Trying It Out..................................................................................................
At this point, the radio is ready to go. Insert batteries and turn it on. Adjust
the tuner (the knob on the variable capacitor) and the volume (the knob on
the potentiometer) to find listen to your favorite radio stations.When you tune into a station that you want to find again, mark the position of
the tuning knob on the face of the radio.If you’re not getting the signal you thought you would, here are the obvious
things to check out:Check that all the batteries are fresh and tightly inserted in the bat-
tery pack, all facing the right direction.Check to see that no wires or components have come loose.
Rotate the radio.When one end of the antenna points at the radio station’s transmitting
antenna, the signal from that radio station will be stronger.Taking It Further...........................................................................................
Many people get bitten by the radio bug and want to get into ham radio in a
big way. If you’re one of these, here are some variations on this project to
keep you going:You can build an FM radio to get those high-frequency stations. The
TEA5710N IC can be used to build a radio that can receive both AM and
FM signals.Build a radio that will receive signals from ham radio operators.
Go to QRP/SWL HomeBuilder (www.qrp.pops.net/default.htm) for
some ideas for ham radio projects, or visit http://www.arrl.org.Mount an external antenna connected to the ferrite rod to boost the
power of the signal if you live in the boondocks where signals are hard
to come by.Chapter 8: Surfing the Airwaves 183