[Boatanchors] Racor Blade Rectification

Thu, 22 Jan 2004 20:42:56 -0500

Hi Al, 	

It seems that both Marlin and Gillette had so called blue blades at the same
time. Apparently this was prior to Gillette trademarking the name.  	

You may be correct that the blue coating contained a selenium compound that
reacted with the graphite in the lead pencil cat whisker to cause rectification.
However, I am told by those who were there and used them, and you would qualify
here too, that you still had to tune around the blade for the sweet spot. 	

Any other thoughts or memories Al? 	

Fascinating stuff! 	

Duane W8DBF	

----------
From: Al Klase <[email protected]>
To: Duane Fischer, W8DBF <[email protected]>
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Racor Blade Rectification
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2004 8:10 PM

Hi Duane,

I started a minor foxhole radio craze at Cahm Ran Bay in 
1970 to keep the tradition alive. 10KW AFRTS station about a 
mile away made this easy.

As far as I know, blue blades work best.  Scarpe a spot part 
way through the coating and use a pencil lead lashed to a 
saftey pin for a catswisker.

One theory is that the bluing contained a selenium compound 
that might account for the rectifier action.

Al

Duane Fischer, W8DBF wrote: 	
> Question: exactly what made the Marlin or the Gillette razor blade work as a
> diode for rectification? Some say it was the special electric printing of the
> product name on the blade and others claim it was what the blade was made of. 

-- 
Al Klase - N3FRQ
[email protected]
Flemington, NJ 08822
Web Page:  http://www.webex.net/~skywaves/home.htm