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Title: General coverage AM receiver from using an old car AM radio Post by: ka1tdq on August 22, 2018, 08:41:58 PM Here's a why not project. I bought a passive RF mixer off eBay complete with SMA connectors for RF (antenna), OSC, and IF. It was $20 and I already had most of the other parts.
It works! I was using 600 KHz as the IF and used the DDS VFO as the OSC input. I was just listening to WWV (ha...) on 10 MHz on the car radio. I wanted to post a short YouTube video of it, but as I was neatening the desk, I accidentally shorted the DC leads going to the radio and fried it. I can get another one for $5 or so at Goodwill. Jon Title: Re: General coverage AM receiver from using an old car AM radio Post by: ka1tdq on August 23, 2018, 07:11:23 PM Ok, this works better. I had to put a broadcast filter on the antenna input.
https://youtu.be/yW9O4LHx--A (https://youtu.be/yW9O4LHx--A) Jon Title: Re: General coverage AM receiver from using an old car AM radio Post by: Opcom on August 23, 2018, 09:09:04 PM Car AM radios are pretty good considering the short antennas and noise they deal with. Consider it a variable IF input!
Title: Re: General coverage AM receiver from using an old car AM radio Post by: Jim, W5JO on August 24, 2018, 09:10:51 AM My first mobile receiver was the car radio in a 1956 Ford and a mixer to take it to 75 meters. That and a dynamotor driven AF 67. The receiver worked fine.
Title: Re: General coverage AM receiver from using an old car AM radio Post by: ka1tdq on August 24, 2018, 09:40:56 AM I was listening to 75 meters AM this morning with it. Channel #2 can be used to drive my 40 meter E rig whenever I get it built. It’ll make a neat combo.
Plus, this car radio has flashy LED’s! Jon Title: Re: General coverage AM receiver from using an old car AM radio Post by: WA2SQQ on August 24, 2018, 10:27:22 AM Purchased from a dealer, or a one pc sale? Link?
Title: Re: General coverage AM receiver from using an old car AM radio Post by: ka1tdq on August 24, 2018, 12:06:08 PM I got it from eBay, but I don’t see anymore listed. It was an older American device that needs +3dbm oscillator input (.4vpk seems to work). AMfone - Dedicated to Amplitude Modulation on the Amateur Radio Bands
Search eBay for “passive RF mixer” and a bunch come up. Just make sure you get one that’ll go low enough in frequency. Jon |