HowTo Wire Radio Speakers to Audio-In on TV-VCR Combo

[12 String]

I like to record the Coast To Coast AM radio program which airs on local
radio from 12am to 5am nightly. I have a TV-VCR combo that will support
recording an external source.

In the front of the TV-VCR there are two female RCA [1] inputs, one input
labeled Video and the other input labeled Audio. In the rear of the TV-VCR
there are -- two pairs -- of RCA inputs, one pair labeled Audio in and Audio
out and the other pair labeled Audio in and Audio out.

I know I can set the TV-VCR to Line 1 to record input from an external
device. Can somebody help explain to me how to wire the speakers (output) of
an AM radio to interface with the TV-VCR to enable recording radio
programming (input) to the VCR?


<%= Clinton Gallagher
NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCA_connector

 

[Lostgallifreyan]

I like to record the Coast To Coast AM radio program which airs on
local radio from 12am to 5am nightly. I have a TV-VCR combo that will
support recording an external source.

In the front of the TV-VCR there are two female RCA [1] inputs, one
input labeled Video and the other input labeled Audio. In the rear of
the TV-VCR there are -- two pairs -- of RCA inputs, one pair labeled
Audio in and Audio out and the other pair labeled Audio in and Audio
out.

I know I can set the TV-VCR to Line 1 to record input from an external
device. Can somebody help explain to me how to wire the speakers
(output) of an AM radio to interface with the TV-VCR to enable
recording radio programming (input) to the VCR?


<%= Clinton Gallagher
NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCA_connector

As far as I know, AM is always mono, even though there have been stereo AM
broadcasts tried, so you only need to tap one speaker output.

First see if the radio has a line output, and use it if so.

Second, try the connection direct to an audio line input IF you have a
volume control directly on that input to attenuate the signal. I doubt your
system has one though, but if it does, setting the input (record) volume
low, and the radio speaker volume about 2/3 of the way up and carefully
raising the record volume is an easy way to get a decent signal to noise
ratio as well as safely matching levels.

Third, and you might need to do this, get an 8 ohm wirewound speaker
volume control pot, and connect one speaker across that and set the volume
sent to wiper referencing the ground end for the line to the recorder. If
you can't find such a pot, get 8 to 10 small metal film resistors, 1 ohm
each, in a series chain and tap from the ground end till you get a decent
signal. (If you hear distortion, go down a notch on the chain, unless you
always hear it, in which case back off on the radio volume instead).

There are plenty of far more sophisticated plans to follow but this one
will probably get you there most cheaply.

 

[GregS]

I like to record the Coast To Coast AM radio program which airs on
local radio from 12am to 5am nightly. I have a TV-VCR combo that will
support recording an external source.

In the front of the TV-VCR there are two female RCA [1] inputs, one
input labeled Video and the other input labeled Audio. In the rear of
the TV-VCR there are -- two pairs -- of RCA inputs, one pair labeled
Audio in and Audio out and the other pair labeled Audio in and Audio
out.

I know I can set the TV-VCR to Line 1 to record input from an external
device. Can somebody help explain to me how to wire the speakers
(output) of an AM radio to interface with the TV-VCR to enable
recording radio programming (input) to the VCR?


<%= Clinton Gallagher
NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCA_connector

As far as I know, AM is always mono, even though there have been stereo AM
broadcasts tried, so you only need to tap one speaker output.

First see if the radio has a line output, and use it if so.

Second, try the connection direct to an audio line input IF you have a
volume control directly on that input to attenuate the signal. I doubt your
system has one though, but if it does, setting the input (record) volume
low, and the radio speaker volume about 2/3 of the way up and carefully
raising the record volume is an easy way to get a decent signal to noise
ratio as well as safely matching levels.

Third, and you might need to do this, get an 8 ohm wirewound speaker
volume control pot, and connect one speaker across that and set the volume
sent to wiper referencing the ground end for the line to the recorder. If
you can't find such a pot, get 8 to 10 small metal film resistors, 1 ohm
each, in a series chain and tap from the ground end till you get a decent
signal. (If you hear distortion, go down a notch on the chain, unless you
always hear it, in which case back off on the radio volume instead).

There are plenty of far more sophisticated plans to follow but this one
will probably get you there most cheaply.

It likely that the volume need to turned up just barely. The VCR's have a wide
range of automatic volume control, and turning it up will just make the VCR
turn it down. Hum could be a problem, and an input isolation transformer
can eliminate ground loops. Chances are it will work anyway. If listening to
the radio at the same time is necesary, then the resistor attenuator can be
used.

greg

 

[Lostgallifreyan]

[email protected] (GregS) wrote in

It likely that the volume need to turned up just barely. The VCR's
have a wide range of automatic volume control, and turning it up will
just make the VCR turn it down.

Great, so turn it UP. That's the only way to over-ride the otherwise poor
signal to noise ratio you'll get. Ask any studio engineer, the way to avoid
accumulating noise is to feed a strong signal into an attenuator, not to
boost a weak one when you don't need to.