFUN, that our antenna length was excessive giving too much coverage area.  There was about 20 feet of coax from his two story home going to a 3 foot metal antenna up about 35 feet above ground.  

The printout from the assembly manual which was supposed to attached to the transmitter said ten feet maximum antenna length was allowed under Part 15 rules for unlicensed operation.   We both had dreams which did not materialize of more power such as adding an 807 output tube which would have given us up to 42 watts if it was set up and running under ideal conditions.  

One of the counter persons at Southeast Audio drew the schematic and would sell us the necessary parts.  Another thought was to re tune a used AM marine transceiver to AM Broadcast band.

After that I operated my station sporadically with no modifications and no set schedule.  Next we both went in to Citizens Band and both of us got commercial FCC licenses.  Next we got into amateur radio and both worked to up Extra Class.

A big thanks goes to the former Allied Radio Corp. for getting us started in broadcasting and later Amateur Radio.  For additional reading on Knight Kit Radio Broadcaster, check out the numerous Internet articles.

If anyone comes across a Knight Kit Radio Broadcaster and wants to sell it I would really be interested in talking with them as well as hearing other broadcaster stories.