'+'

" " ... '

')' 'l.
Series 724

There are now o\cr )50 Ladybird lilies co\'ering a "ide range
of subjects and reading a g e ~ . Write for a free illustrated catalogue
from Ihe publishers
LADYBIRD BOOKS LTD LoUl/,hborOUih Le,CC:Slcl'l>hirc. EnaJand

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o nl4 0'24 7 NET

a ~
""'-r Radio
" ,
TECHNIQUES
MATERIALS REQUIRED
SoldBr Wire
with II COre of flux
Electric Soldering Iron.
25 wett with pencil bit
IS ideal
. . . . . . . - ~ ~
._-
"-
'1 Clsln both surfaces to be joined with sandpaper
or (hit edge of 8 kmfe_ The metal surfaces should
be clB,n and bright
2) Join the wire to the tag to make 8 firm joint
that will not move
3) Put the hot bit of the iron firmly upon t he j oint
and allow a few seconds for the joi nt to heat up.
Take care. The soldering Ifon bi t and metal shaft
4) Lightly push the end of the solder onto the joint
and allow the solder to flow freely over t he whole joint.
DO NOT apply t he solder to the bi t the heat of the
joint should do the melling .
5} Allow the solder to cool until it goes solid.
GOOD SOLDER JOI NTS should be bright and shinY. If the
joinl looks very dull and grey it may be a bad Jomt called
a DRY JOJNT. If this IS so. remake the JOint.
Component s are usually soldered to copper t ags. It i s possi ble
10 replace the screw cups of the radio Wi th small copper nails
and solder t he components onto these. Wrap the wlf es
around the nail before soldering so that the JOint
is made firm.
Series 724
How to O1;ll-..e it
With Jup'rh coloLir diagrams alld all equally
texl, Ihis fascillating book shows
hoI\' 10 make a tran'iis/or radio capable of
receh'illg a IIIl1uher of stmiom.
First to be cle.\uihed is"a simple crystal sef
Ihal IWllly , .. orks. Srage-hy-srage the sel is added
10 (each slage a complete workillg radio) until
a powerful/ral/sistor radio is completed.
Easily, illexpellsil'el.v, and leamillg as YOII go,
as each sec/ioll is added YOIl II'ill experience the
thrill, shared by all radio constructors, of
listeniflg to SOUl/cis coming fr011l a radio receil'er
that is YOllr 011'1/ , .. ork.
A ladybird How 10 make if book
making a
Transistor Radio
by G. C. DOBBS
with illustrat ions by B. H. ROBI NSON
Publishers: Ladybird Books Ltd. Loughborough
ladybird Books lid (formerly Wills & Hepworlh lid) 1972
In fngl.nd
The world of radio
Today, radio is pari of our everyday life, yet only
at the beginning of this century it was a miracle. It
IS still something to marvel at- and a fascinating
subject 10 study.
With this book you will learn, stage by stage. how
to build more than one simple receiver. Everything
you should know is explained simply and illustrated
clearly, and you will have the pleasure of constructing
something marvellous that really works.
All the components used are easily available, usually
from your local radio dealer. Most large towns have
shops speciali sing in stocking components, but it is
also very easy to obtain any you need by post. All the
popular electronic construction magazines contain
advertisements for mail order suppli es. Many of these
suppliers provide catalogues which list all the com-
ponents you will need.
4
Radio reception
Radio waves cannot be seen or heard. They are
c/e(,lro-lIIagt/l!fic waves, and they now backwards anti
forwards (oJcillafl!). Each backward and forwa rd
movemcnt is known as a crcle. Thc ra te of t his back-
"'ard and forward movement (oJcillarion) is kno\\Il as
the frequency of the wa\c.
A radio ",a\-e is a lso a carrier wavc. It can 'carry an
electro-magnetic wave of a frequency exact ly similar
to the sound waves of the speech or music which is being
tran!.mitted. This frequency, which is imposed on the
carrier wave, is known as an lll/dio frequency. It is this
electro-magnetic lludio frequency that a radio receiver
translates into sound via t he loudspeaker. For a more
detai led explanation of t his. you might like to read
pages 20-26 of the Ladybird book: How it Works
Television'.
When radio waves carrying an audio frequency
arrive at a receiver, three things happen :
I. TUNI NG. The radio frequency carrier wave is picked
up by the aerial. Along this same aeria l pass t he
radio frequency carrier waves from many other
tran::.mitting stations, but the signa l we wa nt from a
particular transmitter must be sclected (t uned) from
them.
2. DETECTION. The next stage is the detection !.tage,
in \I,hieh thc electro-magnetic audio frequency wa\-'e
is detected from the carrier .... :ave.
3. I MPLlFlCATlON. The electro-magnetic audio
signal \.\;Ive is amplified, or made bigger, and
translated from an electrical signal into SOUND
by the loud-speaker. from which we hear a repro-
duction of the transmitted sound.
6
AERIAL
The aerial picks up electro. magnetic,
radio frequency, carrier waves
TUNING
DETECTION
I A,MP'LIFICA TlON
LOUD
SPEAKER
A camer wave of II particulM
frequency is selected
The electro magnetic. audio
frequency wave IS detected
from the camer wave
The electfo-magnetfc, audio
frequency wave IS amplified
The electro-magnetic
audio frequency wave is
converted into a sound wave
Reading circuit diagrams
Before building a piece of electronic equipment. a
constructor needs to know how to wire up the various
components. Thi s can be done wi th the help of a
diagram showing how the components are joined.
Electronic engineers have developed a shorthand
method of showing the various components and their
joining wires. This is the circuir diagram.
