Wireless Output From My Pc

[Greenside]

I like to listen to the BBC on a portable device around the house. My solution for the last couple of years has been a cheap wireless speaker - a small transmitter that plugs into the headphone output on the PC and a radio which in addition to picking up regular FM broadcasts receives the signal from the transmitter. The build quality of both units is very poor and it's just played its final episode of The Archers.

Although I can just buy another (at 300 baht they're almost disposable) I'd really like to replace it with something better without spending a fortune. Ideally the same kind of arrangement but one where I could use a regular FM radio meaning the transmitter doesn't use an impossible to get frequency as my present one does. About 25m range is needed which sadly rules out all those devices that play your iPod via the stereo in the car.

Any ideas?

[Cuban]

I bought a great little unit* in Taiwan some years ago, the issue is that the FM transmitters are illegal in many countries, or if they are allowed/licenced - they are limited to very low power to avoid interferance with other services - effectively you are limited to a transmission radius that allows use within a car for example.

I have seen units for sale in Thailand that allow you to change the transmission frequency, so choose an empty (!) section of the broadcast band. * My unit has an extendable aerial which helps range. You could also attempt shielding your receiving radio from other radio transmissions by experimenting with a small section of tin foil for example.

HTH

[Greenside]

I bought a great little unit* in Taiwan some years ago, the issue is that the FM transmitters are illegal in many countries, or if they are allowed/licenced - they are limited to very low power to avoid interferance with other services - effectively you are limited to a transmission radius that allows use within a car for example.

I have seen units for sale in Thailand that allow you to change the transmission frequency, so choose an empty (!) section of the broadcast band. * My unit has an extendable aerial which helps range. You could also attempt shielding your receiving radio from other radio transmissions by experimenting with a small section of tin foil for example.

HTH

The units you have seen are the in-car type? I understand the reasons for not allowing folks to broadcast to the neighbourhood on any old FM frequency but on a practical level I'm not likely to interfere with anyone's enjoyment (?) of local Thai programming. I just need that kind of power to make reception anywhere in the house possible, given the concrete walls etc.

Edited October 24, 2008 by Greenside

[jkinbkk]

I guess what you need is one of these little wireless headphones?

We used it for wireless DVD audio in the bedroom, but these 5 in 1 units come with attachments for PC too.

We purchased one some 2 years ago and I was very impressed with the range. Although we did not want a long range unit we found that we still got a clear signal out in the garden some 20m away from the sender unit that was in our bedroom.

If I remember we purchased it from the PC floor at Fashion Island, Minburi, but I would think any good sized mall would have these.

We paid between THB500 - 800 for it if I recall?

Hope this helps?

[Greenside]

I guess what you need is one of these little wireless headphones?

Right idea but wearing headphones while I shower and shave isn't that comfortable I've found. Interesting though, I've seen these around but an assistant led me to believe that the link to the sender was IR rather than radio so I lost interest fast. Did you ever try to see if you could pick up the signal on a regular radio rather than just the headphones?

[Rice_King]

Something like this set GS? About 3,500 baht in real money.

[Insight]

This might do it - http://www.myfmstation.com/html/linex_usb.html

[ozsamurai]

I have the 5in1 and it sits there and gathers dust.... it is IR which means you have to be in direct site of the sender unit or no go, even turning your head blurs the signal, good for TV but not much else, I bought an AC adaptor as the battery wear and tear is rapid, but the headphones still chew through them. Hope you fin a solution as I want to hook up the same, transmit wireless to speakers outside.

[Cuban]

The units you have seen are the in-car type? I understand the reasons for not allowing folks to broadcast to the neighbourhood on any old FM frequency but on a practical level I'm not likely to interfere with anyone's enjoyment (?) of local Thai programming. I just need that kind of power to make reception anywhere in the house possible, given the concrete walls etc.

I think the availiblity of in car units is based on the people wanting MP3 players in the car. So yes those I have seen here were in car-bits type shops, (Tukcom-Pattaya) The Taiwanese unit I have is almost 10 years old now and works over a more open area, say half a football field. If you fancy experimenting on a cheap MP3 transmitter, open the thing up and solder about 1.5 metres of thin copper wire to the aerial point, this is probably in breach of the laws which allow the device to be sold and will increase the ERP, not quite a high gain aerial but it will help. My little thing has a metre long aerial build in.

As for the wireless headphones - Infra red LEDS and low power FM transmitters are availible, generally they are marketed for the person sitting within the same room as the equipment producing the 'noise'. Some such FM radio linked headphone sets will not use the general broadcast band (88-108Mhz depending on the country [Japan is different.]) but 860-890Mhz or the 2.4Ghz bands depending on the intended market and the radio spectrum laws in place there. Headphones that have built in broadcast band FM receivers remind me of bad '80 American pop videos.

There is a good Wiki on this subject.

From that Wiki I saw this link.

HTH.

(Edit to expand, "I think the availiblity of in car units is based on the people wanting MP3 players in the car." ...so this is the type of unit sold in Thailand, if they want to hear the CD playing while in the shower they turn up the volume.

Edited October 25, 2008 by Cuban

[Greenside]

Many thanks Insight and Cuban: that's just the kind thing I'm looking for. Whew, the hard sell on that Whole House Transmitter really made my head spin! I'll do some research and see what, if anything is available here or easy to get hold of online and report back. This way of enjoying the radio is well worth setting up if the premium is not too high.

[Greenside]

There are a couple of units that look like just what I'm after, the Whole House Transmitter being one, but I can't track down any suppliers in Thailand (Chiang Mai, preferably) or actually the kind of shop that might sell them. I'm wondering if the karaoke, wireless mike kind of place would be a good start. Any ideas?