superregenerative fm radio

[catcat]

People also like AM crystal radios too, because they are simple and cheap.

A super-regen is an AM radio. AM makes static sounds and has other interference. A super-regen sort-of detects FM if it is tuned to one side of an FM station but then is noisy with interference and high distortion.

Like an AM crystal radio, a super-regen has only a single tuned LC network that picked up the only station in town long ago. Now-a-days it just picks up all the stations at the same time.

Long ago, a super-regen could be adjusted so that it isn't overloaded by the only station in town being too close. What are you going to do with its overloading by all the stations today?

If you are anywhere near a large city then you won't like a super-regen.

I live in the suburbs, I have one am station that I can H-A-R-D-L-Y recieve.

 

[audioguru]

I live in the suburbs, I have one am station that I can H-A-R-D-L-Y recieve.

You must be in the suburbs of a desert.
I also live in the suburbs, but of a large city. Good radios (super-het) pickup many AM stations (their sound quality is crap so I don't listen to them) and about 90 FM stations. I also didn't count all the TV stations I can receive (20? 30?) with an antenna.
A crystal radio or a super-regen radio won't work here.

 

[catcat]

I live in the suburbs of a medium-small city. The car radio can pick up about 2 am stations. I can recieve at least 15 fm stations

 

[audioguru]

I live in the suburbs of a medium-small city. The car radio can pick up about 2 am stations. I can recieve at least 15 fm stations

Then make a super-regen "radio" and let us know how poorly it works.

 

[catcat]

If I make them, I will tell how good or bad the reception is from the superregen and superhet.

 

[audioguru]

If I make them, I will tell how good or bad the reception is from the superregen and superhet.

Guess which one is better.

 

[catcat]

Guess which one is better.

Probably the superhet.

 

[audioguru]

"Guess which one is better?"

Probably the superhet.

You are darn right it is better. By a longshot.
A superhet has many tuned LC circuits to select one station and attenuate the rest of them.
A superhet has automatic-gain-control which goes to max gain for a weak distant station and reduces its gain avoiding overload by a strong local station.
A superhet can be FM-only for superb interference rejection.

A super-regen is simple cheap old junk.

 

[catcat]

I will google superhet to see how to make one. You could send some links, too.

 

[audioguru]

You probably won't find radio parts for sale anywhere since radios are inexpensive today so nobody makes only one.
Buy a radio, take it apart and use its parts to make your own radio. Good luck.

 

[catcat]

You probably won't find radio parts for sale anywhere since radios are inexpensive today so nobody makes only one.
Buy a radio, take it apart and use its parts to make your own radio. Good luck.

I know a site that carrys almost all the components you want and delivers in 2 days. I have 2 identical variable caps but have no idea what its value is; It says CBM-223P on the back. Could someone help?

 

[Hero999]

You should just go down to your local dump and trash pick an old radio, why spend any money when you don't need to?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I know a site that carrys almost all the components you want and delivers in 2 days. I have 2 identical variable caps but have no idea what its value is; It says CBM-223P on the back. Could someone help?

Did you take them out of something?, or did you buy them as surplus?.

Their appearance should give you some clues though!.

 

[catcat]

They came from some kit; and they look brand new.

 

[Russlk]

223p probably means 223 picofarads max capacitance. 365 pF used to be a standard used in AM radios.

 

[Hero999]

It's probably nothing to do with the capacitance, it's probably only a part number.

Anyway normally the last digit is the exponant on capcitors, so 105 is 10*10^5 or 1000,000pF or 1uF.

 

[catcat]

I know how capacitor code works.