Re: Help with Digital Alarm Clock Radio "repair"

From: DMF (me_at_sans.spam.com)
Date: 01/03/05 

Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2005 18:18:29 -0800

"jakdedert" wrote...
> t.hoehler wrote:
>> "DMF" wrote in message
>>> I was hoping someone here might be able to help me
>>> with my clock radio. I have a GPX Digital Alarm/Clock
>>> Radio (Model# D505) that I want to modify. I like to
>>> set the morning alarm to play music but I don't want any
>>> stations. I want it to wake me up with the soothing hiss
>>> of white noise. I've tried setting it between stations, at the
>>> ends of the dial, etc. but it still seems to pick up various
>>> broadcasts and other chatter. So the questions is -- what
>>> wire or component do I have to snip out of the circuit in
>>> order to disable the radio's ability to pick up any signals?
>>> I believe (and correct me if I am wrong) that if the antenna
>>> portion of the (FM?) circuit is snipped out then I should
>>> just get white noise, no matter where the tuner is set. Also,
>>> would removing the antenna circuit create any kind of
>>> problem for the downstream amplifying circuits?
>>>
>>> Can this be done, if so, how? (This is a $9 radio, so I'm
>>> not too concerned if I ruin it) Thank you.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> David (waiting with wire cutters at the ready)
>>>
>> If you can figure out where the LO (local osc) is, you can just
>> short its output to ground. I did that to a discarded boom box
>> board years ago, put it in a small speaker enclosure, run the
>> whole shebang off an old telephone light wall wart, and use it
>> to bathe the bedroom in pink noise, I rolled the highs off some
>> what with a cap. We've been using it for almost 16 years, works
>> great.
>
> You might even get by with taking the antenna input to ground...a lot
> easier to locate.

Thank you for the replies. I think finding that oscillator is a bit
beyond my skills. However, I can identify the tuner (clear plastic
box with metal plates that move when the tuner control is moved).
I can also see a ferrite bar AM antenna with a wire that connects
near the tuner. Would snipping this wire and grounding it get me
what I want? Also, I was hoping to use the FM band since the
hiss is more pleasant than AM hiss -- would grounding that wire
work to disable both bands or is there a separate FM antenna
lurking somewhere in the circuitry that I would have to ground?

Regards,
David

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