How to Make/Build a Crystal Radio

Подписаться 332 тыс.

Просмотров 1,1 млн

50% 1

Step-by-step instructions for making a tunable crystal radio. This is a radio that gets its power from the radio waves. I made it almost entirely from junk except for the diode (1N34 germanium diode) and the earpiece (though you can use a speaker from a phone instead.) The capacitor is made from aluminum foil and a paper towel roll. The coil is rolled on a toilet paper roll. The wire is enameled magnet wire. For the antenna I use a 15 foot wire laid out on the floor. For the earth ground I connect a wire to the ground in the household wiring.
I originally got this circuit from the book "Radio Receiver Projects You Can Build" by Homer L. Davidson.
For this circuit, the diode must be germanium. The following is a partial list of germanium diodes that should work:
1N34A, 1N60, 1N91, 1N119, 1N270, 1N277, 1N283
The following are not germanium diodes and may need a long antenna or a powerful radio station nearby to work:
1N4148 (silicon, found on a lot of circuit boards), B16 (zener diode), 1N5060 (avalanche diode)
The crystal earpiece (piezoelectric earphone) and/or 1N34 germanium diode and/or air core variable capacitors can be ordered from most of these sources:
www.midnightscience.com
store.scitoys.com/radio-kits-... (their variable capacitor is for if your coil has a ferrite core and is smaller than the one in this video)
You can find the circuit diagram shown in this video on this page:
rimstar.org/equip/crystal_radi...
See also:
How a Crystal Radio Works
• How a Crystal Radio Works
Crystal Radio Troubleshooting and Tips
• Crystal Radio Troubles...
Make Crystal Earphone/Earpiece for Crystal Radio
• Make Crystal Earphone/...
Use Earbuds/Earphones with Crystal Radio
• Use Earbuds/Earphones ...
Make a Crystal Radio Coil with Taps
• Make a Crystal Radio C...
Make Razor Blade Diode for Crystal Radio/Foxhole Radio
• Make Razor Blade Diode...
How to Make Crystal Radio Amplifier for Speaker
• How to Make Crystal Ra...
How to Make Amplifier for Crystal Radio Earphone
• How to Make Amplifier ...
Steps for How to Make Amplifier for Crystal Earpiece
• Steps for How to Make ...
How to Make an AM Radio Transmitter (so you can transmit to your crystal radio)
• How to Make AM Radio T...
Amplitude Modulation with Simple AM Radio Transmitter
• Amplitude Modulation w...
Follow me on Twitter:
#!/RimStarz
- rimstar.org

Наука

Опубликовано:

21 июн 2024

Ссылка:

Скачать:

Готовим ссылку...

Добавить в:

Мой плейлист

Посмотреть позже

Комментарии : 2,3 тыс.

@joedavis4150 3 года назад

... Beautiful and clear. Thank you.... In the late forties, I was sitting on the ground, leaning against a galvanized Iron Gate. It started receiving a clear radio signal. I think it must have been the zinc crystals in the galvanizing. This event seemed almost like a miracle, to 9 year old me.

@martinkennard1669 Год назад

I was cultivating with a tractor out in no where and started clearly hearing a station. Nobody else around for miles. I can only figure it was thru my tooth fillings.

@genericascanbe3728 Год назад

Like in the 1940s? wow

@miscellaneousdon3377 3 месяца назад

@@martinkennard1669same thing happened to me in school after I got a new tooth filling.

@americanspirit8932 Год назад

I made my first crystal radio, when I was 9 years old, I had a comic book instructed you how to make one. And it worked great at the time.

@Pygar2 3 месяца назад

""Superboy's Workshop" How to Make a Razor-Blade Radio!" Last reprinted in Four Star Spectacular #4, Oct. 1976!

@KingOfTheBeyond23 5 лет назад

If I had a son/daughter I would watch this with them and build a radio. Builds bonds and teaches them things. Amazing vid, thanks.

@yellowawesomeness3857 5 лет назад

I'd do that

@Vexcenot 6 месяцев назад

Can I be your son/daughter?

@robertturner5289 2 месяца назад

Build my first radio, very similar to this, with my dad when I was young, great memory.

@Adrian_AdamViolonDiGerma-tm3nq 29 дней назад

honest reaction : Fascinated 😆😃😄✨✨

@TomM-iw3te 6 месяцев назад

Reminds me of when I made my first crystal set radio receiver in 1956 in Ontario Canada. Your video brought back some wonderful memories. I went on to build Televisions, HAM radio stations, Signal Direction Finders and eventually Computers. Thank you for sharing.

