In article ,
Dan S. MacAbre wrote:
Dan S. MacAbre wrote:
Apologies to those who know about this stuff, if this is a stupid
question. Seeing the electronics thread reminded me of some of my
mis-spent youth. I never knew enough about electronics to design
anything, but I could usually get something like an amp or a tape
recorder from the tip, and fix it. That was about my limit. I used
to enjoy making crystal radios from some of the bits I'd have lying
around, but no matter what I used, I only ever seemed to be able to
pick up what seemed to be radio 4. If you were to build one nowadays,
would there be any suitable non-digital station left to pick up?

Okay, thanks for the great replies. I had a Ladybird book that showed
how to make them. Beautiful illustrations that I still look at fondly.
The first version was without batteries, and then it evolved into
something amplified with an OC71. It said to drive a long copper tube
into the ground for the earth side, but I just used a mains plug. And
the aerial was supposed to be something like a washing line, but I used
a bit of wire dangled across the room; and once, an old mattress in the
loft (which was no better). That may have reduced what I was able to
pick up :-)

Thing is that one time all radios worked best with a long external aerial.
Many would have one running the length of the garden. Ferrite rod aerials
made this unnecessary for most.

A crystal set has no RF gain. So needs a very strong signal to work at all.

--
*Why is it that rain drops but snow falls?

Dave Plowman London SW
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