A circuit Jiagram is like a map. All the electronic
components have symbols. and the connecting wires
are shown as straight lines. The positions of the com-
ponents on the circuit diagram do not normally corres-
pond to their aC/lial positions in the completed equip-
ment. Sometimes a layolI! diagram is a lso used to show
where to position the components on a base board.
Many symbols are used in circuit diagrams and we
will learn them as we meet them in the course of our
construction. To make construction easier we will use
both circuit and layout diagrams.
8
f
Bulb
Switch
-
Battery
-
-
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
LAYOUT DIAGRAM
A crystal set - the tuned circuit
A crystal SCt. t he simplest form of radio recei\er. 1 ~
the first stage of our radio. It can operate entirely on
its 0\\ n as a radio recci\cr, e\en if no funher stage ...
are added.
As v.e have read on page 6. an aerial picks up all the
radio signals (the radio frequency carrier \\a\es) in il.'>
path. BUI we need only signals of a certain frequency
those scnt out by a particular transmitter. We thcrefore
need some sort of filter to allow only one radio station
to be received al once. A /IIf/cd circuif is this filter.
because it can be tuned to any frequcncy we want. and
can select one of the many rad io frequency carrier
waves reaching the aerial.
A tuned circuit consi ... ts of a coil of wIre and a f!mill.f:
capacifor. On the orposite page you can see a circuit
diagram for a tuned circUlI. and beneath are shown the
actual componerlls a coil and fllllill!! capacifor.
The panicular radiO frequency wa\es \\ hich a tuned
circuit selecb derend.., Ull the number of turn ... 01 \\lre
on the coil and the va1ue of the capacitor. Since 11 is
inconvement 10 keep changing the number of turns of
\\lre on the cod. the capacitor is made with movable
plates so that the tuning can be \:.trled and the sli:maJ..
we \\ant sck!,:tcd.
10
A TUNED CIRCUIT
Tunmg
Capac/tor
A cryst al set - the cryst al d iode
After the tuned circuit has selected the particular
carrier wave frequency required, the audio frequency
signal which it carries must be extracted from it. The
CTyst(JI (sometimes referred to as a diode) is a simple
device that does this by allowing current to pass only
one way. It is used in the crystal set as a 'detector'.
The action is a comple\ one, but we can simply say that
it detects from the radio frequency carrier wave the
electrical waves of the same frequency as sound (a/ldio)
waves and which a loudspeaker or headphone can
convert into sOllnd.
On the opposite page you will see a circuit diagram
showing the tuned circuit mentioned on the previous
page but with the symbols for the diode and the ear
piece included. With the addition of the aerial and earth
symbols. we now have a circuit diagram for a complete
working radio set.
Also illustrated are a typical earpiece and a crystal
diode.
12
Aeri 8f
,..-" Ferrit e
",,-,Coil
- Eanh
Diode
OOOO5".1F
Tuning CapacltOT
THE CRYSTAL SET CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
1
Tools f or radio constructi on
Simrk radio construction. of the sort described in
this book. requires fc\\ tools. Mo<,! of these can be found
111 a normal household toolbox or arc ine-.;pcmi\c to
buy.
During the building of the radio. \vires have to be
bent into place and sometimes cut to the correct length.
Some components are joined by P. V.c. covered copper
\virc \\ hich ha!> to be cut to size and Its covering removed
from the ends to make the connection. The m o ~ t w.eful
1001 for this is a pair of pointed-nose pliers. The:>c \\'111
abo strip the plastic from the wire before the connce-
tions are made. A pair of '" Ire cutters may also be used
to cut and !.lrip wire.
It is possible to buy an inexpensive little tool called a
',,,.ire-cutter and stripper' to do both jobs. A pocket
knife is useful for scraping the ends of the \\ire to
dean them before the connections are made. Sandpaper
or the rough edgc of a matchbox can also bc used to
clean ",ires before they are connected. A medium-Sized
screwdriver ", ill be needed for making the connections.
This radio is to be bui lt on a wooden base. so a fe\\
simple woodworking tools hal1d'><.l\\. gimlet. brace
and bit- are also requlr('d.
,.
.,p
*
Screw to adjust Stripper
lor diHerMl wire SIZes
Stdpping
.....
~ ~
t
,
\
-.- CLEANING WIRES
.\
Fixing the components
In electronic construction it IS usual to solder the
components into their places in the circuit. Thi s radio
is designed ror the beginner, so a non-soldering method
or connection is used. For those who wish to solder the
conne<.:tions, the te<.:hnique is explained on the inside
back coyers or this book.
A simple met hod or connecting the components
uses woodscrews and washers. The screws are No. 6
brass countersunk. haIr inch screws and the washers
are No. 6 brass screwcups. Two dozen or each are
required. All are obtainable rrom your local iron-
monger.
The method is explained in the diagram opposite. but
remember the rollowing lips: (I) Make sure the wire
to be connected is scraped clean until it shines. (2) Where
several wires are trapped under one w a ~ h e r , do not
finally tighten the screw until all the "ires are in place.
It is possible to test a connection with the simple
battery and bulb arrangement in the diagram. Touch
the two leads onto some or the bare wire either side or
the connection. Ir the connection is good. the bulb wi ll
light up.
16
NO.6 erass Screwcup