@maggiebrookes-buttwriter3230 7 лет назад

Thank you. This is brilliant. I am researching for a novel set in a WW2 prisoner of war camp, where I've been told they had a crystal radio, built with smuggled parts. I couldn't quite understand how they could have built it, but now I can see the simplicity of it. This has given me everything I need to know! I also really liked your snappy delivery and the way you had filmed the video. Thank you.

@trs80model14 3 месяца назад

Indeed they did and more: look up Roy Kilminster's site, he was a prisoner in Stalag Luft I and they had a radio built with smuggled tubes. He was the keeper of the radio and has pictures of it and how they hid it in a wall.

@AdamosDad 3 года назад

I built one when I was 10, 62 years ago. I was a little more carful in construction but the same circuit. thanks for the memories.

@possummanrld 6 лет назад

Very well done, Rimstar! It looks very primitive, but then the idea is to encourage people to try, and I think this is one of the best videos I have seen in that regard. The capacitor for the volume control is a very nice touch! Thanks for the time an effort you took to make this excellent and instructive video!

@RimstarOrg 10 лет назад

The power source is the incoming radio waves themselves. No battery, no plugging into the wall socket.

@michaelmyers3114 4 года назад

exactly, this video is not about a crystal radio.

@lizzy-o-glicht8051 3 года назад

𝙾𝚔, 𝙽𝚘 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚒𝚗

@RimstarOrg 10 лет назад

The purpose of the short one is to be an inductor. It's inducing current in the longer one. The purpose of the longer one is to resonate with the capacitor at the tuned radio frequency. You might be interested in watching my "How a Crystal Radio Works" video, which goes into all that in great detail and with animations. There's a link to it in the description below this video.

@jerrybomcool 9 лет назад

cant believe how simple this is, thank you for taking the time to make this video and showing us this cool experiment :D

@HamletFasliu 11 лет назад

I just want to say thank you! It's amazing that all the knowledge one could want is on the internet for free. We all owe gratitude to you and to people like you who take the time to share your knowledge with the world.

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

Have fun! Be sure to check the description below this video for a list of all my other crystal radio videos - there's a lot of helpful information there. And don't hesitate to ask questions.

@RimstarOrg 10 лет назад

A foxhole radio is also a crystal radio. There are many, many variations. A foxhole radio usually uses a razor blade and a pencil for the diode, instead of the semiconductor one I've used here. I show how to do that in my "Make Razor Blade Diode for Crystal Radio/Foxhole Radio" video (see the link in the description below this video.) Basically a foxhole radio uses less off-the-shelf parts since there aren't any in a foxhole.

@johnmckee7937 6 месяцев назад

I made a foxhole radio as a kid, much older now.

@Adrian_AdamViolonDiGerma-tm3nq 29 дней назад

It is called Radio Trench if the ingredients are truly made by yourself and obtained from the local area (such as razors and pencils), usually called a crystal radio because the crystal radio circuit is obtained from a shop/commercial crystal radio. It's called a foxhole radio because... Was it made in a foxhole during the war, or because its structure resembles a tunnel (tube)?

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

A number of ways. Use a longer antenna. Make sure you have a good ground. Decrease the space between the two coils, though that may cause more interference between radio stations. You could also add an amplifier (e.g. one powered by a battery) but then it would no longer be considered a crystal radio since a crystal radio is one which is powered solely by the incoming radio waves.

@adrianmiller3204 2 года назад

Is it the answer to wireless and free electricity

@RimstarOrg 2 года назад

There isn't much power here. With a long enough antenna or a strong radio station nearby, you can power a single LED. And you still need a radio station somewhere to use electricity to transmit the radio signal in the first place.

@KRAFTWERK2K6 6 лет назад

I swear, winding the coil is the most difficult and painstaking part. Especially if you never did that before. Took me a while to find the proper way of winding it and making each turn nicely and the wire ending up sitting close together. So satisfying when it's completely wound and ready to be prepared for the next steps.

@cliff987 4 года назад

Found these basic radio videos, 7 or 8 years on, and they are awesome. Thanks for demonstrating some of the very basics.

@annelieseocallaghan801 7 лет назад

This truly is great. The tunable capacitor from foil ! Amazing, high quality video.

@trs80model14 3 месяца назад

Especially as air-variable caps are getting more and more expensive.

@richardturner5861 9 лет назад

I made a crystal radio from a kit when i was in the cub scouts at about age 10. It worked!

@gametrue2229 5 лет назад

Richard Turner know how to make a potato radio that actually works?

@survivalchef8684 4 года назад

It more fun to build stuff out of crap

@MuraliMadupu 10 лет назад

The crystal radio project is great for the younger generation, just I gone to the 1960s period when I was 10 years old I made this project, It was a great Joy to listen, to local radio station broadcast. Now I am 64 years old. Thanks for up loading you and You Tube.Now our younger generation should know how the radio works and be good at fundamentals of electronics.

