Shortwave signals on a simple $5.00 portable am-fm receiver?
 

When I was younger I once tied a wire around the wires of the antenna
bar ( the one with a magnet and wire coil waxed onto the PC board) and
strung it far out about 10 to 15 feet or even more. Once i did that I
started to pick up shortwave frequencies but normal AM frequencies as
well, The only problem was when nightfall came that radio was just
jammed with stations.

That was at least 10 years ago. Last week I wanted to start a project
on a simple portable am-fm radio that I bought from wal-mart ( also
available @ familydollar for the same price) with the pricetag of
$5.00... I unassembled the portable receiver to where I got to both
sides of the circuit board. I noticed that I received Shortwave
signals when I touched the long 15 foot wire to the RED wire which
goes to the antenna bar from the circuit board. This was at night so
it seemed that this part of the circuit picked up the night signals
good. as for the daytime it wasn't so hot. so to deactivate AM ( 530
- 1710 khz) on this little receiver by cutting the waxed copper wire
that attaches from the tuner directly to the anntenna bar so at night
this receiver would only pick up Shortwave signals. The tuner is
really random but the funny thing is that this little receiver is
picking up these Shortwave signals, you can hear scrambled amateur
radio as well but it sounds like the BFO is off so it's just like
noise. has anyone sucessfully coverted a typical Am receiver to
shortwave by modifying it's antenna? This is really cool! This little
sports radio is picking up WYFR at night and some chinese Radio
station that was broadcasting to America in english, and others. Has
anyone tried this?

Drew wrote:

When I was younger I once tied a wire around the wires of the antenna
bar ( the one with a magnet and wire coil waxed onto the PC board) and
strung it far out about 10 to 15 feet or even more. Once i did that I
started to pick up shortwave frequencies but normal AM frequencies as
well, The only problem was when nightfall came that radio was just
jammed with stations.

That was at least 10 years ago. Last week I wanted to start a project
on a simple portable am-fm radio that I bought from wal-mart ( also
available @ familydollar for the same price) with the pricetag of
$5.00... I unassembled the portable receiver to where I got to both
sides of the circuit board. I noticed that I received Shortwave
signals when I touched the long 15 foot wire to the RED wire which
goes to the antenna bar from the circuit board. This was at night so
it seemed that this part of the circuit picked up the night signals
good. as for the daytime it wasn't so hot. so to deactivate AM ( 530
- 1710 khz) on this little receiver by cutting the waxed copper wire
that attaches from the tuner directly to the anntenna bar so at night
this receiver would only pick up Shortwave signals. The tuner is
really random but the funny thing is that this little receiver is
picking up these Shortwave signals, you can hear scrambled amateur
radio as well but it sounds like the BFO is off so it's just like
noise. has anyone sucessfully coverted a typical Am receiver to
shortwave by modifying it's antenna? This is really cool! This little
sports radio is picking up WYFR at night and some chinese Radio
station that was broadcasting to America in english, and others. Has
anyone tried this?



I haven't but it sounds like a fun experiment. On the one hand, you
were indeed picking up shortwave signals on it, no question, but the
"Chinese" station was a free China radio relay from Lake Okechobee, Fl.
in this country.

Tony


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Hi Drew, I bought an old Zenith 750 AM receiver off Ebay a few years
back. I was twirling the dial one afternoon to see what it could
bring in when, much to my surprise, I began to hear a German language
broadcast. I also heard a news report from Ireland. I posted these
seemingly astounding results to this group, with details about the
stories reported in the Irish newscast, thinking that I might be
hearing local MW broadcasts all the way across the pond. I was
quickly disabused of the notion that this Zenith was a red hot AM
radio. As I recall, several people told me something about a coil
being out of alignment, and that what I was hearing was SW, not
transatlantic MW. It was gratifying, however, when a poster in
England confirmed the exact broadcast which I had heard out of
Ireland, down to the details I had provided.

Regards,

Grumpus


(Drew) wrote in message . com...
When I was younger I once tied a wire around the wires of the antenna
bar ( the one with a magnet and wire coil waxed onto the PC board) and
strung it far out about 10 to 15 feet or even more. Once i did that I
started to pick up shortwave frequencies but normal AM frequencies as
well, The only problem was when nightfall came that radio was just
jammed with stations.

