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Question on a simple radio

J

Jason Grace

Jan 1, 1970
0
I recently built from Ramsey Electronics a simple radio for AM. I
built it perfectly and it got AM stations very load and clear. The
next day, I took it to work to show a collegue, and it didn't get any
stations. Ever since, and after checking the connections carefully
and so forth, there is no reception. What changed??
 
R

Robert Stankowic

Jan 1, 1970
0
Jason said:
I recently built from Ramsey Electronics a simple radio for AM. I
built it perfectly and it got AM stations very load and clear. The
next day, I took it to work to show a collegue, and it didn't get
any
stations. Ever since, and after checking the connections carefully
and so forth, there is no reception. What changed??

Yesterday I drove my car for abt 200 miles an everything was fine.
Today I could not even get it started.

IOW get a multimeter and a scope and dig through it. I fyou want help,
be more precise. Is the device totally dead or can you hear some
noise? Is the battery OK? etc etc
 
R

Rheilly Phoull

Jan 1, 1970
0
Robert Stankowic said:
Yesterday I drove my car for abt 200 miles an everything was fine.
Today I could not even get it started.

IOW get a multimeter and a scope and dig through it. I fyou want help,
be more precise. Is the device totally dead or can you hear some
noise? Is the battery OK? etc etc

What has changed is that whatever was connected is now not connected. Check
all your connections and all the thingamejigs etc.
 
J

James Beck

Jan 1, 1970
0
jgrace5 said:
I recently built from Ramsey Electronics a simple radio for AM. I
built it perfectly and it got AM stations very load and clear. The
next day, I took it to work to show a collegue, and it didn't get any
stations. Ever since, and after checking the connections carefully
and so forth, there is no reception. What changed??

Your location changed.

Sure you are not in a building that might shield you from those VERY
long wave length radio waves?
 
J

Jason Grace

Jan 1, 1970
0
James Beck said:
Your location changed.

Sure you are not in a building that might shield you from those VERY
long wave length radio waves?

Thanks everyone for responding. It is a Ramsey Kit, the simple AM
radio, and connected by wire-to-spring. I've checked all connections,
and they look fine.
I tried going through it with my handy multimeter and the multimeter
broke.
It'salmost like a curse between the two of them; $30+ or equipment and
kits
that work, then don't work. The connections didn't change, the
location didn't change, so I wonder if the Ramsey sent cheap or dying
components. Anyone had
the same experiences? Do components like diodes or whatever die that
easily,
such as from a trip in the car?
 
N

Norman Webb

Jan 1, 1970
0
Jason Grace wrote in message
Thanks everyone for responding. It is a Ramsey Kit, the simple AM
radio, and connected by wire-to-spring. I've checked all connections,
and they look fine.
I tried going through it with my handy multimeter and the multimeter
broke.
It'salmost like a curse between the two of them; $30+ or equipment and
kits
that work, then don't work. The connections didn't change, the
location didn't change, so I wonder if the Ramsey sent cheap or dying
components. Anyone had
the same experiences? Do components like diodes or whatever die that
easily,
such as from a trip in the car?


Welcome to the world of FRED. Fucking Rediculous Electronic Devices.

NEVER be surprised at what can go wrong and you'll never be disappointed.

Now begins the fault finding.

Regards

Norm
 
C

Captain

Jan 1, 1970
0
Norman Webb said:
Jason Grace wrote in message



Welcome to the world of FRED. Fucking Rediculous Electronic Devices.

NEVER be surprised at what can go wrong and you'll never be disappointed.

Now begins the fault finding.

Regards

Norm
It's just another example of Murphey's Law - "Anything that can go wrong,
will."

At least your kit worked. I remember, when I was young, assembling an AM
radio kit, (with tubes yet!) and switching it on to find out that the output
was zero at all frequencies. I tried to find out was wrong to no avail. I
took it to one of the college techs to see if he could do anything with it.
He turned it on and it worked perfectly. I took it back to my room and it
never worked again!

What's the opposite of green fingers?

Cap.
 
C

Captain

Jan 1, 1970
0
Norman Webb said:
Jason Grace wrote in message



Welcome to the world of FRED. Fucking Rediculous Electronic Devices.

NEVER be surprised at what can go wrong and you'll never be disappointed.

Now begins the fault finding.

Regards

Norm
Actually, perhaps thinking a bit more clearly in the morning light, you
really should check your solder joints. if one of them is a "dry joint"
where the solder join looks to be made but where there is no actual
electrical conductivity, this can become evident with a bit of vibration,
just what you'd get in a car journey. Try running your soldering iron over
your joints so that the solder melts again, then re-test.

Cap
 
D

David Wood

Jan 1, 1970
0
If this is the model AM2, it has no solder. All connections are on
springs. Sounds like a power problem of course. Besides checking all
connections on top, also check the connections from the component
leads to the springs on the bottom of the panel, and be sure the
jumper wires are connecting metal-to-metal to the springs and not just
clamped on insulation. Make sure the battery is good. I've seen 9V
batteries fail from internal mechanical opens.
 
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