@bruceroberts2269 6 лет назад

I have always enjoyed making crystal radio's ... we used to use a germanium crystal. This is an awesome tutorial ... the best I have seen !!!

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

Yes, you can use a variable capacitor. To match the coil in this video the capacitor should be in the range 40 picofarads to 355 picofarads if you want to tune in the whole AM radio frequency range.

@alifr4088 Год назад

Can this pick up Shortwave?

@RimstarOrg 10 лет назад

A diode is something that allows electrons to flow through it in one direction only. So if your power source is one that make electrons move back and forth in the wire but you have a section of your circuit where you want electrons to go in one direction only, then you'd insert a diode in that section. It's called a "crystal" radio because people used to make the diode by touching a Galena rock crystal with the tip of a wire. Nowadays, a modern semiconductor diode is used instead.

@Mamabear21318 3 года назад

You stoopid

@lizzy-o-glicht8051 3 года назад

𝙱𝚛𝚞𝚑

@lizzy-o-glicht8051 3 года назад

𝚈𝚎𝚊, 𝚍𝚞𝚑

@bhavanabenrathod2706 2 года назад

I have no ground connection in my home what I will do?????please five me answer

@FishFind3000 Год назад

@@bhavanabenrathod2706 pretty much all homes have a ground. You can also use exposed copper or gas plumbing for a ground.

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

That's actually why I made my first crystal radio, to see how much power I could get. It wasn't enough to pursue it further though. So I guess that's the problem with it. Of course after that I was hooked on the radio part of it anyway. And I'm glad you liked my instructions! Thanks for the feedback!

@RimstarOrg 10 лет назад

You can reduce the size of the coil using a cylindrical ferrite core instead. It's around 1cm or 1/2inch in diameter. You can make a smaller capacitor using double sided copper cladding board. I show on of those capacitors in my "Crystal Radio Troubleshooting and Tips" video (there's a link to the it in the description below this video.) You can also buy smaller commercially made air core variable capacitors. I give a link in the description to midnightscience's website if you want to buy one.

@subroto1961 10 лет назад

Wow ! Relived my childhood. Mine was a simpler one. I used to detach the earpiece of our chunky old telephone. Attach the two ends of a galena crystal to the two electrodes of the earpiece. connect the earth and aerial to each of those electrodes and enjoy the strongest available medium wave. The ground rule was, got to replace the ear piece before Dad gets home

@RimstarOrg 10 лет назад

Cool! That's definitely about as simple as you can get.

@sparkdetect 10 лет назад

What great memories...I did hours of listening on just a diode and earphone. And on tuned sets I DXed other states at night and even shortwave broadcasts.

@drmrinalkantinath4336 Год назад

Jumpstart Jimbo: Have you uploaded the video about this method? I have a faint memory my elder brother did it in the way you mentioned. We used to listen to the local radio station so clearly. That was 70 years back when I was a small kid. I saw the crystal (so he said, there was no diode or any other thing except the telephone receiver which he bought from the Calcutta second hand market) and with a slider (that is the wiper) we can tune in the radio station. Will you please do a video about this method. I believe many like me will be interested about it and they will be benefitted . Please do it and upload the video if possible. I want tp make like this in memory of my elder brother who is no more in this world. He had curiosity things like this.

@kwokng2771 2 года назад

This video is a big motivation and knowledge source. Thank you so much for that. I am teaching a lab course and including this as the final project. So I had tried to make it as simple as possible and actually providing kits for every student. In the process, I have gathered the following thoughts: 1) Coil: I find the sliding option a bit challenging and intimidating, although I did get it to work. My modified design is a total of 65 turns, with a small loop at 40th turn. So there are 2 settings, 65 turns with the loop not touched, and 40 turns with the loop grounded. Between these 2 settings, the frequency range is quite good. After all, you just want to get some channels to show off, but not necessarily all the channels. 2) Capacitor: I tried to “improve” your design, but finally realized how good yours is. Thought of parallel plates that some people use, but bowing near enter is unavoidable, while your tube design has no such problem. I also tried other materials to make it more rigid than aluminum foil. I tried flashing materials (aluminum and galvanized steel) but they are too stiff and leave too much gap between the inner and outer tubes, so probably loosing some capacitance for the same size. I wound up using thicker aluminum foil available. I was also concerned about the contact by taping, but convinced myself that contact to capacitors is not that critical, since there is no DC current. 3) Speaker: This is more critical and difficult than I expected. Piezo earphone did not work for me, and it was a bit expensive ($7) and I returned it. Piezo buzzer (much cheaper) I could hear something but is quite faint, so hard to tune channels. I also tried piezo transducer, and it did not work. The best I used was a guitar amp, but not everybody has one. Next I will try are PC speaker and headphone (both suggested by your viewers). 4) Wish I could show a photo of my final project, but I did not see that option. Again thanks a million. It’s nice to see old school is kept and being pursued. I am retired and always wanted to do it. Well I finally did!

