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Andy aka
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What normally happens is that an AM antenna signal is amplified and tuned several times to create a much larger RF signal that is precisely pin-pointed on the channel the listener is trying to receive. Then it is fed thru a diode detector.

Without RF amplification (as a minimum of maybe 30dB or thereabouts) before the diode you are not going to have an RF signal that is not large enough to pass through a silicon diode so as to be rectified.

Non-ideal silicon diodes (as all silicon diodes are) pass very little signal below 100mV and your unamplified signal is going to be a few millivolts at best.

Back in the cats-whisker days of germanium diodes, strong signals could be picked up and detected this way so maybe try a germanium rectifier (or possibly schottky) and also remember the output of the diode needs a load resistor such as a couple of kohms - feeding it directly into a high impedance amplifier is also not going to help.

Also, using a diode like a 1N400x won't work either (even if the signal was substantial) because it's reverse recovery time is about 30us.

Also take note that the LM386 data sheet has this diagram: -

enter image description here

This circuit tells to you what to do after the detector stage. Of importance is R1 and C1 - these eradicate (largely) residual RF signals that may have crept through the detector.

What normally happens is that an AM antenna signal is amplified and tuned several times to create a much larger RF signal that is precisely pin-pointed on the channel the listener is trying to receive. Then it is fed thru a diode detector.

Without RF amplification (as a minimum of maybe 30dB or thereabouts) before the diode you are not going to have an RF signal that is not large enough to pass through a silicon diode so as to be rectified.

Non-ideal silicon diodes (as all silicon diodes are) pass very little signal below 100mV and your unamplified signal is going to be a few millivolts at best.

Back in the cats-whisker days of germanium diodes, strong signals could be picked up and detected this way so maybe try a germanium rectifier (or possibly schottky) and also remember the output of the diode needs a load resistor such as a couple of kohms - feeding it directly into a high impedance amplifier is also not going to help.

Also, using a diode like a 1N400x won't work either (even if the signal was substantial) because it's reverse recovery time is about 30us.

What normally happens is that an AM antenna signal is amplified and tuned several times to create a much larger RF signal that is precisely pin-pointed on the channel the listener is trying to receive. Then it is fed thru a diode detector.

Without RF amplification (as a minimum of maybe 30dB or thereabouts) before the diode you are not going to have an RF signal that is not large enough to pass through a silicon diode so as to be rectified.

Non-ideal silicon diodes (as all silicon diodes are) pass very little signal below 100mV and your unamplified signal is going to be a few millivolts at best.

Back in the cats-whisker days of germanium diodes, strong signals could be picked up and detected this way so maybe try a germanium rectifier (or possibly schottky) and also remember the output of the diode needs a load resistor such as a couple of kohms - feeding it directly into a high impedance amplifier is also not going to help.

Also, using a diode like a 1N400x won't work either (even if the signal was substantial) because it's reverse recovery time is about 30us.

Also take note that the LM386 data sheet has this diagram: -

enter image description here

This circuit tells to you what to do after the detector stage. Of importance is R1 and C1 - these eradicate (largely) residual RF signals that may have crept through the detector.

Source Link
Andy aka
  • 472.9k
  • 29
  • 383
  • 839

What normally happens is that an AM antenna signal is amplified and tuned several times to create a much larger RF signal that is precisely pin-pointed on the channel the listener is trying to receive. Then it is fed thru a diode detector.

Without RF amplification (as a minimum of maybe 30dB or thereabouts) before the diode you are not going to have an RF signal that is not large enough to pass through a silicon diode so as to be rectified.

Non-ideal silicon diodes (as all silicon diodes are) pass very little signal below 100mV and your unamplified signal is going to be a few millivolts at best.

Back in the cats-whisker days of germanium diodes, strong signals could be picked up and detected this way so maybe try a germanium rectifier (or possibly schottky) and also remember the output of the diode needs a load resistor such as a couple of kohms - feeding it directly into a high impedance amplifier is also not going to help.

Also, using a diode like a 1N400x won't work either (even if the signal was substantial) because it's reverse recovery time is about 30us.