Making the circuit boar d
In the early days of radio. receivers were made on a
baseboard sometimes called a 'bread board'. We are
using a form of bread board mounting.
Softwood is used for the base. Mount the screws and
screwcups, used for connections, at one inch intervals
in two rowS of eight. The rows should be an inchand-
a-half apart. This is shown in the drawing facing this
page. The two large holes are made with a brace and
bit and are for mounting the control components.
The accuracy of the measurements is not vitally
important. but it would be helpful to follow those given
as closely as possible. Not all the screws are used in
bui lding the first part of the radio; the additional
screws are needed later as the radio is completed.
Although this board is very simple to make, it is
important to try to get the screws in straight so that the
screwcups press firmly onto the wires.
18

H
l ' " H'
HOW TO MARK OUT THE BASEBOARD
\I

m.rJced sidfj With a t-bit drill/rom tIM otMr

bit just .pptllJlS on sithl, haN way through the bOMd
drill right through)
MAKINO THE HOLES
Section of thtt counter
--.
U.tt. ginWt or btMMwl
to mne hoh. /or SCftIW$. (Do not
fully tlghttlfl tIM $Cftt W ., this It.".)
Winding the coi l
Before the crysHll set can be built. \\e mm,! wind a
t uning coil for the tuned ci rcuit. TIlls is done on a piece
of inch diameter ferrlle rod. Ferrite is iron dust
st uck together. Usuall y fernte rods a re 6 inches long.
so cut a notch all round the centre a nd smartl y snap the
rod in half (Figs. I and 2).
Wrap about I inches of stick v tape around the centre
of the rod on \.\hich to \\ ind the cOi l (Fig. 3).
Obtain some 36 s.v".g. (stn ndard \\ ire gauge) enamel
led copper wire frol11 your radio or electr ical dealer.
Leaving about 3 inc hes of wire. secure one end of the
wire wit h st icky tape (Fig. 4) and wind 5 turns.
by side. onto the rod (Fig:. 5). Pull out a 3 inch loop
a nd 1\' 1st t he wiTe unti l it is t ight up to the rod (Fig. 6).
Then wind a furt her 45 (Urns. side by side. securing t he
final end " .. ith tape. The \\ hole coil can be co ....ered "ith
tape to keep t he windi ngs secure.
Remember to Ica\c about 3 inches of spare "i re at
both ends and at the t\\ isted \\ ire (t he 'tapping' point).
Later the enamel mu<;( he scraped off $0 t hat connections
can be made.
The illustrat ions opposite " ill guide you through
each stage.
20
Twist (he wire
\..
I': '\

