[R-390] Xtal Set/Antenna Follow-Up

[Harry Joel]

This is an follow-up to my July 10 story about my longwave antenna installation for my crystal set.
The designers of quality crystal sets, without the benefit of modern circuit theories, applied features to get the most 'output' to the headphones with no amplification. To mind comes the use of 'honey-comb' wound tuning coils (often the plug-in type). After installing my flagpole long wire, I realized that a good ground connection of the antenna tuned circuit was mandatory. But alas, my beside set was too far from any metal water pipe. AC outlets were the two wire type with no ground. In an experimenters magazine I came across the expression 'counter point'  to replace a ground connection. On a hunch I made a good connection to the steel spring frame under the mattress and it worked like a champ. My theory is not up to snuff on this. It seems that the counter-point was the third element in the series connection of longwire-tuned circuit-counterpoise. Any ideas from the gurus?

My music teacher (organist at a church two blocks from his apartment) used a no longer used private phone line to the church office as a super-duper long wire. He picked up a really strong signal. Glued a large seashell to this earphone and the volume was good enough for listening across the room! Being a radio afficionado he also had build a superheterdyne receiver.