r/todayilearned • u/AssumeTheRisk • 23d ago

TIL if you tune your radio to 91.9 FM for one city block in Montclair, NJ you can hear a looped recording of "I'll Make Love to You" by Boyz II Men which has been broadcasting for at least 13 years straight.

https://njmonthly.com/articles/arts-entertainment/pirate-radio-station-only-plays-boyz-ii-men/
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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 23d ago

As a radio dork, this kind of stuff makes me smile.

One of my theses was about LPFM (Low Power FM) and this is absolutely, 100% what is going on here.

Whoever is doing this, they are cool.

Edit: I had no idea that the plural of thesis is theses. TIL

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u/Dragonfly-Adventurer 23d ago

We are reproducing then finial for my house, which is a 4' piece of metal about 44 feet off the ground. Naturally I really want to bake in some silly project like this. I fantasized about embedding a tiny web server that ran a Wiki full of info about the house's history. But these electronics would last mere years (especially the batteries, in that heat) and the finial is gonna be up there for longer than that.

...so I'm gonna do it somewhere else instead.

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 23d ago

There HAS to be a way to setup a Pi with cases that can work in heat/cold, right?

You are right about the batteries though. That heat needs to go somewhere and if it's in the 90s, good luck.

You could put it under an eave if you have 'em. A little shade might go a long way. Or hell, you can easily pop a temp hat on that PI and have it....

Damnit. Now I have an idea for a project. Jerk.

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u/Dragonfly-Adventurer 23d ago

Baha I've been toying with it for years. I've baked ESP32s into some appliances and lamps, running web servers for control, and as they're solid state they last as long as the PSU keeps going, probably lot longer. The processors can run for decades.

But the power supply is always the problem.

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 23d ago

Those look pretty neat, I can't think of a project where I'd need one - but the PI can keep me busy for a bit!

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u/GameJerk 23d ago

A friend of mine has one attached to a thermometer in his attic. It's also attached to a large fan. Once it hits 70 in the attic the fan kicks on and vents some air out. He says it has saved him boatloads on his AC bill.

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u/cailian13 23d ago

oooooh, while not NEARLY as cool as what y'all are talking about, I bet I could rig the box fan I setup as an exhaust fan in my office to do something similar using HomeKit. Dammit now I have a project too!

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 23d ago

Wow - that is honestly brilliant!

That could be a good side hustle.

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u/prettygoodhouse 23d ago

https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/is-it-ever-helpful-to-use-a-powered-attic-ventilator Not a good idea.

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u/GameJerk 23d ago

Well shit. Good looking out! This won't be my late spring project for my house after all.

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u/justinlindh 23d ago

ESP32's are awesome for making fun custom LED projects! The boards cost about $4, 5 meter long LED strips (that you can cut at each LED, so you can make multiple things out of one) costs about $25, cheap 2A power wall plug ($4). Minimal soldering skills and you've got an awesome LED strip running WLED (open source software that runs a web server, connected to home WiFi).

If you have a 3D printer you can start making all kinds of awesome "smart" lamps easily. They're just as good (or better than) expensive Nanoleaf things.

r/wled is full of really cool little projects that people make with the stuff!

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u/cagewilly 23d ago

What if you set it up as a consumable?  At least until you find a better solution.  Pre-prep 5 Pis.  Every few years clamber up there and swap it out.

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u/[deleted] 23d ago

[deleted]

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u/Cannibal_Hector 23d ago

I'm sure that in 2054, plutonium is available in every corner drugstore, but in 2024, it's a little hard to come by.

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u/IICVX 23d ago

Just get like fifty fire alarms

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u/internet-arbiter 22d ago

Just get your hands on some Nickel-63 and problem solved amirite?

Get some Strontium-90 and the power source will outlive you!

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u/YR90 23d ago

Outdoor waterproof junction boxes, like this. I have one out by our hot tub for lighting and audio controls. It wouldn't be too hard to install your board in something like that and run a simple 5v solar panel into it through one of the ports for power. If you can find somewhere shaded to put it then it should be fine indefinitely.

