Ramsey Electronics Ramsey 220 MHZ FM RECEIVER KIT Owners Manual

							FR-220 • 21 
❒7. Turn the power ON. 
❒8. Turn R2 (Volume control) until you hear some noise. 
❒9. Adjust L4 for maximum noise in the speaker. 
 
Further alignment now consists of adjusting the oscillator coil L3 to 
permit the tuning control (R3) to cover the 5 MHz segment between 222 
and 227 MHz of primary interest to you.  
 
If you are a beginner with no license or other equipment, any Ham 
operator with a 220 MHz transceiver should be willing to give you the 
test signal and extra help that you need. The FR220 is very sensitive, so 
operate the transceiver on low power on a simplex frequency no closer 
than across the room. An 8 piece of wire will be a sufficient receiving 
antenna for such tests. If  you dont know any Hams, visit a friendly two-
way radio service center to get close to the test signal you need!  
 
If available in your area, TV channel 13 transmits the audio portion of its 
signal on 215.75 MHz. If you can tune some semblance of channel 13 
audio on your receiver, you know that a slight adjustment of L3 will bring 
your receiver up into the 222 MHz ham band. You would turn the coil 
slug CCW to increase its resonant frequency. Do not expect to hear the 
TV channels audio clearly, its wideband FM (75 KHz) signal is too 
broad for our narrowband FM IF filter. 
 
If TV channel 13 is not on in your area, you can use a TV set to receive 
the FR220s local oscillator signal. Connect the TV antenna to the 
FR220s antenna jack, enough signal will leak out the antenna jack 
and be picked up by the TV. Youll see the TV picture or sound go blank 
as you tune. Remember that if you tune the TV to channel 13, it is set to 
receive sound at 215.75 MHz, and if it is receiving the FR220, the 
FR220 is actually set to receive 205.05 MHz (205.05 + 10.7 = 215.75).    
 
Other TV channels near the FR220s tuning range 
•Channel 13 Video:  211.25 MHz Audio:  215.75 MHz 
•Channel 12 Video:  205.25 MHz Audio:  209.75 MHz 
•Channel 11 Video:  199.25 MHz Audio:  203.75 MHz 
  
						

							FR-220 • 22 
The small 4 turn coils are stretched or compressed when receiving a 
weak signal. Typically the coils are spread to about 1/4 inch width. Make 
this adjustment only when receiving a constant weak signal, this simple 
tweak will significantly perk up your reception!     
 
RECEIVER SENSITIVITY   
 
Your FM receiver features sensitivity under 1 uv. Radio hams constantly 
marvel at how an FR220 displayed at hamfests tunes in dozens of 
hand-held QSOs on the premises- without an antenna connected! You 
can expect to monitor local repeater and simplex transmissions easily, 
using a simple groundplane style antenna. The receiver also responds 
very well to the addition of a low-noise pre-amplifier such as the Ramsey 
SA-7, PR-2 or PR-20. The PR-20, 220 MHz preamp kit features High-Q 
tuned circuitry for a significant performance improvement. A new and 
versatile receiver accessory is the Ramsey AA-7 HF-VHF Active 
Antenna, which doubles as a preamplifier with other antennas in 
addition to the excellent performance of its own whip.     
 
ADDING AN LED POWER ON INDICATOR  
 
 
For many people, a pilot lamp to indicate power on is more than a nice 
touch. They expect it and depend on it, reminding us that real radios 
glow in the dark! Adding a simple LED power-on indicator to your 
Ramsey kit receiver is easy. All you need is the LED itself and a small 
1K to 2.2K resistor.   
 
Study the PC traces between the positive battery supply wire and the 
on-off switch. The  unused connectors on top of your switch are an ideal 
point to get the + DC voltage needed for the anode (longer lead) of the 
LED. Plan where and how you wish to install the LED in your enclosure.  
 
