KE5HPY's 12AU7 Quarantine Regen -- FB!

Bill and Pete:

Thanks for upping the frequency of your podcasts.  Each one is a welcome note to break-up the COVID monotony.

Following on to Bill’s 31m rx, I am pleased to have a new regen on the air and performing well.  This started as the 12AU7 Hartley circuit found on the web; however, the original circuit needed some further work IMO.  I made a number of modifications – outboard 30 MHz LPF (to remove our local Spanish FM station), inductive antenna link, variable cap for antenna coupling adjustment, up to 24V on the plate, extra by-passing, NE5532 audio section vs LM386 and a switched cap for a lower “band”.  It’s still a starved triode oscillator/audio amp and it has that regen presence.  Best DX is Singapore (BBC) and Madagascar although it’s ideal for easy listening on 19-60m to Romania, Greece, Cuban music, Spain, etc.  As Bill said, there is still plenty worth listening to on a homebrew AM rx.  40, 30 and 20m copy OK, but bandspread is tricky! Adjusting regen is good for +/- 1 kHz, kind of a poor man’s BFO adjustment.   I heard a TI station calling CQ on 20m and called him back on my Icom for a QSO. 

By the way, this rx has some serious vintage mojo – Hammarlund varicap, National coil form, Millen dial and an RCA tube.  The all-star team plays great together! It’s a kick seeing the filament glow while putting RF through recycled parts made decades ago.

73,

Chuck

KE5HPY