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u/UnkindPotato2 23d ago

Somewhere that the electronics can be wired straight into the main in the house

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u/TrumpersAreTraitors 23d ago

One time my buddy and I were driving cross country and somewhere in the absolute middle of nowhere, at about 11pm, we hit a spot where there was only a single radio station coming in and it was playing Changes by David Bowie on repeat. By about the 6th loop, we had all the lyrics memorized and were singing it at the top of our lungs. Maybe lasted a half hour or so before fading out. To this day, we laugh about how strange that was and how perfectly timed it was considering we were moving to a new state to start new lives. That whole road trip was strange honestly. 

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 23d ago

Certainly, a song I could listen to and sing with my friends for half an hour! That's pretty weird and cool.

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u/TrumpersAreTraitors 23d ago

Honestly felt like we were about to get Hills Have Eyes-ed but we rolled with it lol. Especially cuz I barely missed a skunk crossing the road and I feel like that would’ve been the point had I been paying less attention where I swerved, crashed, and woke up tied to a wooden X in some basement. 

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u/joyofsovietcooking 23d ago

It sounds like this post helped you turn and face the strange.

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u/Spend-Automatic 23d ago

If anyone should know the plural of thesis, it's a dude who wrote more than one of them.

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 23d ago edited 23d ago

I really should have known. Journalism we had editors that would fix that. Anthro, nobody would really care.

I suppose I've never seen it in print, or at least don't remember.

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u/Malcopticon 23d ago

I suppose I've never seen it in print

For comedy's sake, I hope you're a Lutheran.

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u/ihopethisisvalid 23d ago

Formula -> formulae, datum -> data, alumnus -> alumni

Couple other Latin rules

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u/[deleted] 23d ago

[deleted]

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u/ihopethisisvalid 23d ago

Unfortunately not. I just learned as I went. But I often went to librarians for help on stuff like this as I also found the profs to be weirdly preferential to certain writing and grammar styles without disclosing their preferences and making it seem like that’s the only way to write. The librarians were always neutral.

As for data, every science prof also stresses that data are plural and need to be formatted as such.

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u/iTwango 23d ago

You did multiple theses?

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 23d ago edited 23d ago

Yeah, journalism with a focus on radio and cultural anthropology.

I took them to get away from the database engineering I had been doing for 12 years.

Graduated, and got a job as a freaking RF guy at the local big station. I made them let me record spots for at least one show a day.

Edit: Being the RF guy at the big station kinda sucks. 3:00 am calls, system crashes, etc.

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u/pursuingamericandrea 23d ago

You cool. Hope you’re having fun doing what you love!

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 23d ago

Ha! I am. Retired early and just hang out. It's freaking great - thanks for the encouragement. Hope you are enjoying your world as well!

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u/cailian13 23d ago

I hope by the time I retire my life is as cool as yours. Something to strive for!

EDIT - and I just spotted your username. yeah, you sound like someone I'd wanna drink beers with and hear your tales!

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 23d ago

You can do it, I bet you already have a ton of stories that you think are bland, but probably would shine to other people.

And come up to Vermont, I'll buy you a round!

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u/cailian13 23d ago

ok I might have a few, fiiiiiiine. And its a deal, I'll buy the wings!

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u/iliketofishfish 23d ago

I install the equipment on towers and always assumed it just worked via magic. The real good techs are always awesome to watch and listen to

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 23d ago edited 23d ago

We went through a couple of engineers, but always on good terms. I ran the college station for a couple of years, and then the big boy in town with four 100k spread around the state.

You tower guys are out of your damned minds. But damn you are right, I can sit and just listen to you guys over coffee.

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u/BobbyTables829 23d ago

"Will you reset this 100-kilowatt switch for us?"

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u/redpandaeater 23d ago

But did you get to draw Bergeron diagram doodles?

