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G8MNY  > TECH     16.01.10 16:06l 93 Lines 4819 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 47210_GB7CIP
Read: GUEST DG9NBR
Subj: AM TRF Radio
Path: DB0FHN<DB0MRW<DK0WUE<DB0RES<ON0AR<F4BWT<VK4FY<WU3V<GB7CIP
Sent: 100115/2324Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU #:47210 [Caterham] $:47210_GB7CIP
From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU
To  : TECH@WW

By G8MNY                                           (New Nov 08)
(8 Bit ASCII graphics use code page 437 or 850, Terminal Font)
In a recent construction contest, we all had to build this QUASAR project kit
No 3063 "One Chip AM Radio". Here I have redrawn the circuit in a more logical
way.
                   旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴쩡컴컴쩡컴컫컴컴>+9V
                  4k7                               5k6    �    �
                   쳐컴쩡컴컴컴컴컴컴커              �   �/BC  +�100u
                   1k  �              �              쳐컴� 548 ===
         旼컴컫컴컴�   �             10k            _�_  �\e    �
        100k  �    �   � u47          �             \_/   6R8   �
Rod      � 旼컨컴� 쳐컴)캑쳐컫컴150k컴�       旼컴컴�)컴컴캑    �+ 100u
  旼컫컴�)캑MK484� �   �     �        �      820k   _�_    쳐컴�)캑쳐>LS
||(  �_  � 읕컫컴� �   �     �   旼컴캑       �     \_/   6R8   �
||(  �/| �    �    �   쳐커  � �/     �       쳐늘컴캑   �/e    �     8�
||( ===  �    �   ===  � _�_ 읕퀯C548 �       쿻47   쳐컴� BC   �
||( /�   �    �  u1�   � \_/   �\e    �   u47 �    �/    �\558  �
  읕컨컴캑    �    �  === �      �   10k<캑쳐컨컴컴�       �    �
   160pF �    �    퀅47� _�_    100   쿗og       BC�\e     �    �  旼>LS
        ===   �    �   � \_/     �    쿣olume   548  �     �    �  �
      u47읕컴컨컴컴좔컴좔컨컴컴컴좔컴컨컴컴컴컴컴컴컴좔컴컴좔컴컨컴좔>0V

Construction was easy, about 30 min to do a good job. Most kits work OK.

The Tuned Radio Frequency Rx is fairly sensitive, but the high RF gain in this
not flat & there is a tendency to get RF oscillation at the high frequency end
of the band. Selectivity is surprisingly good. N.B. the IC runs at 1.2V
maintained by the 2 diodes. 1.5 of an LED is a bit too high. The 1k load & 100k
bias are said to be the optimum values for the IC's detecting & AGC action.

The AF amp is very poor, why they did not use an IC I don't know. The 1st class
A stage in run on next to no voltage so it distorts. The following class A
driver stage has too little standing current to drive the output NPN BC548 to
deliver +ve current swings into the 8 ohm LS.

There is no LW option, Ideally a 2nd coil on the ferrite rod is needed.

MY IMPROVEMENTS 
                       旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴컴컴쩡컴컴쩡컴컫o\컴>+9V
                       �                  �    bootstrap 1k    �    � ON
                      4k7                 �       旼컴컴캑     �    �
                       쳐컴�              �      +�     3k3  �/BC  +�100u
                       1k  �             10k     ===     쳐컴�548  ===
           旼컴컴컫컴컴�   � u47          �       �15u  _�_  �\e    �
          100k    �    쳐컴)캑쳐컫컴150k컴�       �     \_/   6R8   �
Rod    Cd  �   旼컨컴� �   �     �        �       쳐컴컴�)컴컴캑    �+100u 
  旼컫컴쩡�)컴쨈MK484� �   �     �   旼컴캑      820k   _�_    쳐컴�)캑쳐>LS
||(  �_=== �  냅컴쩡켸 �   �     �   �   10k      �     \_/   6R8   �
||(  �/|�  � ===  �    �   쳐커  � �/     �       쳐늘컴캑   �/e    �    32�
||( === �  �  쿻82�   ===  � _�_ 읕퀯C548 �       쿻47   쳐컴퀯C    �
||( /� Rd  �  oLW �  u1�   � \_/   �\e    �   u47 �    �/    �\558  �
  읕컨컴좔캑  \   �    �  === �      �   10k<캑쳐컨컴컴�       �    �
   160pF   쳐켸   �    퀅47� _�_    100   쿗og       BC�\e     �    �  旼>LS
          ===     �    �   � \_/     �    쿣olume    548 �     �    �  �
        u47읕컴컴컨컴컴좔컴좔컨컴컴컴좔컴컨컴컴컴컴컴컴컴좔컴컴좔컴컨컴좔>0V

Oscillation at HF end of MW.
By adding a light damping CR across the tuned circuit stops the oscillation,
the Cd is kept very small, a 10pF, & Rd = 330k did it OK without degrading the
performance.

1st AF amp distortion fault.
Running this AF amp from +9V gives lots more unclipped gain, but the
unregulated DC feed can lead to instability with a high gain output stage, so I
cut the track to the pot & added a 10k in series to attenuate the gain a bit.

Bootstrap.
I added a bootstrap to the output by changing the 5k6 for a 1k from +9V & a 3k3
to the NPN base, with the centre tap connected to a new cap to the output NPN /
PNP. This provides a lot more +ve output drive current, without increasing the
standing current & also increased the gain.

LS.
Using a higher 32 ohm LS also helps by reducing the needed LS current by 4, but
I did not have one & had to make do with the 8�, which worked OK once boxed up.

LW.
Adding a switched 820 or 910pF gave tuning over 1 LW station @ 198KHz OK. I put
it across the unused 60pF tuning cap section & switch both in circuit to gain
the max tuning range. It is not very sensitive done this way, switching the
coil to a bigger one would me much better!

ON OFF
I added an ON-OFF switch too.


Why Don't U send an interesting bul?

73 De John, G8MNY @ GB7CIP


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