Old PYE radio

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I recently got a PYE radio repaired as a present for a family member. It picks up shortwave, lw and mw. Picks up a few stations fine. I was wondering if there is a way to either:

a) pick up FM and convert it to sw, lw or mw? so he could listen to FM stations but still get the vintage sound.

b) get something like an iTrip that transmitts sw, lw or mw? so he could play old CD's/Records etc through the valve radio.


If anyone can think of any other suggestions I would appreciate them also.

Thanks

Fuzzy Clam

This will do but its in kit form. Ramsey-AM1C-AM-Broadcast-Radio-Transmitter-Kit The same company also supply built units. They're not quite as user friendly as an ipod.

watty

That won't add FM/VHF.

Also those are absolutely illegal.


If it has an isolated chassis (some old radios have LIVE chassis/ metal work inside!), then a switch and socket added to outer non-earth pin of volume control will work.

Some have a two pin PU input which was ceramic / crystal recordplayer, not modern magnetic type and that mono input will work with an adaptor cable.


There is no simple method of adding FM-VHF.

Fuzzy Clam

watty wrote: »

That won't add FM/VHF.

Also those are absolutely illegal.


If it has an isolated chassis (some old radios have LIVE chassis/ metal work inside!), then a switch and socket added to outer non-earth pin of volume control will work.

Some have a two pin PU input which was ceramic / crystal recordplayer, not modern magnetic type and that mono input will work with an adaptor cable.


There is no simple method of adding FM-VHF.

I wouldn't worry too much about the legalities. I'm not recommending that the law be broken but since the AM band is all but de-regulated, it won't be a problem.;)

If you read the o/p again, you will see that the poster wants to add FM though the MW band in order to get that vintage sound. Adding an FM tuner to the Ramsey TX will do exactly that. He(or she) simply tunes the Pye to the Tx frequency. Adding a tuner to the pickup inputs will NOT achive that.

I know several people who prefer the warm sound that an old valve AM radio produces.

watty

You are quite wrong.

The AM band is not whatsover deregulated and Boards.ie can't condone any illegal activity. You can cause considerable interference to many MW channels over a large area with such a device.

Also no-one on the Internet is anonymous.

The "vintage sound" does work via the PU input or socket added to volume control. It's entirely a product of the transformer coupled audio amplifier, wooden cabinet and type of loudspeaker. The actual detector output of the AM Tuner fed to a modern HiFi is indistigusable to any AM tuner head feeding an Amp.

If you really want you can make the FM sound more like AM by adding a 7kHz Filter to roughly halve the frequency response.

Your comments are irresponsible and ill-informed.

Antenna

He could perhaps use a direct coaxial connection between this type of unit and the radio (A suitable value attenuator/s would be needed too to reduce the 100 milliwatt output, TV type attenuators and coax would do), so that it will not be installed to radiate.

Old valve radios usually have both an 'aerial' and 'earth' connection, so could accept co-ax cable (co-ax inner to 'aerial', co-ax outer to 'earth')

This setup would not be technically any different to using a modulator (with a satellite receiver or whatever) to send to a TV or TVs by aerial cabling around the house.

BTW
Those devices are actually legal to connect to a short antenna in the USA without a licence, - where the MW band is very much still in use (unlike in this country where it is has become disused).

funkydunkey

many thanks to all here for there help. i picked up the ramsay kit. took a while but got it going. was actually a well put together kit. with very good instructions. again thanks!

Jerrk001

Have an old Pye radio which I would like to get up and running again. Any idea where I might get it fixed in Dublin? Tnx.

the bay

Jerrk001 wrote: »

Have an old Pye radio which I would like to get up and running again. Any idea where I might get it fixed in Dublin? Tnx.

If there was a way to get it to Belfast I could undertake restoration usually does not cost more than £30.00

Jack

Jerrk001

Thanks Jack.

Not sure I can get it to Belfast any time soon, but I will keep it in mind.

Jerry.