Dispelling the mysteries of radio. A series featuring a variety of practical circuits for the set builder and experimenter. This month: The Superhet (Prescaler, Mixers and Oscillators)

This month we begin to consider a simple-to-operate receiving system capable of the highest levels of selectivity and sensitivity. Known as the supersonic heterodyne, or superhet for short, it has been the dominant receiver technology for seventy years. Its application is now universal, from the simplest domestic portable to state of the art equipment used in government listening stations.