@RimstarOrg 2 года назад

Thanks for sharing all that. I've had the same problem when teaching a class, having to find the cheapest and simplest way that works. So I can relate. I'm glad to hear it worked out.

@RimstarOrg 10 лет назад

I agree. Crystal radio's are very simple, yet very rewarding and teach some useful basics.

@Monotoba 7 месяцев назад

I've been looking for a simple crystal radio for my young grandson to build. This looks like the perfect project! Thanks!

@RimstarOrg 7 месяцев назад

Cool! Be sure to check out the playlist. ru-vid.com/group/PLFsZmHTZL-zlSltC6ELZW9PK4ks7wgPRz I made a bunch of related videos on the topic, including troubleshooting and tips and how-it-works.

@Monotoba 7 месяцев назад

I've watch several already. You do a great job!

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

Ah, I see what you mean now. I'll be doing a variometer when I use my ferrite core, I just was familiar with the term. Thanks.

@joeorton1218 5 лет назад

R.i.p radio shack

@survivalchef8684 4 года назад

Lol

@robert_redd1528 4 года назад

i remember those days.

@ronalddaub7965 3 года назад

Absolutely I've got hundreds of old radios for parts

@mikebucket1658 3 года назад

Long live radio shacks.

@billducas 3 года назад

They are still online, but it's not the same. In the 70's they had most of what you needed and knowledgeable employees. Towards the end of their retail stores, they had nothing, and their employees didn't know the first thing about electronics.

@RimstarOrg 10 лет назад

I'm glad it helped. Be sure to check the list of my other crystal radio videos in the description below this video, or see my crystal radio playlist on my channel page. The "Crystal Radio Troubleshooting and Tips" should probably be the next one to watch.

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

The obvious is adjusting the capacitor and tuning bar on the coil, but I'm sure you've tried that. A longer antenna improves this. Also, you can improve it by moving the two coils closer together, but if you have radio stations that overlap then doing so will make that worse. Also make sure you have a good ground. And you're welcome for the video. I'm glad to see so many people get finding it useful.

@wilwad 6 лет назад

Everybody please pay attention, we will be using these again after WW3

@jonmorris6446 6 лет назад

wilwad if a war came along I'd be on the front line im a decent bloke fairly and I get well Larry wen Apple look at me funny down at the pub. I bounce em round like bunnies I've never broke a law in mi life and if a war came along I'd be on the front.line wig the best of em

@Natalie-ez1zc 6 лет назад

*british* 100

@BillAnt 5 лет назад

Probably...and since the internet might get destroyed too, those who posses this knowledge will be the new radio stars. :D

@videolabguy 5 лет назад

That is a very very bad idea. Anyone who activates a transmitter after WWIII, will immediately receive a back up nuclear missile on their head. Radio silence will keep you alive.

@alexbortnyk1981 5 лет назад

@@videolabguy after it ends tho

@leialoha70 3 года назад

Thank you! I am going to build this with my 12 year old son.

@tonyv8925 5 лет назад

my first crystal radio was from junk parts when I was 8yrs old...I changed the diameter and turns of the inductor and used a variable ganged capacitor from an old Crosley AM radio...hooked up to guy wire on house antenna and ground to pipe in kitchen sink...had to buy the earpiece, from Allied Radio store...at late nite I could pick up international shortwave radio signals...have been in electronics ever since...still have my General Class Ham license too! 73, good video!

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

Excellent! Glad to hear you found one. I hope you have a lot of fun with it.

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

Thanks for the recommendation. I find Crystal Radio: History, Fundamentals, and Design by P.A. Kinzie to be very good too.

@mikebledig7208 6 месяцев назад

Those were the days of learning about radios and how they work and how to build them. So many youngsters of todays generation could learn so much from videos like this, but many won't be interested because of computer rubbish. Thank you for this video.

@freeze0895 3 месяца назад

i like computers and learning how things work dont count me out on wanting to learn about this kind of stuff its very interesting

@mikebledig7208 3 месяца назад

@@freeze0895That's wonderful! Pity there aren't many like you 😊😊

@freeze0895 3 месяца назад

@@mikebledig7208 yeah I agree all of technology is so interesting pcs radios n64s game boys (game boy colors!) there’s so much yet not enough time

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

Ignore the + and - for the speakers and just connect one speaker wire to the end of the diode that has the stripe nearest it and the other speaker wire to the ground. Having said that, these crystal radios aren't powerful enough to power speakers so you very likely won't hear anything. :( There are many places to get piezo earpieces. The Source has piezo buzzers (part no. 2730059) which you can use as an earpiece. See the description below this video for my other videos where I discuss options.

