Chapter 8
Chapter 8: Surfing the Airwaves ...................................................................................
In This Chapter
Taking a close look at the radio’s circuit
Checking off the parts list
Putting the radio circuit on a breadboard
Assembling the radio box
Tuning in!
F
or years, people attracted to electronics have been drawn to radios.
In olden days, radios had big tubes and were the size of a bookcase;
today, you can create a small radio yourself by using common electronics
components.The radio in this project involves a simple circuit, speaker, and a coil and
variable capacitor combo that you use to tune into your favorite station.By working on this project, you discover how to work with radio frequency
and amplification to grab radio signals out of the air.The Big Picture: Project Overview.............................................................
After you complete this project, you’ll have an AM radio. We know, our
favorite stations are on FM, too, but AM (amplitude modulation)was the first
method of modulating frequencies used in radio. Building an AM radio is a bit
easier to do, so that’s where we start you off.If you’re dying to discover more about creating an FM (frequency modulation)
radio, check out Basic Radio: Understanding the Key Building Blocks,by Joel
Hallas, published by the American Radio Relay League (www.arrl.org).You can see the finished radio in Figure 8-1.