In some countries, the outbreak of covid-19 limited face-to-face contact church services, and many churches had to be temporarily closed. Fortunately, some drive-in church has successfully realized contactless FM church broadcasting services - sending broadcast signals to the audience's car radio through FM radio transmitter, FM antenna, and other special radio station equipment. Unlike the contact church service, drive-in church broadcasting only requires a high-quality broadcasting transmitter, a broadcasting antenna, a small broadcasting area, power supply, and other basic radio broadcasting equipment in the church. As the core of drive-in church radio station equipment, FM transmitter determines the quality and mode of broadcasting. For the church operator, how to choose a high-quality FM broadcast transmitter?

CONTENT

Definition of FM Radio Transmitter

Why FM Broadcast Transmitter Used in Drive-in Church

How does FM Radio Transmitter Work

The Best Radio Broadcast Transmitter for Churches

FAQ

Conclusion

FM radio transmitter is the core equipment of drive-in church, so the question is, what is FM Transmitter?

According to Wikipedia's definition, the FM radio transmitter is an essential part of all radio communication. It generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the FM antenna. When excited by this alternating current, the FM radio antenna radiates radio waves.

In short, an FM radio transmitter is an electronic device that converts the received audio signal into the RF signal and transmits it through an FM antenna.

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Why is the FM radio transmitter instead of AM radio transmitter in the drive-in church? It accounts for how they work.

FM means frequency modulation, while AM means amplitude modulation. They modulate signals in different ways. FM transmits signals through frequency changes, while AM transmits signals through amplitude changes, which makes them are with different characteristics:

• As FM has a higher bandwidth, FM radio sounds better than AM radio;

• Compared with AM, FM is less susceptible to the interference of amplitude change, so the FM signal is more stable;

• AM broadcasts with low-frequency medium and long waves, while FM broadcasts with high-frequency microwaves and short waves, so AM signals can go far, but FM signals transmit a shorter distance.

Generally speaking, an FM broadcast transmitter is better for the drive-in church. Because a small range of signal coverage can meet a drive-in church. It is important that the believers can hear the voice of the priest clearly as usual. Therefore, many priests attach great importance to sound quality, and that's why they choose the FM radio transmitter from FMUSER. We focus on the audio transmission performance and cost-performance of FM radio transmitters. If you need to buy FM radio transmitter from FMUSER, please feel free to contact us.

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It's not difficult to use an FM broadcast transmitter in drive-in church. With some simple setup, the priest can start reciting scriptures to believers. Here's a brief setup guideline for a drive-in church:

• First, connect the FM radio antenna with the FM broadcast transmitter with the cables. This step is essential. Or the FM radio transmitter is easy to break down and the drive-in church can't work.

• Then connect the FM radio transmitter with the power supply, turn on it and adjust the frequency. There should be no signal interference on this frequency so that the sound can be transmitted clearly.

• Finally, connect the microphone used by the priest to the audio jack of the FM broadcast transmitter.

With these basic settings, the FM broadcast transmitter can transmit the priest's voice.

Note: if you have other requirements for sound, you can also add a mixer and sound processor to adjust the transmitted sound.

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In the drive-in church, the FM broadcast transmitter plays the role of converting the audio signal into the radio frequency signal and transmitting it through the FM antenna. Therefore, these factors should be considered when selecting an FM radio broadcast transmitter for drive-in church services:

• Power of FM radio transmitter - most drive-in churches are not large, so the power of FM transmitters needn't be too high. According to the practical experience of our engineers, a 15W FM transmitter is very suitable for drive-in church. Because a 15W FM transmitter can broadcast a range of a radius of about 3km ideally.

• The noise should be less - the SNR of the FM radio transmitter should not be too low, or believers will hear a lot of noise when they hear the Bibles. Generally, its SNR should not be lower than 40dB.

• Stereo is also needed - drive-in church sometimes plays some music. When using FM stereo transmitters with stereo separation higher than 40dB, believers can hear music with rich layers.

FM stereo transmitters meeting such conditions can make the atmosphere of the church stronger, and it is easier to mobilize the emotions of believers so that they can obtain inner peace in the Bible. FMUSER has launched a 15W FM stereo PLL transmitter, FU-15A FM stereo transmitter, specially designed for the drive-in church, which fully meets the above requirements and has gained appraisal from many customers. If you are interested in it, click here for more information.

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How far can a 15W FM radio transmitter go?

There is no fixed answer to this question because the coverage of FM radio transmitter depends on many factors, including the power of the FM radio transmitter, surrounding environment, FM antenna height, and so on. A 15W transmitter can spread a range of a radius of 3-5km in ideal conditions. If you're interested in this topic, click here to learn more

What is a drive-in church?

A drive-in church is a form of religious activity in which believers can participate in religious activities without getting off their cars. During the pandemic, the drive-in church gains popularity for reducing the risk of infection.

Is it legal to start a drive-in church?

You need to contact the local FM administration for specific regulations. In most countries in the world, if you want to build a drive-in church with a low-power FM transmitter, you need to apply to the local  FM administration.

What equipment does a drive-in church need?

To start a drive-in church, you need at least the following equipment:

• FM radio broadcast transmitter;
• FM radio antenna;
• Cables;
• Audio cables;
• Microphones;
• Other accessories.

If you have other requirements for sound, you can also add other devices, such as a mixer, audio processor, and so on.

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The drive-in church returns in the virus era. It allows believers to go out to worship as usual and listen to the scriptures recited by the priest without getting off the cars. If you need to start a drive-in church, FMUSER can provide you with high-quality and low-cost radio equipment packages and solutions, including the FM transmitter for drive-in church services. If you are planning to start a drive-in church, please feel free to contact us. We are all ears!

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