FM Transmitter

Lets construct a low-power FM transmitter using surface-mount devices (SMD) that

will be received with a standard FM radio. Soldering surface mounted devices is not so
hard and actually is quite easy. There are many designs for small FM transmitters but
they have some problems. First, you need an audio amplifier to get enough modulation.
Second, the antenna is attached directly to the collector. Third, the coil L must be
wound by hand and adjusted by stretching. It all ads with a weak signal that tends to
drift in frequency. In contrastm the transmitter schematic we present here eliminates
some of those problems, using varactor diode for tuning and modulation, giving great
sensitivity without an audio amplifier.

FM Transmitter How it works

The figure below shows the schematic of the transmitter which consists of two stages:
an oscillator and an output amplifier. Modulation is from an electret microphone but
you can use a low power audio source.
Oscillator stage
Transistor Q1 is a Colpitts oscillator where the frequency is determined by the parallel
resonant circuit formed by inductor L, varactor V1 and capacitors C7 and C8. Q1 is a
common-collector amplifier where the power gain counts. V1 is actually dual varactors
that eliminate the possibility of forward conduction at the sine wave peaks.
The frequency of oscillation is set by adjusting the DC voltage on V1 with
potentiometer R2. R4 and C3 form a low-pass filter to prevent RF from feeding back
onto the DC.
Capacitors C7 and C8 form an AC voltage divider to provide feedback at the emitter of

Q1 to sustain oscillation. A necessary condition for oscillation to start is for the radio
(C7+C8)/C7 to be sufficiently bigger than 1.

SMD transmitter circuit schematic

Frequency Modulation
Modulation is done by superimposing an audio signal from the electret mic onto the DC
bias applied to V1. R3 and C1 form a low-pass filter to prevent RF from feeding back to
the mic. R3, R4 and R2 form a voltage divider for the audio.
Transmitter output stage
The output of the oscillator is fed through C9 to the Q2 emitter-follower. The output of
Q2 drives the antenna through C11. The Q2 emitter-follower it ensures that the
oscillator is not loaded down by the impedance of the antenna and it provides power
gain to drive the antenna.
SMD Transmitter layout
The figure below shows the layout of the PCB and it uses surface-mounted devices like
resistors and capacitors (non-polar devices). All the caps are size 0805 and all resistors
are size 1206. use through-hole components for Q1, Q2, IC1 and V1. You can use an
SOT-89 device for IC1 and an SOT-23 device for V1. Use MPSH10 or a transistor
equivalent. Here you can learn how to solder smd chips

The inductor

A coil would consist of two or three turns of wire but for this schematic we will use an
inductor with loops of copper on the PCB. Such flat spiral inductor are common at these
frequencies.
One formula for flat spiral inductors is:

Where
L = inductance in uH
r = radius of coil (outer radius + inner radius divided by 2 ) inches
N = number of turns
d = depth of coil (outer radius minus inner radius) inches
Tuning range
While commercial FM band goes from about 88 MHz to 108 MHz, the L and C values
used in this design allow tuning up to 100 MHz.
Transmitter testing
You will need a portable FM radio and an assistant. First, find an empty spot on the FM
dial and set your radio about 30 feet away (9 meters). The radios volume control
should not be set too high to prevend feedback. Next, power-up your transmitter and
talk to yourself as you adjust the frequency with the trim-pot. When your assintant hears
you, your transmitter is tuned. You might have to adjust the radios tuner slightly for
best reception.
Have fun with it but remember that using the transmitter as a bugging device may not
be legal in your country. To use the circuit as a wireless microphone, increase the value
of R3. The transmitter range is about 100 feet (30 meters) inside a building.
Parts list