That was at least 10 years ago. Last week I wanted to start a project
on a simple portable am-fm radio that I bought from wal-mart ( also
available @ familydollar for the same price) with the pricetag of
$5.00... I unassembled the portable receiver to where I got to both
sides of the circuit board. I noticed that I received Shortwave
signals when I touched the long 15 foot wire to the RED wire which
goes to the antenna bar from the circuit board. This was at night so
it seemed that this part of the circuit picked up the night signals
good. as for the daytime it wasn't so hot. so to deactivate AM ( 530
- 1710 khz) on this little receiver by cutting the waxed copper wire
that attaches from the tuner directly to the anntenna bar so at night
this receiver would only pick up Shortwave signals. The tuner is
really random but the funny thing is that this little receiver is
picking up these Shortwave signals, you can hear scrambled amateur
radio as well but it sounds like the BFO is off so it's just like
noise. has anyone sucessfully coverted a typical Am receiver to
shortwave by modifying it's antenna? This is really cool! This little
sports radio is picking up WYFR at night and some chinese Radio
station that was broadcasting to America in english, and others. Has
anyone tried this?

Drew wrote:

When I was younger I once tied a wire around the wires of the antenna
bar ( the one with a magnet and wire coil waxed onto the PC board) and
strung it far out about 10 to 15 feet or even more. Once i did that I
started to pick up shortwave frequencies but normal AM frequencies as
well, The only problem was when nightfall came that radio was just
jammed with stations.

Yup, I've done this many times. The local oscillator in a typical BC
set is loaded with harmonics, and the front end selectivity is usually
lacking. These two 'features' consipre to bring in lots of signals. :)

You might also think about building a simple converter that actually
downconverts SW frequencies to a dead spot on the AM dial. I have posted
the schematic for a simple one he

http://www.qsl.net/mnqrp/converter.htm

Bob L.

Bob Liesenfeld wrote:



Drew wrote:

When I was younger I once tied a wire around the wires of the antenna
bar ( the one with a magnet and wire coil waxed onto the PC board) and
strung it far out about 10 to 15 feet or even more. Once i did that I
started to pick up shortwave frequencies but normal AM frequencies as
well, The only problem was when nightfall came that radio was just
jammed with stations.

Yup, I've done this many times. The local oscillator in a typical BC
set is loaded with harmonics, and the front end selectivity is usually
lacking. These two 'features' consipre to bring in lots of signals. :)

You might also think about building a simple converter that actually
downconverts SW frequencies to a dead spot on the AM dial. I have posted
the schematic for a simple one he

http://www.qsl.net/mnqrp/converter.htm

Bob L.


Please define "dead spot on the AM dial". :)

Tony Meloche wrote in message ...
Drew wrote:

When I was younger I once tied a wire around the wires of the antenna
bar ( the one with a magnet and wire coil waxed onto the PC board) and
strung it far out about 10 to 15 feet or even more. Once i did that I
started to pick up shortwave frequencies but normal AM frequencies as
well, The only problem was when nightfall came that radio was just
jammed with stations.

That was at least 10 years ago. Last week I wanted to start a project
on a simple portable am-fm radio that I bought from wal-mart ( also
available @ familydollar for the same price) with the pricetag of
$5.00... I unassembled the portable receiver to where I got to both
sides of the circuit board. I noticed that I received Shortwave
signals when I touched the long 15 foot wire to the RED wire which
goes to the antenna bar from the circuit board. This was at night so
it seemed that this part of the circuit picked up the night signals
good. as for the daytime it wasn't so hot. so to deactivate AM ( 530
- 1710 khz) on this little receiver by cutting the waxed copper wire
that attaches from the tuner directly to the anntenna bar so at night
this receiver would only pick up Shortwave signals. The tuner is
really random but the funny thing is that this little receiver is
picking up these Shortwave signals, you can hear scrambled amateur
radio as well but it sounds like the BFO is off so it's just like
noise. has anyone sucessfully coverted a typical Am receiver to
shortwave by modifying it's antenna? This is really cool! This little
sports radio is picking up WYFR at night and some chinese Radio
station that was broadcasting to America in english, and others. Has
anyone tried this?



I haven't but it sounds like a fun experiment. On the one hand, you
were indeed picking up shortwave signals on it, no question, but the
"Chinese" station was a free China radio relay from Lake Okechobee, Fl.
in this country.

Tony


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Oh, so that explains the chinese station. Thanks! last night I was
messing with it again and The frequencies seem to be redundant (
always picking up the same channel 4 times in different spots of the
dial. I wonder if this radio can be converted to pick up from 5700
KHz to 17000 khz instead of 570 khz to 1700 khz.... completly
changing the am band to shortwave...

tommyknocker wrote:


Please define "dead spot on the AM dial". :)

A frequency, up near the top end (1500-1710KHz) that is not used locally by a
station.

Nice presentation, Bob.

Using an AMBC radio as an IF was popular 'way back' in the tube days ;-)

Yep. Gonset made mobile converters for all the HF ham bands, including 10M. I
recall even a three band unit. They mounted on the steering wheel column.

Bill, K5BY

Bob Liesenfeld wrote:



tommyknocker wrote:


Please define "dead spot on the AM dial". :)

A frequency, up near the top end (1500-1710KHz) that is not used locally by a
station.


I was joking. Here in California, we don't have many dead spots on AM.