
potential is applied to the anode of DI,
forward
biasing that unit and causing it
to conduct.
While
that action
is going on
at
the
upper terminal, a
similar (but opposite)
event is taking place at the negative
terminal.
A
negative
on the lower termi-
nal reverse biases D4 so there is no
current flow through that unit.
At
the
same
time
D3 is forward biased, plac-
ing a low on the negative terminal of the
meter,
which
indicates the
voltage level.
By analyzing the current flow
with
the input polarity
reversed, you'll dis-
cover that while the input polarity has
reversed itself, the
potentials on the
meter have not. It's obvious that the
circuit
won't
tell you the polarity of
the
applied
voltage, but it
does
give its
magnitude.
Utility Audio
Amplifier
'Mc next circuit to roar down the pike
is the utility audio amplifier
shown in
Fig. 3. The basic amplifier offers a
volt-
age gain of about 200
with
a .4
-watt
output. If you chose to build that
handy
PARTS
LIST FOR
THE
UTILITY
AUDIO
AMPLIFIER
Cl, C2,
C7- 0.1
-1,F,
100
-WVDC
My-
lar
capacitor
C3, C5, C6 -100- µF,16
-WVDC
elec-
trolytic capacitor
C4-
10
-1.1F,
16
-WVDC,
16
-WVDC
electrolytic capacitor
J1-
Headphone
jack
R1- 1000
-ohm
1/2-watt, 5% resistor
R2- 10,000 -ohm,
potentiometer
R3
-10
-ohm
1/2-watt, 5%
resistor
SPKR1-4 ohm speaker,
3- -o -4
-inch
diameter
U1
-LM386
low- voltage audio power
amplifier
Perfboard
materials,
IC
socket,
9 -volt
battery, wire, solder,
hardware, etc.
CI
0.1
bench amplifier,
it
will
never sit
idle for
long. It's
just too convenient to use
in
testing a new project or troubleshooting
a piece of equipment.
The utility amplifier
is designed
around the popular
LM386
low- voltage
audio power amplifier,
which can
be
ordered
from a number of
mail order
houses, or purchased
from
a
local elec-
tronic parts house.
The amplifier circuit
can
be built on a small
section of perf-
board and housed
in
a plastic
or metal
cabinet that's large
enough to accom-
modate a 3- or
4 -inch speaker and a
battery.
Use an IC socket for U I and
keep
all
interconnecting component
leads as
short as
possible.
As in most amplifier
circuits, a
sloppy wiring job can turn a
prince of a project into a croaking
frog.
Utility
Amp Add -ons
Me usefulness of the utility audio
amp can be expanded by
building the
three input circuits shown in Fig.
4. The
simple two -component
circuit in Fig.
4A turns
the amplifier
into an RF AM
detector. Most any RF
with AM modu-
lation riding along can be demodulated
and heard on the amplifier's
speaker.
The circuit
in Fig. 4B
turns
the ampli-
fier into
an emergency
BC AM receiver
that should pickup at least one local
radio
station. Throw ten
feet of wire out
the
window and connect it to the top of
LI and screw the coil's slug in or out for
the strongest signal.
Figure 4C is nothing more than a
hand
-wound
inductive pickup coil that
can be
used to
seek out inductive trans-
mitted interference,
including 60 and
120 Hz. Also the coil can serve as an
inductive telephone pickup or as a re-
ceiver to pickup inductive transmitted
audio.
S2
HEADPHONE
JACK
s.
SPKR1
452,
3- SPEAKER
Fig.
3- Designed around
the
popular
LM386 low- voltage
audio power
amplifier.
this utility
audio amplifier can save
loads
of
time when building or trouble-
shooting some pet project or prized
electronic
instrument.
TEST
PROBS
Cl
39pF
D1
IN34A
L1
OLD B.C.
LOOPSTICK
ANT.
COIL
A
WIRE
LEAD
ANT.
D2
IN34A
C3
005
B
u
B
TO
FIG.3
C
200 TO 300 TURNS
=28
WIRE
WOUND
ON
1'4 -INCH
3 -INCH
FERRITE
ROD
TO
FIG. 3
TO
FIG.
3
C
Fig. 4 -By adding one of these sub -
circuits to the utility amp, you can
make that
somewhat
hum -drum circuit
perform some
really
useful
tasks. The
circuit
add -on in A turns the amplifier
into
an
RF AM
detector;
B turns the
amplifier into an emergency BC
AM
receiver, and C is nothing more than a
hand wound inductive
pickup coil
that
can be used in conjunction with the
utility amplifier to seek out inductive
transmitted interference, or serve as
an inductive telephone pickup.
PARTS
LIST FOR THE
UTILITY AMP ADD -ONS
C1
-39
-pF ceramic disc
capacitor
C2- 100
-pF ceramic disc capacitor
C3- 0.005 -pF
Mylar
capacitor
Di. D2 -IN34A
general
-purpose
germanium diode
L1 -See text
L2- 200 -300 turns
#28
wire
on
','c-
inch
3 -inch
ferrite rod
Printed
circuit or
perfboard materials,
enclosure,
IC
sockets, wire,
solder,
hardware,
etc.
Current
Limiter
If
Murphy
lurks
in your
workshop
and
shows
up periodically
to destroy
your special
semiconductor devices in
the safest of experiments, then
the
cir-
cuit in Fig. 5 might just send Murphy a
message and
save
the day.
That single -
transistor
circuit places an
electronic lid
on the maximum current
that can pass
through it. By placing the current
limit-
ing circuit in series
with
your delicate
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