2-meter monitor

A simple receiver project have a fully synthesized 2-meter rig it probably has
one, but the difference in performance with or with-
out an rf stage is minor. (Please, no letters from DX
hounds with liquid nitrogen-cooled front ends!) Tests
on the unit I built showed a sensitivity of about 1.5
microvolts - not fantastic but not bad either.
Are you looking for a simple club project? How about Except for the i-f filters, the crystal, the audio driver,
a spare 2-meter receiver? A receiver to take backpack- some resistors, capacitors, inductors, and the speak-
ing? A scanning receiver for those times on the road? er, the MC3362 has all of the circuitry shown in fig.
A digital data link? Radio control receiver? Direction 1. The MC3362 specifications are listed in table 1.
finding receiver? Here's one that's hard to beat for A functional block diagram and pinouts of the
simplicity and performance. One or two evenings and MC3362 are shown in fig. 2. Let's take a look at it
a little searching in the old junk box is all it takes. block by block.
When's the last time you fired up the old soldering
iron? A friend of mine once said, "Rosin is the grease first mixer
paint of our industry and every now and then you've The first mixer has two inputs in case you want to
got t o get out to the bench and remember what it is use a balanced drive from a transformer. Motorola says
to smell some solder." this mixer is good to about 470 MHz. Input required
Thanks to a new product line from Motorola, which at 49.7 MHz (the IC was built for the cordless tele-
includes narrowband fm transmitters and receivers, phone market) is typically 0.7 microvolt for an
this dual conversion tunable receiver is about as simple +
(S N)/N of 20 dB. Gain is about 18 dB; Motorola says
as a receiver can get. this increases to about 2 microvolts at 470 MHz.

MC3362 first LO
The receiver is built around the new Motorola The first local oscillator can use an LC tank or crystal
MC3362. Although there have been a few "receivers as its frequency determining element, or an external
on a chip" (like the CA3089) for a few years, none source. In the case of an LC tank, a varicap diode is
comes close t o the MC3362. Until now most ICs have included so that tuning can be accomplished by using
included the i-f amplifiers, detectors (or discrimina- a variable control voltage instead of a variable capaci-
tors), and audio pre-drive circuits. The MC3362 is a tor. If you need a wide tuning range, use a large
dual conversion receiver that starts at the antenna and inductor and small capacitor in your tank so that the
ends at the audio output. varicap has more effect (the varicap range is about 10
A basic block diagram of a dual conversion receiver t o 20 pF). Coarse tuning can be accomplished by tun-
is shown in fig. 1. Notice that the antenna feeds direct- ing the capacitor in the tank (pins 21, 221, fine tuning
ly into the first mixer with no rf stage. This technique
is more common than most people realize. RF ampli- By Rodney A. Kreuter, WASENK, 319 McBath
fiers are included only in high performance rigs. If you Street, State College, Pennsylvania 16801

64 5 July 1988
 FIRST MIXER SECOND MIXER
LIMITER

FIRST SECOND
LOCAL OSCILLATOR LOCAL OSCILLATOR
ILC TANK)
CONTROL
VOLT4GE 0 10 2 4 5 MHz AN0
AUDIO DRIVER
INPUT

AUDIO
AMPLIFIER

fig. 1. Block diagram of a typical dual conversion FM receiver.

Table 1. MC3362 specifications

First i-f 10.7 MHz 1st Mixer Input 1st Mixer Input
Second i-f 455 kHz
Power Supply 2 to 7 volts (regulated) 2nd LO Output Varicap Control
Current Consumption 4 mA
Sensitivity 0.7 microvolts (50MHz)
2nd LO Emitter 1st LO Tank
Maximum Frequency 180 MHz (with internal LO)
470 MHz (with external LO)
First Mixer Input 690 ohms in parallel with 2nd LO Base 1st LO Tank
7.5 pF
Cost $1.86 in 100-piece quantity 2nd Mixer Output 1st LO Output
(Sept. 1987)
- Vcc 1st Mixer Output

Limiter Input 2nd Mixer Input

by using the varicap. Keep the control voltage between
Limiter
1.2 volts and Vcc, the supply voltage. The oscillator Decoupling 2nd Mixer lnput
quits below about 1.2 volts. If you don't use the
Limiter
varicap, tie pin 23 to Vcc. Decoupling VEE
Maximum frequency is about 180 MHz. Use a larger
Meter Drive Comparator Output
Vcc for higher frequency operation.
A buffered output is provided for this LO (pin 201,
Carrier Detect Comparator Input
in case you want to phase lock it to an external source.
Be carefulnot to ground this pin because it is the emit- Quadrature Coil Detector Output
ter of an emitter follower with no collector resistance.

first i-f fig. 2. Block diagram and pinouts of the MC3362.

