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Easy AM Transmitter!
by rtty21 on January 7, 2011 Table of Contents Easy AM Transmitter! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro: Easy AM Transmitter! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 1: Parts and Prep (Small Stuff) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 2: Parts and Prep (Bigger Stuff) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 3: Schematic!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 4: Testing 1, 2, 3... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 5: How... WHY?!? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 6: Improving your radio! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 7: Extra Info. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 8: =====PDF File===== . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . File Downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 6

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-AM-Transmitter/

Author:rtty21
I am 15, and will be going to MSU in six months. I will be majoring in Electrical Engineering. If you have any suggestions for a minor, please leave a comment or send me a message! p.s. MSU stands for Minnesota State University.

Intro: Easy AM Transmitter!

You are going to build an AM radio transmitter AND you will be shown how it works. When you finish your radio, it will look something like mine in the picture above. I have attached the PDF file in the last step to this Inst'able for those without a pro membership.

Step 1: Parts and Prep (Small Stuff)

==These are the small components you will need== --Small Stuff-- 555 timer chip - NPN transistor - two #103 capacitors (0.01 microfarads or 10,000 picofarads) - #102 capacitor (0.001 microfarads or 1,000 picofarads) - some short wires - two 1 Kilohm resistors - 10 Kilohm resistor - 1/8 inch (3.5 millimeter) female audio jack (yours may have more or less than three wires, but it must have at least two) - 5 Kilohm potentiometer ==see next step for bigger components==

Image Notes 1. 555 timer chip 2. NPN transistor

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-AM-Transmitter/

3. two #103 capacitors 4. #102 capacitor 5. two 1 Kilohm resistors 6. 1/8 inch (3.5 millimeter) female audio jack 7. 5 kilohm potentiometer 8. 10 kilohm resistor 9. just wires.

Step 2: Parts and Prep (Bigger Stuff)

==These are the bigger components you will need== --Bigger Stuff-- 1/8 inch (3.5 millimeter) male audio cable - AM radio receiver - Antenna. Yours doesn't have to be made out of a pop can, but the pop can works - Breadboard (see previous step for the small components)

Image Notes 1. 1/8 inch (3.5 millimeter) male audio cable 2. Breadboard 3. AM radio receiver 4. Antenna (mmm... Mist) 5. Small components (see previous step for details)

Step 3: Schematic!!
==Now that we have all of our components ready, lets put this together!== I suggest constructing this on a breadboard first. If you don't have a breadboard, you are definitely missing out! If you have any questions... ASK! P.S. Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE! :)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-AM-Transmitter/

Step 4: Testing 1, 2, 3...

==Test your radio!== To test the AM radio transmitter, simply set the antenna next to your AM radio receiver (Alarm clock) tuned to approximately 600 KHz. Then play with the potentiometer until you can hear your music on your radio. If you hear weird sounds when you turn the potentiometer (and do not hear the audio signal) That means that your radio is working, but your audio signal needs to be configured. try turning the volumed of your audio signal up. Not working? ASK ME!!! place a comment in the comment section below! Otherwise try these for troubleshooting: ~Is there power applied to your transmitter? ~Is the audio signal on? ~try turning the potentiometer. ~try turning up the audio signal :)

My antenna, power supply, and audio cable aren't connected to the circuit in the photo above.

Step 5: How... WHY?!?

==So how does this work??== The audio signal is controlling when the radio signal is being transmitted. this is called amplitude modulation (See picture above). for more on the subject of amplitude modulation, go HERE ==Am I really transmitting AM radio?== No you are not. You are transmitting at a low frequency that can be heard at higher AM frequencies. Lets say I transmit music at a base frequency of 300 Kilohertz (KHz) This music can be heard at the frequencies of 300KHz, 600KHz, 900KHz, 1200KHz. (etc...) This is called harmonics. When the radio receiver's picks up a 300KHz signal on a 900KHz band, the signal is weaker than if you were to pick it up on the 600KHz band. This is why harmonics are only useful to a degree. for more on the subject of harmonics, go HERE ==for some more radio information, see the next step!== this picture shows amplitude modulation. image from http://www.ofcom.org.uk

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-AM-Transmitter/

Step 6: Improving your radio!

==Modify your radio== I want you to modify your radio and post a comment below that tells us what you did and how it worked! it's that simple! Although, I do have some suggestions: Try changing R2 to a 3.3Kohm resistor. Try cutting C3 out of your circuit. try connecting the radio antenna to ground through a 1Kohm resistor So now it is your turn to teach me! what have you done to improve your radio??

Step 7: Extra Info.

