VHF Converter (TEL210)

Details
Written by: Newton C. Braga
This article is from 1978, but it can still be assembled and used today, at
least for now when aviation communications are still analog in the VHF band.
The circuit is simple, converting the VHF signals to the AM band so that you
can hear them on a regular radio.

Note: You can currently listen to airport and aircraft communications over
the internet at RadioNet – Escuta Aérea. Several airports in Brazil and around
the world are available at this link.

Listen to communications between planes in flight, airport control towers,

and also communications between public service vehicles (police,
firefighters, etc.) with this simple VHF converter that turns your portable
radio into an efficient tuner in the 110 MHz to 140 MHz range.

A VHF converter is an oscillator circuit that allows the tuning range of a

receiver to be modified, that is, to be shifted so that stations on frequencies
other than those normally heard can be picked up.

The converter therefore operates adapted to a common receiver, and the

sensitivity obtained in capturing the desired stations depends fundamentally
on the sensitivity of the receiver used.

In this article we describe the assembly of a very simple converter that uses
a single transistor and that can operate in conjunction with any medium
wave receiver, such as your portable radio, without the need for direct
connections to it or modifications to its circuit (figure 1).
Figure 1 – How to use

This converter will allow stations in the 110 MHz to 140 MHz band to be
picked up in a free spot in the medium wave band of your radio, thus
allowing you to listen to telecommunications stations that operate on these
frequencies.

If you live near an airport (up to 20 km away), you can easily hear the
communications between the towers and the planes arriving or departing.
The important thing to note is that there are no legal restrictions on listening
to communications from these stations.

This is so true that receivers tuned to this band can be purchased without
any license requirement in many stores in São Paulo and Rio (see the
introduction for how to listen online as well).

Such receivers, in addition to the medium and short wave and FM range,
have the VHF range.

Even though it is an extremely simple assembly, due to the fact that it

operates in a very high frequency range, great care must be taken in its
execution.

Therefore, the characteristics of the components used must be strictly

observed, approximate values must not be used and, as far as possible, the
suggested arrangement of the figures we provide must be followed.

As all components are common in our market, we believe that readers who
intend to make this circuit will not have any difficulties in obtaining the
components.

WHAT TO LISTEN TO, WHY TO RIDE IT

There are several listening possibilities for this VHF band. For this reason,
before deciding to install this converter, the reader should consider whether
it can actually be useful to him.

For example, if you live within 20 km of a major airport, you can easily hear
communications between aircraft and the control tower (Figure 2), and if you
live in a large city, you can hear communications between police cars,
firefighters, and other public services. If you live on the coast, you can even
hear communications between boats.
Figure 2 – Aircraft communications

However, it should be noted that communications in this band are not

continuous, that is, the stations are not permanently on the air, which means
that locating the stations in tune may require a little skill and patience.

Communications made on this band are generally quite short so that each
station is "on the air" for only a few seconds at a time to transmit a sentence
or piece of information.

Therefore, it is necessary to try to tune several times until we are able to

tune the frequency at the exact moment the station is on the air. This
requires more attempts the less constant the communications between the
stations are.

HOW IT WORKS

The operating principle of a converter can be explained by understanding the

phenomenon of beating.

If we have a signal with a frequency X and combine this signal with another
with a frequency Y, we will end up with two signals, one with a frequency
equal to the difference in frequencies of the input signals, that is, XY, and the
other with a frequency equal to the sum of the frequencies of the input
signals, that is, X+Y.

In our case, the signal with a frequency equal to the difference will be
particularly important (figure 3).

Figure 3 – The beat

The receiver we want to use can only tune into stations whose frequencies
are between 550 KHz and 1,600 KHz, while the stations we want to listen to
have frequencies between 110 MHz and 140 MHz.

What we can do then is generate a signal whose frequency is about 1 MHz

higher or lower than 110 MHz or 140 MHz, so that the difference in
frequencies between the tuned signal and the generated signal falls
precisely in the medium wave band.

For example, if we want to tune a 127 MHz station into the 1,000 KHz of the
medium wave radio, we can do this by generating a 126 MHz or 128 MHz
signal and combining that signal with the 127 MHz. The 1 MHz or 1,000 KHz
difference can be tuned into the medium wave receiver and we will be able
to hear the desired station (figure 4).

Figure 4 – Tuning to a station

The converter that we will assemble then has, in addition to the oscillating
part, the tuning circuit and also a circuit that, by induction, emits the
"frequency difference" signal to a small radio placed nearby.

Therefore, no connection is necessary between the converter and the radio,

the only requirement being that the radio has a plastic case (figure 5).
Figure 5 – Using the converter

The most critical point of the circuit is that which refers to the tuning coil and
the variable capacitor, as the converter's operating range depends on these
components.

A RECEIVER FOR THE FM MICRO-TRANSMITTER

One of the uses for this VHF converter is its operation in conjunction with a
medium wave radio in receiving signals from one of the many FM micro-
transmitters that we publish on this site.

