[Elecraft] POW Receiver

[Fred Jensen]

Off topic, I apologize, but I want to tap the knowledge pool in this 
group, and I'll continue regardless:

I'm involved with a 6th grade teacher (a ham, he bought my TS830 a few 
years ago) at a local, sort of disadvantaged school.  He's trying to 
find ways to reach his kids, and ham radio has worked out pretty well so 
far with QSO's with a class in Portland OR via 2m and IRLP.  I've 
offered to help him.

I know the recipe for a "POW Radio Receiver" -- some wire in an 
inductor, a capacitor made from rolled up gum wrappers, and a pencil 
lead on an anodized razor blade, with some stolen headphones, and as new 
hams in the late 50's, my buddies and I built these and listened to KFI. 
  His kids and he think this would be a great project.  We won't hear 
the WW2 BBC, but we might hear KFBK if we can make it work.

A couple of problems:

1.  Razor blades have changed from the "Gillette Blue Blades" of yore. 
Can I still get them?

2.  "Razor blades" and "campus" don't sound like they belong in the same 
sentence.  Any suggestions for substitutes that would pass the "campus 
security test?"

3.  Any other info anyone might have to help me to, at the beginning of 
the 21st century, recreate for these kids something from the middle of 
the 20th century (when their parents' hadn't yet been conceived).

There's a lot of learning to be had here ... history, reading, learning 
how to sequence the steps of a project, and satisfaction in achievement, 
and these kids are lacking in nearly all of these things.  I wouldn't 
attack this if I didn't have a Real Teacher in charge.

Thanks in advance,

Fred K6DGW
Auburn CA CM98lw

PS:  We may get some young hams out of this.