[Imc-africa] please respond: low power transmitters for building in nairobi

[Hannah Sassaman]

Hello partners in community media,

Hannah at Prometheus here.  I can't believe that we are starting to
arrive in Kenya and to plan the work we want to do!  I am very excited
and hope to learn a lot and offer what we can here at Prometheus. Here's
an email about another great project we hope to participate in at the
IMC convergence space!

One thing that Prometheus is excited to offer are a number of
transmitters.  This week, andy and elena are bringing the large
transmitters (40 watts each), one set to be established with the Nairobi
activists of the Kenyan Independent Media Center, and another set to be
established with the students and community of Maseno University.

But we also are bringing 15 small transmitter kits, ranging from 1/4 of
a watt in power to 1 full watt in power.  these kits, once powered with
a 9 volt battery (for the 1/4 watt) or a 12-14 watt battery (for the 1
watt), housed in a metal box, and plugged into your favorite music or
commentary, work as fully functional, small radio stations.  The 1/4
watt transmitters, when put relatively high up, can cover about a city
block.  a 1 watt transmitter, when put relatively high up, can cover 1/2
mile or even a mile.

We would very much like to distribute these kits, and to help people to
assemble them over the next week at the Independent Media Center
convergence space.  We are not sure exactly how distribution will work,
but this is what we think might be good criteria for working with one of
these transmitters and taking them home after the convergence event.

1) First of all, that your group wants to learn how a transmitter is put
together, wants to put it together, and then wants to take it home and
use it!  We aren't forcing transmitters on anyone.

2) That the people building the transmitter are willing to put 1-3 days
into working on it and trying to finish it before The 1/4 watt
transmitters can be built in as little as one day or less, with the
larger ones taking a bit more time, maybe two days.  This can be done
all in one chunk or over a number of days, but it will take focused
time, onsite at the convergence space, to build these devices, test
them, troubleshoot them, and pack them up for you to take home.

3) Because we only have so many transmitters, we'd like to propose that
IMC collectives or community media organizations, especially African IMC
collectives or community media organizations, get first crack at
building the transmitters.  After that, we'd propose that organizations
get the next crack at building a transmitter, followed by individuals.

4) In terms of the finances, I believe that we discussed on this list
that it would be great if some, if not all, of the kits that went home
with IMCs were paid for from remaining IMC-Finance or XminusY moneys
that are reserved for equipment.  I think we have already discussed this
online, and consensed that it was OK?  But if I am wrong, please correct
me.

I don't think we need to work out anything too formal here on this list,
but we can talk in person and decide what will work best for the groups,
the IMC, and Prometheus.  It would be excellent if our costs for these
kits could be recouped, either from the money that was fundraised, or
groups can pay us for the kits when we bring them.

(We paid $254.85 for a total of 5 of the 1-watt kits.  So those cost $51
American dollars each, or about 3500 Kenyan shillings.  The 1/4 watt
kits are 14 British pounds, or about $27 American dollars, or about
1877.76 shillings.)

Once we are on site, I know many of us will be able to help people put
together the kits, test to see if they work, and celebrate their new
technology!  Elena and I personally have some experience with these
kits, Andy, Josh, and Steph may have more, and others who come may have
built hundreds of them in the past.

Thanks for reading this.  I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Hannah Sassaman
Prometheus Radio Project

PS -- in terms of kits that have already been reserved -- only IMC-Cape
Town have put their name in for one of the kits.  Please contact us if
you hope to reserve a kit.  If there are too many requests, perhaps we
can meet informally to discuss this onsite in Kenya.

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hannah sassaman
prometheusradioproject

building radio stations = awesome
http://www.prometheusradio.org
215-727-9620