Can anyone identify this home-made FM tuner? - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

ajs37 · 25th Mar 2020, 7:12 pm

Hi - this came (a long time ago) with a PE Orion amplifier and was probably used with it - the amp sounds good, but there are some issues with the DIN inputs being connected up the wrong way round (but that's another story).
It seems to be an early attempt at a touch tuner - it has a channel indicator, 6 'touch-tune' controls, a clock (lhs), a "tacked in" cap in the power circuit and has the look of being home made - very tidy wiring!

I believe the circuit design comes from a magazine - possibly Practical Electronics in the 70's (as the Orion has a similar home-made casing) - can anybody throw any light on it? It isn't working properly of course - just hash coming out!

thanks
Andy

Radio Wrangler · 25th Mar 2020, 7:32 pm

Could be from more than one article or magazine. That's a Toko logo on the VHF front-end screen, so it'll be a purchased RF module if not the full tuner board. REW seemed to publish a lot around Toko parts.

The 6-way touch tuner is likely a TV tuner control chip from the pre-synthesiser days. Its board could be part of a magazine article with the tuner board. The clock on perfboard doesn't seem to match.

Now I've seen the inside of the metalwork, I think I need to wash my eyes.

David

ajs37 · 25th Mar 2020, 9:09 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler

Now I've seen the inside of the metalwork, I think I need to wash my eyes.

David

I know what you mean! I was puzzled by the clock circuit - it did seem a bit unnecessary and I suspect you are right about the rest of it - the tuning mechanism seems it seems a bit overcomplicated (and isn't working) - I remember building the WW Nelson Jones tuner in the 70's - a lot less complicated!
thanks for looking!
Andy

Radio Wrangler · 25th Mar 2020, 10:46 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajs37

I remember building the WW Nelson Jones tuner in the 70's - a lot less complicated!

I built one of those too back then. I hadn't got a tuning scale on it, but used a Beckman 'Knobpot' 10 turn pot with clock hands turns counter under a perspex domed cover... neat as anything, though I later added a counter.

It was a good little tuner. Someone at HP laid out a PCB and made a batch!

David

25th Mar 2020, 7:12 pm	#1
ajs37 Heptode Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Bristol, UK. Posts: 900	Can anyone identify this home-made FM tuner? Hi - this came (a long time ago) with a PE Orion amplifier and was probably used with it - the amp sounds good, but there are some issues with the DIN inputs being connected up the wrong way round (but that's another story). It seems to be an early attempt at a touch tuner - it has a channel indicator, 6 'touch-tune' controls, a clock (lhs), a "tacked in" cap in the power circuit and has the look of being home made - very tidy wiring! I believe the circuit design comes from a magazine - possibly Practical Electronics in the 70's (as the Orion has a similar home-made casing) - can anybody throw any light on it? It isn't working properly of course - just hash coming out! thanks Andy Attached Thumbnails

25th Mar 2020, 7:32 pm	#2
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 22,866	Re: can anyone identify this home-made FM tuner? Could be from more than one article or magazine. That's a Toko logo on the VHF front-end screen, so it'll be a purchased RF module if not the full tuner board. REW seemed to publish a lot around Toko parts. The 6-way touch tuner is likely a TV tuner control chip from the pre-synthesiser days. Its board could be part of a magazine article with the tuner board. The clock on perfboard doesn't seem to match. Now I've seen the inside of the metalwork, I think I need to wash my eyes. David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done