Your first transmitter

With just a few components, you can make your own morse code transmitter. The output is only a few miliwatts, but this is enough to receive on any radio in your home.

In fact, it is only a simple Clapp Oscillator with the output directly driven into a few meters of wire. The transmitting frequency depends on the used crystal. This may be any crystal between 1 and 15 MHz, higher frequencies may perhaps work also, therefore you may lower the 2 capacitors a little bit.

The transmitting frequency is not only the one shown on the crystal, but also “harmonics”: If you have for example a crystal of 3.56 MHz, then it transmits (of course) on 3.56 MHz, but also a bit at 7.12 MHz (2 * 3.56), 10.68 MHz (3 * 3.56), 14.24 MHz (4 * 3.56), etc.

The operating voltage is not critical, a 9 volt battery will do the job.

Components:

• C1 – 100 picofarad
• C2 – 100 picofarad
• R1 – 10 kilo-ohm
• R2 – 1 kilo-ohm
• S1 – Morse key or switch
• T1 – BC547 or any other universal NPN transistor
• X1 – Any crystal you like between 1-15 MHz