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

In 100uF, the uF is microfarads, which means that's a capacitor, not a diode. So you definitely can't use it. Any germanium diode will work. I've put a partial list in the description below this video. I haven't tried it but you may also be able to get it working with 5 or more silicon diodes connected together in parallel.

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

I never thought to look in an old smoke alarm. Thanks! They definitely sound like peizo buzzers. And yes, this coil and capacitor are for tuning in 540kHz to 1.6MHz. I'm away from my own computer this week otherwise I could easily calculate what's needed for 198kHz but I'm pretty sure you need more turns.

@Disillusioned_one 9 лет назад

Enjoyed the video, and not one soldered joint.

@RimstarOrg 9 лет назад

roy douce Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, I avoided soldered joints so that anyone could make it.

@dashfatbastard 3 года назад

Huh! I've never seen the capacitor build before....nice! I built my first in 1972, when I was 11....worked like a charm. I built a few tiny ones for friends, too. That's the same 1N34 diode I used:) I never found that I needed an aerial to get a signal. I LOVE the audacity of using a standard 110v plug with only the ground connected...using an alligator clip to connect it to the screw-jead that held on the faceplate of the electrical outlet usually worked for me...I'd back it out, sand off the paint, and screw it in with enough play to give it something to grab onto.

@RimstarOrg 9 лет назад

+Judy Bennett Yes, you can use a small battery power speaker in place of the earpiece. I do that here with my portable crystal radio ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JtPwxbOgBHw.html which I show how to make here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iunAvz9PbN0.html. Though before you think of making this portable one instead, I couldn't get it to work in one building due to the use of a loop antenna. Long, straight wire antennas are better, so I used the crystal radio in this video and stretched wires along the floor for the antenna. Regarding getting a ground, in the first video I link to above, the one about the amplifier, if you look closely you'll see I have my hand on one of the capacitor plates. In that case your body acts as the ground. Doing that, in combination with using an amplifier works fairly well. Your PVC pipe should work fine. The difference isn't that big. PS There's no Reply button under your comment because of your Google+ settings. - go to your Google+ page, - in the top, right corner click on your thumbnail icon, - in the popup that appears, click on "Settings". - for the 2nd question down "Who can comment on your public posts?" set it to "Anyone".

@judybennett7842 9 лет назад

Thank you! Sorry about the settings. I think I've changed it now.

@judybennett7842 9 лет назад

Judy Bennett Also, when do I have to be touching the capacitor? Is there a specific time when that is necessary, or is the radio active all the time? Can I use the speaker for this radio, or will it only work for the portable one? Thanks again!

@RimstarOrg 9 лет назад

Judy Bennett You'd have to be touching the capacitor whenever you want to hear the radio. And don't just touch with your finger. The more area your hand contacts the better. You can have visitors to your booth put there hands on it to listen too. The speaker will work with both radios.

@judybennett8304 9 лет назад

RimstarOrg OK, tthank you!

@EMandMORE 10 лет назад

I can't believe what I see. Just genious. I love how you build all this beautiful things starting from scratch. Well...I should say way less than scratch! I've never seen anybody making a capacitor that way. Could you please answer my question? Please I'm very inquiring: How the hell is the circuit removing the carrier wave from the audio signal wave? I suppose it's impossible to do that on an FM signal using such a simple circuit so I think the input signal you're receiving must be AM. But still, I can't see any LP filter or anything else to remove the carrier wave. How is the circuit doing that? Thank you again for all the knowledge, entertainment and ispiration you give to me.

@RimstarOrg 10 лет назад

That's a neat question, because the answer is so sneaky. :) The first obvious thing is that the diode chops off one polarity of the wave. Next, the piezoelectric crystal in the earpiece can't respond fast enough to each peak and zeroing of the carrier wave, so it responds slowly to the peaks only. The result is that the earpiece keeps up only with the audio wave. You can see this illustrated in my "How a Crystal Radio Works" video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0-PParSmwtE.html at around 9:27.

@EMandMORE 10 лет назад

I'm sorry, I found the explanation video just after I posted the question, now it's all perfectly clear. Thanks a lot, really. I was looking for a simple RF receiver but I just couldn't find a very basic one to understand, now I did, thank you again :)

@RimstarOrg 8 лет назад

+Gabriels Raitis Kuma No, an LED won't work. The voltage required to start the LED conducting is too high for the radio. And it has to be a germanium diode, not a silicon diode. PS. Your comment doesn't have a Reply button because your Google+ settings are set to not allow "Anyone" to comment on your public posts.

