[Elecraft] POW Receiver

[Dave Balla]

   Fred,  I  found  the  type  of  blades  your looking for on e-bay. For
   reasons other than those you suggested, I don't think it's a good idea
   to  have  razor  blades  around  6th graders, regardless of how good a
   learning tool they may be.

   73's Dave, KW4N
       ______________________________________________________________

     From:  Fred Jensen <k6dgw at foothill.net>
     Reply-To:  k6dgw at foothill.net
     To:  Elecraft Reflector <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
     Subject:  [Elecraft] POW Receiver
     Date:  Wed, 12 Oct 2005 19:22:06 -0700
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     <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>; Wed, 12 Oct 2005 19:17:49 -0700
     >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.
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