'\
, '..' ) . j , ;
" '\. r
2) Snap the rod by holding close to
the notch with forefingers lind
thumbs onl'iJ.otherwise it may splinter)
\
5) Form the coil,
either by winding the
wire 01 rotating the rod.
whichever you find ".$ier
" Twist the tlJPPlflg point with IJ (inger
in the loop. holding til rod still with
the wire undet (InglU
MId thumb
ANilJ'
Coil
SYMBOLS
Building the crystal set
Having made the coil, the ferrite rod can be mounted
on the baseboard by twisting a loop of stiff wire around
each end and screwing the wire under two screwcups,
as shown opposite.
Next the tuned circuit can be completed by the addi-
tion of the tuning capacitor. You can buy one from
your local radio dealer and you should ask for a
Q'OOO5I-lF solid dielectric type. The illustration opposite
shows how it is mounted on the baseboard, the capacitor
spindle passing through the i inch hole. The wiring
connections are made to the IWO terminal nuts on the
back of the capacitor. The connecting wire used should
be PVC covered copper wire. the ends being bared
before they are trapped under the screwcups.
The illustration also shows how the diode is included
in the circuit by means of the screwcups. The earpiece
is also shown inserted. When purchasing this. you
should ask for a crystal earpiece. A pair of high
resistance headphones could be used in place of an ear-
piece. and may give even better results. Resisrance is
discussed on page 32, in the section headed 'Resistors'.
On the following two pages there is some useful
information about the aerial and earth.
22
The crystal set - its aerial and earth
The aerial is the part of the receivcr \\hich 'picks up'
the radio signals. Unlike our crystal sct, many modern
transistor rad ios are sufficient ly sensitive to pick up
enough signal from the ferrite core of t he tuning coil.
Although the final radio which we will make will not
need an acrial and earth. the crystal set relies on the
electrical current set up between a good aerial and earth
to work well.
A suitable aerial can be made from inexpensive PVC
covered copper wire. The idea is to suspend as much
of this wire as possible. as high as possible. The far end
can be attached to a tree. the top of a pole or even the
eaves of a friendly neighbour's house. but this can be
dangerous and is best done by an adult or under the
supervision of an adult. The wire should be fastened
onto a large screw eye or hook. The near end of the wire
may be taken in the top of an upstairs window and
connected to the aerial connection on our radio.
For the aerial to be effective. the other side of the
tuned circuit has to be connected to earth. The simplest
method is to attach the earth lead to the nearest house-
hold water pipe. These pipes lead to the ground. If
your water pipes arc plastic. make your own carth by
driving about a yard of copper pipe into soft earth and
connecting thc eanh wire to thc top.
24
AtH'i4J Wire
Trell
or Pole
E."h Wire
An experimental P.O.W. radio
During the last war. some prisoners in prison camps
used home-made radios to keep in touch with events
in their native lands. Often, all the components had to
be made from items picked up within the camp. Diodes
were almost impossible to obtain , so several ingenious
home-made alternatives were tried.
The diagram shows one simple method of improvising
a diode. Take a small piece of wood, about I inch t hick.
and a piece of washed coke about the size of a pea.
Mount the coke on the wood as shown. using a screw
and screwcup, and taking a lead from beneath the
screwcup. Wind about a foot of steel wire- a length of
piano or guitar wire is ideal- around a number 4 or 6
knitting needle, leaving about I inch on each end. The
\\jre should now be slightly springy. Fasten one end 10
t he board with a screw and screwcup, taking another
lead from this screwcup. Stretch the wire unti l the free
end lightly touches the coke.
Remove the diode from the crystal set and screw the
wires in its place. It should be possible to hear some
local stations by adjusting the tuning capacitor. If
nothing is heard. keep moving the position of the wire
on t he coke until a signal is heard.
26
+
3"
-I
Pencil
~ L m e s
I
I
The transistor
To most people the word TRANSISTOR means a
small radio sel. but a transistor is really a single electronic
component. The transistor is one of the most important
inventions of the last 25 years. It has helped to make
electronic equipment smaller and less dependent upon
high voltages.
A transistor is li ke two diodes working together inside
one case. Most transistors have three Icads. emitter.
collector and base. A transistor can be damaged unless
the correct leads ::Ire used when connecting it into a
circuit. The base lead is usually the middle wire and the
collector lead is ~ e t slight ly apart from t he ot her two
wires. The transistors we are to use a lso have a red
spot painted on the c::Ising to indicate the collector lead.
We shall be using transistors as amplifiers: that is.
10 m::lke electrical signals stronger. Transistors are
designed so that a small. changing current between the
basc and emitter produces a large current change
belween the collector and the emitter. So small signals
applied to the basc will appear ampli fied (or made
bigger) al the collector. Our first transistor will be used
to make louder the sound coming from the crystal set.
28
s .... --...
THE SYMBOl FOR A lRANSlSTOR
OC7f
I:
-
----
-
TRANSISTORS
3 ~ ~ - ~ ~
OC11 TRANSISTOR (.Actwl sin)
Adding a transistor
The circuit diagram shows how a simple transistor
amplifier is inserted \\ here previously we had thc ear-
piece. Compare this diagram with the circuit diagram
of the crystal set on page 23.
The transistor used is an OC71. and other extra
components for this stage are a 27K resistor and a 9-
volt battery. The battery is t he small t ransistor radio
type PP3, for which can be obtained an inexpensive
snap connector. Resistors are discussed on the next page.
This resistor forms an output ' Ioad' ror the coll ector,
and the earpiece is connected across the resistor.
Take care to connect up the circuit as shown in the
drawing. The connections of the transistor arc im-
portant. Join the emitter to screw 5, the base to E and
the coll ector to F. The earpiece is removed and rc-
connectcd to F and G. Connect the rcd battery con-
nector lead to screw 5, and t he black lead to screw G.
The radio is switched on by pushing the connector into
place on top of the battery.
This one transistor should make a big improvement
to the crystal set ; the same stations will be heard but
they will be much louder.
30
Resi st o rs
Resistors arc very common components in electronic
construction. Look at most pieces of equipment and
you will see several small, wi re-ended tubes with brightly
coloured bands. These are called resistors because t hey
'resist' the flow of electrical current in the circuit.
This is done to adjust the vol tages and flow of current
at various places in a circuit.
The little tubes are filled with a carbon composit ion.
and t he coloured bands give the mille of the resistor.
This val ue is call ed the resisrance and is measured
in ohms. When one knows t he colour code opposite.
it is easy to work out the resistance from t he coloured
bands. The tolerance of the resistor. t hat is. how close
one can expect it to be to t he value. is sometimes in-
dicated with another coloured band. Our radio can use
resistors of any tolerance. so this band may be ignored.
The symbol fo r resistance is the Greek leiter omega o.
Quite often, very high resistances are used- sometimes
thousands or millions of ohms. To reduce the number
of noughts. we call t housands K 0 (Kilo ohms) and
millions M n (or Mega ohms). The ohm sign is usually
omitted from circuit diagrams when the Ki lo ( K) and
Mega (M) signs are used.
32
THE SYMBOL FOR A RESISTOR
RESI STOR COLOUR SCOPE
o
(or 0 noughts)
GREEN
5
(or 5 noughts)
1
(or 1 nought)
BLUE
6
( or 6 noughts)
7
(or 7 noughts)
VIOLET
2
(or 2 noughts)
3 8
( or 3 noughts) (or 8 noughts)
9
(or 9 noughts)
GOLDS,,, SIl.VER 10't. SALMON 20'1..
=47000 or
Bi asing the transi stor
The transistor amplifier we have buill is the simplest
arrangemenl possible. If a transi stor is to be used effi
ciently. onc has to supply thc correct voltages to its
various parts; this is called hiasing. In our simple
armngement Ihe signal from the diode provided a
voltage to hias Ihe base of the transistor. Resislors can
be added 10 make the biasing correct.
The circuit sho\\ s how the transistor is biased \\ ith
two (JJK O-orange. orange. orange. and
150K 11 brown. green. yellow.) They give the correct
voltages between the collector. base and emitter. Take
care to connect the resistors in the r laees shown or the
effect will be ruined.
Thl:!. addition to the radio will not increase the volume
in any noticeable way. but the biasing is essential be
fore the next stage is added.
The wire ends of resistors. like any other components.
can become dirty and greasy. !icrare Ihe wires clean
before screwing them into place.
34
Addi ng a second transisto r
Before we can add another transistor to our radio.
two new components must be introduced-a pOlen-
liomeler and a capacitor.
The potentiometer is a variable resistance. Look at
the drawing on the opposite page and you will see that
it has three contacts. The outer two arc each end of a
circular carbon track. The centre tag is joined to a
movable contact which slides over the track when the
shaft is rotated. By moving the shaft, which is usually
fitted with a plastic knob. any part of the resistance can
be used and tapped off through the centre tag. Poten-
tiometers are often used, as in this case. as volumc
comrols.
A capacitor is a componcnl which allows the signal
to pass but not the fixcd voltages uscd to power a
circuit. It consists of two plates which are separated by
insulating material; the circuit symbol shows this.
Electrolytic capacitors must be connected into a circuit
the right way round. One end is marked either with a
red band or a -"- sign, and Ihis side goes to the positive
side of the circuit. The negative (- ) is connected
to the metal can which forms the body of the capacitor.
and which may be marked with a black band. Sometimes
this is not obvious. but follow the circuit and layout
diagrams with care to avoid mistakes. Other fixed
capacitors can be connected either way round: we will
meet these later. The value of capacity is written in
microfarads. (IlF or sometimes MFD). We require
at a working voltage of 16-volts.
36
150K
Den
9 volts
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
Symbol
Symbol

