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Remote Control Circuit Using FM Radio

Remote Control Circuit Using FM Radio

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In this post we will learn how to build a simple FM remote control circuit for toggling small AC loads such as lamps, fans etc using an ordinary FM transmitter circuit and a modified FM radio circuit.

Introduction

Remote control circuits are not so easy to build as they incorporate critical inductor stages and also, the components are difficult to procure.

However a simple homemade FM remote control can be made by modding your existing FM radio as the receiver part.

The transmitter can be simply made by assembling a few electronic components.



The two sections together can be used for controlling any electrical load remotely from any part of the house.

Making the FM Transmitter for the Remote Control Unit:

Transmitter circuit for homemade FM remote switch

The figure shows a very simple FM configuration using one transistor and few other passive components.

Here the inductor becomes the most crucial part and must be made carefully as per the given instructions.

T1 along with the pF capacitors and the inductor forms the RF stage and is responsible for the generation and transmission of the RF carrier waves.

Using a Music Modulation for Increasing Transmitter range

The section consisting of the IC UM66 and the electrolytic capacitor forms the modulating stage and injects the required modulation signals to the RF stage.

This helps to make the transmitted waves much stronger and travel up to longer distances.

Once the assembly of the transmitter circuit is done, its working should be confirmed by switching ON the transmitter and by verifying the received signals over the FM radio.

The reception should consists the music from the UM66 IC and should be received by the radio, loud and clear even from a distance of over 30 meters.

After finishing the construction of the transmitter, you need to assemble the Flip Flop circuit by soldering the electronic components as per the shown diagram.

This stage will be later on required to be integrated with the modified FM radio.

FM radio modification details for homemade FM remote control switch

How to Modify a FM Radio as a Remote Control Receiver for Controlling Electrical Gadgets

For this project you will need an ordinary FM radio for making the receiver/controller unit.

After procuring a FM radio, you will need to do the following modifications in it.

  • Open the back cover of the FM radio to uncover the circuit of the unit.
  • Now carefully, integrate the flip flop circuit to the speaker terminals of the radio. The connections won’t be difficult as everything’s shown in the diagram very clearly.
  • The idea here is to use the reception audio from the radio speaker terminals and use it to activate our flip flop circuit and the relay.
  • Switch ON the FM radio and tune to some vacant area where there’s no station available, and only the background “hissing” noise is audible.
  • Adjust the volume control of the radio toward the maximum and you will find the LED light up, refine the adjustment until the LED just switches OFF.
  • Now tune the radio to some station, without disturbing the volume control.
  • You will find the LED flickering in response to the audio outputs.
  • You will also see the flip flop responding appropriately and the relay switching randomly to the LED illuminations.

This concludes the procedures, your setting of the radio or the modifications of the radio is complete.

Testing the Remote Control Switching

Now switch ON the transmitter and once again tune the radio to the spot where it receives the transmitter music loud and clear.

That’s it, the setting of your home made remote control is complete.

Now as many time you click the transmitter switch, it will be received by the radio and the flip flop relay activated alternately.

The relay contacts may be wired to any appliance and may be controlled easily by your transmitter through mere clicks of its switch.

However the speaker of the radio will also make lot of noise and therefore to eliminate this you may just tear of the cone of the speaker so that it keeps silent, activating only the flip flop.

SHARING IS CARING!


About the Author

I am an electronic engineer (dipIETE ), hobbyist, inventor, schematic/PCB designer, manufacturer. I am also the founder of the website: https://www.homemade-circuits.com/, where I love sharing my innovative circuit ideas and tutorials. If you have any circuit related query, you may interact through comments, I'll be most happy to help!



38 thoughts on “Remote Control Circuit Using FM Radio”

  1. Howdy, Friend! Interested to Learn Circuit Designing? Let's Start Discussing below!

  6. Hi Swagatam

    What I understand from the above set-up:

    a) When the push switch is pressed in the transmitter section, it will transmit the melody played by UM66.
    b) The receiver will receive the signal and the coupled flip-flop circuit will convert the melody to a single pulse and latch the relay to an ON state.

