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Looks like you made it to my #10 set, or did you skip to this one? Now
that I have completed 10 crystal sets, it is time that I make a new
directory on my website. This one is getting pretty crowded! So you will
be seeing a 11-20 link soon! I am also giving the radios a name after
I build them. This one is The Old Buzzard. My friend George,
K2XL uses that term for this old f*** stuff.
This set isn't completely homebrew. One of the fun things
about this hobby is find something around and make it fit and work in
the situation that you pick. This is what I did here. I have become an
"ebay junkie". Maybe I shouldn't let this secret out as many of you
might go there and compete with my bidding. Dave doesn't like to pay
much for his stuff. I got a really good deal from Big Al a week or
two ago. I bought
a bunch of capacitors, coils, etc on an auction and mixed in was this
coil and capacitor all connected together. I noticed that there was
a second coil inside the first one. The wheels started turning right away.
So I hooked up a diode and earphone, connected to my antenna and ground
and I was receiving signals!
One thing I noted was that this crystal set was pretty loud, but not
much for selectivity. That is perhaps the wire isn't the high Q litz wire.
However it was great having
a chance to listen to a crystal set made with some really old buzzard parts.
I won't go into many construction details except I used a scrap piece
of my 3/16 inch garolite. That is why the knob is taller than the
panel. I stained a piece of oak with Minwax red oak stain, and then
applied some shellac. There is a groove cut in the wood and the panel
is force fit in that slot. Hopefully it won't splinter the wood, but
so far, so good. I would like to use a smaller tuning knob but I had to use
that one because of a feature of that knob. The capacitor will turn
round and round, non stop. There is a wire braid attached between
the rotor and a terminal. If that capacitor were turned a lot in one
direction, that wire would break. So hidden under the knob is a little
homebrew stop that I made. The knob has a groove inside that the stop
will travel in. The knob will then stop when the end is reached. Problem
solved!
Other than that this set is kind of a plain circuit, but
great on looks. I like this one already!
So stay tuned for more sets. I have more tube sets coming
along with plans to build a loop antenna. Please bookmark this site
and tell your friends! 73, Dave
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