@Loundre3 8 лет назад

Will an Schottky diode work also?

@RimstarOrg 8 лет назад

Some mentioned in the comments here that a low-barrier Schottky barrier might work. I haven't tried it myself.

@power-max 7 лет назад

I bought the lowest voltage drop Schottky diode (0.29v @ 5mA) with very small leakage (within nanoamps) but I have not had luck so far. I suspect my crystal earpiece may have been damaged though.

@RimstarOrg 7 лет назад

Thanks. Let me know if you do get it working. It would be nice to have confirmation.

@power-max 7 лет назад

RimstarOrg I can pick up noise around 700KHz, and it sounds exactly the same on a surround sound system on the AM tuner selection. I think it is my PS3 or TV tuner. Even the tuner cannot pick up any strong AM stations, so if this does work, it is not very sensitive. I have had a germanium diode many years ago and that worked, but a HV transient popped it.

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

Hey Evan, That's excellent news! Congrats. There's nothing like hearing it working the first time. Glad I could help. -Steve

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

Thanks for letting me know. I'm glad to hear it worked. I've wanted to try using a ferrite core for a while now but just haven't had the time to yet. I had to look up what a variometer is. I doubt that I'll make one but thanks for suggesting anyway.

@lvxmagick9560 5 лет назад

Damn I knew this was a old video the second he said Radio Shack

@george330ful 10 лет назад

I am 73 and have two crystal radios one I made with a razor blade as the tuner in stead of the wiper . I can get three station one is 35 miles away wwva large powered station

@RimstarOrg 10 лет назад

That's pretty good for a razor blade one. I know I had trouble getting anything with mine. How long is your antenna?

@george330ful 10 лет назад

Over 250 ft I am also on the highest point in my county

@RimstarOrg 10 лет назад

george330ful Wow. 250ft is great, I'm envious. Sounds like a great location.

@subroto1961 10 лет назад

Yeah, remember that trick. Glue a razor blade flat on a wooden board, fix the head of a safety pin near it with a nail, touch the sharp point of the pin vertically on the flat surface of the blade. That'll work as a crude diode

@Landotter1 10 лет назад

Jumpstart Jimbo I believe they used to call that a cats whisker

@E5Bobby 10 лет назад

Built one of these from a kit when I was a kid. Great fun for youngsters. Well done! Thank you for making this video. I might make one of these for my grandson. I know he'll enjoy it.

@mounachuang3989 6 лет назад

Really wish that I could have seen this when I was a child. So much curiosity was dead out without enough information or demonstration like this one.

@HBC101TVStudios 8 лет назад

Can you make a crystal SW radio?

@chrisakarazor9612 3 года назад

Yes, just make a shorter coil

@sarveshverma3577 7 лет назад

can we use silicon diode and less no of turns plz cmnt

@RimstarOrg 7 лет назад

Typically, no, a silicon diode won't work. For that you either need a very long, straight antenna (over 100 feet) or to be next to a powerful radio station. And yes, you can use less turns. You just may have more overlapping stations since you're compressing them into a smaller length of coil for tuning purposes.

@sarveshverma3577 7 лет назад

Thank you for valuable reply

@sarveshverma3577 7 лет назад

RimstarOrg could you tell me any other alternatives of capacitor (trimmer capacitor)

@RimstarOrg 7 лет назад

I show another DIY design in my crystal radio tips and tricks video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HZZmKZJrIW0.html. I have some links to where you can buy on in the video description.

@sarveshverma3577 7 лет назад

Sir I'm working on this project and I have two questions 1. can we have any other option for grounding because it may be dangerous and I want to make it portable. 2. Can we use one earphones piece for sound will it be much sensitive to sound. Sir plz help its my project

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

Thanks. I've already got that one in the description below this video but your confirmation helps since I haven't tried that one myself.

@bub_lite_6361 6 лет назад

Neat design. I've never made a crystal radio with a tuning capacitor 'and' a slider before. Didn't even know you could still get crystal earphones. 5 years too late, but thanks for the video. 👍

@GlawberOliveira 8 лет назад

1:15 = money shot 🐲

@MrHwilRRR 7 лет назад

:'D :'D :'D Oh god. :3

@rbp365 7 лет назад

SB please tell me, what is this? How do you use this? What is it for? Where is the crystal in it because I missed that. Thank you.

@RimstarOrg 7 лет назад

There is no crystal. In the original crystal radios from the early 1900s they did use a crystal instead of the modern diode and that's where they got the name crystal radio. But these days a crystal radio is any radio that gets its power from the incoming radio waves.