    My questions:
    1) Why do we require to damage the cone of the speaker; why not simply remove it?
    2) How does the flip-flop section gets reset in relation to the releasing of the push-switch in transmitter circuit?
    3) Couldn't a transistor-based latch circuit be used in place of CD4017?
    4) If I use more than one set-ups sharing a common power supply for the transmitters and then another common supply for the receivers, will they work? Of course, all of them would be tuned on different frequencies.

    • Hi Abu-Hafss, Your a) and b) assumptions are correct.

      the answers for the remaining questions are as follows:

      1) By tearing the cone I only meant to indicate disabling of the cone vibration, you can do it anyway you feel, damaging the speaker is not necessary.

      2) The 4017 will toggle its output sequence only when the 10uF cap is completely discharged and pin#14 receives a 0 voltage….and this can happen only once the transmitter button is released for some brief period of time.

      3) a transistor latch will not toggle alternately unless it's also a flip flop circuit.

      4) the set-up should work according to me without issues if the the relevant pairs are tuned to different stations.

    • I have not yet seen any reliable transistor based flip flop circuit which will trigger from a single ON/OFF source, therefore I won't recommend them, by the way which circuit are you referring to?

    • I have managed the triggering of the flip-flop.
      Can you please recommend me some suitable FM receiver which:
      a) have minimum components
      b) could receive transmitter signal within 2 meter radius with shortest possible antenna
      c) could be coupled with flip-flop circuit

    • the plate is for prototypes built by wire connections, in a PCB the plate can be avoided if it's designed with un-etched grounded tracks surrounding the interconnecting thin tracks.

  10. Hello a
    Swagatam. I succeeded in making the transmitter and confess the reception is really clear , sharp and very audible and reception range is up to 50 meters while still maintaining the fidelity .

    I am currently making the flipflop circuit and will let u guys know about my success

  12. I constructed the whole circuit but it's not working.. How do I detect what mistake is there? The relay switches on only when I short the two legs of the transistor. The fm board terminals gives negligible output through its terminals n led does not glow continuously. Please help me.

    • did you remove the speaker? do not remove it because it's coil's inductance will be required for amplifying the signal for the 4017 circuit.

      if you don't want the speaker to be there you can connect any small inductor in its place

      the LED must illuminate at maximum volume indicated by loud hissing on the speaker, next you must set it to a level as explained in the article.

      if the LED is not illuminating then the transistor will not conduct

  18. Hi Swagatam,

    I love this remote control circuit. I do have a couple questions.

    1.) You show the receiver on 12v. Can it run on 5v?
    2.) Can the sound on the receiver be recorded without interfering with the switching?

    Thanks
    Ralph

    • Hi Ralph,

      yes 5v can be used if the relay is also selected at 5V

      signal for recording can be picked across the speaker terminals, it will not interfere with the remote control functioning.

  20. Hi swagatam, thanks for helping us with your circuit diagram, please i want you to help me with 5000 watt inverter circuit diagram using ferrite core transformer, which can power, air conditioner, electric iron, refrigerator etc.hope to hear from you soon, please uyo can send it to my email, imoudo37@yahoo.com Thanks.

  26. hi mr. swagatan , I had put a diode
    rectifier in place of the LED, but I
    put the LED, what happens is that
    even lowering the volume of the radio
    LED stay on(doesnt turn off) and when i test
    with a channel fm the relay
    dont turn on

    • If your speaker loudness is decreasing then it should also make the LED brightness lower proportionately, that should obviously happen.

      Anyway connect a 100uF capacitor in series with 100 ohm resistor and then check by doing the procedures.

      positive of the cap will go to 100 ohm and negative to speaker terminal.

      By the way did you connect the circuit ground with the radio ground??

  28. Hi swagatan 1 more time, my receiver is not working well,when i connect the input in the speakers i ear a buzzing's and the 100Ω resistor heats to much, could
    help me figure out the problem?

    • Hi Faife,

      Did you adjust the volume control as per the given instructions in the above article? please read the article carefully.

      Adjust the volume control such that the LED stays shut off and lights up only when the transmitter signal is received.

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