Frequently Asked Questions

How far does the Whole House FM Transmitter 3.0 go?

We guarantee 150 feet in all directions for a typical family home, that’s over 70,000 square feet of coverage.

Since the average home is around 2,000 square feet, according to National Association of Home Builders, it shouldn’t be a problem to cover your entire house. Even Bill Gates’ home is “only” 48,000 square feet!

How many frequencies does the Whole House FM Transmitter 3.0 offer?

The Whole House FM Transmitter 3.0 allows you to cover the full range of FM frequencies from 88.1 to 107.9 FM. It also lets you select frequencies in 1 MHz steps so countries who use the even frequencies can also use our FM transmitter.

Will It Work With My Audio Source?

The quick answer is, YES! We’ll put it this way: we have never run into an audio source that it can’t work on. Since it doesn’t need any software or downloads to operate its compatible with anything. Some of the most popular audio sources are iPods, other MP3 Players, TVs (including HD), DVD & VCR Players, Computers (PC and Mac), Satellite Radios (Sirius and XM), and Home Stereo Systems, just to name a few.

What is the maximum distance an FM transmitter can broadcast without a license?

The quick answer is approximately 200 feet for an FM Transmitter covered under Part 15 (Read FCC Public Notice dated July 24, 1991). The full answer is much more complicated than that: 250 µV/meter @ 3 meters (also measured as 48 dBuV/m).

Is this FM Transmitter designed to comply with FCC Part 15 rules? What are these rules?

Yes, the Whole House FM Transmitter 3.0 complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules, Section 15.239(b) which states:

“The field strength of any emissions within the permitted 200 KHz (88 – 108MHz) band shall not exceed 250 microvolts/meter at 3 meters. The emission limit in this paragraph is based on measurement instrumentation employing an average detector.”

Since this is a question the FCC receives a lot they have also issued a Public Noticed dated July 24, 1991 to help clarify any questions. (Our FCC ID: XOAWH-FMT and for Canada it’s IC.8728A-WHFMT)

Why does the FCC use Microvolts instead of Watts to determine the power of a transmitter?

Great question, the best source we’ve found to help explain that is at Ramsey Electronics.com. Below is a copy of what they say:

The new FCC Part 15 Rules specify a maximum “Field Strength” of your transmitted signal. Since it is unlikely that you have the equipment to carry out accurate field strength measurements in microvolts, it is useful to understand at least the theory of field strength so that you can understand both what you can expect from such transmitters, and what limits the FCC intends. Previous limits on nonlicensed FM-broadcast band devices were defined as a maximum field strength of 40µV per meter measured at a distance of 15 meters. The June 1989 revised rule specifies a maximum of 250 µV per meter, but measured at 3 meters from your antenna. The term, “250µV per meter” means that an accurate field-strength meter with a calibrated and scaled 1-meter antenna may indicate a maximum signal field strength of 250µV (In contrast, non-licensed operation from 26.96 to 27.28 MHz, your standard CB walkie-talkie, is limited to a field strength of 10,000 µV per meter at 3 meters). In all cases, the field strength of a signal decreases in direct proportion to the distance away from the antenna. Power decreases by the square of distance: for every doubling in distance, the signal power is quartered, but the field strength voltage is only halved. Using this theory, we can construct a simple chart to show the maximum permitted performance of a non-licensed FM band transmitter. The theoretical figures assume a simple 1 meter receiving antenna in all cases and do not take into consideration that reception can be greatly enhanced with larger, multi-element antennas and preamplifiers on the receiver. In the following chart, the field strength (theoretical minimum) gets stronger as you move from the edge of these circular boundaries toward the antenna:

Distance From Transmitter Antenna
METERS	FEET	FIELD STRENGTH (µV)	TOTAL AREA RECEIVED
3	10	250	314 FT
6	20	125	1256 FT
12	39	63	4800 FT
24	78	31	19113 FT
48	157	15	1.8 ACRES
96	315	7.5	7.2 ACRES
192	630	3.8	28.6 ACRES
384	1260	1.9	11.4 ACRES
768	2520	.95	458 ACRES
1536	5036	.5	1830 ACRES

This “exercise in meters and microvolts” demonstrates that the FCC clearly intends to limit the theoretical range of non-licensed devices operating in this band. It also shows the potential for causing interference at a home down the street from you. But it also shows that you can legally put out quite a good signal over wider areas than you might have imagined. For other kinds of radio services, the FCC restricts such factors as transmitter power or antenna height, which cannot really limit the possible “range” of a transmission under good conditions. By restricting the maximum field strength at a specific distance from your antenna, the FCC clearly plans for your signal to “die out” at a specific distance from your antenna, no matter what kind of transmitter power or antenna you are using. On the other hand, the FCC standards do make it legal and possible for you to broadcast on a school campus, campground or local neighborhood, as long as you remain within the field strength limitations and do not cause interference to broadcast reception.

What is the cable with the red & white RCA jacks for?

This is a special cable that enables you to broadcast from devices like TV’s, DVD players, Home Stereo Systems, etc. that do not have an earphone jack but only RCA jacks. You can also use it to broadcast from a home theater or stereo tuner and some satellite radio units.

My audio source doesn't have a volume control, what do I do?

We built into the Whole House FM Transmitter 3.0 the ability to control the volume comming into the FM transmitter so you can help prevent over modulation.

Will leaving my Whole House FM Transmitter on 24/7 harm it?

No, it won’t. We didn’t want an FM Transmitter that was so delicate that we had to remember to turn if off or else it would fry some circuitry or melt something so we built it to last, you can run this thing 24/7 without ever having to shut it off.

And yes, even running it in a hot car during summer won’t hurt it… just don’t leave it in direct sunlight, like your dashboard!

I lost my AC adapter can I use some other one?

NO, using a power supply other than the one included with the FM transmitter WILL damage the unit and void the money back guarantee.

Why doesn't my FM Transmitter turn on?

•  Have you tried the power switch on top of the FM Transmitter?
• Is the power cord firmly attached to the FM Transmitter?
• Is the AC adapter plugged into the wall?
• Have you tried another power source? Like use batteries or the USB Power cable with your computer to power it instead of the AC Adapter (or vice versa)?

I'm having a little trouble, can someone help me?

Absolutely! The easiest way is to call us at (888) 674-6226 (we are open M-F 8-5pm ET) and we can walk you through a few steps to pinpoint the problem. Most problems can be resolved in about 5 minutes.

Why don't I hear anything on my FM radio?

• Is the audio cable firmly attached to the Whole House FM Transmitter and your audio source?
• Is the volume turned up on your audio source? We suggest you start with a medium level of volume
• Is the volume turned up on your FM Receiver source?
• If you are using it for a TV, DVD or VCR make sure you are using the audio OUT not the audio IN ports
• Make sure your audio device is working properly

If this doesn’t solve your problem please call us at (888) 674-6226 (we are open M-F 8-5pm ET) and we can help.

What are the warranty terms for the Whole House FM Transmitter

Please visit our Warranty Terms page for more details.

I'm still not sure what else to do, who can I call?

Feel free to call our technical help line at (888) 674-6226 (we are open M-F 8-5pm ET) or go to our Contact Us Page. We’ll be happy to assist you.

Is the 2.0 still available?

The 2.0 is no longer be available for sale via our website, in it’s place is the Whole House FM Transmitter 3.0.

Can I buy accessories for the 2.0?

No, at this time we have discontinued offering accessories for the 2.0 model. I would suggest considering upgrading to the 3.0 model.