The first i-f filter is external t o the MC3362. A
10.7-MHz ceramic filter is recommended. The muRata
filter that Radio Shack used t o carry is satisfactory.
Note that many different filters will work here: the
main considerations are bandwidth, insertion loss, and
cost. Be careful - some 10.7-MHz filters are not 10.7 second LO
MHz, but more like 10.63 MHz. Impedance should be The second local oscillator is designed to be crystal
330 ohms. Typical parts are the muRata SFE10.7MA controlled at 10.245 MHz (10.7 MHz-455 kHz). The
and Toko SK107M3-AO-10. crystal should be a fundamental type cut for a load
capacitance of 32 to 40 pF. A buffered output is
second mixer provided (pin 2).
The second mixer also has two inputs, perhaps to
accomodate a fancy 455-kHz crystal filter that requires second i-f
transformer matching. The gain is about 21 dB; re- The second i-f filter is external to the MC3362. A
sponse is good t o about 20 MHz. 455-kHz ceramic filter is recommended. The printed

66 July 1988
 NOTES
L # 4 TURNS WO 2 0 3/16.011 0 4 . L O N G
T I P I TURN FROM GeOUNO

L 2 3 TURNS 1 0 2 0 31,6.0tA 02.5-LONG

LISTUSED R n C Z I "I U

CURRENT CONSUYPT,OY SOUELCHED- 4 4 - l . SOUELCM OPEN- NO S I G N A L -r l m r

fig. 3. Motorola MC3362 IC is foundation for 2-meter receiver.

-----7--.=;=;.---.-.->.-;;=: =s-%=.--&xy- L- .5;-:;-=: .-.- ,,.---- =-

.mv
,-
,.-
m
. =
I-
.z
:-

fig. 4. Printed circuit artwork; 2X size. Top view looking through the board.

July 1988 67
 A meter drive and a squelch circuit are provided.
pans list Data detect is a comparator which is designed to
C1 100 pF detect zero crossings of FSK modulation data rates
C2 16 pF NPO or d l W sIInr m k . (8- text)
C3 220 pF of 2000 to 35000 baud.
C4.C7.C21 0.001 r F
C5,C16,C22.C23 0.01 "F
22 pF N m or d i m sllmr m k . (mnrv
c6
C8 47 or 50 pF
construction
C9 120 pF
C1O.C13.C14, The basic receiver circuit is from a Motorola appli-
CIS.C17 0.1 )IF
c ~ t 10 to 22 *F. 10 r o l n cation note. It was so new that it didn't have an
C12' 180 pF or RMC2A6597WK I m 1ert)
C1B.C19 1 PF application note number. The schematic (modified
C20 5 VF. 15 IOHS
FLI '
FL2'
70.7-MHz filter-SFE10.7MA (in1e.l)
4554Hz HIIer-SFU455A Ism tez1)
from the application note) is shown in fig. 3.
11 3/16 inches diameter 4 lurnr r w e d l a 0.4 b c b r Since the receiver is operating at 147 MHz, it is
lappsa 1 lum Imm gmund No. 20 w h
L2 3/16 inches dlamstsr 3 lvms rpeced to 0.25 advisable to build the circuit on a pc board (fig. 4).
lncnar No. 20 -Ire
L3'
R1
660 SH or RMC2A6597HK (mtex1)
50-h pol
Perfboard with a ground plane and some copper tape
R2 47 h (tee terl) can be used; my original prototype was built on a Ra-
R3 18 h
R4
RS
(IW LII)
68 h
dio Shack board - the type with a ground plane on
R6
R7
10 k
2.2 k
top.
R8
R9
22 k
1 0 0 1 pol ( w d b lap.,)
If you duplicate the pc board presented here, please
RIO
RII
3.9 I
100 k
note that some capacitors have more than two mount-
R12
Rt?
180 k
47 k
ing holes. Don't worry about the extra holes; just find
U1
U2.
Molomh MC3362P
Molomla MC34119P
the best fit (fig. 5). Be careful - it's crowded around
U3'
CrysI.1'
Nallonal LP2951CN
10.245 MHz (HC-I8U slyh)
LI!
Pllnted C k " l t a0.M' Some things about this circuit may seem a little
All c.p.~nrn . h w W be I s m l l as poa~lbb. strange. For example, if you've ever used ceramic
All n a k m n 1N wan. filters, you probably connected'the middle lead to
ground instead of to the Vcc plane. Actually, at 150
MHz and with proper power supply bypassing, the
Vcc plane and the ground plane are both at the same
ac potential, so it doesn't really make any difference.
Also many components that you would normally see
connected between the IC and ground are really con-
nected t o the Vcc plane.
The voltage regulator (a National LP2951) used in
this design is also a little different; it's a low dropout
adjustable regulator. Believe me, I agonized over using
this part because many people will have a hard time
obtaining it. Why not just stick t o a 7805? Most regu-
lators require an input voltage at least 2 volts higher
than the output. For example, imagine a standard
5-volt 7805 operating from a 9-volt NiCd battery. In
the first place, a 9-volt NiCd is really 8.4 volts. Since
the 7805 requires about 2 volts more than the output,
this circuit will work until the battery output falls to
fig. 5. Closeup of 2-meter receiver showing parts placement.
about 7 volts. With the LP2951, the circuit will work
until the battery falls to about 5.5 volts. (Battery life
circuit board is laid out to accept two different pinouts. is extended by using the LP2951.)
The 455-kHz filters once sold by Radio Shack will The output may be trimmed to suit your power
work. As in the case of the 10.7-MHz filter, consider supply. Because Motorola suggests a slightly higher
bandwidth, loss, and cost. Impedance should be 1.5 voltage for operation at 150 MHz, an adjustable regu-
to 2 k. Typical parts are the muRata CFU455D and lator is recommended. The temperature performance
SFU455A, and the Toko LFC-4551. of this particular part is better than almost anything
A limiter is used to remove any a-m component else on the market. You probably can delete it (jumper
from the signal. The limiter response is good to about pin 1 t o pin 8) and get away with four AA batteries
1 MHz. for a power supply, but I suggest a 9-volt NiCd and
A quadrature detector is provided to detect the a regulator. Motorola warns that the first LO will drift
f m signal. Output is dependent on the carrier "swing". with any change of the power supply.
Figure about 250 microvolts for narrowband fm. The audio amplifier is a bit different, too. I've used

