Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This was advertised online as a "crystal radio", so of course I had to get it. It's NOT a crystal radio, OK, there is **technically** a crystal, but.... It IS a very small AM-FM radio with good reception on the FM band (not so much on the AM, but we will try to improve that in the future). For camping, emergencies, or bugging out, it's not bad for a powered radio.
NOTE: Later I tried regular electro-magnetic headphones and they work MUCH better. They are louder (too loud for some stations) and clearer.
Chip is a KT0936MB9 mono FM AM tuner chip (B9W690 2534H).
Let's test this unusual miniature AM/FM receiver, examine its performance, scan stations on both bands, hook it to an oscilloscope, and inspect the surprisingly simple circuitry. Featuring the KT0936MB9 tuner chip, this compact battery-powered radio actually performs fairly well on FM, though AM reception leaves plenty of room for experimentation and improvement. We also investigate the mysterious “multi-band” switches that appear to do almost nothing, inspect questionable factory soldering, discuss possible long-wire antenna modifications, and compare its reception to traditional passive crystal radios. If you enjoy DIY electronics, radio technology, crystal radios, transistor radios, teardowns, reverse engineering, RF experimentation, emergency radios, camping gear, bug-out gadgets, oscilloscopes, vintage-style electronics, or learning how inexpensive modern radio circuits really work, this video should be right up your alley. Whether you're into ham radio, electronics repair, science experiments, or just weird tech sold online, there’s plenty here to explore.
RELATED VIDEOS (including this one):
(Diode Radio) World's Simplest Radio youtu.be/mlBfAI_55Mk
(Single Wiper) Best/Easiest DIY Crystal Radio - No Batteries, No External Power youtu.be/fLVCqZGpv3U
(Dual Wiper) My New Favorite! Crystal Radio with Antenna Tuner youtu.be/mh5KxCpbQ5U
(Single Capacitor) Crystal Radio--No More Variable Capacitor Designs?
(Single Capacitor 3D Printed) Crystal Radio--1 Variable Capacitor, 3D Printed (4K) youtu.be/ErhvVGM6mhY
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(Dual Capacitor) Crystal Radio, Capacitive Tuning - WORKS GREAT! youtu.be/VJ80Nm9KSkE
Crystal Radio: AM-FM That's NOT A Crystal Radio (But It's Still Interesting) youtu.be/sEo87GRgbME
Disclaimer: This information is presented as entertainment only on an "as is" basis and any use the viewer makes of it is solely up to them, and it is their responsibility to determine if the information remains current and if it is applicable to their situation. The viewer is responsible for any and all safety involving this. Viewing this video is the viewer's agreement to these terms and conditions. If you do not agree, stop now.
#CrystalRadio #Electronics #AMFMRadio #DIYTech
This was advertised online as a "crystal radio", so of course I had to get it. It's NOT a crystal radio, OK, there is **technically** a crystal, but.... It IS a very small AM-FM radio with good reception on the FM band (not so much on the AM, but we will try to improve that in the future). For camping, emergencies, or bugging out, it's not bad for a powered radio.
NOTE: Later I tried regular electro-magnetic headphones and they work MUCH better. They are louder (too loud for some stations) and clearer.
Chip is a KT0936MB9 mono FM AM tuner chip (B9W690 2534H).
Let's test this unusual miniature AM/FM receiver, examine its performance, scan stations on both bands, hook it to an oscilloscope, and inspect the surprisingly simple circuitry. Featuring the KT0936MB9 tuner chip, this compact battery-powered radio actually performs fairly well on FM, though AM reception leaves plenty of room for experimentation and improvement. We also investigate the mysterious “multi-band” switches that appear to do almost nothing, inspect questionable factory soldering, discuss possible long-wire antenna modifications, and compare its reception to traditional passive crystal radios. If you enjoy DIY electronics, radio technology, crystal radios, transistor radios, teardowns, reverse engineering, RF experimentation, emergency radios, camping gear, bug-out gadgets, oscilloscopes, vintage-style electronics, or learning how inexpensive modern radio circuits really work, this video should be right up your alley. Whether you're into ham radio, electronics repair, science experiments, or just weird tech sold online, there’s plenty here to explore.
RELATED VIDEOS (including this one):
(Diode Radio) World's Simplest Radio youtu.be/mlBfAI_55Mk
(Single Wiper) Best/Easiest DIY Crystal Radio - No Batteries, No External Power youtu.be/fLVCqZGpv3U
(Dual Wiper) My New Favorite! Crystal Radio with Antenna Tuner youtu.be/mh5KxCpbQ5U
(Single Capacitor) Crystal Radio--No More Variable Capacitor Designs?
(Single Capacitor 3D Printed) Crystal Radio--1 Variable Capacitor, 3D Printed (4K) youtu.be/ErhvVGM6mhY
(Single Capacitor Ferrite Rod) Crystal Radio--Ferrite Coil Model #2 youtu.be/CgJ5kqDT-0A
(Dual Capacitor) Crystal Radio, Capacitive Tuning - WORKS GREAT! youtu.be/VJ80Nm9KSkE
Crystal Radio: AM-FM That's NOT A Crystal Radio (But It's Still Interesting) youtu.be/sEo87GRgbME
Disclaimer: This information is presented as entertainment only on an "as is" basis and any use the viewer makes of it is solely up to them, and it is their responsibility to determine if the information remains current and if it is applicable to their situation. The viewer is responsible for any and all safety involving this. Viewing this video is the viewer's agreement to these terms and conditions. If you do not agree, stop now.
#CrystalRadio #Electronics #AMFMRadio #DIYTech
