Hello,
I have a small single speaker I would like to make into an AM radio for the cottage, and was having trouble finding any circuits that seem to meet my needs.
Ideally it would be minimal parts, but also would like it to be battery powered if possible. Anywhere from 9-12V is my power supply for the amplifier, so could utilize this part as well for the AM tuner.
Anyone build or know of one? I have LM386 chips, but don't believe the circuit on page 7 in the datasheet is what I am looking for.
http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/lm386.pdf
Any pointers would be appreciated. Thanks
I have a small single speaker I would like to make into an AM radio for the cottage, and was having trouble finding any circuits that seem to meet my needs.
Ideally it would be minimal parts, but also would like it to be battery powered if possible. Anywhere from 9-12V is my power supply for the amplifier, so could utilize this part as well for the AM tuner.
Anyone build or know of one? I have LM386 chips, but don't believe the circuit on page 7 in the datasheet is what I am looking for.
http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/lm386.pdf
Any pointers would be appreciated. Thanks
When I was a youngster I longed to build a radio and freely admit I never had much success. The ZN414 three legged TRF chip was all the rage back then. Biggest problems are sourcing the tuned components, a ferrite rod aerial and appropriate tuning cap.
Tbh, I have to wonder if its worth the effort. The bands are crowded, and the far better selectivity of a typical superhet receiver renders the simple circuits obsolete.
The LM386 circuit is fine (AM Radio Power Amplifier) but that's just the amp section of course, you need the radio front end to drive it.
Tbh, I have to wonder if its worth the effort. The bands are crowded, and the far better selectivity of a typical superhet receiver renders the simple circuits obsolete.
The LM386 circuit is fine (AM Radio Power Amplifier) but that's just the amp section of course, you need the radio front end to drive it.
To the original poster..Do you know precisely how an AM receiver works?
If not exactly, build one in discreet, RF cans, transistors,, etc. on a proto-board. You can dial it in just fine, mount it inside your enclosure with a suitable chip-amp & speaker.
In the end you'll learn a lot & have a fully functional radio to listen to.
_______________________________________________________Rick.........
If not exactly, build one in discreet, RF cans, transistors,, etc. on a proto-board. You can dial it in just fine, mount it inside your enclosure with a suitable chip-amp & speaker.
In the end you'll learn a lot & have a fully functional radio to listen to.
_______________________________________________________Rick.........
The UTC brand LAG668 IC I fished out of the trash in a Luxman cassette deck seems to work pretty well on 3 vdc. The problem with these cheapo radios is usually the cheap volume controls and dirty tin earphone jack, not the sensitivity or selectivity. Unfortunately, the best way to get one is to fish something out of the trash or a flea market. I had a GE pocket radio from the mid nineties that worked really well before I dropped it and broke the PWB. By contrast the Sony Walkman digital synthesis am-fm radio I bought for $30 in 2005? has the sensitivity of a 7 tube line set, ie bad.
That 700 AM band station in Toronto is really a gem after midnight, isn't it? Sometimes I can get it here in Indiana; they play all different genres of music, instead of one narrow niche the way the market is segmented now. The only other thing I find that comes close is WNAS FM in New Albany, IN, that is also on the internet. Unfortunately they don't cover the big band or fifties famous singer eras.
That 700 AM band station in Toronto is really a gem after midnight, isn't it? Sometimes I can get it here in Indiana; they play all different genres of music, instead of one narrow niche the way the market is segmented now. The only other thing I find that comes close is WNAS FM in New Albany, IN, that is also on the internet. Unfortunately they don't cover the big band or fifties famous singer eras.
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Go to the local Best Buy or Future Shop and ask the install dept if they have any old radios.
Then look up the pinout and get a couple of speakers and a power supply and away you go...AM/FM/cassette
Old Pioneer "SuperTuners" were among the best AM and FM car radios ever made, and they regularly appear on EBay.
Just a.m. -- get a 1N34a diode...
G'day all, if the OP is into DIY, the ZN414 is no longer made, but the equivalent MK484 should still be available.
I have made a general purpose AM tuner made using an MK484 that is very sensitive and has very good sound quality for feeding into an amplifier and speaker. There are lots of easy to make circuits using the ZN414/MK484 'chip' in this link. TRF Radios 1, Ferranti ZN414, MK484, Matchbox Radio, ZN415, ZN416, TA7642, HAC Radio Regards, Felix (vk4fuq).
I have made a general purpose AM tuner made using an MK484 that is very sensitive and has very good sound quality for feeding into an amplifier and speaker. There are lots of easy to make circuits using the ZN414/MK484 'chip' in this link. TRF Radios 1, Ferranti ZN414, MK484, Matchbox Radio, ZN415, ZN416, TA7642, HAC Radio Regards, Felix (vk4fuq).
Try:
Featuring legendary artists from the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, and 50's WKHR is the only Big Band radio station in Northeast Ohio.
WKHR.ORG - FM 91.5
WKHR.ORG - FM 91.5
G'day all, yes there is more than one way to detect RF! I'm actually a fan of FET based 'infinite impedance' detectors, but one can even use a diode if one likes!
However getting good performance out of a simple diode detector isn't as simple as one might think! There is the diode RF injection level and the optimised AC/DC ratio on the diode output to consider.
A poorly designed diode detector sounds terrible. Talk about a 'distortion pedal'! Regards, Felix (vk4fuq).
However getting good performance out of a simple diode detector isn't as simple as one might think! There is the diode RF injection level and the optimised AC/DC ratio on the diode output to consider.
A poorly designed diode detector sounds terrible. Talk about a 'distortion pedal'! Regards, Felix (vk4fuq).
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