[IRCA] DXing with a One Tube Radio

[Deane McIntyre <dmcintyr@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Some of you may recall the books by Alfred Morgan such as The Boy
Electrician and The Boys First Book of Radio and Electronics that
had instructions on how to build, among other things, crystal radios
and a one tube regenerative radio. In the case of the regenerative  
radio,
a 1H4H triode tube was used with the filament operated off a 1.5 volt  
D cell
and a 45 volt battery for the plate voltage. Later editions used a  
6BF6 tube
instead as the 1936 vintage 1H4G tube became difficult to find. The  
circuit
was close  to that used in the early radios of the 1921 - 1925 time  
period,
when AM broadcasting was getting started.

Having read that in those days of few stations these one tube regen  
radios
were capable of DX, I built one, using a 1H4G tube, and am having fun
DXing with it. I finished it last night and soon had logged CKRM-620  
Regina,
KIRO-710 Seattle among many other stations. Best DX tonight so far  
was WGN-720
Chicago, also had KNRS-570 Salt Lake City, KNBC-680 San Francisco among
many other stations. Best daytime DX was CBK-540. Am having a lot of
fun with this - with seven local 50 kW stations here in Calgary, was  
wondering if I would get
much DX at all but with careful adjustment of the regeneration the  
selectvity
is not too bad - was even able to log with good signals KBOI-670 next to
local 50 kW CFFR-660.

As 45 volt B batteries are just about a thing of the past, I am using  
four
somewhat elderly 9 volt batteries in series that gives 32 volts. Total
cuurent draw is only 0.9 mA (and 50 mA from the D cell for the filament)
so the batteries should last a long time. Antenna is a 50 foot wire  
outside
run from the house to the garage.

73,

Deane McIntyre VE6BPO
Calgary AB
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