AM RECEIVER

BEE jay
Who was the inventor that put the grid
in the vacuum tube making the first
voice and music amplifier?
Who was the inventor that put the grid
in the vacuum tube making the first
voice and music amplifier?
Lee Deforest
Who invented the Superheterodyne
principle and later Frequency
Modulation?
Who invented the Superheterodyne
principle and later Frequency
Modulation?
Maj. Edwin Howard Armstrong
Name the president of RCA who
manufactured the Superheterodyne
receivers.
Name the president of RCA who
manufactured the Superheterodyne
receivers.
David Sarnoff
Name 4 external factors that affect the
reception of a signal and make the
receiver’s job difficult.
Name 4 external factors that affect the
reception of a signal and make the
receiver’s job difficult.
1. Weak signals
2. Adjacent stations
3. Noise
4. Fading
Name the parts of the simplest AM
receiver
Name the parts of the simplest AM
receiver

Antenna, ground
Tuner
Detector
Transducer or
earphones
Name the circuit used for the tuner.
Name the circuit used for the tuner.

Variable LC
bandpass filter
270uH 350 pF
A variable capacitor depends on:

a. applied voltages being variable

b. the plate separation being adjustable
c. pressure on the dielectric being
adjustable
d. provisions for feedback
A variable capacitor depends on:

b. the plate separation being adjustable

Name the circuit used for the detector
and the material it is made from.
Name the circuit used for the detector
and the material it is made from.

Germanium diode
Why is a germanium diode better than a
silicon diode in an AM Receiver?
Why is a germanium diode better than a
silicon diode in an AM Receiver?

Germanium
diode turns on
with a forward
bias of 0.3V,
silicon turns on
at 0.7V.
A typical receivable signal level in an
AM receiver may be as low as 10 uV.

True or False?
A typical receivable signal level in an
AM receiver may be as low as 10 uV.

True
Name the two receiver designs that
followed the crystal radio.
Name the two receiver designs that
followed the crystal radio.

TRF and
Superheterodyne
What circuit was added to the crystal
radio to make the TRF Receiver?
What circuit was added to the crystal
radio to make the TRF Receiver?

Amplifier
What does the letters TRF stand for?
What does the letters TRF stand for?

Tuner Radio
Frequency Receiver
The ability of a receiver to choose a
desired signal frequency while rejecting
closely adjacent signal frequencies is
known as _______________.
The ability of a receiver to choose a
desired signal frequency while rejecting
closely adjacent signal frequencies is
known as _______________.

selectivity
Which circuit provides the selectivity in
the TRF receiver?

A. IF AMP
B. LC Bandpass in
tuner
C. Detector
Which circuit provides the selectivity in
the TRF receiver?

B. LC Bandpass in
tuner
What is the alpha designator for the
measure of the sharpness of a filter?
What is the alpha designator for the
measure of the sharpness of a filter?

Q
How is the Q of a filter calculated?
How is the Q of a filter calculated?

resonant frequency ( f r )
Q
Bandwidth
A bandpass filter is resonant at 4MHz
and has a 3 dB bandwidth of 100kHz.
What is the filter’s Q?
A bandpass filter is resonant at 4MHz
and has a 3 dB bandwidth of 100kHz.
What is the filter’s Q?

fr
Q
BW
4 MHz
Q
100kHz
Q  40
A bandpass filter has a Q of 100 and is
resonant at 1MHz. What is the filter’s
bandwidth?
A bandpass filter has a Q of 100 and is
resonant at 1MHz. What is the filter’s
bandwidth?

fr
BW 
Q
1MHz
BW 
100
BW  10kHz
Name each stage of the TRF Receiver
and state it’s function. (One per
contestant.)
Name each stage of the TRF Receiver
and state it’s function. (One per
contestant.)

RF RF
STAGE STAGE

RF Stage- filters the desired station and amplifies weak

antenna signal
Name each stage of the TRF Receiver
and state it’s function. (One per
contestant.)

RF RF
DETECTOR
STAGE STAGE

RF Stage- filters the desired station and amplifies weak

antenna signal
DETECTOR- removes information from the carrier
Name each stage of the TRF Receiver
and state it’s function. (One per
contestant.)

RF RF AF
DETECTOR
STAGE STAGE AMP

RF Stage- filters the desired station and amplifies weak

antenna signal
DETECTOR- removes information from the carrier
AF Amp- power amplifier to drive the speaker
Name two disadvantages of the TRF
Receiver design.
Name two disadvantages of the TRF
Receiver design.

Bandwidth varied
with tuning.
LC components
varied with
temperature and
age.
Explain the Superheterodyne principle.
Explain the Superheterodyne principle.

All incoming
stations are down MIXER
IF
STAGE
converted to a
common IF
frequency before LO

demodulation.
Name each stage of the Superheterodyne
Receiver and state it’s function. (One
per contestant.)
Name each stage of the Superheterodyne
Receiver and state it’s function. (One
per contestant.)

RF
STAGE

RF Stage- filters the desired station and

amplifies weak antenna signal
Name each stage of the Superheterodyne
Receiver and state it’s function. (One
per contestant.)

RF
STAGE

LO

Local Oscillator- produces a sinewave

455kHz above the incoming RF
Name each stage of the Superheterodyne
Receiver and state it’s function. (One
per contestant.)

