Crystal Radios (was Re: List spammer ID'd)

From: Lawrence LeMay <lemay_at_cs.umn.edu>
Date: Wed Mar 28 14:37:36 2001

They are known as Foxhole Radios, and you can find more information by
using a web search engine.

-Lawrence LeMay

> Bryan Pope <bpope_at_wordstock.com> wrote:
> > > Hi
> > > I built several crystal sets. One I built using a razor
> > > blade and a piece of graphite from a pencil. It doesn't
> > > work with stainless blades. You need one of the older
> > > style "Blue Blades".
> > > Most rock shops have some galena. With some lead and
> > > sulfur, you can make your own galena.
> > > Dwight
> > >
> > A razor blade and pencil lead!?! Wow.. that is very cool! I am old
> > enough (errrgh... I never thought I would say that!) to know about using
> > germanium diodes (ala Crystal Radio Kits from that once wonderful store Radio
> > Shack), but a razor blade and pencil lead... How do you put it together?
>
> Hi
> I put the razor blade down with a thumb tack on a piece
> of wood. I wrapped a few loops of 20 gauge copper wire
> around the lead. The pencil lead is the cats whisker.
> The blades do need to be the tempered steel,
> not the stainless. That area with the thin colored
> oxide is the best place to look for good rectification.
> It was graphite lead out of a standard #2 wood pencil.
> I never did determine the direction of the diode but
> for the purposes of a crystal detector, it doesn't make
> much difference. You did need to look for the best spot,
> just like a galena crystal.
> Dwight
>
Received on Wed Mar 28 2001 - 14:37:36 BST