The radio transmitter we made can only transmit at frequencies from 110KHz to 480KHz. The AM radio band is from 520KHz to 1610KHz. Harmonics are essential to be able to hear audio signals transmitted from our radio transmitter. ==I buy almost all of my electronic components at MOUSER.com== ==If you liked this, SUBSCRIBE!== ==I'm making more instrucables just like this one!== I sincerely hope you don't hurt yourself while making this project! That being said, you are solely responsible for everything that happens while constructing this project. If you believe that you are not responsible for your own actions, then god help you. :)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-AM-Transmitter/

Step 8: =====PDF File=====

File Downloads

Easy-AM-Transmitter.pdf (289 KB) [NOTE: When saving, if you see .tmp as the file ext, rename it to 'Easy-AM-Transmitter.pdf']

Related Instructables

Build a very simple AM Transmitter. by SciToys

555 AM Transmitter by jazzzzzz

Send Music over a Laser Beam by navaburo

Pre-amp to electret mic! (Photos) by lukas_tek

555 timer radio by MacDynamo

Morse Code AM Transmitter Using Oscillator (Photos) by JimRD

Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 161 comments

qazxsw21000 says:

May 7, 2011. 7:05 PM REPLY If you take the antenna and connect it to an audio amplifier, then use the amplifiers output as an antenna, Would you get a better range and signal? Or will it just not work?

rtty21 says:

May 8, 2011. 4:52 PM REPLY that would depend on how the amplifier was built. I would, however, imagine it would fail. most amplifiers cannot switch fast enough to make AM radio waves.

qazxsw21000 says:
True, true. I did, however, finally get a new 555 from the shack to replace my two broken ones.

May 10, 2011. 6:08 PM REPLY

rtty21 says:
cool

May 10, 2011. 8:12 PM REPLY

alienjoe123 says:
how do I figure out what all the symbols mean?

Apr 3, 2011. 5:25 AM REPLY

rtty21 says:
are you new to the electronic hobbyist game? -everything labeled with an "R" is a resistor. -the thing labeled "P1" is a potentiometer. -everything labeled with a "C" is a capacitor. -the thing labeled "Q" is an NPN transistor

Apr 3, 2011. 2:03 PM REPLY

robot1398 says:
actually p1 means preset 1 vr stands for a pot or variable resistor

May 8, 2011. 2:38 AM REPLY

rtty21 says:

May 8, 2011. 4:53 PM REPLY That depends on who makes the schematic. there are industry standards, but overall people should just know what the graphical representation of a pot looks like. Jan 21, 2011. 2:04 PM REPLY

ehalahmi says:
Hi, I need to transmit 77.5 Khz AM (for recration of the DCF77 signal). If I'll change R1/R3 will I be able to transmit 77.5 Khz ? Can I connect a two levels (digital) output of "NPN open collector output" signal instead of Audio+ ?

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-AM-Transmitter/

Kind regard!

rtty21 says:
switch out R3 for a................. 10 Kohm resistor and switch out R1 for a........ 2.2 Kohm resistor now you may tune the radio for further adjustment. : ) Great Question! --Rtty21

Jan 21, 2011. 11:08 PM REPLY

ehalahmi says:
Many thanks for the prompt reply.

Jan 22, 2011. 2:00 AM REPLY

Another queston if I may. Can you please explain why changing the votlage on the RESET leg changes (lineraly) the amplitude of the output? Can you please explain how this part works?

rtty21 says:

Jan 22, 2011. 6:41 AM REPLY pin four is RESET as you already know, so when it goes low, it shuts off the 555, and when it goes high, it turns on the 555. pin four in connected to +5V via 10Kohm resistor;that means that pin four's default state is on. when my audio signal drops below 0V, it stops the 555 from transmitting. Everyone has been giving me really good questions and Ideas, and I think I'm going to make an "Easy AM Transmitter 2.0" in the near future.

ehalahmi says:
So if I understand correctly its has only 2 levels of amplututeds output. Either Vcc or 0. Like s binary AM?

Jan 22, 2011. 7:17 AM REPLY

ehalahmi says:

Jan 22, 2011. 7:39 AM REPLY And a related quetions: If you couple the audio signal via a transformer to the 5V Vcc of the 555 wouldn't you get a better and smother output?

qazxsw21000 says:

May 7, 2011. 6:59 PM REPLY You'll need to be in the transformers frequency range. For this project, you'll need an audio transformer. And if connecting to Vcc doesn't work, try ground. If still noting, oh well I guess. Worth a shot though.

rtty21 says:
i have no idea

Jan 22, 2011. 12:56 PM REPLY

rick6213 says:
can you please make a better schematic this one is hard to read, without that you made a great instructable! Thumbs UP

May 2, 2011. 3:16 AM REPLY

rhale says:

Apr 29, 2011. 1:31 PM REPLY Umm, I wired it up as in the schematic but i didnt get sound, I got a burning smell... I dont know wuts up, maybe I wired it wrong, any help?

rtty21 says:
you definitely wired it incorrectly. I would take it apart and start over with fresh components. make sure you have the power supply connected properly as opposed to backwards. I speak from experience here! lol

Apr 29, 2011. 1:53 PM REPLY

There is a chance you haven't ruined your IC, though it is a slim one. I once wired an IC in backwards and it got REALLY HOT. Surprisingly enough, it works fine now that I have wired it correctly. I hope this helps ya! As for me, I just received a shipment of electronic components from my favorite online seller: MOUSER.com

rhale says:

Apr 29, 2011. 2:14 PM REPLY Thanks, yea i am just about to start over, i dont think i ruined the 555 but if I i did i have two of em so im good there. thanks!

rtty21 says:
no problem, man! always happy to help! : )

Apr 29, 2011. 2:20 PM REPLY

robot1398 says:
we need a different radio to recieve signals or we can use a radio in the mobile

Apr 24, 2011. 7:58 AM REPLY

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-AM-Transmitter/

rtty21 says:
you would need a whole different instructable to receive radio signals. to be honest, this isn't the best radio signal quality.

