Iron pyrite crystal radio
John & Amy Hern
beside the Galena, connected one end to the crystal and the other to a
brass screw head, and used the cat whisker as an SPDT to select one or
the other.
The old timers might be right, though; it is easy to build a crystal set
that *works*, but very tough to build one that *works really well*. The
antenna, coils, condensers, phones and detector and even the
geographical location of the set all have to be balanced to one another
for maximum efficiency. It's sort of like chess, easy to learn but can
take a lifetime to master...
As far as oat box coil forms, check out mailing tubes. These are pretty
easy to find at the storefronts that will mail things out for you, and
relatively cheap. Remember that for maximum Q you need a different size
form for each wire size and total capacity of the antenna/set
combination.
Hey, does anyone know of a list or newsgroup devoted to Xtal sets
exclusively?
John A. Hern Jr. 1900 Millview Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 83814
mailto:he...@nidlink.com Dipl.Ing. Mechanical Engineer
Foundry: http://www.nidlink.com/~fouronkey
Greyhounds: http://www.greyhoundpetsinc.org
Reed Park wrote:
>
> Sounds like a nice project. I have been trying for a long time
> to find ROUND Quaker Oats containers. We up here in
> Canada no longer have access to them. They stopped using
> the round containers many years ago. Lucky you !. A crystal
> set just doesn't look the same (or work the same) when the
> coil is wound on a rectangular box. YUK !
>
> Regards
> Reed
>
> Veeduber wrote:
>
> > To All:
> >
> > I had some especially large & attractive iron pyrite (ie, 'Fool's gold'...
> > FeS2). Bedded a hunk of it with sealing wax, drilled a neat hole, installed an
> > IN34. Put a dot of solder on the leads. Sealed everything up with epoxy soz
> > the solder-dot was flush with the surface.
> >
> > Made up a classic-style 'crystal holder' from a ring of copper pipe with the
> > usual pointed brass screw. 'Cat whisker' (usta be a safety pin) makes contact
> > to one end of the IN34 lead, screw contacts the other. (Insulate the 'crystal'
> > from the copper ring.
> >
> > Nicely varnished wood base, coil wound on a Quaker Oats carton with #22 DCC.
> > Round-head brass screws for terminals. 'Wiper' made from an old clock spring.
> > High-impedance magnetic-type ear-phone...
> >
> > Works pretty good... but all the old-timer's insist their's was better... able
> > to pick up Chicago on a clear, old night... using galena an' all :-)
> >
> > -Bob Hoover
> > -KA6HZF
>
> --
>
> ARROW Research (Avro CF-105)
> Reed Park
> 252 Gauvin Road
> Dieppe, New Brunswick
> Canada E1A1M1
>
> Amateur Radio VE1NU
> WW II, # 19 SET user
> I.C.Q. # 4138282
Reed Park
making coils and just xtal sets in general. Nice to see that
there are so many people with similar interests.
BUT
Most of you missed the point. The reason I was looking for
Round containers from Quaker Oats, is up here in Canada,
they only make rectangular ones. I was looking for round
ones to be more authentic in my project. I wanted to build
an authentic looking xtal radio as the ones I used to build
away back in the 1950's. It was built on, and in a round
Quaker Oats container. About as close to that as I can do
up here, is to use a round mailing tube, or plastic pipe
and put the cardboard from a rectangular container over it.
But what the heck. I sure got some great ideas from those of
you that did reply. Many thanks again.
Regards
Reed
Veeduber
>Round containers from Quaker Oats, is up here in Canada,
>they only make rectangular ones. I was looking for round
>ones to be more authentic in my project. I wanted to build
>an authentic looking xtal radio as the ones I used to build
>away back in the 1950's. It was built on, and in a round
>Quaker Oats container.
The final appearance of a home-made paper coil-form may be anything you wish,
assuming your local copy shop has a color-copier.
-KA6HZF
Reed Park
Veeduber wrote:
> The final appearance of a home-made paper coil-form may be anything you wish,
> assuming your local copy shop has a color-copier.
>
> -KA6HZF
Beleive it or not, the thought never crossed my mind.Thanks again, for another
great idea.