Locating the LED immediately above the on-off switch is logical and 
ideal. The simplest way to make a good installation is to drill a neat hole 
just slightly smaller than the diameter of the LED. Then, enlarge the hole 
a little bit at a time, just enough to let the LED be pressed in and held 
firmly. The resistor may be connected to either the anode or cathode of 
the LED, but the anode MUST go to + DC, with the cathode connected 
to the nearest common ground point. If you are wondering why we did 
not include these pennies worth of parts with your kit, you can believe 
any of the following reasons:   
						

							FR-220 • 23 
 
(1) We wanted to stretch your battery budget:  with the LED drawing 
about 6 ma, how long will your battery last if you leave your receiver on 
for a few days, just like we leave our computers and Ham or computer 
accessories on all the time?  
(2) We thought youd have more fun planning and installing your own 
lamp that glows in the dark!   
(3) We could not decide which color you would like best!    
 
 
 
THE RAMSEY ELECTRONICS CASE, KNOB & HARDWARE 
OPTION   
 
Your finished receiver can be installed in a variety of enclosures of your 
own design and choosing. You might be planning to combine several 
Ramsey circuit  boards in a single enclosure. Use of the inexpensive 
and attractive Ramsey case and knob kit will give your unit that finished 
look and increase its resale value. These sturdy black instrument cases 
are supplied with neatly-lettered front and rear panels, knobs, rubber 
feet and mounting screws.   
 
OTHER ENCLOSURE RECOMMENDATIONS   
 
While we believe that the Ramsey enclosure and knob option is a fine 
value for finishing off your Ramsey receiver or transmitter, we are happy 
to give you a couple of additional suggestions. If your first goal is 
economy and rugged portability, you will find that the circuit board can 
be mounted nicely in a standard VHS videotape storage box, which also 
gives room for a speaker, or earphone storage, and even a roll of 
antenna wire. The controls are easily mounted at one end of such a box. 
It may be necessary to cut away the molded posts which secure the 
tape cassette itself. These storage boxes come in several styles, so pick 
one that looks truly practical as a project enclosure.  
 
To accomplish RF shielding, the most economical metal enclosure 
nicely suited for Ramsey amateur kit boards is Radio Shack No. 270-
253A. This metal utility cabinet can accommodate both a receiver and 
transmitter board, plus speaker, with room for various refinements you 
might like to add.    
  
						

							FR-220 • 24 
FR-6 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE   
 
The Ramsey FR-series FM receivers are among our most widely-used 
and popular kits. The circuit itself, assembly and use are cut-and-dried. 
If your receiver does not work, there is an error in assembly or defective 
part. Following is some help in case you experience difficulty.   
 
Problem: Receiver completely dead- no sound at all.  
❒Check the following:First, the cable or plug adapter leading to 
speaker or phones! 
❒Battery condition and battery wire polarity and soldering at S1 
Connections associated with U3, the LM386 audio output IC   
 
Problem: Receiver hisses, but NO signals are heard, not even a 
signal  generator 2 inches away. 
First, you need to verify that the local oscillator (SA602, L3, etc.) is 
operating. Use another VHF receiver or a frequency counter to verify 
oscillator operation. Next, make sure that the 10.245 MHz crystal 
oscillator is running by tuning a general purpose HF (shortwave) 
receiver to that frequency. If either oscillator is not running, re-check 
correctness of parts and solder joints associated with both oscillator 
circuits. Further signal-path tracing may be necessary to find your 
problem. 
 
Problem: Very weak signals If Q1 is defective or incorrectly installed, 
very little signal energy will reach the SA602. 
If Q2 is defective or installed incorrectly, very little of the SA602s 10.7 
MHz output is getting to the MC3359. Also, be sure L4 is peaked 
correctly. 
 
Problem: Considerable frequency drift or shifting 
First, make sure that L3 is soldered securely to the PC board. If you plan 
to use the receiver on the go, you may wish to secure the base of the 
coil to the board with reinforcing glue. If the receiver drifts, check all 
wiring and components associated with AFC Q3 and pin 11 of the 
MC3359. 
  