@evilpaulosa 7 лет назад

8:57 25 turn coil and 90 turn coil ?

@RimstarOrg 7 лет назад

I'm actually working on a video explaining how many turns now, but it won't be out for a week or so. The capacitor and coil form an LC resonant circuit. It doesn't have to do with wavelength the way you seem to be thinking about it though. In the meantime, I have some calculators here rimstar.org/science_electronics_projects/lc_circuit_aka_tank_or_resonant_circuit.htm for working out the right coil. I also talk explain it in my How a Crystal Radio Works video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0-PParSmwtE.html.

@mr007onfire7 10 лет назад

You can burn the insulation off with a lighter

@KRAFTWERK2K6 6 лет назад

Yeah i too did that on the ends of each wire. However i would not recommend doing that instead of sanding off the coating layer for the wiper. You only wanna wear off the upper layer, not the whole coating all around the coil on that spot.

@gualtergutierrez1166 5 лет назад

u can burn the whole radio with a lighter

@RimstarOrg 10 лет назад

I don't know of any way to do it using a transformer, not that that means there isn't one, but I've made two amplifiers by other ways. One amplifies it for the earpiece and the other amplifies it so you can listen using a loudspeaker. See my "How to Make Amplifier for Crystal Radio Earphone" and "How to Make Crystal Radio Amplifier for Speaker" videos. There are links to them in the description below this video.

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

Thanks. You can buy crystal earpieces online. See the description below this video for links. You can use piezo buzzers that you buy at electronics stores like Radio Shack. You can use disk piezo crystals taken from various things. See my "Make Crystal Earphone/Earpiece for Crystal Radio" video for taking one from a microwave oven. You can use normal earbuds. See my "Use Earbuds/Earphones with Crystal Radio" video for that. Links to the videos are in the description below this video.

@matttrusty6100 5 лет назад

I want to make one but I don't think I have the patience. 😂

@theduderski2848 7 лет назад

weirdest meth lab ever

@BillAnt 5 лет назад

Different strokes for different folks at 1:15 ;D

@RimstarOrg 10 лет назад

One way is to make a radio transmitter and transmit music to it. You can see me do it in my video "How to Make AM Radio Transmitter". There's a link to it in the description below this video.

@happyhome41 3 года назад

This is fascinating in one respect -- no battery. Impressive

@RimstarOrg 10 лет назад

I use a piezo speaker which I took from a microwave oven, so yes, a piezo speaker should work, assuming you mean one where it's a disk shaped piezo crystal. It's a little quieter than the commercial made piezo crystal earpieces. Cut a short piece from a plastic pen to direct the sound into your ear like I do in my "Make Crystal Earphone/Earpiece for Crystal Radio - Homemade" video. There's a link to it in the description below this video.

@rva1945 8 лет назад

Great video, nicely explained and good to know that the radio can be built using junk materials.

@lhacker39 8 лет назад

this video was very informative. I remember putting a kit similar to this together when I was 12 or so. (I'm 60 now). Mine didn't work as well as yours, but I like the concept of making it from things around the house.

@paolocarasso5414 9 лет назад

Thank you.It's one of the best explanation I have seen on this matter.

@dietermoreno 11 лет назад

Oh wow this is really good. best tutorial on RU-vid for crystal radios for absolute beginners.

@LevinoControle 5 лет назад

Great tutorial. I've searched a step-by-step for a long time, trying to find out what's wrong with my set and why it's not working. Then i've found in this video: I've used a common diode without a long antenna for it and i've connected the capacitor in the wrong way. Also, i've used a normal speaker in the wrong way, since i've used the small antenna and it woudn't give enough power to turn it on. Now i'm gonna fix it using a crystal earpiece and a german diode. Thanks for the video!! =D

@NatashaNDavies 9 лет назад

thanks for making this video. it will help a LOT on my science project.

@ronalddaub7965 3 года назад

I want to start building all kinds of them because there are all kinds this is amazing free energy and nobody talks about it much anymore this is my new favorite hobby

@bowlineobama 5 лет назад

Thanks for showing how a radio works. Awesome!!

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

I have to do that too sometimes. Usually I check all my connections, including my ground connection, and then I don't have to. I suspect two possibilities, that doing so changes the capacitance or grounds the foil.

@travellingunderpants 6 лет назад

Greetings from the UK. I found my way quite by chance looking for something completely unrelated lol. Absolutely fascinated and enjoyed very much watching 😄. I'm gonna try and make one now! Not many AM MW radio stations around now but hopefully I'll be able to hear something! Lol. Thank you for posting 😃

@paulcohen1505 6 лет назад

Excellent video thank you I haven't built one since being a child, great to see Thank You.

