Shortwave Radio Receiver Kit

This was a fun project and it turned out well. Directions were straight forward and easy to follow. I was able to tune in several different stations.

My kit arrived very well, and I started unpacking the parts, gather the tools, and start building it. The building process took longer than my SCA-1 kit, there was alot of circuitry involved, 3 transistors, 1 tuning diode, 1 small signal diode, and 2 IC's which were just amplifer IC's. While assembling the RF IF cans were kinda difficult to install on the board. Soldering the transistors took some skill to do, but I got it done anyways. It's best that you follow the manual all the way through and don't skip any steps, and this kit will please any shortwave radio listener who wants to build a shortwave radio and apply those skills in other radio receiver projects. I did not know that amplifer IC's could be used in receiver detection circuits, and the transistors were mostly your everyday 2N3904 types, very basic stuff that puts together that will tune the world from 4 to 20 MHz. I wish that the kit vendor would make it easy by making the holes a little bigger for the RF IF cans that would be great. Now if you want to tune it you need 2 extra capacitors to make your tuning circuit complete, so I hope that I can master this by using some selector switch in the future in my next project upgrade. I would recommend that after you finish your kit that you put in the case and use a fresh 9 volt battery not something that is 9 volts or less. And I think this receiver needs a boost using the RF amplifer kit or active antenna kit.UPDATE: I had to replace the coil inside the kit and the transistor and it was very easy to do with a 685'F digital display soldering iron. After it was fixed, the radio came to life, and I was tuning in stations that I keep on missing on my regular short wave radios. Also I have used 3 pin sockets for the capacitors C15 and C16 to change the capacitors to change the frequency bands, it was simple as taking some 8 pin IC sockets and cutting it to length. Next I am going to work on upgrading the receiver with a bargraph signal meter and output for a frequency display, which Ramsey could have done here. I might add the signal meter along with the frequency display. Simple basic thing I may do is add a power light to it. There is so much that you can do to turn a simple kit into a communications receiver, even you can add a BFO too as well, if you know what you are doing.The radio receiver tunes from 4.3 MHz to 19.6 MHz by changing the capacitors and the ones you use are 47 pF for C15 1000 pF for C16 for daytime frequencies such as the 25 meter and 19 meter bands and 100 pF for C15 and 1000 pF for nighttime frequencies such as the 90 meter and 49 meter bands.

I only give 2 stars because I think Ramsey should at least include an earphone with it. You have purchase a ceramic earphone separately which I think is bs.

I assembled this following all directions. The volume knob does not work, and the tuning knob does not seem to do anything. All I get is constant white noise. I followed the troubleshooting directions in the manual but it didn't help. The manual says you can sent it in for service, but there is a $25 minimum charge to have it evaluated.I'm not going to sink more money into this kit, and I'm pretty disappointed. Of course I can't return something like this either, so it looks like I'm out of luck.

still not completed, technical issues

nothing fancy, good practice and easy to alter

Works extremely well. It could be a little louder though. I already have two other Ramsey kits and can't wait to get them going. Great kits and great instructions.

Did not care for this product.