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Ramsey Electronics AR2 Instruction Manual

Aircraft receiver
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AIRCRAFT
RECEIVER KIT
Ramsey Electronics Model No.
A new and improved version of our popular Aircraft Receiver kit,
this new model features an LCD display, scan function, and
increased sensitivity, all in a rugged metal enclosure. Rivals
professional units costing much more and you have bragging
rights because you built it yourself!
•
Tunes the entire 118 - 136 MHz Air band
•
Operates on 12 to 15 VDC
•
Scan function "finds" the signals for you; no more laborious
tuning to find a transmission
•
Memory locations make it easy to refind your local favorites
•
Listen to control towers, centers, and planes en-route
•
Very sensitive; picks up planes 100 miles away!
•
Great project for all pilots and flight students
•
Clear, concise step-by-step instructions carefully guide you to a
finished kit that not only works - but you'll learn too!
AR2 • 1
AR2

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Summary of Contents for Ramsey Electronics AR2

  • Page 1 AIRCRAFT RECEIVER KIT Ramsey Electronics Model No. A new and improved version of our popular Aircraft Receiver kit, this new model features an LCD display, scan function, and increased sensitivity, all in a rugged metal enclosure. Rivals professional units costing much more and you have bragging rights because you built it yourself! •...
  • Page 2 2004 by Ramsey Electronics, Inc. 590 Fishers Station Drive, Victor, New York 14564. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be copied or duplicated without the written permission of Ramsey Electronics, Inc. Printed in the United States of America. AR2 • 2...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    What You Can Expect to Hear .... 4 Circuit Description........ 8 Block Diagram ........11 AR2 Parts List........14 Assembly Instructions......16 AR2 Schematic Centerfold ....18 Antenna Considerations ....29 Setup and Testing......29 Troubleshooting ......... 34 Warranty ..........35 RAMSEY ELECTRONICS, INC.

  • Page 4: Introduction

    It is designed for casual "listening in"- on both ground and air communication, for both commercial airlines and general aviation. The AR2 has been built by folks of all ages and skill levels, and in less time than it takes to fly solo!
  • Page 5 ACARS is used by many civilian and business aircraft and is similar to “email for airplanes". Each aircraft has its own unique address in the system. Traffic is AR2 • 5...
  • Page 6 Among the numbers on that chart, can you find the air-ground communications frequencies which can be heard on the ABM1 receiver? Can you find frequencies for uses other than communications? AR2 • 6...
  • Page 7 AR2 • 7...

  • Page 8: Circuit Description

    We’ll take the circuit section by section; the letters show which part of the block diagram we’re explaining in each section. The AR2 is a simple super-heterodyne receiver. A heterodyne receiver is a receiver that first converts the desired received frequency into an IF frequency, or Intermediate Frequency.
  • Page 9 118.3MHz but also 139.7MHz (2x IF + Fr). In this case this “image” is only 700kHz outside the band of interest and is almost impossible to filter out. The AR2 reduces the reception of image frequencies by using good band-pass filters on the input to reject the image frequencies before they make it to the mixer (A, C).
  • Page 10 Detector + Audio Out Since the AR2 is a relatively complex (and educational!) product, it’s easiest to show you how things work by using a block diagram and explaining the different sections. This is a simplified block diagram, but is suitable for our needs.

  • Page 11: Block Diagram

    AR2 • 11...
  • Page 12 410. This means the reference clock of 10.25MHz is divided by 410 to give a divider output of 25kHz. This value remains constant throughout the AR2 circuit. To receive 118.3MHz we have to set the N value of the divider to give us 25kHz from the divided down RF of the LO frequency.
  • Page 13 We hope you find something useful, some ’back at the shop’ wisdom as you read the hints and that they help you get to our goal of a well built kit that works the first time, every time. AR2 • 13...

  • Page 14: Ar2 Parts List

    AR2 PARTS LIST: CAPACITORS 2 3.3 pF ceramic capacitors [marked 3.3] (C25,28) 1 5 pF ceramic capacitor [marked 5] (C23) 1 10 pF ceramic capacitor (C32) 2 22 pF ceramic capacitors(C24,38) 1 56 pF ceramic capacitor (C63) 1 62 pF ceramic capacitor (C54)
  • Page 15 1 8 ohm speaker (SP3) 1 1/4” knob for SW1 2 1/8” knobs for R4, R27 4 1-64 X 1/4 inch screws and 1-64 hex nuts (for speaker) 7” length of twisted red and black wire for speaker AR2 • 15...

