Before everyone had a cell phone alarm to wake them up in the mornings, most of us used clock radios that would faithfully sit by our beds for years. You could have either a blaring alarm to wake you up, or be gently roused from slumber by one of your local radio stations. These devices aren’t as commonly used anymore, so if you have one sitting in your parts drawer you can make some small changes and use it to receive radio stations from a little further away than you’d expect.
This Panasonic clock radio from [Ryan Flowers] has several upgrades compared to the old clock radio hardware. For one, it now can receive signals on the 7 and 14 MHz bands (40 and 20 meters). It does this by using separate bandpass filters for each frequency range, controlled by a QRP Labs VFO kit which can switch between the two filters automatically once programmed. The whole thing is powered by 8 AA batteries, true to form with a clock radio from the ’90s.
[Ryan] notes that his first iteration was a little quiet but he’s now able to receive radio stations from as far away from Japan with this receiver. Even without a license, you can make these changes and listen in to stations from all around the world, as long as you don’t start transmitting. If you want to make a small upgrade from this clock radio though, it’s not that hard to get into.
VERY cool ‘upgrade’ !! I will most surely implement this project quite soon ! GREAT idea ! 73, Mark, Amateur Radio Station Extra Class, WN3SIX
You got an old school Novice call for your vanity call. Probably throws off some people when they here it!
…hear…
Indeed it does, MANY times ! Lol ! It also garners a LOT of attention during WPX contest as well ! 73 Sol ! de Mark, WN3SIX
As a child, I had an electromechanical clock radio with a feature I’ve never seen in an electronic clock radio. The wake up alarm could be set to “Radio”, “Buzzer” or “Both”. In the Both setting, if you hit the snooze button it only silenced the buzzer, but the radio would stay on. This was a great way to wake up. I’d love to find a clock radio phone app that did that.
What kind of antenna is hooked up?
I’ve got an end fed wire antenna with a 31 foot peak, and 15 feet at each end, about 85 feet long total, into a L-Match tuner that I homebrewed, which is also on my site: https://miscdotgeek.com/qrp-l-match-tuner-build/
What the heck!
NO!!!
Why most of all the editors on HAD claim, old style made stuff is not worth being used anymore.
Stupid. Silly thinkink or the lack of thinking.
Have purchased anothe Grundig sonoclock kitechen radio.
This particular exemplar will be updated to switch on the coffee maker in the early morning.
Plus, we DO NOT want RF radiation in the bedroom.
Put the mobile phone to anywhere else.