Kit 32.

THREE STAGE FM TRANSMITTER

:e ha-e put in
This Kit is a powerful three )omponents with stage, 9V FM transmitter the )orre)t (Tx) with a range of up to 1 spa)ing for ease kilometer in the open. It uses of )onstru)tion. an F transistor in its output stage an! two "#$%&'s for .* we ha-e the first two stages. (istan)e supplie! of trans*mission is )riti)all+ prewoun!, pre !epen!ent on the operating *sol!ere! enamel #on!itions (in a ,uil!ing or / turn ; < turn out on the open), t+pe of wire )oils. The aerial use! (single wire or legs shoul! sol!er !ipole), operating -oltage !ire)tl+ to the (1.V is ,etter than /V) an! if pa!s of the 0#". the )ir)uit is peake! for =owe-er, pa+ maximum performan)e. spe)ial attention to M=4. 2u!io pi)ke! up an! amplifie! ,+ the ele)tret mi)rophone is fe! into the au!io amplifier stage ,uilt aroun! the first transistor. 1utput from the )olle)tor is fe! into the ,ase of the se)on! transistor where it mo!ulates the resonant freAuen)+ of the tank )ir)uit (B1 )oil an! the re! trim)ap) ,+ -ar+ing the >un)tion )apa)itan)e of the transistor. Cun)tion )apa)itan)e is a fun)tion of the potential !ifferen)e applie! to the ,ase of the transistor T.. The tank )ir)uit is )onne)te! in a =artle+ os)illator )ir)uit. The final stage

The kit is )onstru)te! on a single *si!e! printe! )ir)uit ,oar! (0#"). It has a silk s)reen o-erla+ on top to ai! )onstru)tion. 1n the ,ottom there is a sol!er mask to help in sol!ering. 0rotel 2utotrax an! 3)hemati) were use! to !esign the ,oar!.

the sol!er >oint in )ase all the enamel has not ,een remo-e!. ?ou ma+ ha-e to sol!er off or s)rape off more enamel from the en!s of the two enamelle! )oils.

@* a )onne)tion (or tap) is reAuire! from the middle of the B1 ASSEMBLY tinne! )opper wire INSTRUCTIONS #omponents ma+ ,e a!!e! )oil to the pa! to the 0#" in an+ or!er. It is marke! T20 next to the )oil. 3ol!er a usuall+ easier to a!! the lowest height )omponents pie)e of wire to the top of the mi!!le first then pro)ee! to the turn as shown on taller )omponents. The ele)tret mi)rophone shoul! the o-erla+. Then sol!er the other en! ,e inserte! with the pin )onne)te! to the metal )ase to the pa! )onne)te! to the negati-e imme!iatel+ next to rail (that is, to the groun! or the B1 )oil. 3prea! out the )oils of B1 4ero -oltage si!e of the )ir)uit.) This is marke! with a,out 1 mm or more a 5*5 sign at the MI# on the apart. Make sure )ir)uit ,oar! printe! o-erla+.none of the loops of the )oil are To sa-e spa)e all the tou)hing the loop resistors must ,e inserte! next to it.
stan!ing up on one en!. "e )areful to get the transistors CIRCUIT aroun! the )orre)t wa+. DESCRIPTION 6ote three points7 The )ir)uit is
,asi)all+ a ra!io freAuen)+ ( F) 1* the two 188n os)illator that )apa)itors on the 0#" ha-e 8..9 an! 8.19 spa)ing. operates aroun! 188

,uilt aroun! T@ amplifies the output F signal. Bet us look at the in!i-i!ual ,lo)ks of the )ir)uit more )losel+7

,ase*emitter )urrent of the transistor -ar+ at the resonant freAuen)+. This The ele t!et mi !"#h"$e% )auses the emitter* an ele)tret is a permanentl+ )olle)tor )urrent to -ar+ at the same )harge! !iele)tri). It is ma!e ,+ heating a )erami) freAuen)+. This signal fe! to the material, pla)ing it in a aerial an! ra!iate! magneti) fiel! an! then as ra!io wa-es. allowing it to )ool while still in the magneti) fiel!. It The name 5tank5 is the ele)trostati) eAui-alent of a permanent )ir)uit )omes from the a,ilit+ of the magnet. In the ele)tret mi)rophone a sli)e of this B# )ir)uit to store material is use! as part of energ+ for the !iele)tri) of a )apa)itor os)illations. In a pure B# )ir)uit in whi)h the !iaphram of the mi)rophone forms one (one with no resistan)e) energ+ plate. 3oun! pressure mo-es one of its plates. The )annot ,e lost. (In an 2# network mo-ement of the plate onl+ the resisti-e )hanges the )apa)itan)e. elements The ele)tret )apa)itor is will !issipate )onne)te! to an FDT ele)tri)al energ+. amplifier. These The purel+ mi)rophones are small, ha-e ex)ellent sensiti-it+, a rea)ti-e elements, the # wi!e freAuen)+ response an! the B, >ust an! a -er+ low )ost.
Fi!&t 'm#li(i 'ti"$ &t')e% this is a stan!ar! self*,iasing )ommon emitter amplifier. The ..n )apa)itor isolates the mi)rophone from the ,ase -oltage of the transistor an! onl+ allows alternating )urrent signals to pass. store energ+ to ,e returne! to the s+stem later.) 6ote that the tank )ir)uit !oes not os)illate >ust ,+ ha-ing a (# potential put a)ross it. 0ositi-e fee!,a)k must ,e pro-i!e!.

