Crystal Radio
By SZ123 • 2009-05-20 • Category: Radio-Base • RSS 2.0
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The circuit is very simple with only 5 parts, but performs very nicely when used with the right size antenna.
| Part |
Total Qty. |
Description |
| C1 |
1 |
Tuning Capacitor (See Notes) |
| D1 |
1 |
1N34 Germanium Diode |
| L1 |
1 |
Loopstick Antenna (See Notes) |
| SPKR1 |
1 |
Crystal Earphone |
| MISC |
1 |
Wire, Board, Wire For Antenna, Knob For C1 |
C1 and L1 can be bought, or salvaged from an old AM radio (which is where I got mine). You may need to experiment with the connections on L1 in order to get the best (or any) signal.
You may or may not need the ground connection. I never use it and the radio usually works fine without it.
The bigger the antenna, the more stations you pick up and the louder you hear them. On my radio, I get about 10 stations, 3 of which are very loud in the earphone. Of course, not everyone has room for a 60' antenna...
A 47K resistor in parallel with the earphone will help properly load the detector