CAPACITOR POTENTIOMETER
The second transistor stage
The circuit for the second stage is on the
page. The signal is tal-en from the collcctor of
our first tramistor. through t he capaci tor to the sliding
contact of the \olume control potentiometer. The nearer
the centre contact is adjustcd to thc base side of the
control. the more signal is allo\\ed to go to the bilse
of the second The greater the reaching
this transistor. the louder \\ill be its out rut.
The potentiometer is mounted In the spare 9 J11ch hole.
Its tags arc too close together to use the large
so small screws are used. The ... e arc down
through the holes in the potentiometer tags. trapping
the leads under the tags.
Remove the ]7K resistor from F and G and connect
in the ne\\ components carcfully. follO\\ing the layout
diagram facing page. As you worl.. compare the
layout diagram. connection b) connection. \\ ith the
circuit diagram. Thi s additional \\ill greatly
increase the volume. enough to drive a loudspeaker,
\\hieh is the next addition.
38
I
I
I
Bend tags to
IIlIt on bolKt!
/
CUI, With a hM:IcSIIW, 10 the
same hmgt/! liS tuner spindle
Malee II hol. in th8 bOMd with II SCTtlwdrilltJr
to accommodllie this proillClion
10
9
,
/
I
10K I
potentiometer
/
Pencil
Lines
Adding a loudspeaker
Using our radio with an earpiece means. of course.
that only one person at a time can hear the programme.
A loudspeaker changes electrical waves into sound
waves in the same way that an earpiece docs. but it
has a large cardhoard cone so that se\oeral people can
hear the sound. Loudspeakers can have very large
cones. but a smatter cone speaker \l.ith a diameter of 3
inches is ideal for our purpose.
Loudspeakers arc made with inputs of varying
resistances. and our radio requires a 3 or 5 n type.
Unfortunately the loudspeaker cannot directly replace
the earpiece because its resistance is much 100\er than
that of the earpiece. so it has to be matched into the
circuit with a trollS/armer. A transformer can change
a current of one voltage to a smaller current of a higher
voltage or to a larger current of a smaller voltage. It
consists of a 'primary' and 'secondary' winding of
fine \\ire round a metal "former'. The transformer we
require is the Eagle LT700. Thi s transformer has rather
long leads. and these may be shortened by winding them
tightly round a knitting needle. This makes spiral leads
which can then be pulled out to reach the screws.
Scre\\ the transformer onto the base. as shown ;
remove the 27K resistor across G and H and connect
the correct leads (colour coded) to the screweups. Two
more screwcups are added at the end of the board to
connect the output leads to the loudspeaker, using two
small crocodile clips.
40
od
HF=------...
TRANSFORMER
-
f
CIRCUIT OIAGRAM
Regene rat io n
\Ve ... fcplacl' pur 'Impk uy,tal "L:l Ilith
a "tag". u ... lng /"t".:('I/('/"tilioli . Kq!l'lleratll1n II III
el1 ahk \lur fir,,! in the ra di O III he lhed Ilm.:-:

