Article

Car Radio Booster

(Summer Circuits 2010 article)

One solution for increasing the power of an amplifier running on a low-voltage supply, like a car radio powered from at best 14 V, is to use a ‘bridge’ configuration, i.e. to connect the loudspeakers between the outputs of two identical amplifiers whose inputs receive the same signals, but in opposite phases. This doubles the apparent voltage applied to the loudspeaker, which in theory quadruples the maximum power available.

This is a MEMBER ONLY article. You need a subscription to read this article.

Benefits of a subscription

Access to Elektor archive and 5,000+ Gerber files
Receive up to 8 magazines per year (digital and/or paper)
10% discount in the Elektor store

View the offers
Available from €4.95 per month.

What is Elektor Exclusive?

Materials

091071-PCB.pdf

Gerber file

CAM/CAD data for the PCB referred to in this article is available as a Gerber file. Elektor GREEN and GOLD members can exclusively download these files for free as part of their membership. Gerber files allow a PCB to be produced on an appropriate device available locally, or through an online PCB manufacturing service.

Elektor recommends the Elektor PCB Service service from its business partner Eurocircuits or AISLER as the best services for its own prototypes and volume production.

The use of our Gerber files is provided under a modified Creative Commons license. Creative Commons offers authors, scientists, educators and other creatives the freedom to handle their copyright in a more free way without losing their ownership.

PCB

Download Gerber file: 091071-1-V10

Component list

Resistors
R1 = 47kOhm
R2 = 1kOhm
R3,R6 = 100kOhm
R4 = 10kOhm
R5 = 820Ohm

Capacitors
C1 = 100nF
C2,C3,C6 = 4700µF 25V
C4,C8 = 10µF 25V
C5,C7 = 470nF

Semiconductors
IC1 = TDA1562
T1 = BC548
D1 = LED, red