"Carl R. Stevenson" wrote in message
...

"TC Dufresne" wrote in message
...
Hi:
I am having a problem with a "Simple Receiver for Beginners". It is from
a
design that was featured in an old (1981) ARRL handbook. It is a DC
receiver, looks like alot of fun, but it isn't fun now.
Here is the problem.

1) No oscillation! I can't find it (the VFO) on my DX-398 receiver at
all,
or on my Radio Shack freq counter.
2) The power (+ side) electrolytic is supposed to be a 500uF, 16 volt. I
am
using a 470uF 35 volt. It gets really hot!! Short somewhere?!?!?!

Are you using a tantalum capacitor? If they are inserted with the wrong
polarity they will get really hot ... sometime will actually burn.

More likely explode, sending HARD ceramic fragments in ALL directions at
HIGH velocity.