Fun article from a Japanese ham radio magazine that discusses why a specific kind of crystal (diode) works and what others will not. Also shows how to provide bias on some diodes to make them work in a crystal set. Well illustrated and easy to read. Technical Trivia by Dr. FB / Why we don’t use a silicon diode in a crystal radio?｜Jul.2020 - Monthly FB NEWS
Fun DIY piece The Complete Guide on How to Build a Crystal Radio—Plus How They Work « Steampunk R&D :: WonderHowTo and DIY with detailed parts listing Build an Antique Style Crystal Radio DIY - well illustrated build piece https://sci-toys.com/scitoys/scitoys/radio/radio.html
I remember watching a video about 5 years ago on how crystal radios work. The guy explained the limitations they had and started building different circuits to modify them. Started with a simple more efficient tuner then went into an amplifier circuit for a better speaker. The videos kept going into detail on different mods one could make. Can't find them anymore.
Remember that half the radio is the antenna. Like matched tuning forks the harmonic is critical. In the old days, Hams made a slider for the long wire antenna to adjust the length of exposure. In the days of CB radio, you learned how critical an inch or two made on your transceiver. As a kid, we listened to crystal set radios and anything on the air was available especially at night.
I remember helping my dad with his ham rig. He was building some kit and required a crystal. He was using a polishing compound to fine tune the crystal. After a while he decided that he’d put my nimble fingers to work so I had the pleasure of grinding down the crystal for a bit. He utilized old mil components in his rigs. Nothing lights the night like a kilowatt tube based amp.
I visited the New England Telephone & Telegraph Company museum once, and they had one of the original 'crystal' receivers there - complete with Edison "Super Clear" crystals! Madison Avenue, where superlatives about the size of Adam's Apple started. William Warren
Back in 1998 we were home schooling our two youngest daughters and we built this kind of radio with an antenna wound on a oatmeal carton. Radio Shack was our resource and a lot of old radios I had "Examined" as a kid. The build was a success and we got to show our daughters that you can have fun and learn too.