The Ihe regl'lll.'ratlon .. tag.e, T ill' "'gnal
from the aerial I, tUIll.:d thL: cIli l a nd ,ari,lble
Glp:H:ih . till' orange l11:1r"l'o ,ign:1' then ... e, thrllUgh
capa(ttl'f CI h' bt.' amplifit.'d th" and
arpear dl a rudio fj"('I/lie/le\' ('huke H. I ,l ). Pan o f t im
"ignal. mar ked 111 hlue. P""'I..', thrl1ugh to a pair of
(lEode, II hith chang\: lill' r.ldill :'Ignal 11110 an audio
II hich I'" amplJfkd ag;11Jl hy tilL: I h-:
'iignal. 1ll'\1 marl-.I..d red, thruugh C3 hal'l-. 10 t he
('Oil. Tht: part or the cotl tapped hL:IIIl'Cn Ihe tralN,lOr
colledor (Ihrl,ugh ell and earlh. the 'I!tnal 10
reach the coliect(lr again.
T hl' means Ihal .. \lllle tlflhl' , ig.nal;ll H., I ,C IH\'" bec-Il
amplified Ihrl'\' tlllle", Ihl" i ... a ,-cry l.'l'!lllUmical u,e
of one lran:-.hhlr Pas"lI1g ... . gnab hacl-. "g..un [II-.e II1\'. I ...
ca lled fced"llc/..., If lhl' feedb;ll'k I .. IUtl great. the circuit
II til prodlK(, a IW\I ling so C J IS a n adju .... tab[c
capacitor 10 conlr\'! Ih(' anl(lunl of f('l..,uhad. .. I hI.'
I .. taken from R.r.C Ihmugh capacl tllr C-I.
Aellal
C4