						

							FR-220 • 25 
Problem: Squelch does not function 
 
Re-check all connections and components associated with pins 10 
through 16 of  the MC3359. Check polarity of C27 and D2. C27 sets the 
time constant for the squelch circuit. 
 
SOME NOTES FOR ADVANCED USERS
   
 
Unlike Ramsey HF receivers and transmitters, the FR-series of VHF 
receivers do not offer much PC board space or real need for 
customization or other modifications. These receivers do what they are 
intended to do at the lowest price that we are aware of for a tunable 
VHF FM receiver with squelch, AFC and generous audio output. 
Therefore, while we are certainly interested in hearing about significant 
performance improvements, we do not recommend casual modification 
attempts.   
 
However, there is one practical customization which could be 
undertaken by experienced VHF experimenters who wish to take 
advantage of the SA602s ability to accept a crystal resonator instead of 
the existing L-C tank circuit. The goal would be a one channel repeater 
monitor or  dedicated packet receiver. Inductor L3 and associated 
capacitors would be replaced by the appropriate crystal tank 
components. Remember that the crystal oscillator should be  planned to 
operate 10.7 MHz above the desired receiving frequency. Please do not 
attempt such a project unless you have a clear knowledge of oscillator 
design and have reviewed and understood the terms of your Ramsey Kit 
Warranty. We regret that the factory cannot offer any assistance in 
performing this or any other modification, so... youre on your own, but 
thats what experimenting is all about!   
 
A helpful article on the Signetics NE602 IC, including a discussion of 
crystal-controlled oscillator configurations, was written by Michael A. 
Covington with acknowledged assistance from Signetics personnel, 
published with good circuit illustrations in Radio-Electronics magazine 
for April 1990 (Vol  61, No 4). It will help you understand your SA602. 
 
A less complex approach to the same general goal, eliminating the 
expense of a crystal and the logistics of adding it to the PC board, is to  
undo the excellent tuning range we designed into your receiver! This 
would require selecting appropriate values for C9,C10 and C12 and 
reducing the effect of the varactor tuning to perhaps a 100 KHz swing  
						

							FR-220 • 26 
for fine tuning purposes only. Try reducing C12 to 1 or 2 pF for starters.   
 
Finally, the only pin of the MC3359 not used in our circuit is pin 15, for 
scan control. Perhaps you will come up with some fascinating idea for it!   
 
Again, please be sure that you understand your warranty, and that you  
understand your receiver and how to keep it working, before attempting 
any modifications.   
 
If youve enjoyed this kit, be sure to check out the entire Ramsey kit line. 
We have a whole series of nifty synthesized VHF FM Transceiver kits 
that not only teach state-of-the-art technology, but are fun and easy to 
build, too! Call or write for our catalog.   
  
						

							FR-220 • 27 
The Ramsey Kit Warranty  
Please read carefully BEFORE calling or writing in about your kit. Most 
problems can be solved without contacting the factory. 
 Notice that this is not a fine print warranty. We want you to understand your rights and ours too! All 
Ramsey kits will work if assembled properly. The very fact that your kit includes this new manual is 
your assurance that a team of knowledgeable people have field-tested several copies of this kit 
straight from the Ramsey Inventory. If you need help, please read through your manual carefully, all 
information required to properly build and test your kit is contained within the pages!   
 
1. DEFECTIVE PARTS: Its always easy to blame a part for a problem in your kit, Before you conclude 
that a part may be bad, thoroughly check your work. Todays semiconductors and passive components 
have reached incredibly high reliability levels, and it’s sad to say that our human construction skills 
have not! But on rare occasions a sour component can slip through. All our kit parts carry the Ramsey 
Electronics Warranty that they are free from  defects for a full ninety (90) days from the date of 
purchase. Defective parts will be replaced promptly at our expense. If you suspect any part to be 
defective, please mail it to our factory for testing and replacement. Please  send only the defective part
(s), not the entire kit. The part(s) MUST be returned to us in suitable condition for testing. Please be 
aware that testing can usually determine if the part was truly defective or damaged by assembly or 
usage. Dont be afraid of telling us that you blew-it, were all human and in most cases, replacement 
parts are very reasonably priced.   
 
