0–18 MHz Receiver

+5V IC4
78L05 +9V
R1

330 Ω
ANT1 C18

L1 C3 C12 C13 220µ

10µH 100n 4µ7 100n

C17

7 6
8 F1 4µ7
45M15AU EN
C1 R2 1
1 4 1 4 3 6
IN A OUT A –IN IC2 OUT 10k 8 C20
IC1 5
1n
NE612 L3 AD8307 C16 IC3
2 5 8 5 2
IN B OUT B +IN INT 47µ
4 LS1
OSC 680nH 10n
7
OFS C14 C15 C19
3 7 6 P1
C2 C6 C8 C9 C10 C11 3 2 LM386N-3
3n9 3n3 68n
1n C5 10p 150p 15p 22p 1n
50k

10p +5V 090082 - 11

P3

5k
BAND
P2
D1
BB204 25k
R3
FINE
100k
T1

L2 C7 BC547B
C4 R4 R5
820 Ω
4k7

15p 22p

270nH

Gert Baars (The Netherlands)

The receiver shown in the schematic has
some characteristics not unlike those of the
so-called ‘world band receivers’ from the old
days, which could usually receive LW, MW
and SW up to about 20 MHz in AM and which
were crammed with transistors. Because
of the ‘low-budget’ character of this circuit
it forgoes a tuning scale/indicator and the
design has been kept as simple as possible.
Nevertheless, the name ‘Mini World Receiver’
would not be inappropriate for this design.
In the RF bands up to 30 MHz, the majority of
stations can actually be found below 18 MHz.
It is possible to make a receiver for this with a
relatively simple circuit. The simplicity of the
circuit is therefore its primary strength, but
that does not mean that the results are poor.
The receiver is a single superheterodyne with
the salient characteristic that the receiving
range from DC to 18 MHz can be tuned in a
singe range.
The circuit uses a high intermediate fre-
quency (IF). This makes the image frequency
large, so that its suppression is very easy, After the IF filter follows an LC combination
which contributes to the simplicity of the cir- which suppresses the fundamental frequency
cuit. This also means that the ratio between of the IF filter (45M15AU is a 3rd overtone
the highest and lowest required VFO frequen- type) and increases the damping. A logarith-
cies remains small as well. mic detector was chosen for the IF amplifier.
The advantage is mainly the small number
The circuit starts with a NE612 mixer IC (IC1), of external components that are required for
which also contains an oscillator. The oscilla- this. The detector is an AD8307 (IC2) and has
tor is a Colpitts type and is tuned here using a sensitivity of about –75 dBm, which works
a dual-varicap diode (D1). The Mixer is fol- out to about 40 μV. Together with the gain
lowed by a crystal filter which has a centre of the mixer (around 17 dB) the sensitivity of
frequency of 45 MHz and a bandwidth of the receiver ends up at about 5 μV. Because
15 kHz. This bandwidth is a little large for of the logarithmic characters of the detector,
AM, but the advantage of the filter, type an AGC (automatic gain control) is not neces-
45M15AU, that is used here, is that it is priced sary. A simple RC filter subsequently provides
quite favourably. some additional fundamental frequency and
noise suppression.
With an IF of 45 MHz and a receiving range
from DC to 18 MHz, the VCO frequency there- The AF amplifier follows this filter and is con-
fore has to be IF+F0 = 45 to 63 MHz. The image figured for a gain of approximately 200. This
frequency is now 90 MHz higher than the is enough to drive a speaker so that it exceeds
desired receiver frequency, at 90–108 MHz. A the ambient noise. If necessary the volume
single coil in series with the antenna provides can be adjusted with P1.
sufficient suppression at these frequencies. It To tune such a large frequency range it is
really cannot be any simpler. certainnly preferable to use a multiturn

 elektor - 7-8/2009
potentiometer. Because of the low-budget
character of this design, a circuit around two
potentiometers is used instead. A transistor
configured as a current source provides a
constant voltage of about 1 volt across the
‘Fine’ tuning potentiometer (P2). The ‘Band’
potentiometer (P3) has a negligible effect on
the voltage across the ‘Fine’ potentiometer,
but it does allow the voltage at both extremes
to be changed. In this way the ‘Band’ control
can be used to select a window within which
the ‘Fine’ potentiometer is used for the actual
tuning. The ratio is about 1 to 5. If you pre-
fer a ratio of, say, 1 to 10, you can increase
the emitter resistor R4 from 4.7 kohms to
10 kohms.
Because the VFO has to be stable, only the
7-8/2009 - elektor
power supply to the mixer/VFO IC has been
regulated. The power supply voltage to the
AD8307 has been reduced with a resistor to
a safe value, while the AF amplifier is pow-
ered directly from the battery. The current
consumption of the circuit without a signal
is less than 20 mA and with good audible
audio about 50 mA. The circuit continues to
work well with power supply voltages down
to about 6.5 volts. This means that a 9 V bat-
tery will last extra long.
Calibration of the circuit is simple. The tun-
ing potentiometers have to be set to the
lowest frequency first. Use trimmer capaci-
tor C7 to find a point where AC power line
hum becomes audible. Here the receiver fre-
quency is at 0 Hz. Optionally you can also
tune to a strong longwave station as the
lowest receiver frequency.
As a minimum a simple telescoping antenna
with a length of 50 cm is required, which
makes the receiver eminently suitable for
portable use. With such an antenna dozens
of stations are audible, particularly during
the evening when propagation becomes
favourable. A length of wire several meters
long does however increase the signal
strength, particularly during the day, but it
is not strictly necessary.
(090082-I)