[AT] Way OT Crystal sets

[Ronald L. Cook]

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