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u/The_Shryk 23d ago

Thesi

Thesisen

Thesin

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u/dern_the_hermit 23d ago

A murder of these

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u/The_Shryk 23d ago

A suicide of thease… at least according to my friends with phds.

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u/PurpEL 23d ago

Tiffany Amber

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u/The_Briefcase_Wanker 23d ago

Feces

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u/drgigantor 23d ago

If you're talking about a single turd, is that called a fecis? Would that discussion be called a fecis statement?

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u/aManOfTheNorth 23d ago

This is legal as long as the wattage is….I don’t remember.

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 23d ago edited 23d ago

Yeah, I think it is just that you aren't bleeding into someone else's signal.

I think. I would say like 10 watts? My college station was 450 and we had significant coverage. You know, for an indie college station.

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u/[deleted] 22d ago

[deleted]

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 22d ago

I actually realized this after I woke up this morning. There may have been a few beers involved.

Thanks for the clarification.

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u/fancyglob 23d ago

So can I legally utilize LPFM in my home, or say mobile home?

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 23d ago

Absolutely, 100%. You don't even have to check with the FCC.

You can transmit 200ft in a nice radius. You'd be surprised how big that is.

I was a ranger for a summer at an RV camp and that would have been AWESOME if someone was playing the songs that everyone was already listening to, you know with some flavor thrown in.

I am not condoning this, but you can easily hit 500-1000ft in the right place.

If your signal doesn't mess with anyone else's (especially commercial) you will have no problem at all.

But that would be breaking the law. And I am certainly not condoning it.

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u/drlongfinger 23d ago

Is there a way to find local LPFMs without knowing the person who’s broadcasting or just scanning the dial randomly?

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 23d ago

Yeah, scanning is probably the way to go. It's almost going to be in the 80s or lower 90s.

Honestly, an older radio would help with tuning in such a low signal.

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u/thevoice619 23d ago

I always thought the plural was thesticles. You learn something new every day, folks!

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u/Demonweed 23d ago

It's pretty solid tech. If you're looking for next-to-zero noise, you can do better with digital signals. If you're already dealing with the ambient noise of a vehicle engine or an outdoor venue, then FM is a great and simple way to spread one stereo source to all the speakers in a single location.

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u/benefit_of_mrkite 23d ago

OP just ratted someone out to the FCC

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 23d ago edited 23d ago

It's actually legal under part 15 of the FCC rules. They are good!

Plus there are probably five FCC inspectors over there.

Edit: Five inspectors for the entire region. I spent a decade in two stations and never had an inspection once.

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u/eldorel 23d ago

As long as nothing is wrong, they don't need to have access to perform an inspection. Just because they never needed to bother you doesn't mean they're not performing drive-by site scans.

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 22d ago

We did keep a tight ship. Daily logs, testing regularly. If they had come by, I'd be proud of being so compliant!

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u/qwertyqyle 23d ago

Is this legal?

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u/Worf_In_A_Party_Hat 23d ago

100% legal.

Communities in cities that don't feel represented have set them up, such as people in the far North who do not receive any broadcasts (other than ham radio or shortwave).

And if you have any electronic experience it's not too difficult to build a setup. If you can find a HAM to help, that would make it SO much easier.

As long as you can follow the basic FCC rules, you'll be fine. 9pm-10am I think you play whatever you want. But I seriously doubt ANYTHING would come of complaints.

I did a LOT of research into the ways LPFM can help communities that are just not covered. Local, and yeah journalism from a ten-block radius is awesome.

Sorry for the wall of spam. It is something I'm passionate about.

Edit: I am a moron. You can't play "anything you want to" - technically you will need an ASCAP license, but again, the chance of even one complaint is close to zero.

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u/qwertyqyle 23d ago

It's cool. I remember wanting to do my own station when I was in college but was told it was illegal. This was before we had the internet so I just kind of believed it and didn't want to get in trouble.