Why Radio Waves Are Chosen For Close Range Transmission?

Why radio waves are chosen for Remote & close range transmission?
o INTRODUCTION
o

EM WAVE

RADIO WAVE

OSCILLATORS

RADIO TRANSMITTER

MODULATOR

RADIO WAVE DETECTION

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A SIMPLE RADIO RECEIVER

Why radio waves is chosen for remote/close range Transmission ?

INTRODUCTION
Back then in the stone ages, information were disseminated either on foot or via beasts such as horses or
camels. The rate at which information were disseminated was very slow. A person on foot would take days
or even months to deliver a piece of information across a distance.
With the use of beasts, dissemination of information was a bit faster and became more and more faster like
the speed of lightening with our transition into twenty first century, an era of explored science and
technology. Things have really become easier and can be done faster.
You could be sitting in your room and dial a number on your phone and be instantly connected with a friend
millions of miles away. The messages we type and send the conversations we make over our cell phones are
all conveyed via electromagnetic waves or em wave as others may call it.
There are different types of EM (Electromagnetic waves) wave but we will strictly be focusing on radio
wave; what it is? how it is propagated? how it can be detected? and of course how to make a simple radio
receiver?
In order
to understand it
better, lets see some
few
things
first.

EM WAVE
Electromagnetic wave or EM wave is a form electromagnetic radiation that results from the discharge of
electricity or even lightening. Any discharge of electricity can result to EM wave with wavelength close to
that of radio wave.
Electromagnetic radiation posses wave properties, i.e, EM wave can be propagated, diffracted, refracted etc.
EM wave can be interfered i.e it undergoes interference when an EM wave with the same or close range
frequency cross its path. EM wave ranges from radio wave which has low frequency with long wavelength
to gamma ray that has the highest frequency and shortest wavelength hence gamma ray has the highest
energy.

RADIO WAVE
Radio wave is a form of electromagnetic radiation. It has low frequency which approximately ranges from
150kHz to 100MHz.

OSCILLATORS
To better understand how data is transmitted via radios, it is necessary that we talk about an oscillator. An
Oscillator is of two types; there is the mechanical oscillator and an electrical oscillator but we will focus on
electrical oscillator only. An electrical oscillator or vibrator can be made by connecting a capacitor to a coil.
The system is made to oscillate by providing the capacitor with an electric charge. The energy is stored
alternately between the plates of the capacitor and in the coil in form of magnetic field. Energy is transferred
from the coil to the capacitor and from the capacitor to the coil, and back again as the system oscillates.
The flow of energy involves the flow of electric current. The flow of electric current causes some of the
energy of the system to be transformed to internal energy in the capacitor, coil and the connecting wires.

RADIO TRANSMITTER
When there is a discharge of electricity, electromagnetic radiation of radio frequency is produced. Crackle
sound is produced on a radio set when is lightening due to interference between the radio wave produced by
the lightening and that transmitted by a nearby station. A small spark around the home may produce a noise
on a radio set.
A spark is produced by turning a switch on and off especially those carrying heavy current. Sparks produced
by thermostat switches in cookers and refrigerator, spark at the contact of electric bell etc are all liable to
produce an EM wave that is detected by a radio set. Early radio transmitters operated on the principle of
spark production. Modern transmitters operate differently. They consist of different sections;
1. Oscillator: it is made up of a capacitor and a coil. The capacitor and the coil are
chosen so that the circuit oscillates at frequency of several kHz or MHz. If the circuit is
connected to an aerial or antenna, an oscillating electric field is created in the wire.
2. Feedback amplifier: Due to energy loss, the oscillator cannot supply the aerial with
energy unless it is supplied with energy to make up for its loss. Energy supplied to the
oscillator Must be in resonance with the oscillator. To achieve this, we take a small
fraction of the oscillating current from the oscillator while the rest goes to the antenna.
The minute fraction of the current we take is fed into an amplifier. The output of the
amplifier is a large oscillating current. It has the frequency as the oscillator. The large
electric current is then fed into the oscillator so that it supplies the energy it needs to
make the circuit oscillate continuously.

MODULATOR
A radio transmitter could produce only a continuous strain of radio wave of constant frequency and
amplitude if the transmitter contains only an oscillator and a feedback amplifier. The more modulator
modulates the frequency (FM).
In a radio transmitter, audio frequency e.m.f is fed into the modulator. The carrier wave is fed into the
modulator also. The modulator then modulates the amplitude of the carrier wave to follow the wave form of
the audio frequency e.m.f. The amplitude modulated carrier wave is then fed to the antenna.

RADIO WAVE DETECTION

For some reasons, radio waves are reflected by a parabolic reflector that is aimed at a receiving station many
miles away. Reflectors are used for transmission to and from telecommunication satellites and for
microwave radio links used in telecommunication system.
When the electromagnetic radiation reaches a metallic object, it produces minute electric current in it. The
aerial is used to catch the radio waves.The aerial or antenna carries currents produced by all the nearby
transmissions that reach it. When we try to listen to it, we would not hear clear distinct sound because there
are many of the sound waves received by the radio receiver.
To hear a distinct sound transmitted by one of the transmitting stations, a radio receiver is used to tune to a
particular channel. The receiver consists of;

Tuner: it is primarily made up of a capacitor-coil circuit. The frequency of the oscillation

is varied by varying the capacitance of the capacitor so that it has the same frequency
as that of the transmitting station we receive.
Rectifier: Nothing will be heard when an earphone is connected across a capacitor
though the current is oscillating. It is so because the frequency (150kHz or more) is
above the frequency our ear can detect. The rectifier helps us to hear the sounds clear.
Amplifier: The amplifier will amplify the current so that the sound can be heard even in
a loud speaker.

HOW TO CONSTRUCT A SIMPLE RADIO RECEIVER

To construct a simple radio receiver follow the steps given below:

Connect your antenna, diode, earthing cable and your tuner in series with the variable
capacitor connected in parallel across the coil. The antenna can be any insulated wire
of length 25m long.
Bury a strip of metal in the soil and connect the earth wire to it. If the soil in which you
are to bury the metal strip is dry, wet it by applying water to it.

Make the coil by winding about 80 turns of insulated wire on a ferrite rod which
improves the properties of the coil.

Use a variable capacitor with few capacitance say hundred Pico farads (pf). If you cant
find such, use a fixed capacitor that ranges from 10pF to 470pF.

The diode to be used should be OA91. It is a germanium diode. Other germanium diode
can be also used.

If you get no result, try 40 turns of coil and if still no result its probably because your
nearby transmitting station is not powerful enough for such circuit to receive.

Si
mple Circuit of a Radio Receiver with One Stage of Amplification

You think your nearby transmitting station is powerful but still no result? Relax! In that case you need to
introduce an amplifier into the circuit. Make your connection as in the diagram. That is a simple radio for
you. A radio signal has the least energy and so cannot convey large data at an instance. Its suitable for
local/close range transmission because most of the things transmitted over the radio are audio which the
radio wave can convey without delay.

Why radio waves is chosen for remote/close range Transmission ?

You might have wondered why the other em waves are Not used for close range transmission and cannot be
used for transmitting the signals to remote areas. Well, Radio waves do not provide heating effect unlike
microwave.
Radio waves with lower frequency are diffracted thereby making it possible for people behind hills to
receive the signals. Unlike Other em wave, radio wave receivers need not to be in front of a Transmitter to
Receive the signals.
For low Frequency radio, their ability to be diffracted makes it possible for signals to be received behind
hills. Repeater stations are used to improve the quality of the signals. The other em waves are not easily
diffracted.