Help with a volume control pot

[audioguru]

Amazon sells clothing, shoes and other cheap stuff, not quality electronic products.
The Elenco FM radio kit is made for kids to learn how to solder. It uses the obsolete TDA7088 IC I told you about. It might receive a few local radio stations poorly.
Its tiny speaker without an enclosure will sound awful.

 

[Ian Rogers]

Mr doom and gloom...

Sometimes... Just let them make their own mistakes...

 

[maltesecorsair]

audioguru, sir, where I am, I have no options other than Amazon and a couple of other sites. The sites which sell electronic parts only doesn't have much of a selection either. And sir, I am an absolute noob at all this ya know sir, I need to learn how to solder properly too hehe. I honestly don't think I will be able to make a professional grade radio, I am just fiddling with things sir. I just don't have the brains or the knowledge to make perfect electronic anything sir.

Ian Rogers, sir, I think you, in your own way, are telling me to go ahead and try and I think I will.

 

[JimB]

audioguru warned me against trying to use one of those,

Audioguru has a real downer on the TDA7000, if you have bought one, try it.
What is the worst that could happen?
A tear in the space-time continuum?
I don't think so.

JimB

 

[maltesecorsair]

JimB, sir, thank you so much for encouraging me. I will indeed try the IC and hopefully learn something in the process sir. Thank you, again, sir

 

[audioguru]

The TDA7000 was patented by Philips in 1977 (43 years ago!). Its performance was poor so they did not release it until 1983 when companies put it into wristwatches and sunglasses. They improved it a few years later with the TDA7088.

A normal FM radio has a 10.7MHZ IF with at least 3 LC resonant filters. The TDA7000 and TDA7088 use an IF at 70kHz and opamp filters. It is overloaded by local stations and is not sensitive enough to receive distant stations. It uses its MUTE function to coverup its high levels of spurious interference.

I have a Chinese one that has horrible performance. Maybe the thread poster can get a real old Philips one or a better Chinese one than mine.

I was wondering where in the world he buys obsolete parts and finds very old circuits. Yes, his Member description says India. Maybe the cheap TDA7088 radios sold here at The Dollar Store are not sold in India. Some Dollar Stores here are FROM India.

 

[maltesecorsair]

audioguru: Then the TDA7000 is almost as old as I am . Oh sir I forgot to mention, I just want to get one station that is located in my district. Well sir, I just search for fm radio schematics in google.in and then I try to see if I can get hold of the IC mentioned in my online electronic component stores or at the regular electronic stores. For some reason, google gives me only old circuits. I found two circuits using BK1079 and TEA5591, I dont know if those are old ICs, maybe they are real old as I couldn't find them in the local or online stores. And sir, a dollar US is 76 bucks in my money I saw one Elenco AM/FM receiver kit which costs slightly less than 100 US$. Now sir, I can get a good Philips AM/FM radio here for about 15$. Most probably, the above kit is imported hence the high price. I um um, dont know what Dollar Stores are really like, but we don't have anything like that here. I did indeed try to trawl the net through google, hunting for schematics but can't find anything using ICs other than those I mentioned sir. I gather that you want me to try and build an fm receiver that is really good, but with my lack of knowledge and lack of components, I am afraid I'll have to settle for much less sir. I started thinking of making an fm radio receiver thinking it might be easy if I could find a schematic and components but that proves to be elusive. But I do appreciate your input sir, don't think me ungrateful, I am very happy that you provide me with information I dont know at all.

 

[audioguru]

It seems that your world is completely different to my world. Your money value is 76 times different to my money value. You search to buy old stuff but I can buy anything. In India, you have many hobbyists posting circuits on You Tube. You have many online circuit sites and many forums. You even have your own Google.

Although times have changed here, when I was starting in electronics there were a few competing American kit manufacturers. My first high quality audio amplifiers were kits. My first hifi FM tuner was a kit then later its stereo adapter. Many local competing stores sold the latest parts inexpensively, later online Western or Oriental parts were available. Today, the kit manufacturers and most stores are gone.
Maybe a forum in India will be best for you since your parts and culture are so different to ours.

 

[JimB]

The TDA7000 was patented by Philips in 1977 (43 years ago!). Its performance was poor

AG, let the guy kiss a few frogs, he will find the princess eventually!

JimB

 

[Ian Rogers]

I bought a super heterodyne kit years ago... I had the idea that my daughter (6 at the time ) could sing along with the radio.. Didn't work.. To complicated for what I needed... A toy basically... So I grabbed a s**ty circuit from the web.. She had hours of fun.. Sound was good enough..

 

[maltesecorsair]

audioguru, sir, I did not actually search for old circuits, all that google gives me is what you term as old circuits. I don't know if it is because it is google tailored for us folks. Oh I didn't search Youtube for circuits, perhaps I should. I didn't specify the country of origin while searching for circuits sir, and honestly I didn't know this forum was meant only for westerners. And sir, I hope I don't offend you by saying this, but I do not belong to any culture as such, I am a lone wolf who lives by my own lights.

Ian Rogers, sir, I suppose since it was years ago, you probably do not have that circuit schematic with you anymore now?

 

[Mickster]

I didn't know this forum was meant only for westerners.

It isn't, this forum is meant for everyone who has an interest in electronics, and even those who do not, but just want help on a particular electronics-related problem.

 

[maltesecorsair]

Mickster, thank you sir, I do have an interest in electronics, and I am trying to learn the subject albeit slowly.

 

[audioguru]

It is difficult for us "westerners" to help you when you find only old things on your Google.in which is completely different to our worldwide and modern Google.com.
Also, common cheap parts for us are impossible to find or are too expensive for you.
There are many electronic hobbyists in India that have exactly the same problems as you have and forums there where you can find help that we can't.

 

[maltesecorsair]

audioguru, I will try to join up in some other forum too sir.