RF
MIXER
STAGE

LO

Mixer- combines RF and local oscillator

producing the sum and difference
Name each stage of the Superheterodyne
Receiver and state it’s function. (One
per contestant.)

RF IF
MIXER
STAGE STAGE

LO

IF STAGE- filters off the sum, passes the

difference and amplifies the 455KHz to a
level that turns on the detector.
Name each stage of the Superheterodyne
Receiver and state it’s function. (One
per contestant.)

RF IF
MIXER DETECTOR
STAGE STAGE

LO

DETECTOR- removes the information

from the carrier and develops AGC
voltage
Name each stage of the Superheterodyne
Receiver and state it’s function. (One
per contestant.)

RF IF AF
MIXER DETECTOR
STAGE STAGE AMP

LO

AF AMP- power amp to drive the

speaker.
The greater the gain of the receiver, the
better its ___________________.
The greater the gain of the receiver, the
better its ___________________.

sensitivity
Most of the gain and selectivity in a
superhet is obtained in the:

A.RF amplifier
B.Mixer
C.IF Amplifier
D.AF Amplifier
Most of the gain and selectivity in a
superhet is obtained in the:

C. IF Amplifier
An RF amp has an input signal of 20uV
containing 2uV of noise. What is the
input signal-to-noise ratio in dB?

20uV
Signal 100X
+
40uV
2uV
noise
noise
An RF amp has an input signal of 20uV
containing 2uV of noise. What is the
input signal-to-noise ratio in dB?

20uV
Signal 100X
+
40uV
2uV
noise
noise
The RF amp has gain of 100 and adds
40uV of noise. What is the output signal-
to-noise ratio in dB?

20uV
Signal 100X
+
40uV
2uV
noise
noise
The RF amp has gain of 100 and adds
40uV of noise. What is the output signal-
to-noise ratio in dB?

20uV
Signal 100X
+
40uV
2uV
noise
noise
Amplifier gain can be used to improve
the signal-to-noise ratio of a received
signal.

True or false?
Amplifier gain can be used to improve
the signal-to-noise ratio of a received
signal.

False. Analog
amplification
always adds
noise.
What is the name of the transistor in the
front end of the RF Amplifier called?
What is the name of the transistor in the
front end of the RF Amplifier called?

Preamplifier
What is the name of the special
transistor used in the front end of a
UHF RF Amplifier called?
What is the name of the special
transistor used in the front end of a
UHF RF Amplifier called?

Dual gate
MOSFET
Name two advantages of using a dual
gate MOSFET transistor in the AM
receivers front end.
Name two advantages of using a dual
gate MOSFET transistor in the AM
receivers front end.
1. Hi input
impedance (Z)
2. Low noise
3. 2nd gate for
AGC
What does the letters AGC stand for?
What does the letters AGC stand for?

Automatic Gain
Control
What is the purpose of the Automatic
Gain Control?
What is the purpose of the Automatic
Gain Control?

Levels out
variations in
received signal
strength by
varying gain.
In what stage of the Superheterodyne
Receiver is the AGC voltage developed?
In what stage of the Superheterodyne
Receiver is the AGC voltage developed?

Detector
What stage or stages of the
Superheterodyne Receiver is the AGC
voltage applied to?
What stage or stages of the
Superheterodyne Receiver is the AGC
voltage applied to?

RF and/or IF
stages
As the AGC voltage increases, the gain
of the amplifier being controlled
_______.
As the AGC voltage increases, the gain
of the amplifier being controlled
_______.
decreases
What component makes it possible to
vary the frequency of the tuner and the
frequency of the local oscillator at the
same time?
What component makes it possible to
vary the frequency of the tuner and the
frequency of the local oscillator at the
same time?

Ganged capacitor
Name the component that replaces the
mechanical variable capacitor in an
electronically tuned radio.
Name the component that replaces the
mechanical variable capacitor in an
electronically tuned radio.

Varactor or
varicap diode
What is the range of frequencies
received by a standard AM broadcast
receiver?
What is the range of frequencies
received by a standard AM broadcast
receiver?
535 kHz to 1605 kHz
What is the range of frequencies
produced by the local oscillator in a
standard AM broadcast receiver?
What is the range of frequencies
produced by the local oscillator in a
standard AM broadcast receiver?
540 kHz + 455 kHz = 995 kHz
1600 kHz + 455 kHz = 2055 kHz
State two factors which must be
considered by the designer when
selecting the IF frequency?
Sate two factors which must be
considered by the designer when
selecting the IF frequency?
Separation from the sum frequency
Separation from the image frequency
What must the Single Sideband receiver
do before it can demodulate the signal?
What must the Single Sideband receiver
do before it can demodulate the signal?

Put the carrier back

What circuit in the Single Sideband
receiver is used to reproduce the carrier
before demodulation?
What circuit in the Single Sideband
receiver is used to reproduce the carrier
before demodulation?
Beat Frequency Oscillator (BFO)
Why must care be taken when
troubleshooting a tube type receiver?
Why must care be taken when
troubleshooting a tube type receiver?

Lethal voltages are present.

Why must care be taken when
troubleshooting a tube type receiver?

Lethal voltages are present.

 Circle and label each stage.

SUPERHETERODYNE AM RADIO RECEIVER

9V

C2
C1

AGC LINE