is in pointe! to the 1. o5)lo)k position. 2 1<8o turn ,rings the trim)ap -alue to its minimum rate! -alue. :ith experimentation +ou will ,e a,le to ,uil! up a ta,le of total )apa)itan)e -alue (remem,er to a!! in the 18pF) to FM freAuen)+. ?ou )an also )hange the freAuen)+ ,+ altering the spa)e ,etween the )oils of B1.

S#!e'd "*t the L+ "il ,ide '#'!t.

The 18pF )erami) )apa)itor in parallel with the re! trim )ap will ena,le +ou to tune the Tx in the 9< M=4 to 18$ M=4 range of the )ommer)ial FM ,an!. If +ou use a higher -alue (for example, .&pF) +ou will mo-e the freAuen)+ !own towar!s the other en! of the FM ,an!. This en! generall+ has more )ommer)ial stations in it. Fi$'l Am#li(i 'ti"$ St')e% this F stage a!!s amplifi)ation to the F signal. It nee!s an F transistor to !o this effi)ientl+. :e use a Eetex ETF@.8. B. (an F# *

O& ill't"! &t')e% e-er+ transmitter nee!s an os)illator to generate the F T!im C'#. The )arrier wa-es. The tank )ir)uit, the transistor an! the slots insi!e the fee!,a)k )apa)itor are the trim )ap are os)illator )ir)uit here. 2n shape! like the input signal is not nee!e! to hea! of an arrow. sustain the os)illation. The The maximum fee!,a)k signal makes the )apa)itan)e -alue

is when the arrow

Kit 32. THREE STAGE FM TRANSMITTER

ra!io freAuen)+ )hoke) an! the 18p )apa)itor in parallel with it are !esigne! to re!u)e harmoni)s from the )ir)uit. 1utput power from this stage will ,e maximum when it is tune! to os)illate at the same freAuen)+ as the pre-ious stage. This )an ,e !one with the #e'-i$) i! *it pro-i!e! an! !es)ri,e! separatel+ ,elow. /HAT TO DO IF IT DOES NOT /ORK
0oor sol!ering is the most likel+ reason that the )ir)uit !oes not work. #he)k all sol!er >oints )arefull+ un!er a goo! light. 6ext )he)k that all )omponents are in their )orre)t position on the 0#". (i! +ou a!! the )onne)tion from the mi!!le of )oil B1 to the pa! 2 small (18pF) )oupling marke! T20I #he)k )apa)itor on the aerial is that the lea!s of the optional to minimise the two )oils B. an! B@ effe)t of the aerial are not !r+ >oints. )apa)itan)e on the final Jse a multimeter to stage B# )ir)uit. (:e ha-e )he)k this. #he)k not use! one in this )ir)uit.) that +ou ha-e not a))i!entl+ forme! a Di#"le A$te$$'. Greater sol!er )onne)tion range from the transmitter ,etween

two pa!s whi)h are next to ea)h other. (i! +ou turn the swit)h 5on5. #he)k that +ou !i! not inter)hange the %K& with the %&K resistors. Is the ETF@.8 aroun! the )orre)t wa+ an! in the T@ position. =a-e +ou reall+ &#!e'd "*t the )oils of B1I 3ome people ha-e tol! us that ea)h en! of B1 shoul! ,e ,ent o-er an! >ust a,out tou)hing the 0#". The+ also sai! that B@ shoul! ,e sprea! apart a little. 3ee us at

