Foxhole and/or Crystal Radios

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    Blacksmith101

    Grumpy Old Man
    Jun 22, 2012
    22,269
    Question for you electronic wizards about Foxhole and/or Crystal Radios.

    I know they exist and work 'cause I was a Boy Scout but what I need is a practical tutorial for a non electrical geek on what I need to build one. Basically a common language guide to what I could scrounge in the way of parts in a post catastrophe world to assemble a working radio receiver.

    For those who weren't Boy Scouts here are some links on Foxhole/ Crystal Radios:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxhole_radio
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_detector
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diode
     
    K31

    K31

    "Part of that Ultra MAGA Crowd"
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 15, 2006
    35,674
    AA county
    The easiest way is with a single germanium diode. Google "single diode radio". Otherwise, it's going to be difficult to find a crystal/cats whisker or you'll have to make your own.

    The simplest is just a diode, earphone, antenna (long piece of wire) and ground.



    Although with that you'll probably hear just the strongest local AM signal.

    If you go the "foxhole" radio route you need a blued razor blade. Do they still make those? Probably any blued (real blued) steel would work.

    The earphone(s) need to be high impedance. I see some of these designs use a telephone handset although this one uses a 1K:8 transformer and a common 8 ohm earphone.

    https://www.instructables.com/Build-an-antique-style-crystal-radio/

    There are kits you can buy as well.
     
    B

    Blacksmith101

    Grumpy Old Man
    Jun 22, 2012
    22,269
    I was looking for how to build a radio receiver after the SHTF when you can't order components from the internet. For example are diodes something that could be scrounged from some other electrical equipment? I have both iron pyrites and galena as mineral specimens and it appears other types of crystals may also work. I can heat blue (oxidize) a razor blade or other piece of metal. Will any earphone work or does it have to be a particular type? Wire can be salvaged from many sources. I vaguely remember one from boy scouts the used two razor blades mounted vertically a short distance apart with a pencil lead (?) laying across them.

    Would like to include some written instructions in my preppers notebook just in case.
     
    A

    Antarctica

    YEEEEEHAWWW!!!!
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 29, 2012
    1,735
    Southern Anne Arundel
    Its not as basic as what you're talking about but an old spilsbury sbx-11 is about as bomb-proof as you can get. These were crystal/chnnelized HF transceivers typically used in the northern bush by trappers back in the day (up into the 90's mostly). Cool little radios, still in demand.
     
    Harrys

    Harrys

    Short Round
    Jul 12, 2014
    3,422
    SOMD
    When I was a kid in the early 60s we made one that used a real crystal in a copper pipe cap and a safety pin to scratch it. The tuner was made out of an oat meal container and the head phone was the ear piece of a telephone. We were going through boxes about 10 years ago and I found it. At the time my grand son was 8 so we gave it to him and his amazement that it did not need power was great as it brought back child hood memories.
     
    Pinecone

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    One question.

    What are you going to listen too???

    If EMP fries all your good receivers, it probably fried all the transmitters also.
     
    K31

    K31

    "Part of that Ultra MAGA Crowd"
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 15, 2006
    35,674
    AA county
    Pinecone said:
    One question.

    What are you going to listen too???

    If EMP fries all your good receivers, it probably fried all the transmitters also.
    Click to expand...

    President Biden is not going to let that happen. He gave a list to Putin of what infrastructure he can and cannot destroy.
     
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