ChipRadio + ChipAmp?

[danielwritesbac]

I'm wondering about using the long range FM performance of U2510B (amtel) pre output at pin 24, to the tubefake (soft clip) sounds of a bridged nte1516 / NEC UPC1212C (or whatever you like), and then into a speaker like Tang Band W3-319SF?

A different experience than the usual radio?
My thoughts on this are:
U2510B Stop the static with the on-chip AGC signal booster, with its NLOS 130 mile range for FM radio, bringing in a wide variety of entertainment.
UPC1212C Stop the raspy racket from the compressed, super-loud DJ's and commercials so that they're not as disturbing as usual.
TB W3-319SF Simultaneous increase of fidelity and efficiency via the quality mini full range.

What do you guys think?
Is this a good plan?

[Rembrant]

Sounds like a great plan to me. I have been kicking around the idea of making an old woodie style radio. That style is appealing to me. That chip radio sounds cool. I'll have to look into that.

[danielwritesbac]

There's also generic TDA7000 that sounds great if its within range.
And, its range is fixable. . .
The original application had some sort of transistor based RF booster for FM.
The TDA7000 ChipRadio doesn't have an audio preamp on board, so its either use some transistors or a small op amp, right before the power op amp.

Also, TDA7000 has two crazy options, but they're easy to shut off. . .
First, there's the "blank between stations" mute feature that gets you only very strong stations, and second, there's the artificial static generator so in order to avoid sounding like dropping off the station when the mute is working. However, the mute feature is switchable (so it can be disabled to increase range) and the noisemaker can be disabled if you omit its cap (so that it doesn't play additional noise into weak stations).

[Sparky OR]

Or you could just buy a clock radio
Actually, I have dabbled around with diy radios some, but having to scrounge up all the ancillary parts and make a pcb for the IC's is a little daunting. Attention deficit disorder, in my older age

[danielwritesbac]

Originally posted by Sparky OR
Or you could just buy a clock radio
Actually, I have dabbled around with diy radios some, but having to scrounge up all the ancillary parts and make a pcb for the IC's is a little daunting. Attention deficit disorder, in my older age

TDA7000 boards:
http://w1.859.telia.com/~u85920178/rx/tda7000.htm
http://www.quasarelectronics.com/sma...-88-108mhz.htm

No board needed--the layout and schematic are so similar:
http://www.electronics-diy.com/elect...atic.php?id=13
That is certainly not the original article, despite a "lift" of some original photos.

Datasheet:
http://www.nxp.com/acrobat_download/...7000_CNV_2.pdf

EGADS!!! I FOUND IT!!!
Some hours of searching brought up the original project:
Radio: http://braincambre500.freeservers.com/acameo.htm
Booster: http://braincambre500.freeservers.co...0amplifier.htm
In this example, the radio is tuned selective for short range; however, the additional booster makes up the difference. When a radio is rigged this way, it suddenly "locks" onto stations. You get more stations, and they're clear.

Audio:
We're substituting NTE1516 (NEC UPC1212C) op amp for the "tubefake" sound on nice, safe, low voltage with low amperage. Still lacking is an additional gain stage. Although good at simulating a vacuum tube, UPC1212C too noisy (whoosh, not hiss), for the amount of gain needed. Still working on this. . . I'll bet that its simple with a stereo radio. Not so for monophonic. For "presentation" it is reliant on dynamics, detail, and depth; in addition, any lack therein is obvious because it is monophonic. I think this page, Decibel Dungeon, has something to say about the buffer/preamp: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/nuukspot/...ainclone2.html

Basic:
Antenna
RF boost
TDA7000
Pre (optional)
NTE1516/UPC1212C
Speaker

Option:
One can limit the bass output of the UPC1212C by quite a bit and then. . . Add the bass with a "small box" woofer and an op amp that has a capacitor parallel to its feedback resistor (makes only bass). This is especially easy if our "pre" above is a dual op amp. There's one input and two outputs. The end-result is that bass-n-treble controls need not use a baxandall. Instead, its sort of like an active crossover. Of course, this depends on what size radio you'd like.

[Speedskater]

Right now the best tuner you can get is the little Sony XDR-F1 HD. It's only $100 US, or maybe only $50 if they run the rebate again. It's as good as the legendary high end tuners of old. It also does "HD" that's hybrid digital. You could spend lots of hours and dollars building something not nearly as good.

ps. Daniel, how did that long bike ride go last summer?

[danielwritesbac]

Originally posted by Speedskater
Right now the best tuner you can get is the little Sony XDR-F1 HD. It's only $100 US, or maybe only $50 if they run the rebate again. It's as good as the legendary high end tuners of old. It also does "HD" that's hybrid digital. You could spend lots of hours and dollars building something not nearly as good.

ps. Daniel, how did that long bike ride go last summer?

Hi Speedskater! The bike rides both went well. www.okfreewheel.org and www.ragbrai.com There was much sun and fun and sights to see. Its amazing how much you can see when you're not trapped inside a car.

This project is different than the Sony.

Its an old-fashioned wooden radio with extremely low power consumption and an old-fashioned flair from the audio.
Its not for the "listening room" but rather for everywhere else.

What we can do differently is a tubefake sound and also a presentation that appears both well forwards and well rearwards of the speaker (hifi monophonic sounds like this).

I think its interesting that its interesting to practice on hifi monophonic, given a signal suitable for such (very rare). After that, the same practices can be used on larger scale and multiple channels, when desired.

[MrDragon1]

Daniel,

Did you ever end up building this? I know this is an old post, but I am looking to put together something similar. The links under "EGADS!!! I FOUND IT!!! " don't work any more so I don't know what is used for the booster..

I was thinking of building a ~20w chip-amp connected to a Dayton ND90-8. (I have a pair of these connected to a LM1876 and they sound incredible for such small speakers if tuned properly)

Any help or ideas would be appreciated

Thanks!!

-Jeff

[danielwritesbac]

Well, I think that you could find a nice tuner already built, perhaps on ebay.

A booster could use a simple one transistor class a amplifier, as long as the transistor chosen is able for the voltage and for the frequency. Since the sound comes from analog, I'd rather choose a radio that doesn't need an added booster. However, a booster is always better than static.

[ratza]

You can use another chip, TDA7088. It can be found in almost any cheap radio.