Microphone Kit

Parts

Resistors:

Pictures

Microphone Circuit Board (unassembled)

Microphone - Larger Parts

Theory

There are many different methods for modulating information onto a radio wave. The two most popular methods are Amplitude Modulation (AM) and Frequency Modulation (FM). In an amplitude modulated radio wave, the audio information (voice) varies the amplitude of the RF carrier. To recover information, all that is needed is a peak detector that follows the carrier peaks. In a frequency modulated radio wave, the information changes the frequency of the carrier.

The amplitude of the radio frequency carrier wave remains constant. The loudness of the audio determines how far the frequency is moved from the unmodulated carrier frequency. In normal FM radio broadcast, the maximum deviation from center frequency is set at +150kHz for the loudest sound. A soft sound may move the carrier only +10kHz. The number of times the carrier deviates from the center frequency, each second depends on the frequency of the audio. For example, if the carrier is moved to +75kHz, then -75kHz 1,000 times each second, the carrier is 50% modulated for loudness with a 1,000 cycle audio tone.

One advantage of FM modulation over AM modulation is the carrier amplitude is not important since the information is carried by the frequency. This means that any amplitude noise added to the signal after transmission (such as lightning, spark or ignition noise in cars, etc.) can be reduced by allowing the amplifiers before detection to limit or saturate.

The standard broadcast band for FM was also designed to have an audio range up to 25,000 Hertz (Hertz = 1,000 cycles per second). The standard AM broadcast band has only 7,000 Hertz band width. The FM band is therefore considered to be "High Fidelity" compared to the older AM band.

Another big advantage that FM has over AM is the "Capture" effect in FM broadcast. If two different broadcasts are very close in frequency or on the same frequency in AM, they will produce an audio tweet of beat. In FM, the receiver will "Capture" the strongest signal and ignore the weaker one. In other words, if a local transmitter and another distant transmitter are on the same frequency, the FM receiver will lock in on the strong local station and reject the weak one. In an AM radio, if the same conditions exist, you will hear a beat (a whistle) between the two stations, which is very annoying.

Capture works because the receiver "sees" radio waves as the sum of each frequency present. Since FM only looks at frequency, the weaker signal can be eliminated by the limiter. The detector "sees" only the strong signal after the limiting amplifier has stripped the weak one away.

Problems

By some oversight the kit did not include enough wire for the microphone. With the use of some speaker wire I was able to replace the missing wire. The instructions were a little vague in some areas and illustrations would have been useful especially in the tuning of the microphone to the radio but all was figured out in the end.