[Milsurplus] Foxhole Radio - conclusion

[C.Whitaker]

de Clete  WB2CPN
When I was with AT&T Long Lines the word was that
the transistor was developed by Bell Labs when Bardeen
and the group were assigned the job of investigating the
"surfaces" of materials.  A sapphire with three 120 degree
divisions in one plane, before it's cut and polished, is
interesting to look at.
Clete
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On 8/6/2012 3:02 PM, J. Forster wrote:
> I suspect, but cannot prove, the pencil lead works because it is softer
> than a pin.
>
> A pin selects a single contact point. If that happens to be a sweet spot,
> great; otherwise it doesn't work well.
>
> A pencil lead probably touches at many points. If any one of them works as
> a diode, the others just act as parallel resistors. They will essentially
> sum to a crummy diode, but still enough of a diode to make a functional
> radio.
>
> FWIW,
>
> -John
>
> ==========
>
>
>
>> On 8/6/2012 1:00 PM, mac wrote:
>>> Gillette Blueblade and used  a sewing pin (not a pencil lead) as the cat
>>> whisker.
>> My dad used an electric razor so I had to use the non-blued blades we
>> had around the house with my foxhole radios.  Always with the pencil
>> lead wired to a bent safety pin, and always was able to hear the local
>> BC station.    RF wants to be rectified.
>>
>> 73. Bob W9RAN
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>
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