Looking for Good FM Radio Reciever Kit

[Archimedes]

Hi all

I am interested in building a FM Radio but cannot find a kit to
construct. I am looking for a kit that has good selectivity on the FM
band. Preferably one without any ICs but I can do with it if the kit
has ICs. Does anyone know where I can find a good FM kit to build? I
am reasonably new to electronics, but can solder and have a
multimeter.

Also I am in australia, so if anyone knows of a good FM kit to build
please let me know.

Thanks

 

[Frnak McKenney]

On Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:25:30 -0800 (PST), Archimedes <shelton.dcruz@gmail.com> wrote:

I am interested in building a FM Radio but cannot find a kit to
construct. I am looking for a kit that has good selectivity on the FM
band. Preferably one without any ICs but I can do with it if the kit
has ICs. Does anyone know where I can find a good FM kit to build? I
am reasonably new to electronics, but can solder and have a
multimeter.

If you'd like one where the components are "spread out" for easy
access and measurement, you might look at the Ramsey Electronics
kit AMFM108K ($35USD) at

http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/

If that's not what you're looking for, they have several other
kits related to the commercial FM broadcast band.

Also I am in australia, so if anyone knows of a good FM kit to build
please let me know.

No idea what they'd charge for inter-continental S/H, but you
could always ask. <grin!>


--
"Our Constitution is in actual operation; everything appears to
promise that it will last; but in this world nothing is certain
but death and taxes." -- Benjamin Franklin
--
Frank McKenney, McKenney Associates
Richmond, Virginia / (804) 320-4887
Munged E-mail: frank uscore mckenney ayut mined spring dawt cahm (y'all)

 

[radiosrfun]

"Frnak McKenney" <frnak@far.from.the.madding.crowd.com> wrote in message
news:13pefgp7r197t2a@corp.supernews.com...

On Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:25:30 -0800 (PST), Archimedes
shelton.dcruz@gmail.com> wrote:
I am interested in building a FM Radio but cannot find a kit to
construct. I am looking for a kit that has good selectivity on the FM
band. Preferably one without any ICs but I can do with it if the kit
has ICs. Does anyone know where I can find a good FM kit to build? I
am reasonably new to electronics, but can solder and have a
multimeter.

If you'd like one where the components are "spread out" for easy
access and measurement, you might look at the Ramsey Electronics
kit AMFM108K ($35USD) at

http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/

If that's not what you're looking for, they have several other
kits related to the commercial FM broadcast band.

Also I am in australia, so if anyone knows of a good FM kit to build
please let me know.

No idea what they'd charge for inter-continental S/H, but you
could always ask. <grin!


--
"Our Constitution is in actual operation; everything appears to
promise that it will last; but in this world nothing is certain
but death and taxes." -- Benjamin Franklin
--
Frank McKenney, McKenney Associates
Richmond, Virginia / (804) 320-4887
Munged E-mail: frank uscore mckenney ayut mined spring dawt cahm (y'all)

Ramsey has "some" nice stuff - however - you might wish to ask about
support - if it isn't working when completed. A friend of mine bought a 220
MHz receiver. He built it - did everything properly - myself and another
tech checked it when it was found to be very very insensitive. We checked
the components - even swapped a few out - still no luck. My friend called
Ramsey at our suggestion - they gave him a price - which was like double the
cost of the kit - to service it - not to mention ship back.

The "Sensitivity" on that receiver - well - we pumped in a signal off a
Service Monitor - at max - and you were just barely able to hear it. In my
opinion, it was a piece of garbage.

In their defense - I bought some other kits and was very pleased with them.
Sometimes a company will have a thorn between the roses. That receiver
(IMHO) was the one of the thorns.

The other day - I seen in a Radio Shack store that I went in for the first
time in almost a year - they have a pocket FM radio. I'm not sure that fits
your idea of a kit - per your post - but maybe give it a shot.

"Graymark" (?) - not sure if still in business - used to make some kits. I
built a couple of them in High School Electronics class. They weren't the
greatest thing since sliced bread - but they did come in handy and
worked.They also sold a booklet which I thought was pretty decent. In the
manual for the "power supply" kit I built - if memory serves me correct, it
had a place to show the expected wave form on a scope and a place for you to
mark yours. I'll have to check the manual again - but it seems to me - that
was the case.I "did" see one of their "receiver" books - but I didn't get a
good close look at it to know how well documented it was. I believe it was
an AM/FM radio.

CAVEAT EMPTOR - you don't want your experience to be a "bad" one. That is a
quick way to sway someone away from this field/hobby. I don't know that as a
"kit" - you're going to find anything with "spectacular" specs.

Good luck to you!

 

[Peter Nyffeler]

In article <13pefgp7r197t2a@corp.supernews.com>, Frnak McKenney <frnak@far.from.the.madding.crowd.com> wrote:

If you'd like one where the components are "spread out" for easy
access and measurement, you might look at the Ramsey Electronics
kit AMFM108K ($35USD) at
http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/

This is an ELENCO Kit.
It is available in a version with solid state AF stage (AMFM108K) and
IC AF stage (AMFM108TK). You can download the manual at www.elenco.com
You can get them from many distributors e.g www.cs-sales.net

I use the AMFM108K as practical work in our electronic curse for Ph.D.
Students and it makes fun to them, even if the sound does not
correspond to that of a HiFi receiver.
The technology is that of the 60s. A AM/FM RF generator is required
to align for best result.

Peter Nyffeler
Physical Chemistry, Swiss Fed. Inst. of Technology