#1
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Sirius listening on vintage radio
I love my sirius radio, drive tons of miles a year. Mostly listen to old radio shows and the Sinatra channel. I have a home kit which is attached to my bose. I dont have any FM radios of vintage and would love to listen on my 47 Emerson or my 31 Crosley Playboy. Anyone done anything like this? I was thinking of finding an old fm converter like I used to use back in the 70's and 80's on old cars.
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#2
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Why not build a simple Ramsey kit AM transmitter:
http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/hk/ Or a vacuum tube model such as the one described by Phil N : http://www.antiqueradio.org/transmitter.htm There are even some AM stereo kits that might be still available (Chris Cuff sold the Alfredo "lite" transmitter on his AM stereo site, but I am not sure it is still active): http://mysite.verizon.net/tekel/amstereo/ccuff.htm jr Last edited by jr_tech; 11-27-2010 at 09:13 PM. Reason: Add links |
#3
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This is what I use;
Code:
http://sales.talkinghouse.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=71 I set it up so that it's input connects to my stereo receiver, which receives both wireless from my Sirius Starmate, and wired from my desktop, for internet oldies stations. I can walk around my house or yard with one of my many portable tube or transistor radios, listening to oldies, or with an AA5 in another room. The big advantage is that it's professionally made, and there is no drift. The transmitter actually calibrates itself every once in awhile, to stay on the frequency it's set to. |
#4
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I've done something like this before too, only for me I have some old time radio shows on tape. Because I have collected some old test equipment over the years, one thing I did was use my signal generator as a transmitter:
http://www.antiqueradio.org/eico01.htm Also, I tend to like radios with phono inputs for just this type of thing (or connecting my old record players). |
#5
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You can connect any analog audio source to any AM radio receiver, tube or transistor, by simply attaching the hot lead from the source to the center wiper contact of the receiver's volume control, and running a lead between the grounds of both sets.
For line-powered tube radios, an electrolytic cap between the source hot lead and the receiver's volume control would be a good precaution, if the source is also line-powered. I have used this method as a quick and dirty way to check the audio stages of mal-functioning receivers as well, to isolate the problem between the RF/IF and audio stages. |
Audiokarma |
#6
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I've been considering the SSTRAN low power AM transmitter kit: http://www.sstran.com/
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#7
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I've also been considering the SSTRAN. I've read some nice things about it and maybe I'll get my priorities (and $) in line and order one.
My ultimate goal would be to create a vintage looking radio broadcast studio, using ex-radio station equipment, to drive the transmitter. The only problem is space limitations and the fact that radio station equipment can get expensive. I do have a couple of old radio station turntables; but, still need a mixing board, cart machines, etc. |
#8
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#9
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if the Wave Radio doesn't have a "line out", simply make one by running leads from each of the two speaker lugs (from one speaker if it uses multiple) to an audio mono jack that you would mount on the back panel, then run a double mono plug cable between that and the line input of the transmitter. This setup is strictly mono, BTW; but of course for AM radio ya don't need anything beyond that. |
#10
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I wouldn't recommend the talking house transmitter since it's audio quality is poor and the frequency seems to wobble with modulation causing annoying heterodyning with any other station on the same frequency.
The sstran seems to get a good thumbs up from most people I know over at part15.us. The ramsey AM1C cost around 30$ but it works on a VFO oscillator so it will drift a bit until warmed up. The AM25 for around 100$ uses a PLL so it won't drift and it's audio is decent. Very few of these kits modulate at 100% but still will give you good results. With a 10 foot wire antenna and no aerial grounding you can theoretically broadcast up to 1/4 mile under good conditions legally without the need for a license. However you should review the Part 15 rules to make sure you are within specifications. The general rule is 100milliwatts into the last amplifier stage with no longer than a 3 meter (10 foot) antenna, which includes length of ground lead. Check out part15.us for lots of links and reviews on kits and fully built AM transmitters. If you have a bit of electronics know how it is also very easy to build your own from scratch. With a legal full length antenna your whole neighborhood could tune in |
Audiokarma |
#11
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Are you speaking from your own experience with it, or just relaying what you have heard? |
#12
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After moving away from the transmitter far enough to hear it start to fade and mix with other stations on the same channel I clearly hear a bit of FM in the signal. Maybe with the newer models they fixed this? |
#13
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I have never heard, however, of an FM transmission being reproduced on an AM receiver; it's just not possible. |
#14
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I believe this is caused by the lack of good power supply capacitors in the talking house transmitter, or just an inadequate power supply. When pushing an AM transmitter to it's fullest modulation it causes a large power spike on the positive amplitudes because of the required output power to the RF stages. If a power supply is not used to support this varying power fluctuation it can cause FM to ride the AM signal which is what I have heard numerous times in these transmitters. I believe in the professional world of AM transmitters they call this undesirable effect "carrier shift". Most tiny part 15 transmitters tend to be built with underrated power supplies causing this effect. In reality it won't matter for the average person who wants to just hear audio a few hundred feet away from the transmitter. OTOH if trying to hear their signal outside of the perimeter of the average range they will notice the effect especially at night when the AM dial becomes cluttered with distant stations. Hope what I am getting at makes more sense now. Last edited by darklife; 12-29-2010 at 03:42 PM. |
#15
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Aside from that, however, the unit does what it's supposed to; it provides good usable signal for a distance of about 75 feet or so, using the eight foot wire that comes with it for an antenna. |
Audiokarma |
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