Apr 25, 2011. 7:25 AM REPLY

dan95 says:

Apr 22, 2011. 3:27 PM REPLY i have problems with the transmittre. i can hear my music on the radio but it has too much noise and very low quality, what can i do?

rtty21 says:
just try random things with capacitors. thats what i do.

Apr 22, 2011. 8:02 PM REPLY

jwotherspoon says:
would any capacitors and resistors work

Apr 21, 2011. 6:29 PM REPLY

rtty21 says:
you need certain values of resistors to make it work at the right frequency.

Apr 22, 2011. 7:30 AM REPLY

jwotherspoon says:
is there any other capacitors that would work

Apr 21, 2011. 6:24 PM REPLY

lukas_tek says:
NPN transistor which you used for this project? can use the 2N3904? please transistor replacing what you used!

Apr 12, 2011. 6:38 PM REPLY

bkaspersky says:
did that transistor work for you?

Apr 19, 2011. 10:46 AM REPLY

lukas_tek says:
I do not know! but works fine BC548 I used it was

Apr 19, 2011. 2:37 PM REPLY

bkaspersky says:
so it works? Thank you

Apr 19, 2011. 3:06 PM REPLY

lukas_tek says:
work fine! any NPN transistor will work the bc548 it's a low cost

Apr 19, 2011. 5:36 PM REPLY

rtty21 says:
it doesn't matter. any NPN transistor will work! just pick one.

Apr 12, 2011. 9:09 PM REPLY

lukas_tek says:
thanks !

Apr 13, 2011. 4:07 AM REPLY

rtty21 says:
np

Apr 13, 2011. 7:43 AM REPLY

smartbuilderperson says:
where would you connect the mic at

Mar 20, 2011. 7:13 AM REPLY

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-AM-Transmitter/

rtty21 says:

Mar 20, 2011. 7:40 AM REPLY You would connect the microphone at the same exact place as the audio in is right now. note: you may have to build a pre-amplifier for your audio signal, because the 555 may not be able to pick up the signals from it.

lukas_tek says:
make the circuit that is here it's mine! my first Instructables! http://www.instructables.com/id/Pre-amp-to-electret-mic/

Apr 19, 2011. 3:29 PM REPLY

smartbuilderperson says:
thanks

Mar 20, 2011. 7:24 PM REPLY

bkaspersky says:
do you have a number for the transistor?

Apr 18, 2011. 3:26 PM REPLY

jwotherspoon says:
the ones i have on the circuit board under neath them some say 110K, 104, 330, 100u, and 0.6

Apr 18, 2011. 6:47 PM REPLY

bkaspersky says:
no, as in the number for that particular transistor

Apr 19, 2011. 4:29 AM REPLY

rtty21 says:
My transistors are "C900" transistors. they have an unusual pin layout. From left to right, they are as follows: Emitter, Collector, Base. the normal layout is as follows: Emitter, Base, Collector. They work fine, but it takes time to get used to the pin layout.

Apr 19, 2011. 7:22 AM REPLY

jwotherspoon says:
do you know what also might have an npn and a 555 timer and a 5 kilohm potentiometer

Apr 18, 2011. 6:50 PM REPLY

rtty21 says:
Mouser.com they are my favorite electronics supplier. try them once and you will be hooked!

Apr 19, 2011. 7:20 AM REPLY

jwotherspoon says:
whats a bread board and where might i find one and would it be in old electronics

Apr 18, 2011. 6:52 PM REPLY

rtty21 says:
you can find a breadboard here:

Apr 19, 2011. 7:19 AM REPLY

http://www.amazon.com/BB830-Solderless-Plug--BreadBoard-tie-points/dp/B0040Z4QN8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1303222774&sr=8-3

jwotherspoon says:
how do i tell how many kilohms the resitor i have is if im just taking it off old electronics

Apr 17, 2011. 6:02 PM REPLY

lukas_tek says:

Apr 16, 2011. 5:57 AM REPLY rtty21,i like this project tooooooo much!XD I listen my sound in 600Khz with with some noise the transistor I used was the BC548 and place the pot 5k, I used a 10k one more question, how many volts the project operate? my first time I used a 3.7v battery, but I'm hear three songs and it seems he was out of the frequency or the battery has run out

view all 161 comments

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-AM-Transmitter/