The Community FM Modulator
While many communications initiatives in all parts of the world focus primarily on that small fraction of people who have internet access and read at least some English, the organisation Radiophony, based in India, look for innovative, low-cost solutions that can provide communications in local spoken languages. Most people can own and use a small FM/AM radio, and therefore imaginative uses of radio has been at the core of their work.
Oravakal is a small village of roughly 5,000 people near Kurnool, a district headquarter town about 200 km from Hyderabad, the state capital in Andhra Pradesh, India. As part of a strategy for challenging rural poverty several "sustainable" initiatives have been undertaken by the NGO: the Society for the Elimination of Rural Poverty, including the establishment of a "communications centre". In Oravakal Radiophony worked with a group of around 20 men from the village who successfully created a village-wide radio station from easily available consumer electronics equipment, and began to broadcast their own material. A low power output radio transmitter was designed as these are legal to use without a license in most parts of the world. The transmitter uses the kind of radio frequency wich is commonly used, without regulation, in consumer devices such a walkie-talkies, cordless phones and remote controlled toys.
However early in 2003 the equipment was seized by government officials, although no charges have been made. Since then Radiophony has been engaged in urgent discussions about India's wireless policy, which like many other countries seems to allow for frivolous and luxury consumer goods to use the radio spectrum freely, while standing in the way of effective community media initiatives.
Technical specification
The recording equipment is a small minidisk recorder. This equipment was chosen as it is unobtrusive, works with standard batteries, either rechargable or easily available for purchase. The minidisk recorder enables simple but effective editing functions which were soon mastered by the group.
The "Community FM modulator" consists of a pre-amplifier, power amplifier and transmitter that the audio source can be fed into directly. The transmitter was built to run at a power of 50mw - very low power indeed but just enough to reach about half-kilometre radius. The unit was made from easily available materials such as simple house wiring, TV antenna cable and Indian produced electronic components that are robust and easy to solder. Only basic tools are needed to make the modulator, and power is supplied from standard 9V batteries or a 12V car battery. Full instructions for making the community FM
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