Maker Pro
Maker Pro

Old Popular Science...

L

Lord Garth

Jan 1, 1970
0
Does anybody recall a Popular Science write up on modification of an AM
radio
to receive aircraft weather? The time frame would be 1972 to 1974 IIRC.

The mod was to solder two caps across the loop stick antenna points to cause
the radio to tune a band below the AM broadcast band. The value of the caps
depended upon which region in the US you were located. Thanks!

LG
 
A

Anthony Fremont

Jan 1, 1970
0
Lord Garth said:
Does anybody recall a Popular Science write up on modification of an AM
radio
to receive aircraft weather? The time frame would be 1972 to 1974 IIRC.

The mod was to solder two caps across the loop stick antenna points to cause
the radio to tune a band below the AM broadcast band. The value of the caps
depended upon which region in the US you were located. Thanks!

I remember an article around that time frame (maybe a couple years later
though) involving converting a radio shack weather radio to receive the
aircraft band. I don't remember the exact details, but the FM to AM
conversion was interesting as I recall.
 
D

Dave Holford

Jan 1, 1970
0
Lord Garth said:
Does anybody recall a Popular Science write up on modification of an AM
radio
to receive aircraft weather? The time frame would be 1972 to 1974 IIRC.

The mod was to solder two caps across the loop stick antenna points to cause
the radio to tune a band below the AM broadcast band. The value of the caps
depended upon which region in the US you were located. Thanks!

LG
I think I remember something like that. But, I don't believe that there are
any remaining voice weather transmissions on the beacon band - just slow
speed CW idents and DGPS data.

Dave
 
L

Lord Garth

Jan 1, 1970
0
I remember an article around that time frame (maybe a couple years later
though) involving converting a radio shack weather radio to receive the
aircraft band. I don't remember the exact details, but the FM to AM
conversion was interesting as I recall.

I used to retune their weather radios to listen to the police frequencies
in my home town then. I was at my parents home when the grain
elevator blew around christmas time. The radio was handy to hear
what had blown and what was happening during the aftermath.
 
L

Lord Garth

Jan 1, 1970
0
Dave Holford said:
I think I remember something like that. But, I don't believe that there are
any remaining voice weather transmissions on the beacon band - just slow
speed CW idents and DGPS data.

I was wondering if that was the case or whether they simply repeated the
NOAA
VHF broadcasts. The beacon band transmissions formally gave wind speed and
direction at various altitudes which NOAA never did.

Thanks
 
W

Watson A.Name - \Watt Sun, the Dark Remover\

Jan 1, 1970
0
Lord Garth said:
Does anybody recall a Popular Science write up on modification of an AM
radio
to receive aircraft weather? The time frame would be 1972 to 1974 IIRC.

The mod was to solder two caps across the loop stick antenna points to cause
the radio to tune a band below the AM broadcast band. The value of the caps
depended upon which region in the US you were located. Thanks!

LG

The loopstick isn't the only thing you have to pad with a cap. You also
have to pad the local oscillator with a cap. and it has to be the
appropriate value so that the LO tracks when you tune the radio across
the 'band'.

But I'm not so sure those old weather transmitters are still around. At
least not in the band below the AM BCB. I think the weather is on
162.55 MHz or thereabouts.
 
Top