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Old 18th Jan 2005, 10:42 pm   #1
Sideband
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Default Reflex receiver circa 1960's

Hi Guys. Bit of a long shot this is!

One of the first really successful transistor receivers I built back in the mid 60's was a super-regen receiver using just an OC44 and an OC71. I'm fairly certain that the circuit was taken from Practical Wireless. I know I was still at school at the time but it could have been any time between 1964 and 1968. I suspect it was the earlier date because by 1968 I was building valve superhet comms receivers. I just wanted to see if I could trace the issue that contained this earlier circuit and possibly re-constuct it as a reminder of my first successes. Sorry I can't remember anything more about the article or who wrote it. PW was read by my brother but I preferred Radio Constructor.

Maybe someone out there who has some copies of PW that go back that far can help?

Thanks.

Rich.

Last edited by Sideband; 19th Jan 2005 at 10:54 pm. Reason: Correction of title
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Old 18th Jan 2005, 11:10 pm   #2
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Default Re: Super Regen receiver circa 1960's

It's not exactly what you are looking for, but attached is the manual for the "Ranger 3" which is a 3 germanium transistor TRF kit.
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File Type: pdf ranger3.pdf (852.3 KB, 533 views)
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Old 19th Jan 2005, 12:07 am   #3
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Default Re: Super Regen receiver circa 1960's

Quote:
Maybe someone out there who has some copies of PW that go back that far can help?
Follow this link:-

http://www.oldtimesupplies.co.uk/

Click on Practical Wireless and you'll find indexes to many of the 1960s issues.

One of the issues of either PW or maybe Practical Electronics contained a small booklet about 4 inches square full of transistor radio circuits. I built a receiver from it which I think used a single AF117 which was used twice, once at RF and once at AF. Perhaps the circuit you're thinking of was in it.

Graham.
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Old 19th Jan 2005, 7:51 am   #4
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Default Re: Super Regen receiver circa 1960's

Richard,


Are you sure it was a super-regen? I've only seen a handful of these for MW reception (OC44 wouldn't really get you into the realms of SW). I can remember one by Sir Douglas Hall in the Radio Constructor (which used far too many now unobtainable Repanco TT53 microphone +other transformers!); the other was either in the PW or RC (again) using a surface barrier transistor - I think written by someone living in the W. Indies.

One of the issues about MW super-regens is getting a low enough quench frequency to achieve reasonable super-regen gain (which is related to the RF:quench freq. ratio), whilst not being left with an audible whistle at quench frequency. Indeed, the Sir D.H. circuit was followed up with a suggested audio freq filter to put in the audio output stage. (I think the q. freq was about 10kc/s).

HTH

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Old 19th Jan 2005, 3:02 pm   #5
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Default Re: Super Regen receiver circa 1960's

Well I think the term Super-regen was used for sets with reaction and this used a 50Pf trimmer for just that purpose. Perhaps reflex would be a better term so it could have been described as a two transistor reflex receiver. In fact thinking about it more, I'm sure it also used two diodes in the classic reflex arrangement.


Rich.

Graham. Thanks for that link...very useful. Now has anyone got a copy of PW September 1965? There is a '2 Transistor Reflex Receiver listed in the issue that may well be the one I am looking for.

Rich

Last edited by Sideband; 19th Jan 2005 at 3:29 pm.
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Old 19th Jan 2005, 8:14 pm   #6
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Default Re: Super Regen receiver circa 1960's

Rich,

The Sept '65 issue of PW does contain an article about a two transistor reflex receiver using an OC45 and a OC71 for MW. The article is by a "G.W. Suckling" and is quite a small article.

Note - it is a reflex receiver and NOT a super regenerative receiver, and is MW only, but if it is the one you are thinking of drop me a PM and I can make a photocopy for you.
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Old 19th Jan 2005, 10:38 pm   #7
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Default Re: Super Regen receiver circa 1960's

Hi Quantum,


You have a PM.

Rich.
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Old 20th Jan 2005, 10:12 pm   #8
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Default Re: Super Regen receiver circa 1960's

Thanks to everyone for helping with this and especially to Quantum who has offered to send me a photocopy of the circuit.

What started all this off was my daughters boyfriend who has a younger brother (13). He is interested in electronics in general and asked me if it was easy to build a radio. He has a school project to complete for technology and wanted to do something different from all the other kids. I decided against a crystal set and thought of this set that I had built so long ago. I remember it working very well from a ferrite aerial and is nice and simple. Rather than using a ready-made chip, I thought going back to basics using ordinary components and winding some coils would be far more instructive to him. If it works as well as the one I built all those years ago it will be a useful little set.


Rich.
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Old 22nd Jan 2005, 10:25 pm   #9
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Default Re: Super Regen receiver circa 1960's

Just to kill this one.

Many thanks to Quantum who supplied a photo-copy of a circuit which arrived this morning. I can confirm that it is the correct circuit and one that I built successfully some 40 years ago. It will be interesting to see if a reconstructed set works as well as the one I built all those years ago.

The young lad that want's to have a go at building it is looking forward to getting started so I'll sort some bits out over the next few days.

Thanks once again. What a great place this is!

Rich.
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