  • Page 16: Assembly Instructions

    7. Install C10, 1nF disc capacitor (marked .001 or 102). This part must be mounted on the opposite side of the PC board from where you’ve been installing the parts so far. That will make it easier to fit the speaker into the front panel later. AR2 • 16...
  • Page 17 13. Now we’ll install SW1, the rotary encoder. This will be used to change modes when we finally finish your AR2 kit. For now place the part correctly through the board and make sure it’s seated flat before you start soldering all the pins.
  • Page 18 SCHEMATIC CENTERFOLD AR2 • 18...
  • Page 19 AR2 • 19...
  • Page 20 This makes it easier to insert the chip into the socket. Be sure that all pins are in and that none are bent under or sticking out before moving on to the next part. AR2 • 20...
  • Page 21 32. Install C19, 0.1 µF disc capacitor (marked .1 or 104). 33. Install Q1, 2SC2570A NPN UHF transistor. The part has a flat side AR2 • 21...
  • Page 22 Install C36, 0.1 µF disc capacitor (marked .1 or 104). 54. Install R17, 4.7k ohm standup resistor (yellow-violet-red). 55. Install Q2, 2N3904 NPN transistor. The flat side must be oriented as shown on the PC board silkscreen and Parts Layout Diagram. Solder all AR2 • 22...
  • Page 23 Parts Layout Diagram for proper orientation of the flat side. 72. Install C35, 1nF disc capacitor (marked .001 or 102). 73. Install R16, 51 ohm resistor (green-brown-black). 74. Install C29, 1nF disc capacitor (marked .001 or 102). 75. Install C34, 82 pF ceramic capacitor (marked 82). AR2 • 23...
  • Page 24 You’ll always find electrolytic capacitors on the leads of a voltage regulator. They’re there not only to filter the voltage coming out of the regulator but also to keep the part from self-oscillating. 96. Install C5, 10 µF electrolytic capacitor. Place the positive lead correctly. AR2 • 24...
  • Page 25 I’ll remind you about the polarity. That’ll be a pleasant break, won’t it? 112. Install R31, 470k ohm resistor (yellow-violet-yellow). 113. Install R41, 2.7k ohm standup resistor (red-violet-red). 114. Install R33, 4.7k ohm resistor (yellow-violet-red). 115. Install C53, 1nF disc capacitor (marked .001 or 102). AR2 • 25...
  • Page 26 135. Install C30, the last 82 pF ceramic capacitor. 136. Install C67, 220 µF electrolytic capacitor, and the last of the electrolytics. Follow the silkscreen as you’ve done for all the others and be sure it’s installed correctly before soldering. AR2 • 26...
  • Page 27 147. Locate your front panel and the bezel that goes with it. (The bezel is the plastic piece in which the front panel sits). Put the bezel aside for now. Next find the hardware for the speaker, the four 1-64 X 1/4 inch screws AR2 • 27...
  • Page 28 You’re finished! Well, just about. You still will want to check over your solder joints to be sure they’re clean and well made. Take a look at the ICs to be AR2 • 28...

  • Page 29: Antenna Considerations

    SETUP AND TESTING It’s time to apply power to your AR2, tune it up, and start listening in on pilots and air traffic controllers. You need: •...
  • Page 30 AR2 can lock onto. If they’re from a passing plane they’ll tend to be brief so be prepared for that. When the AR2 is locked onto a signal simply take a tuning tool and adjust C48 for the clearest sounding audio.
  • Page 31 By pressing and turning the knob you can select the various modes of operation of the AR2. As you turn the knob while holding it in, the display will show the current selected mode. Release the knob to choose that selection.
  • Page 32 Full Scanner Mode and skip mode. Use the jog dial to select a frequency. Press and release the knob to skip to the next active frequency. Skipping to the next channel will occur after timeout in skip mode only. AR2 • 32...
  • Page 33 Setup Lighting Timer Use the jog dial to select an appropriate time out value which determines how long the lights are left on before shutting off. Press and hold the jog dial to save the changes to FLASH. AR2 • 33...

  • Page 34: Troubleshooting

    Please submit comments or ideas to: Ramsey Electronics Inc. or email us at techsupport@ramseymail.com Attn. Hobby Kit Department 590 Fishers Station Drive Victor, NY 14564 And once again, thanks from the folks at Ramsey! AR2 • 34...

  • Page 35: Warranty

    '1K ohm' resistors are actually the 'missing' 10 K parts ("Hum-m-m, I guess the 'red' band really does look orange!") Ramsey Electronics project kits are packed with pride in the USA. If you believe we packed an incorrect part or omitted a part clearly indicated in your assembly manual as supplied with the basic kit by Ramsey, please write or call us with information on the part you need and proof of kit purchase.

  • Page 36: Ramsey Electronics, Inc

    TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ..........4 What You Can Expect to Hear.....4 Circuit Description ........8 Block Diagram........11 AR2 Parts List ........14 Assembly Instructions ....... 16 AR2 Schematic Centerfold....18 Antenna Considerations....29 Setup and Testing ......29 Troubleshooting ........ 34 Warranty..........

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