Beginner: A Really Simple Audio Amplifier

This little audio amplifier uses Manhattan-style construction and is made up of readily-available parts. The circuit uses an LM386 audio amplifier chip from RadioShack and a handful of other parts. Note that the chip is in a socket and has been glued to the top of the PC-board ground plane. Please click on each image for an enlarged view.

Amplifier Parts
J1, J2 - RCA-style phono jacks
C1, C2 – 1uF/16v electrolytic capacitor
C3, C7 –  .1uF disc ceramic capacitor
C4, C6 – 47uF/16v electrolytic capacitor
C5 – 10uF/16v electrolytic capacitor
R1 – 10K audio taper potentiometer
R2 – 10-ohm resistor
D1 – 1N4001 diode
SP1 – small speaker
LM386 audio amplifier chip with 8-pin socket
Printed circuit board material

Not much to this little wonder, eh? But wait until you hear the big audio it produces - a great accessory for receivers that have low audio output. Simply plug this into the earphone jack and you're in business! 

In conjunction with the schematic, here is how the socket for the LM386 should be configured before the chip is glued to the PC board upside down.

QUESTIONS? Contact Richard Fisher, KI6SN, at: ki6sn@aol.com.