pu'
HOW ERATION WORKS
In CIfCUIt diagrams. Wires which cross one another. (but do NO r touch iJnd
afe Nor connected), are sometimes show" M,e this + (as in (he diagram)
or /Ike thiS + Shown like thiS -+- always means they are cOllnected

Adding regeneration
The circuit 5ho\\5 the new stage \\ jlh the componcnh
added. The cl pacitor is a 10 pF (picafar:td)
lrillllllCT. This of two copper moun ted
on a pot the distance bcl\\ccn the plates can be
adjusted \\ ilh the small sere\\.
Fi\ed capacitors may be flat or cylindrical \\jih IWO
leads: t he Iype we requi re. ce/'Omic capacitor!:,. may look
li ke a disc.
The rodio /requelle.\' choJ..f! is really a coi l \\jlh a lot
of turns of \\ ire on a small fOflner. The choke aels like
a resIstance to f:ldiofrequency waves.
Two diodes arc needed to provide the fcedbud. path
from t he 500pF capacitor. If the top diode \,ere omitlcd.
the signal \\Quld nOI be changed into audiO frequencies
it reachcd the ba<;c. and if tbe botwm
diode \\ ere omitted, t he signal \\ould go !>traigbt to
earlb a nd be 1m\.
The I K resistor lo\\ers the ballcry voltage nceded \0
iXmer this stage, It is possible for "Dme of the audiO
feed baek to Ihis stage through th is I K resistor
and distort the signal. This is prc\cn!ed by the 100111-"
capacitor \\hich tai.;es any stray llignllb 10 earlh \\ ithout
afrccting the battery \oltagc
\II
Y
OwF
10pF TRIMMER
postage stamp
type'
DC45
I
I
IK
10JF
l00-vF
500pF
FREQUENCY
CHOKE
E
Wiring the regeneration stage
The dra\\ing ho\\ :.tage is \\ired 01110 the
board. Ikfore ""inng the stage. all the component:;
from the cry:o.tal :o.tage. up to ... cre"., E and 5. arc
remmcd C\ccpt for the coil and tuning capacitor. The
dillde I" remmcd to become one of the 1\\0 diodes in
the new stage. Follo\\ the dra\\ ing carefully. adding one
component at a lime and checking its posi tion on t he
circuit diagram. Therc arc many bare \\Ire., which come
clo,>e 10 cach other. and great care must be ta)..cn to
they tlo nol touch each other. The [K
must not touch E :.Ind F.
The trimmer trapped by ib under screv.s A
nnd B: if it too long or too ... hort. the scre\\s may be
mmed. All thn.'c connections to the coil arc no\\ used.
and If the \\Ire" arc not placed JI1 the correct positions.
regeneration \\111 not occur. The dra\\lng shO\\s hO\\ to
place three The IOJ.li capacitor tal..es the
:,ignal frorn Ihe nc\\ "tage to the of the ne\! OC71
tranSI!.tor. The ad\alHage of thl':) ne\\ is that our
radio \\ ill h:ne .1 greater output and no longer need a
large aerial and an earth. Re.generatlon b tricky to gel
u ... ed 10. but once mastered. Ihe results are surprising.
Using the radio
Orcrating a regenerative radio requires care at first
because the trimmer has to be adjusted to suit the
streng.th of each signal. Begin by connecting about 3
yards of \\ ire to the radio as an aerial: no earth is
required. Set the tuning capacitor about mid\\ay and
sere\\ in the trimmer until the radio begins to howl.
Unscrew the trimmer until t he noise juSt stops. and try
to tunc in a station. The trimmer should then be adjusted
until it is just short of the point when the radio howls.
The general method for recei\ing any stat ion is to tune
it in \\ilh the tuni ng. caracitor and to adj ust the feed-
back !Timmer until the howling just disarpears.
The feedback not only makes the radio more sensitive
but also the tuning becomes sharper. so the tuning knob
must be rotaled vcry slowly. This sensitivity makes the
radio ideal for the medium wave band. \\ hich is rather
overcrO\vded. The tuning should be sharp enough to
tune in indi\idual stations \\ilhoul the background
sounds of other stations. I n areas of good sigmll strength.
it will be to use the radio without an aeria l at
all. merely re lying upon the signal picked up by the
ferrite rod coi l.
48
The completed radio
Now that the radio is completed, you may \\ish to
make the circuit board into a "imple case. The circuit
board is used as a front panel. and end and bouom
panels are added.
Thc"e can be made from similar wood to the circuit
board (4 inch by inch planed sortllood). The boltom
panel is the same :.ize as the circuit board and the
measurements for the end paneLs arc ShO\l11 oppo:.ite.
The end panel next to the output tram.rortner may be
used to hold the loudspeaker. A series of i inch holes
arc drilled \Iith a brace and bit to allo\, the "ound
to Jcal'e the casco and the "peakcr is :.ccured II ith screW5
and cup:.. The are joined \1 ith panel pins and
glue.
The ba!lery may be firmly mounted abo\<c screws 0
and Eon thc circuit board. using inches of linch
elastic and 1\\0 screws and cups. T\\o "mart
pointer knobs and a tunJllg scale complete the front
panel. The tuning scale a paper gummed label which
can he marked lIith the positions of the main station".
If you hale follO\\ed thesc pages carefully, you \\ill
no\\ have a I\<orking radio. You \Iill also have
shared the thrill of thousand" of other radio construc-
listening to coming from a radio receIver
\\llIch is your Ol\n lIar".
50
Cont ents
The \\MIJ of
R:UJll) n'u'plilln