68 J u l y 1988
 Directory of component manufacturers
muRata-Erie (404) 436-1300
1148 Franklin Rd, S.E. coils, crystals, ceramic filters,
Marietta, Georgia 30067 crystal filters
Toko America Inc. (312) 297-0070
1250 Feehanville Drive coils, ceramic filters, crystal
Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056 filters, quadrature coils
Coilcraft (312) 639-6400
1102 Silver Lake Road coils
Cary, Illinois 60013
Fox Electronics (813) 482-7212
PO Box 1078 crystals
Cape Coral, Florida 33910
GTE Sylvania (717) 326-6591
Electronic Components Division crystals
2401 Reach Road
Williamsport, Pennsylvania 17701
International Crystals (4051 236-3741
P.O. Box 26330 crystals
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73126
J A N Crystals (813) 936-2397
P.O. Box 06017 crystals
Ft. Myers, Florida 33906
Comtec (602) 526-4123
3300 East Sparrow Ave. crystals
Flagstaff, Arizona 86004
Standard Crystal Corp. (818) 443-2121
9940 E. Baldwin PI. (800) 423-4578
El Monte, California 91731 crystals
Digi-Key Corp. (8001 344-4539
P.O. Box 677 Toko coils and filters
Thief River Falls, Minnesota 56701
For the National Semiconductor and Motorola parts, I suggest you contact your nearest sales office or try the following distri-
butors: Hamilton-Avnet, Hallmark, Schewber, or Mil-Gray.

