I too built several crystal radios in my youth (even in college). I used a
galina-ore crystal, and also build several "razor blade" diodes (high
carbon steel against carbon). It was always magical for me, and still is.
Interesting aside: Several employees of my company volunteer at the local
science museum. They often have the grade-school kids do a project. In the
past, they have done some computer-based projects that received at best a
lukewarm reception from the kids. Then they had the kids build their own
crystal radios (wind the coils, build the detector diodes, wire them
together, put up the antenna, etc.), and found they were much more
enthusiastic about it.
The magic continues. Long live analog AM radio broadcasting!
Donald Borowski
Schweitzer Engineering Labs
Pullman, Washington, USA
Lauren_Crane@amat
.com
Sent by: To
[email protected] [email protected],
[email protected]
cc
09/24/2009 12:37
PM Subject
Crystal Radios
So it's been a lousy day reading rev2 of RoHS II. In my 14year history of
CE marking directive study I've never had quite such a sinking feeling at
the pit of my stomache...so John's statement brings back a nice memory.
When I was a lad of 10 I spent the summer with a crazy uncle who had all
manner of strange and wonderful surplus gear in his basement. One device
was a crystal of germanium clamped in a steel "anvil", and installed above
it was a curl of tin wire. With a single wire lead antenna attached, and if
you could poke the tin whisker into the crystal just right, the broad cast
of a local AM station would sound in the ear-piece. Such a magical event,
to tease voices out of the organo*-mechanical device. A feeling absent from
my ipod.
So I'll chime in too, that I've used crystal sets.
Cheers,
Lauren Crane
Product Regulatory Analyst
Corporate Product EHS Manager
Applied Materials Inc.
Austin, TX 512 272-6540 [#922 26540]
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