In fact, the frequency of the micro-transmitters, through a simple adjustment

of the trimmer, can be taken to around 108 or 110 MHz and with this this
converter can transfer the signal to the medium wave band where it would
be heard on a common radio.

Therefore, no modifications need to be made to the radio or the micro-

transmitter to have both operating together with the converter (figure 6).

Figure 6 – Receiving FM signals

ASSEMBLY

For assembly, the usual materials required are: a low-power soldering iron,
cutting pliers, needle-nose pliers and one or two screwdrivers.

The complete diagram of the converter is given in Figure 7, and the

arrangement of the terminal bridge components is given in Figure 8.
Figure 7 – Complete diagram
Figure 8 – Terminal bridge assembly

As the reader can see, this circuit uses three coils that must be wound with
the utmost care.

The first coil, L1, consists of about 40 to 60 turns of fine enameled wire (32
or 34 AWG) wound around a 470 K x 1/4 or 1/2 W resistor, as shown in Figure
9.
Figure 9 – Coil L1

Coil L2 is exactly the same as coil L1. Coil L3 consists of about 2 or 3 turns of
rigid plastic-coated wire or 20 or 22 enameled wire, wound so as to have a
diameter of about 1 cm and a length of about 1.5 or 2 cm.

The variable capacitor used is of the small capacity type, with the most
recommended being the 12 pF. Since this type of capacitor cannot be found
very easily in our market, the reader has 2 options for assembly:

The first consists of removing some plates from the moving part of a
common variable capacitor of 365 or 410 pF until the desired capacitance is
obtained. Since there is no requirement for great precision in this case, if the
reader leaves two or one moving plate, the capacitance variation obtained
will already be sufficient to cover the desired range. The necessary
compensations can eventually be made by removing turns from coil L3
(figure 10).
Figure 10 – Adapting a capacitor

Note: You can use a variable FM capacitor, which is common nowadays.

The other option is to connect in series with the common 410 pF or 365 pF
variable capacitor, a 15 or 22 pF ceramic disc capacitor.

In this case, the combination of the capacitance of the series variable with
the capacitance of this capacitor allows a total variation of the tuning in the
desired range. Some changes in the number of turns of the coil L3 in this
case may also be necessary in this case (figure 11).
Figure 11 – Using a capacitor in series

The biggest advantage of the second option is that there is no need to move
the variable plates, which, by the way, requires great skill to prevent them
from touching each other.

Trimmer C2 has a very important function in this circuit, which is to

determine the point at which stations will be tuned on the medium wave
radio. Any trimmer can be used for this function.

ADJUSTMENT AND USE

Once the assembly is complete, check all the connections and, if everything
is in order, perform a preliminary test before installing the set in a final box.
To do this, place a 9 V battery in the circuit and connect it near the coil L1.
Tune your portable radio to a frequency between 600 KHz and 1,200 KHz
where there is no station operating. The radio volume should be at a little
over half its rotation (figure 12).
Figure 12 - testing

Then adjust trimmer C2 until you hear a signal similar to a continuous hiss or
hiss in the radio speaker. The radio's tuning can then be adjusted until this
signal is tuned to maximum intensity.
Then, try to tune the variable until you hear a signal from a VHF station. If
the reader is near busy airports (São Paulo or Rio), listening will be relatively
easy, but if you are in places where VHF broadcasts are rarer, you will have
to try several times until you hear something, because as we said,
communications in this band are not continuous.

To operate the converter with the micro-transmitter, open the micro-

transmitter trimmer almost completely, tune the radio signal near the VHF
converter, which should have the variable at the midpoint of its tuning, and
then close the micro-transmitter trimmer until you hear its signal.

The converter should only operate with a telescopic antenna that is no

longer than 70 cm, to avoid the radiation of spurious signals and to avoid the
minimum influence of nearby parasitic capacitances that could make the
circuit unstable.

Once the converter is working properly, it can be installed in a plastic box of

an appropriate size, or if the reader prefers and there is space in the medium
wave receiver box itself.

Q1 - BF496 or BF254 - NPN transistor for RF

R1 - 220k ohms x 1/8W - resistor (red, red, yellow)

R2 - 1k ohms x 1/8W - resistor (brown, black, red)

C1 - 6.8 pF or 5.6 pF - ceramic disc

C2 - common trimmer

C3 - 220 pF or 270 pF - ceramic capacitor

C4 - 10 pF - ceramic capacitor

C5 - variable capacitor (see text)

C6 - 1 nF - polyester or ceramic capacitor

L1, L2 and L3 - see text

B1 - 9V battery
Miscellaneous: terminal bridge, telescopic antenna, connector for the 9 V
battery, wires, solder, enameled wire, 470 k ohm x 1/2 W resistors to wind L1
and L2, knob for the variable, etc.

Originally published in 1978