VHF FM
This web page documents my 2012-2013 experiments to make some stages for a discrete component, 1970's style FM receiver. Yes, I could purchase a FM radio-in-an IC on eBay for 2 dollars and be done in 35 minutes, but what would I learn? Perhaps I've gone mad?
Supplemental web page(s) linked only from here: VHF-FM — Amplifiers
A Basic Colpitts VCO
Above — My completed Colpitts VCO. I installed the unlabelled, left-sided pot in case a potentiometer is required for future AFC circuitry changes. It's not hooked up.
I reviewed some 1970's FM receiver schematics to learn that before PLL-locked VCOs dominated, often Colpitts VCOs were locked onto a strong frequency with Automatic Frequency Control (AFC). Local oscillators tanks often employed a inductor plus an air variable capacitor that tuned from ~77 to 119 MHz with a varactor for AFC. All the tuning and front-end filter air variable capacitors were ganged together and I'm sure alignment took some skill.
Some VCOs tuned with varactor(s) instead of an air variable cap — this is what I wish to do. Varactor tuned VCOs usually suffer more thermal drift than air variable capacitor versions.
AFC compensates for VCO thermal drift by a seperate varactor with its control voltage line DC coupled to the FM detector through an R-C low-pass filter. Any difference between the VCO frequency and the desired FM frequency produces a proportional DC voltage. The DC control voltage changes the oscillator to the desired frequency by re-tuning the AFC varactor within this feedback loop, albeit over a limited range. AFC is unsuitable for weak signal DXing, since it may pull the receiver onto a strong adjacent signal. Many 1970's FM receivers supplied an AFC defeat switch.
I remember 1 old FM receiver in my parent's home that stayed locked on 1 frequency for years thanks to AFC.
Above — The schematic of my version of a JFET Colpitts VCO (with AFC) that lacks the standard gate to source feedback capacitor; the intrinsic capacitance from the J310 gate to source provides the feedback needed for oscillation.The 8.2 pF bypass cap was determined on the bench — too little, or too much C decreases output voltage, or snuffs out the oscillator.
I just couldn't bring myself to make a VCO with a BJT, since on my bench at least, they suffer more thermal drift than JFET-based oscillators. I built with a mixture of SMT and hole-through capacitors and resistors. The anti-parallel arranged hyperabrupt varactors were found on eBay. Click for a rear photo of the project chassis. The gold colored jack is an SMA connector.
I bench designed this VCO and it took many hours to find the correct amount of L and C for the resonator to give a low distortion, sine wave output across the ~21 MHz tuning range. This meant soldering in and removing these tank components frequently. Click for the lowest frequency output. Click for the highest.
In the example local oscillators I reviewed, the engineers made no attempt to level off the signal that normally increases in AC voltage as you increase frequency. I also ignored levelling. Presumably the designers didn't worry with leveling the oscillator output in their superhet receiver as long as the output voltage sufficiently drove the mixer into complete switching. Levelling would add cost and complexity. This isn't a lab grade RF signal generator — that's for sure.
At present, the AFC varactor pair is disconnected since I won't know how strongly to couple it with Cx until I have a working detector. Also I will need to experiment to determine the best R-C time constant for the low-pass filter; likely the 2.2 uF capacitor will need an increase in value.
With the 3K9 Ω resistor under the 5K tuning pot, I keep at least 5 VDC on the tuning varactors or the VCO would stop running as I tuned the pot towards CCW. The coil = about 3 turns of 16 gauge wire on a 5/8 inch bolt. (Despite Canada going metric in ~1975, they still sell nuts and bolts in inches at our hardware stores). The stiff wire prevents the inductor from turning into a "microphonic" spring when the VCO is bumped. Click for a photo. The nominal L = ~ 125 nH, although I bent and manipulated the coil so it sat attached to the copper clad board with no tension and then squished or expanded the turns to establish my lower band edge.
In many FM receivers, either a single or balanced dual-gate MOSFET mixer was driven by a high impedance buffer/amplifer. If I mix with a 2-gate MOSFET, I'll insert a common gate JFET amplifier on the IF strip to boost the LO output impedance and AC voltage.
The feedthrough capacitors are 0.0047 μF - they were on sale so I bought them. To prevent a high impedance when placed in parallel with my standard 0.001 μF bypass caps, I placed a series 10 Ω resistor.
I enjoyed this crazy design; trying to replicate a relic, but popular local oscillator idea from decades ago. Let's hope I did it justice. Perhaps future VHF stuff on the FM and even 2 meter band will involve an Si570 and PIC, Arduino or other microcontroller? This simple VCO will do for now. My greatest passion lies in designing and building the front end.
Band-pass Filter with Amplifier
Next additions... I'll mash my way through the design of a solid front-end
Miscellaneous Photos and Diagrams
