So, now that IRC has been on the air for 10 months, and I pretty well know where it reaches, using my car radio, a small portable transistor set, and a boom box, and I've taken actual calibrated field strength readings with the same FIM I use in my "real" radio work, I thought I'd take a moment and map out just how far I'm reaching "as the crow flies" from my antenna. You can't really measure by driving away unless you can go in a straight line a measured distance!
So I used Google Maps and marked the spots where over the past months I ALWAYS get 100% full, loud signal, that is comparable to the two commercial broadcasters in my area -- the station I work for 5,000 watts about 8 miles from me, and a 10,000 watt station about 30 miles away. I can sit in the car in these spots and punch between those stations and mine and the volume and signal quality is about equal (actually I'm a bit clearer than the 10,000 watt station 30 miles away).
I have strong, reliable, static free sound at 7100 feet, about 1.35 miles from the antenna. this holds in virtually all directions. Remember, I'm in a VERY small town with very minimal interference. This gives me a circular coverage area of 2.7 miles diameter.
I can be heard quite a ways past that but the quality varies and I wouldn't expect anyone to listen to it with that much static in the background. At the 7100 foot line that's solid signal in the car, on the $5 portable transistor radio and the cheap boom box. Plus amazing sound on the GE Super Radio.
This is on the Procaster, using only the built in processing, taking audio straight out of my studio iMac right into the trasmitter.
I'm quite happy with that.
Tim in Bovey