[AT] Way OT Crystal sets

[Ralph Goff]

Seems like crystal radio sets were a common toy for kids  a few years back.
I got one as a present one christmas in the mid sixties. It was a kit ,
ready to assemble that even a mechanically challenged  kid like myself
managed to put together. But I don't know if it was the 70 mile distance
from the nearest radio station or what but the whole thing was a bit of a
disappointment. All I can remember picking up on it was some faint scratchy
sounds that might have been human voices. A bit of a novelty but it soon
disappeared into the land of "lost toys".

Ralph in Sask.
http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/lgoff/latestpage.html

----- Original Message -----
From: Ronald L. Cook <rlcook at pionet.net>
To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2004 9:09 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] Way OT Crystal sets


> I'm kind of a youngster myself.  I didn't get a crystal set until about
> 1955 or so.  Traded a target 22 rifle for it.  Big mistake there.  At
> any rate, not knowing much about radios and such, I strung an antenna
> wire above and full length of my Dad's machine shed with a tin roof.
> Boy, did that work!  I could put on the headset and stick that little
> pin on that crystal and pick up stuff from who knows where.  Wish I
> still had it.
>
> Ron Cook,
> Salix, IA
>
> Cecil E Monson wrote:
>
> >> The crystal sets of long ago were lots of fun for youngsters. Mine had
a
> >> crystal in a chunk of lead and used a cats whisker piece of wire
> >> mounted on
> >> a small shaft with a ball pivot so that it could be moved around on the
> >> crystal to find the best spot for reception. The ear phones were the
old
> >> type that could be taken apart to reveal a small metal disc and the
> >> two wire
> >> wound pole pieces. A good antenna and ground rod were required for good
> >> reception. The later units (kits) used a diode --1N34-- I believe for
the
> >> detector. All the strong local stations could be picked up.
> >> H. L. Staples
> >> McLoud, Oklahoma USA
> >
> >
> >
> >     Geez, H.L., I didn't think you were old enough to remember crystal
> > sets?  ;-)   I bought one around 1940 and never could get it to work
where
> > we lived in Minnesota. We were 25 miles from the nearest radio station
and
> > the signal was too weak to pick up anything. All I got was a little
noise.
> > I remember the black headphones with the spring headband. My bedroom
was
> > upstairs and I ran a wire out to a tree in the back yard but even then
it
> > never worked for me. Finally had to give up on it.
> >
> > Cecil
>
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