the LM386 in this type of application for quite a while, allowed for input capacitance, strays, and the varicap.
but I hate finding room for a 100- or 250-pF output They weren't even close ( 1 0 M H z off). As an alterna-
coupling capacitor. The MC34119 with a differential tive, tack solder a trimmer (10-60 pF) temporarily to
output and an enable pin is hard to beat. the bottom of the board. Tweak the tank using the
Notice resistors R4A and R4B. If you want an ad- trimmer; then take the tank out and measure it. Sub-
justable squelch, use them both ( R 4 A = 2 0 0 k; R4B = 1 stitute the closest cap you can find.
k). If you'd rather have a fixed level, replace R4A with Your tune-up can be done in a number of different
a jumper and make R4B about 120 k. The pc layout ways. Some signal source will be necessary. A signal
is set up for either configuration. generator is best, but you can use a grid dip meter
Inductor L3 and capacitor C12 can both be replaced or an on-the-air signal like a busy local repeater. Start
by a Toko L C tank part number R M C 2 A 6 5 9 7 H K (high- with the first L O tank (L2, C6). For now, you can tack
ly recommended). If the tank doesn't seem to want a trimmer capacitor in place of C6, or squeeze and
to go down far enough in frequency, put about 18 pF stretch the coil until the oscillator is around 136 MHz.
in parallel with it. The buffered output and a frequency counter would
If you can't find nonpolarized capacitors for C18 and be ideal. After you have trimmed the oscillator tank,
C19, use polarized caps. In both cases the negative you can tune the input coupling tank (L1, C2) using
side will go to ground. the same method. Now tune the quadrature coil L3.
The only critical thing about this circuit is that you Don't forget the tuning control R1 during all this. By
enjoy building it! the way, increasing R2 will give a smaller, less criti-
cal tuning range. Just don't go below 10 k or the con-
tune-up trol voltage will drop below 1.2 volts. A practical upper
I suggest that you omit C2 and C8 at the start. In limit is probably about 100 k.
my first prototype I calculated the coils precisely and My prototype tuned 4.5 M H z (143.75 to 148.25

July 1988 69
 MHz) with the parts called for in the parts list. For fine
tuning add a 5-k pot between R1 and Rp, connected
NEW FROM TIC General as a variable resistor; or better yet use a ten-turn pot
for R 1 .
Here's a fantastic new idea in
tenna rotators? Insteadof rota modifications
one antenna per tower, with There is no reason that this receiver must work on
Network 1000, you can mount 2 meters. Motorola doesn't specify the lower operat-
several antennas on a tower and rotate each one ing frequency, but I suspect it will go all the way down
either together in aphased array, or independently to the a-m broadcast band. Of course, a narrowband
of each other. fm receiver isn't much good below 28 MHz. It was
designed to operate on 49 MHz, and 6 meters should
Uses high strength steel gear drive, super strong
I-beam ring construction and has been fully field be no problem. (My prototype is also a good weather
tested. You can also aim the antenna to 1 degree receiver on 162 MHz.)
of accuracy. TIC also has a digital control box Because tuning can be done using a control volt-
age, a scanner seems to be a natural. A ramp gen-
erator or even a counter with a DIA can be connected
For more informationabout this exciting new anten- to pin 23. The squelch can be used to stop the scan.
na rotator, call TIC today. Remember not to allow the control voltage to go too
low.
(800) 423-6417 nationwide, (800) 542-5009 MN With a fixed crystal instead of an LC tank for the
or (218) 681-1291 or write
first LO, you could operate on the 75-MHz radio con-
TIC General, P.O. Box 1
Thief River Falls, MN 56701. trol band - if fm is allowed on that band. Motorola's
data sheet covers operation with a fixed crystal oscil-
Be the envy of your club lator, although it's a bit sketchy.
when you demonstrate your new
TIC Network 7 000! more Motorola parts
In addition to the MC3362, Motorola has three more
ICs which should be of interest to hams. One is the
*** Super Cornshack 64
Prooramable R e ~ e a t e ControllerlHF
r
***
& VHF RemoteslAuto~atch
MC3363 narrowband fm receiver. This receiver is
much like the MC3362 but has an extra NPN transis-
tor and an op-amp. It's available only in a 28-pin sur-
face mount package.
The MC2831A, a low-power fm transmitter, in-
cludes a microphone preamp, fm modulator, rf buffer
good to 30 MHz, a tone oscillator, and a low battery
detector.
The MC2833 fm transmitter is the same as the
MC2831A, but has no tone oscillator or low battery
detector. It does have two undedicated NPN trans-
istors which can be used as rf amplifiers or doublers1
triplers. (24 MHz multiplied by 6 puts it on 2 meters.)
It might make a nice transceiver with the MC3362.

obtaining parts
Parts seem to be a problem these days. The people
at Motorola were nice enough to provide me with the
lists of parts suppliers.
You can obtain a printed circuit board for $6 plus
$1 postage and handling. A kit of "hard to find" parts
(marked with an * on the parts list) is also available
for $23 plus $2 postage and handling from: Q-Sat, PO
Box 110, Boalsburg, Pennsylvania 16827. (Pennsylva-
nia residents please add 6 percent sales tax.)

ham radio