Portable FM Transmitter

 

 

 

This portable FM Transmitter is easy to build. I have used a pair of BC548 transistors in this circuit. Although not strictly RF transistors, they still give good range. Transmitter is powered by 9V battery. The coil L1 consists of 7 turns on a quarter inch plastic former with a tuning slug. The tuning slug is adjusted to tune the transmitter. Actual range on my prototype tuned from 70MHz to around 120MHz. The aerial is a few inches of wire. Lengths of antenna wire should be 1 - 2 feet. The circuit is basically a radio frequency (RF) oscillator that operates around 70-120 MHz. Audio from audio jack is fed into the audio amplifier stage built around the first transistor. Output from the collector is fed into the base of the second transistor where it modulates the resonant frequency of the tank circuit by varying the junction capacitance of the transistor. Junction capacitance is a function of the potential difference applied to the base of the transistor. The tank circuit is connected in a Colpitts oscillator circuit. 

 

 One final point, don't hold the circuit in your hand and try to speak. Body capacitance is equivalent to a 200pF capacitor shunted to earth, damping all oscillations.