.-\ ,..:t the hilled urnll!
\ -.el Ihe diode
Tool" fllr r;ldlO c(1lhlrlldion
Fi\lIlg Ih..: (IJlllr,Jllellh
\blll1g the ..:in.:Ult I">l';lfd
\\ indlOg the wd
BudJlllg Ihe
The -.el 11\ a..:nal and earth
All e,penment;11 PO, \\ radio
The tral1\i,lur
AddlOg a
R":,l\t(1r,
Biasing Ihe tr31hlstllr
.-\ddlllg ;1 , .... '.;nnd
The ,e":{l1ld tralNslOr <,tagl'
-\dding a loud'peal-...:r
Rcgl'nCrallllll
Adding rcgcnerallOIl
Wirmg the regeneLHi\111 ,tage
l \mg Ihe r.ldiu .
The ":llllll'lcted f:adll'
10
I<
16
IS
20
"
30
.'12
Components list
At each stage you have a complete wOlklng ladlO
Stage 1. Crystal set
Ferme l od i (10mm) diameter
2 yds (2 metres) 36 swg enamelled coppel Wlle.
'OOO5tJF (500pF) variable capacitor (solid dleleclflc type) /
Crystal diode DAB1 Alternatives OA70. GA71 ,
DA79 or any general purpose diode ..,
Crystal earpiece
Stage 2. Adding a transistor
DC7l transistor - Alternatives: NKT214, AC122.
AC125 or any general purpose PNP audiO transistor
2'7K reSistor
9 volt battery (PP3) and connector
Stage 3. Biasing the transistor
33K resistor
150K resistor
Stage 4. Adding the second transistor
GC71 Alternat,ves NKT214, AC122, AC125. ACY35
4'7K and 150K resistors.
10K potentiometer
1 OuF (l6 volts working) electrolytiC capacitor
Stage 5. Addmg a loudspeaker
Eagle L noo transformer
3 ohm loudspeaker (about 3 (76 mm) diameter)
St age 6. Adding regeneration
DC45 - Alternatives OC44 25A.12, AF116 .
AF126, AF127 or anyguneral pUipose PNP RF uarisistor
Crystal diode (as stage 1)
RadiO frequency choke (!ranSlstor type)
10pF trimmer (postage stamp type)
1 OuF electrolytic capacitor (16 volts wOIkmg)
l00uF electrolytiC capacitor (16 volts wOIkmg)
500pF cerami C capaCitor
0l.uF diSC ceramiC cill)acltor
390K, 4 7K and 1 K reSI<,\or$,
COMPONENTS FOR THE BASE BOARD
4 \102 mm 1 3 nun} planed ,lIwood
12 {305 nml} long
2 dOlen No 6 brass 'iClewcups
2 dozen No 6 brass counter,unk f (13 mm)
1 'I'd (1 melle) sing I. pvc covelld cOl-lpcr lotlll Wilt'
nga ~
,.::.T,-..r Radio