[Elecraft] POW Receiver

[Robert]

Galena crystals which can be used with a cat whisker to work as the detector 
or go to radio shack and buy a bunch of genrmainium diodes (1N34A).

I see galena crystals for sale on ebay.  Also there is a recipie for making 
you own.  Just search the net.

Better yet, Harry's homebrew page has a crystal radio made from coffee cans. 
It's very kewl looking and working.  Check it out here:
http://web.telia.com/~u85920178/

They are called cavity receivers and work on the concept of a resonant 
cavity.


Robert VE3RPF


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Jensen" <k6dgw at foothill.net>
To: "Elecraft Reflector" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2005 10:22 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] POW Receiver


> 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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