[ARC5] Crystal Question

[Kenneth G. Gordon]

On 11 Nov 2010 at 12:08, Robert  Eleazer wrote:

> I did some looking on that website where the B-26 radio compartment
> pictures are and found that someone has asked an interesting question.
> 
> It seems they salvaged some parts from some warbird crash sites in
> Florida and found some radio crystals. The one he shows looks like it
> is out of an SCR-522 . The guy who found them wants to use these to
> make a WWII style "foxhole radio" crystal radio receiver and is asking
> for help on how to do that.

Obviously, we have a misunderstanding of the two different meanings of 
"crystal" in this case.

> 
> It never occurred to me that a radio crystal might work as a detector
> in a crystal set. Is this possible?

Hmmm....I would think not, although I have not tried it.

> And did the improvised crystal
> sets in WWII use radio crystals?

Not to my knowledge: most often they used a Gillette "Blue Blade" and a bit 
of sharpened pencil lead as the "cat's whisker"

> I guess that crystals from downed
> aircraft and wrecked tanks were probably available on the battlefield
> in WWII.

Very often.
 
The "Foxhole Radio" was most often a simple "crystal" set which used the 
Gillette "Blue Blade" (often included in "C" rations) as the "active element", 
and a bit of sharpened pencil lead with a stiff wire wrapped around it as the 
"cat's whisker", or, if it was available, a needle or some other sharp object. 
The earphone was often taken from a field telephone. The Gillette "Blue 
Blade" had "hot spots" on it due to the blue coating on the steel blade.

I suspect that there is a misunderstanding by the "denizens" of that list you 
mention above. They are using the term "crystal" in the wrong sense, or, 
rather mistaking a frequency determining "crystal" for a "crystal detector" or 
diode.

Obviously, they are not the same.

Ken W7EKB