[BC] Part 15 radio station

[Dana Puopolo]

I am considering running a part 15 AM radio station here in Hollywood. There
is a large Armenian population here that has no radio, and I live right in the
middle of them. Since I plan to do this on a shoestring, I'm buying an SStran
transmitter kit.

Here: http://www.sstran.com/

Now, I'm trying to come up with the best antenna. My choices are the
following: a ten foot whip with a conventional T network for matching using
standard silvered air coils and vacuum variable caps, the same antenna and
matchiung network, but made out of 1.25 copper pipe with a 3 foot diameter top
hat (Ron Rackley told me a while back that the arguement could be made to the
FCC that this is not part of the antenna radiating system, just part of the
matching network), a base loaded antenna similar to the one they show on the
sstran web page, or some kind of a helically wound antenna on a PVC pipe. I'd
also mount the transmitter on the roof, with a 25 foot 3/4 inch copper pipe
coming down the side of the building and connected to a couple of ground rods
and/or the cast iron water pipe coming into the building (the FCC allows for
safety grounds in part 15 installations).

I have no access to modeling, so I'm wondering which type of antenna would
perform the best. My instincts tell me the second one, but again I know there
are people out here with much more knowlege then I in these matters.

-D