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Low volume with your Hacked Radio --- Amp

So you hack your radio of choice and become disappointed by the volume level you can get out of your newly hacked radio amp. This might be the reason why:

Preamplifier-Mixer

The circuit in Figure 38 permits mixing two inputs, and is particularly intended for one high impedance, relatively low-level input, and a lower impedance, higher level input. As example, the “Mike” socket can take a crystal microphone input, and will be, of high impedance. This input receives amplification from the FET. The 2N3819 is suitable. Other low-level inputs may of course be employed here if necessary.

The “Radio” socket is suitable for a tuner, or for other medium or lower impedance inputs having a higher signal level. VR1 control the level of the “Mike” input, and VR2 the level of the “Radio” input. This preamplifier-mixer will be found very useful when employed with a main amplifier where adequate gain is already available for full volume output with a radio or similar input, but which has no mixing facility, and possibly rather low gain for small input levels. Construction, power supply and audio circuits can be arranged as described for Figures 36 and 37. There is quite wide latitude in the supply voltage, but the value of R4 can be modified if necessary, if current is drawn from the main amplifier. Circuits of this type are excellent for general usage. Where pick-up, tape or other equalisation circuits are required, er other considerations arise, reference can be made to Handbook No. BP35, Babani Press

So as you can see from the information I pasted here from, ( http://www.portabletubes.co.uk/sitefiles/50FETProjects.pdf ) this page helps us understand what is happening.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Blind Lemon Cello on January 11, 2015 at 1:41pm

Hey Corbin, I have been experimenting with "slaving" & find it awesome. My favorite amps are tube, and I will use a low powered radio tube amp to boost the larger amps by going directly into their input jacks. So chain is axe, pedals, slaved radio, attenuator, amp/radio. I find a tube preamp/slave has much better tone & dynamics then electronic boards.

Permalink Reply by 3 String Blues on January 12, 2015 at 7:15am

yeah I hate to say, but that's the downside of hacking into old radio, sometimes they are weak and sound terrible, what's keeps me going is every so often one sounds AWESOME!

Permalink Reply by Blind Lemon Cello on January 12, 2015 at 7:46am

BJ, if you haven't tried the pre-amp method I list above, you owe yourself the experience. I have been doing it for about 6 months & have also had success even without an attenuator to serve as a dummy load, with no damage to any of my amps. Huge gain in volume, breakup & tone. Just make an out signal from one amp to the in signal of the main amp.

Permalink Reply by Corbin on January 12, 2015 at 10:22am

BJ, the reason I think they are weak is the mismatch between the guitar and the input to the radio amp. Remember these little radios were never designed to be a guitar amp. So it stands to reason some have close to the right impedance match and some are way off.

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