a Digtal Readout Hack - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

YT2095UK · 17th Dec 2009, 2:34 pm

I think this belongs in here?
anyway, a couple of weeks ago I bought a couple of cheap pocket radios for a fiver, they have a digital frequency readout that I thought was well worth the cash, the radio is the Mikomi UT-DR205.
having taken one appart to see what was in it, it became apparent that the readout and the radio were 2 seperate items independant of each other.
so after carefully removing the radio section, you`ll find that the Yellow and the Gray wires are the Frequency input leads.
Yellow for the FM and Gray for the AM, and what`s more they both go up to the 9xxxx`s but the Really cool part is that they strip the IF off!

so you can now (if you wanted) add a digital readout to almost Any radio that uses a 455K or 10.7M IF simply by adding it to the LO.
it may even be useful as a pocket frequency counter?

this radio Still sells for under a fiver in several places too.

Nickthedentist · 17th Dec 2009, 3:34 pm

Isn't Mikomi an Argos own-brand?

Nick.

YT2095UK · 17th Dec 2009, 3:46 pm

I`v no idea? mine was from a small local shop, a bit like a Pound Shop, and you can get them on places like eBay all the time too.
also, you can couple the FM and AM wires internally to leave just the one sensor wire

OErjan_S · 17th Dec 2009, 4:54 pm

wow, good find, i now have this on list to "mr Claus".
any image? I ask as these may sell under different names in different chains/countries.

mickjjo · 17th Dec 2009, 5:05 pm

They look like this:-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mikomi-UT-DR20...81810002r27544

Regards, Mick.

OErjan_S · 17th Dec 2009, 5:21 pm

thanks

YT2095UK · 17th Dec 2009, 5:32 pm

here`s a picture of it Woking!
it`s hooked up to my SW radios LO (directly to the LO Coil) via a 270pF capacitor and giving the correct frequency readout.
also there is a pic of the Insides

YT2095UK · 17th Dec 2009, 5:39 pm

and after:

cmjones01 · 17th Dec 2009, 6:48 pm

Neat! I especially like the way the case came apart so easily

YT2095UK · 17th Dec 2009, 6:56 pm

yeah, there`s only 5 screws, 3 in the back and 2 under the bottom battery.
after that it it more or less falls appart, it`s an Odd little radio as you`de expect only 2 halves, but there is an additional section (not shown) that goes around the Volume and Tuning dials.

there is also something interesting that I discovered about this, that IF you have it on a SW radio and take it to 9999KHz, if you go Higher it will Wrap around and show 001KHz!
and carry on from there again, bonus or what

dr peppers · 17th Dec 2009, 10:47 pm

Good find.
You used to be able to do this when radios first went digital, as the early ones were still a variable cap tuner, just with the local osc outputted to a frequency counter display with the correct offset.
I'd like to have a go at making a pocket counter out of one of those.

KeithsTV · 18th Dec 2009, 1:17 pm

Back in 1982 I bought a digital frequency display module through a PW offer. It was a kit from Timestep Electronics and used the now obsolete MSM5525RS IC. It could be programmed using diodes for various IF offsets ranging from -452.5kHz to -469.5kHz for AM and +10.68MHz to -10.73MHz for FM. It could also do a direct count ignoring any IF offsets.

I wonder if your module can be programmed for different IF offsets?

Keith

17th Dec 2009, 2:34 pm	#1
YT2095UK Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 487	a Digtal Readout Hack I think this belongs in here? anyway, a couple of weeks ago I bought a couple of cheap pocket radios for a fiver, they have a digital frequency readout that I thought was well worth the cash, the radio is the Mikomi UT-DR205. having taken one appart to see what was in it, it became apparent that the readout and the radio were 2 seperate items independant of each other. so after carefully removing the radio section, you`ll find that the Yellow and the Gray wires are the Frequency input leads. Yellow for the FM and Gray for the AM, and what`s more they both go up to the 9xxxx`s but the Really cool part is that they strip the IF off! so you can now (if you wanted) add a digital readout to almost Any radio that uses a 455K or 10.7M IF simply by adding it to the LO. it may even be useful as a pocket frequency counter? this radio Still sells for under a fiver in several places too.

17th Dec 2009, 3:34 pm	#2
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,841	Re: a Digtal Readout Hack Isn't Mikomi an Argos own-brand? Nick.

17th Dec 2009, 3:46 pm	#3
YT2095UK Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 487	Re: a Digtal Readout Hack I`v no idea? mine was from a small local shop, a bit like a Pound Shop, and you can get them on places like eBay all the time too. also, you can couple the FM and AM wires internally to leave just the one sensor wire

17th Dec 2009, 4:54 pm	#4
OErjan_S Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Skelleftea, Sweden Posts: 250	Re: a Digtal Readout Hack wow, good find, i now have this on list to "mr Claus". any image? I ask as these may sell under different names in different chains/countries. Last edited by OErjan_S; 17th Dec 2009 at 4:59 pm.

17th Dec 2009, 5:05 pm	#5
mickjjo Rest in Peace Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Dartford, Kent, UK. Posts: 1,661	Re: a Digtal Readout Hack They look like this:- http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mikomi-UT-DR20...81810002r27544 Regards, Mick.

17th Dec 2009, 5:21 pm	#6
OErjan_S Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Skelleftea, Sweden Posts: 250	Re: a Digtal Readout Hack thanks

17th Dec 2009, 5:32 pm	#7
YT2095UK Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 487	Re: a Digtal Readout Hack here`s a picture of it Woking! it`s hooked up to my SW radios LO (directly to the LO Coil) via a 270pF capacitor and giving the correct frequency readout. also there is a pic of the Insides Attached Thumbnails Last edited by YT2095UK; 17th Dec 2009 at 5:38 pm.

17th Dec 2009, 5:39 pm	#8
YT2095UK Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 487	Re: a Digtal Readout Hack and after: Attached Thumbnails

17th Dec 2009, 6:48 pm	#9
cmjones01 Nonode Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Warsaw, Poland and Cambridge, UK Posts: 2,676	Re: a Digtal Readout Hack Neat! I especially like the way the case came apart so easily

17th Dec 2009, 6:56 pm	#10
YT2095UK Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 487	Re: a Digtal Readout Hack yeah, there`s only 5 screws, 3 in the back and 2 under the bottom battery. after that it it more or less falls appart, it`s an Odd little radio as you`de expect only 2 halves, but there is an additional section (not shown) that goes around the Volume and Tuning dials. there is also something interesting that I discovered about this, that IF you have it on a SW radio and take it to 9999KHz, if you go Higher it will Wrap around and show 001KHz! and carry on from there again, bonus or what

17th Dec 2009, 10:47 pm	#11
dr peppers Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Lancashire, UK. Posts: 67	Re: a Digtal Readout Hack Good find. You used to be able to do this when radios first went digital, as the early ones were still a variable cap tuner, just with the local osc outputted to a frequency counter display with the correct offset. I'd like to have a go at making a pocket counter out of one of those.

18th Dec 2009, 1:17 pm	#12
KeithsTV Nonode Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: South Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 2,573	Re: a Digtal Readout Hack Back in 1982 I bought a digital frequency display module through a PW offer. It was a kit from Timestep Electronics and used the now obsolete MSM5525RS IC. It could be programmed using diodes for various IF offsets ranging from -452.5kHz to -469.5kHz for AM and +10.68MHz to -10.73MHz for FM. It could also do a direct count ignoring any IF offsets. I wonder if your module can be programmed for different IF offsets? Keith