2. MISSING PARTS: Before assuming a part value is incorrect, check the parts listing carefully to see 
if it is a critical value such as a specific coil or IC, or whether a RANGE of values is suitable (such as 
100 to 500 uF). Often times, common sense will solve a mysterious missing part problem. If youre 
missing five 10K ohm resistors and received five extra 1K resistors, you can pretty much be assured 
that the 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 
 
3. FACTORY REPAIR OF ASSEMBLED KITS:  
To qualify for Ramsey Electronics factory repair, kits MUST:     
1. NOT be assembled with acid core solder or flux. 
2. NOT be modified in any manner. 
3. BE returned in fully-assembled form, not partially assembled. 
4. BE accompanied by the proper repair fee. No repair will be undertaken until we have received the 
MINIMUM repair fee (1/2 hour labor) of $25.00, or authorization to charge it to your credit card 
account. 
5. INCLUDE a description of the problem and legible return address. DO NOT send a separate letter; 
include all correspondence with the unit. Please do not include your own hardware such as 
non-Ramsey cabinets, knobs, cables, external battery packs and the like. Ramsey 
Electronics, Inc., reserves the right to refuse repair on ANY item in which we find excessive 
problems or damage due to construction  methods. To assist customers in such situations, 
Ramsey Electronics, Inc., reserves the right to solve their needs on a case-by-case basis. 
 
The repair is $50.00 per hour, regardless of the cost of the kit. Please understand that our technicians 
are not volunteers and that set-up, testing, diagnosis, repair and repacking and paperwork can take 
nearly an hour of paid employee time on even a simple kit. Of course, if we find that a part was 
defective in manufacture, there will be no charge to repair your kit (But please realize that our 
technicians know the difference between a defective part and parts burned out or damaged through 
improper use or assembly). 
 
4. REFUNDS: You are given ten (10) days to examine our products. If you are not satisfied, you may 
return your unassembled kit with all the parts and instructions and proof of purchase to the factory for 
a full refund. The return package should be packed securely. Insurance is recommended. Please do 
not cause needless delays, read all information carefully.  
						

							FR-220 • 28 
 
FR220 220 MHz FM Receiver Kit 
Quick Reference Page Guide 
 
I
ntroduction to the FR220 ..............  4 
Circuit Description ..........................  5 
Parts List ........................................  6 
Simplified Block Diagram ...............  8 
Parts Layout Diagram ....................  9 
FR220 Assembly Instructions ........  11 
Testing and Alignment ...................  21 
Enclosure Ideas .............................  24 
Troubleshooting Guide ..................  24 
Notes for Advanced Users .............  25 
Ramsey Kit W arranty .....................  27 
Price: $5.00 
Ramsey Publication No. FR220 
Assembly and Instruction manual for: 
RAMSEY MODEL NO. FR220  220 MHz FM RECEIVER KIT 
RAMSEY ELECTRONICS, INC. 
590 Fishers Station Drive 
Victor, New York 14564 
Phone (585) 924-4560 
Fax (585) 924-4555 
www.ramseykits.com 
REQUIRED TOOLS 
•Soldering Iron Ramsey WLC100 
•Thin Rosin Core Solder  Ramsey RTS12 
•Needle Nose Pliers  Ramsey MPP4 or RTS05 
•Small Diagonal Cutters  Ramsey RTS04 
 Technician’s Tool Kit  TK405 
 
ADDITIONAL SUGGESTED ITEMS
 
•Holder for PC Board/Parts  Ramsey HH3  
•Desoldering Braid  Ramsey RTS08 
•Digital Multimeter  Ramsey M133 
TOTAL SOLDER POINTS 
232 
ESTIMATED ASSEMBLY 
TIME 
Beginner ...............6.8  hrs 
Intermediate .........3.9  hrs 
Advanced .............2.9 hrs