@travisnelson9104 6 лет назад

Really cool. I'm going to try this soon. Have been bored and craving an interesting project. Radio has always interested me.

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

I love it! Your radio shows fully only in one frame but it looks like a beautiful thing to me! Sounds good too through the amplifier! Post it as a video response to this video if you want and I'll approve it.

@andymate2006 10 лет назад

Very interesting, I use to make heaps of Crystal radios when I was a kid. Haven't made one in ages.

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

I'm glad my videos are helping! Thanks for letting me know. 0.3v is good, mine isn't that high. So I'd say you're on the right track. Let us know how it goes.

@lizzy-o-glicht8051 3 года назад

U said that 20 times

@lizzy-o-glicht8051 3 года назад

Stop complimenting your self

@billybonewhacker 11 лет назад

one of the best radio how to books out there,also the impoverished radio experimenter vol. 1-6. great vid. peace from oklahoma city

@paulschmolke188 3 года назад

Terrific presentation!

@sargetech 10 лет назад

Brings me back to my Alfred P. Morgan, Radio Electronics days!! My mom would not let me mess around with the tubes, but I could make anything that did not require batteries! This was allowed. Also I just couldn't wait for winter so I could do static electric projects such as Leyden jars and electroporuses etc!! I was a real little mad scientist! :)

@iainmarais6965 7 лет назад

Very nice design. Built one myself along similar lines, but with a 0A41 germanium diode. I get some decent volume by using a tunable loading coil in series with the antenna before it goes into the radio. Output goes either directly into my PC or into an amp scrounged from an old PC speaker main unit

@ccchowie 11 лет назад

Love your videos, simple and easy to follow. Your voice goes very well with your presentations, loud and clear, Congrats and keep up the good work.

@DonPastor1 4 года назад

I was looking for my original crystal radio set I got way back in 1957. It actually had a little crystal item with crystal it it and a filler item you taped on the crystal until you found a radio station. A very simple unit.

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

You're welcome. I'm glad you like it. If you want a radio that you can't tune, good for areas where there's only one strong radio station, then the circuit can be even simpler!

@James1Wayman 6 лет назад

Thanks for posting, I built one of these while helping my granddaughter build another one for a school science project. I only have one good AM station in the area and it I could barley hear it and it was a little garbled... I connected a 47k resistor across the crystal radio ear bud connections and it improved the sound from barley hear it to loud and clear! Thanks again and hope someone finds this comment helpful.

@RimstarOrg 6 лет назад

Yup. My understanding is that the resistor helps when the diode doesn't have enough reverse leakage. I explain it in my How a Crystal Radio Works video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0-PParSmwtE.html starting at around two minutes and four seconds in.

@James1Wayman 6 лет назад

Thanks, great video!

@sixthview 11 лет назад

Awesome video! Can't wait to do this project with my boys!!! Thank you!

@leafbranch1872 Год назад

I had forgotten about these, thanks.

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

Thanks! I'm glad you're liking my videos.

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

Thanks. I'm glad you liked it.

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

Sounds like you're getting there! Keep at it!

@Mamabear21318 3 года назад

Yeah no way

@steveperry1344 Год назад

when i was a kid back in the 50's and 60's i had these little red pocket type crystal radios that we bought at the store and inside it was kinda like you made there. i had so much fun with that thing, i could listen to baseball games and music at night in bed after lights out with the little earpiece. i used to hook the alligator clip to the radiator pipe. i still listen to a lot of radio today but i'm worried about the future of radio today especially AM with all the other media now.

@InterdimensionalWiz 2 года назад

delightful video. bravo!

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

Thanks, Tommy. I appreciate the feedback - it really helps knowing I'm on the right track. And thanks for watching!

@dawsonkoren4529 Год назад

Im doing this for a school project and you are single handedly saving my grade. Appretiacte it

@RimstarOrg Год назад

My pleasure, that's what it's here for. In case it helps, I have an entire playlist about crystal radios ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VqdcU9ULAlA.html and tips and tricks to getting them to work on my website rimstar.org/science_electronics_projects/crystal_radio_tips_and_tricks.htm

@KarlWitsman Год назад

Thanks for the idea for a capacitor. I saw someone do a similar thing on another video, but they didn't explain it as well as you did.

@mickgatz214 10 лет назад

Crystal Radio = Back to Basics.....thnx for sharing!

@RimstarOrg 11 лет назад

Originally the diode was often a galena crystal and the sharp tip of a wire or metal object pressed was against it until a sound was heard. Electrical contact to this diode was made with the crystal and the wire. Then when modern commercial diodes came along, most people switched to using those instead. Nowadays, a crystal radio is defined as a radio that gets its power from the incoming radio waves.