Chapter 8 – – Radio Modes and Equipment

Building on (and with!) the components and principles covered in the previous two sections, your studies now move to constructing and using the circuits that make up a radio.  This set of resources will help explain how these circuits work and how they create the signals you hear on the air.

Schematics and Circuit Diagrams

• How to Read Circuit Diagrams, Part I - this may be old, but it's accurate!
• How to Read Circuit Diagrams, Part II

Amplifiers and Other Circuits

• Hands-On Radio - a series of tutorials that covers many simple circuits
• Load lines - additional graphical explanation of load lines
• Oscillators - the list of Electrical Oscillators covers the types you’ll encounter on the Extra exam
• Filters - a number of resources on filters of all types

Mixers, Modes, and Modulation

• Mixers - more information about frequency mixers and their operation
• Wikipedia entry on Modulation- a comprehensive review of modulation
• ARRL Technical Information Service - plenty of articles and links about AM
• Williamson Labs AM illustration page - animated page showing how AM works
• AMfone - a Web site about AM operating on the HF bands
• Williamson Labs SSB illustration - animated page showing how SSB works
• Wikipedia entry on Single Sideband - in-depth treatment with the theory
• Understanding FM Transmitters - a QST article about FM
• Williamson Labs FM illustration page - animated page showing how FM and PM work
• Wikipedia entry on Frequency Modulation - in-depth treatment with the theory
• Phase-Locked Loops - an overview of PLL operation
• PLL Tutorials - several detailed tutorials on PLL (advanced)
• Direct Digital Synthesis - an overview of DDS operation
• Amateur Fast-Scan TV - articles on ATV
• Amateur Slow-Scan TV - articles on SSTV

Digital Modes

• ARRL TIS Digital Mode Information - information on most popular modes  
• ARRL’s HF Digital Handbook - all about digital operating on the HF bands

Digital Signal Processing

• ARRL TIS page on DSP - tutorials and applications on Digital Signal Processing
• Sampling - a more detailed treatment of the mechanics of sampling waveforms for processing

Test Equipment

• Oscilloscope tutorial - a graphical introduction to the oscilloscope
• Test Equipment - a number of articles and projects concerning test equipment

Receivers

• The ARRL Handbook - the Handbook has a good section on receiver performance

ARRL Interference Resources

• ARRL Technical Information Service (TIS) - numerous Web resources and magazine articles on technical topics of interest to all hams
• ARRL EMI/RFI Resources - a number of resources for managing interference of all types
• FCC TV Interference Handbook - the FCC’s guide to managing interference to television receivers
• The ARRL RFI Book - helpful information for preventing and solving RF interference problems