Building a radio

[MetalUpYerEye]

I know its not a stompbox... But a friend of mine and I are looking to build an FM radio. We were thinking something along the lines of a solid state FM receiver with a tube power section following it but I haven't been able to find any really good information about FM receivers. I'd rather not build something straight from a schematic, not knowing anything about what is actually happening in the circuit.

So does anyone know any good information about the inner workings of FM receivers or know any good radio websites?

[Taylor]

I think this is super-cool:

http://www.retrothing.com/2011/05/build-your-own-amfm-radio.html

The PCB is the schematic, tuner, and speaker combined, and I think this would be a great way to learn about how radios work.

If you must have tubes (and they are fun) this one also looks neat:

http://www.retrothing.com/2010/12/diy-cardboard-tube-radio-kit.html

These projects might have less "serious" man cred than you are looking for, but I think they look like fun.

[theundeadelvis]

If I could just add a tuner to my Tube Reamer I'd have one! 

[spargo]

I build radios all the time...I just don't want them in my stompboxes where they always end up. 

[Processaurus]

I think this is super-cool:

http://www.retrothing.com/2011/05/build-your-own-amfm-radio.html

The PCB is the schematic, tuner, and speaker combined, and I think this would be a great way to learn about how radios work.

If you must have tubes (and they are fun) this one also looks neat:

http://www.retrothing.com/2010/12/diy-cardboard-tube-radio-kit.html

These projects might have less "serious" man cred than you are looking for, but I think they look like fun.

That 1st one is so cool!  I love that idea of the circuit board silkscreen as a schematic.  The format they used is especially good for circuit boards that don't have to be densely populated, it would give beginners a really good, visual idea of what is going on.   I'm thinking now about doing a copy and paste in a PCB program to silkscreen the bottom traces on the top of the board so you can follow the circuit easily.

[StephenGiles]

With relatively uncompressed internet radio streamed at up to 320kbps why bother with FM?