ftn rdccEhr[tcHnilmms

AM RECEIVER(RE)
FREE-POWER
"extracted"
This projectusesa strangewayto get lts power.lt usespower
fromthe tunedstationto giveto the amplifier Witha reasonably
transistor.
strongappliedmodulationenvelope, thistypeof produces
detector a strong
demodulated output.
thecloseryouareto a strongstation,the morecurrentyourradio
Naturally,
willbeableto supply.
Forbestresults,youmustdoeverything possibleto delivera strongsignalto
thetransistor Werecommend
detector. a good antennaandground,the lat-
beingmadeto a waterpipeor solidexternal
ter preferably groundcomposed
of a pipedrivenat least5 feetintomoistearth.Thisis importantforensuring
maximum signalpickup. I
thelongertheantenna(upto about100
lf youhaveplentyof spaceavailable,
feet),thebetterthe results.
Figure I showsthe schematic diagramof the Free-Power Ob-
AM receiver.
servethatthe heartof the circuitis a germanium thatworksas a
transistor
detectorandaudioamplifier.
Gomponents placement on a terminalstripusedas a chassisis shownin
Figurc2.Theterminalstripcanbefixedonan experiment boardthatcanbe
usingsomecommon
constructed toolsand materials.

Ql is anygermanium suchasGE-2or2N107.You
transistor, canfindgerma-
inoldnonworking
niumtransistors AMtransistor Nonworking
radioreceivers.
andthe loopstick
AM radioscan alsosupplythe variablecapacitor (ferrite
rod).
Earphone crystaltype.
mustbea high-impedance earphones
Low-impedance
don'tfunctionin thiscircuit.

_
 Pnffi r Foailrmlilrsrffi

Figure I

s-4^o

Figurc 2

t8
r
frn?nfffihrucmlffi
--

PartsList - Free-PowerAM Receiver

Q1 - NPNor PNPgermanium - seetext
transistor

XTAL - CrystalearPhone
L1 - seetext
- LooPstick

CV - 365pFvariablecapacitor- seetext

Rl - 12,000 resistor
ohm,114W,57"
C1 - 1 uF,25WVDCelectrolytic
capacitor

ldeasto ExPlore
Tolearnmoreaboutthecircuit:
o ReplaceLl by 15turnsof No.28 wire,woundon a ferriterod,to
stations.
tuneshort'wave
o Byreplacing Ql witha germanium R1andC1
diodeandremoving
thisradiointoa simplecrystalset'
you'litransform
o AlterR1in a rangebetween4,7}Oand47,000ohmsto getbetter
performance,
depending used'
on thetransistor
o Replace witha silicontype,suchasthe8C548'What
thetransistor
withsensivitY?
willhaPPen
uses:
thecircuitand,uncommon
scienceprojectinvolving
o Explainhowcrystalsetsfunction lf you
andtellaboutradiohistory.
areinterestedin moreradiohistoryseveraltextscanbe foundin the
publiclibrarY.
tryto findinforma-
o lf youwantto learnmoreaboutradioreceivers,
tionaboutheterodyne types'
andsuper-hereterodyne
-
tl