)an ,e o,taine! ,+ repla)ing the half*wa-e antenna (the length of wire a,out 1/8)m long) with a !ipole antenna. This is ,asi)all+ two wires atta)he! to two points in the )ir)uit whi)h are os)illating 1<8o out of phase with ea)h other. Two su)h points are the antenna point an! the positi-e rail (the H9V tra)k.) ?ou )an experiment ,+ )utting the antanna wire in half, lea-ing half sol!ere! into the antenna point an! sol!ering the otherhalf to the H9V pa!. 0oint the two wires in opposite !ire)tions. O#e!'ti$) ."lt')e. 1utput power is also in)rease! ,+ using a higher operating -oltage. 9V is ,etter than /V. The maximum operating -oltage for this Kit is !etermine! ,+ the ETF@.8. This is 1$V ,ut if +ou tr+ this then the -alues of some resistan)es will ha-e to )hange. ?ou )an experiment with this.

htt#%00-it&!*&. "m C O M P O N E N T S

Re&i&t"!&1 231 +04/% 188 ,rown ,la)k ,rown %&8 +ellow -iolet ,rown %K& +ellow -iolet re! ..K re! re! orange @9K orange white orange %&K +ellow -iolet orange 1M ,rown ,la)k green C'#' it"!&% Trim )ap $*.8pF, re! $./ pF )erami) 18p )erami) %&pF )erami) 1nF )erami) .8nF or ..nF )erami) 188nF mono,lo)k F transistor ETF@.8 3mall signal transistor "#$%& / turn tinne! )opper )oil / turn enamelle! )oil < turn enamelle! )oil 9V ,atter+ snap Dle)tret mi)rophone 0#"*mounte! 30(T swit)h 2ntenna wire k@. 0#" 0eaking )ir)uit

1 1 1 1 1 . 1 1 1 . @ 1 . . 1 . 1 1 1 1 1 1 1./m 1 1 pa)ket of )omponents

Kit 32. THREE STAGE FM TRANSMITTER Pe'-i$) Ci! *it. Kit 32.
The tank )ir)uit * )oil B@ an! the %&pF )apa)itor * nee!s to ,e tune! in or!er to get maximum power output. It has to ,e tune! to mat)h the freAuen)+ of the os)illator stage * 18pF )ap, -aria,le )apa)itor an! tappe! B1 )oil. The output KpeaksL as the tank )ir)uit is tune! to mat)h the os)illator freAuen)+. This peak )an ,e measure! on a multimeter.

2 peaking )ir)uit (shown ,elow) is simpl+ an F !ete)tor that uses !io!es to )harge a )apa)itor. The -oltage a)ross the )apa)itor is measure! using a -oltmeter set to a low -oltage range (. or .8V). The )ir)uit )an ,e assem,le! without the nee! of a 0#". 3ol!er the )omponents !ire)tl+ to ea)h other. The output (a)ross #.) shoul! ,e )onne)te! !ire)tl+ to the -oltmeter input using ,anana plugs or a pair of paper )lips ,ent to shape. The input to the peaking )ir)uit is sol!ere! to the antenna wire hole on the 0#", using a $)m (.L) length of wire. 3wit)h the -oltmeter to the .V or .8V (# range.

To tune the tank )ir)uit, mo-e the turns of the tank )oil L3 further apart or )loser together until the rea!ing on the -oltmeter is a maximum. 6ote that the rea!ing will ,e lower while +ou are tou)hing the )oil. ?ou will almost )ertainl+ fin! that the )oil turns ha-e to ,e sprea! -er+ far apart with the last turn at ea)h en! of the )oil almost tou)hing the 0#". 1n)e the output is a maximum, remo-e the peaking )ir)uit an! )onne)t the antenna. If +ou )hange the os)illator freAuen)+ ,+ mo-ing the trim)ap then +ou will nee! to repeat the peaking pro)e!ure to get maximum power output.

/'$t M"!e R'$)e5

?ou )an get more range as a tra!e off against sta,ilit+ ,+7 1M re!u)e $ to 188 .M re!u)e & to %&

@M in)rease #& to %&8p

For a re-iew of Kit @. an! man+ other FM transmitter kits on to!a+s market see7 htt#%00mem6e!&.t!i#"d. "m07t!'$&mitte!&06e)i$.htm For the ,est list of links !ealing with FM Transmitters see7 htt#%00mem6e!&.t!i#"d. "m07t!'$&mitte!&0 an! press ND-er+thing +ou e-er wante! to know a,out FM Transmitters'. For a re-iew of the theor+ ,ehin! two an! three stage FM transmitter )ir)uits !ownloa! htt#%00-it&!*&. "m08i#0(mt9.8i# from m+ we,site. It is 1.1M" ,ut has the full theor+ of operation ,ehin! these )ir)uits.