HF Receiver for Beginner Ham

Credit Line: Radio # 4, 1953: pp.: 26- 29

By: Viktor Lomanovich, UA3DH

The HF Tube Regenerative Receiver is a classical design of the Tube Era. Somebody gave me magazine with the article at the 70s. I did the receiver and got very good result. I have received lots of amateur stations with the receiver. Then the receiver was remade by me in general coverage HF- Receiver. I could receive with great quality forbidden BBC, Voice of America lots broadcasting stations and easy found at those times "Numbers Stations." Design of my receiver was not strictly followed by the article. Later I made several such receivers for 19, 16 and 13- meter broadcasting bands. Some people asked me did it for receiving BBC and Voice of America that were strongly jammed at others broadcasting bands.

However, I have seen (and heard its work) this receiver made strictly according to the article. It was in Kharkov, when I studied at the Radio and Electronics University. The receiver was made at the far 50s and still used at one Ukraine Amateur Station as a backup receiver.

The receiver works well with any types of the tubes. It works good at low voltage, as I remember, 25 Volts was enough for the receiver. Nominals of the resistors and capacitors are not critical. Tolerance in 30- 50% is okey.

 Figure 1 shows schematic of the receiver. It is classical regenerative receiver with RF Stage and Separate Audio Amplifier.

Radio # 4, 1953

Front Cover

RF Stage (Tube 1) allows use a short wire as antenna. If you would use good long wire you need decrease capacity of the capacitor C5 to 1- 8- pF. To make general coverage HF Receiver you need use dual variable capacitor to tune input and regenerator inductors. Take attention to the feeding of the heating of the tubes. At the receiver it is used artificial ground to eliminate hum in the phones. Battery operated (or DC powered) heating would be a good decision.

Title of the Article

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