Customer Reviews

Build Your Own Low-Power Transmitters: Projects for the Electronics Experimenter

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This is a very disappointing book. The preface promises "All projects use standard parts and have been thoroughly tested, with PC board layouts given for most the projects, as well as parts lists, coil data, and complete setup information." However, the only time it delivers all this information is when the transmitter in question is a kit from a certain vendor in New York State. For everything else, the information supplied is minimal at best.

For instance, Chapter 16 (Low-Power Narrowband FM Transmitters) provides a schematic for a ¼ watt amateur 2 meter FM transmitter that completely omits data on all coils, inductors, etc. in the design. There's no parts list, no PC board layout, and minimal description of the circuit. The chapter goes on to describe a UHF transmitter based on an obsolete integrated circuit.

Now I can't fault the authors for including a design based on an obsolete chip. The chip was probably in full production when this chapter was written. However, omitting the coil data for the 2 meter transmitter is unacceptable.

Chapters describing the various transmitter kits are chock full of information. There's also some interesting chapters on FM stereo generation and serial data remote control. However, on a whole, the book leaves out a lot of detail on the transmitters I bought it for. I would have been better off looking for a suitable ARRL publication.

The projects in this book are very hard to complete. Don't buy it unless you are really familiar with advanced electronics.

The book was not what I was looking for. I was looking for a book to help me design and duild a simple low power transmitter. The book had a realy good section on Oscillators circuets and what type of oscillator works best for what type of application. Other then that, the rest of the book was pre-cand Low Power Tranmitters circuet designs, to build. Don't take this as bad. It just did not work for me. The transmitter circuet designs look good, just did not fit my aplication.

The book was well ritten and easy to read.

If you are looking to design and build a simple low power AM transmitter, I have found "Basic Radio: Understanding the Key Building Blocks" is a good place to start.

You will be interested in this book if you:
o Want to know how to build low-power AM and FM broadcast transmitters of a professional standard;
o Want to know how to build low-power TV transmitters for VHF and UHF;
o Want to learn some advanced techniques;
o Have experience in radio transmitter construction;
o Have experience with surface mount devices (SMD);
o Understand schematics;
o Know how to etch PCBs from a published layout.

This book is not suitable for:
o Beginners;
o Those with little experience in electronics construction and design.

This is the book you have been looking for if you want to build a good quality but low power broadcast transmitter for a community radio station, or an isolated settlement like a cattle station homestead, mining camp or outstation. Initially I thought that it would suit pirate radio operators but even a cursory glance at eBay tells me that these people are well catered for by respectable Chinese businessmen.

Like many such books, the first two chapters cover elementary theory but if you find them difficult the rest of the book will be impossible. The first circuits displayed are "wireless microphones" and a phone line bug and some other small beginners circuits, then a simple but well-designed 50mW AM transmitter before introducing an AM transmitter for long wave, medium wave and the extended 1700kHz band based on the MC145151-2 phase locked loop.

FM broadcasting circuits start with a simple VFO tuned mono transmitter then after a discussion of multiplexing on to another MC145151-2 based transmitter for stereo transmissions from 76 to 108 MHz, followed by a microprocessor controlled transmitter.

Next are presented a low power VHF and two UHF TV transmitters, then a microprocessor based remote control system. There are circuits for 2 metres FM and 40 metres CW with a field strength meter and a sideband generator for 11MHz and a 1750kHz transmitter.

Writing is clear and there are many detailed diagrams provided as well as PCB layouts suitable for copying. If carefully constructed these circuits should provide many years of use.

Great book! It is the backbone of transmitting and receiving. If you want to learn how to build or how transmitters and receivers work get this book!! The only thing I don't like is the designs are not that up to date, but you need to know them to build better transmitters / receivers. This is a great book for getting into RF. The best part is you can build everything!!