Civilian Wartime Receiver

[Sparks]

That was on a full aerial, but it is almost as good with only two or three feet of wire. At the moment, there is a 500K pot as volume control, because I hadn't got a 1M one. A 1M may work better because at the moment, I get maximum volume very low on the control. The distortion on one of the local stations always seems to be present on valve radios, but on modern sets it is OK. I have been told that it is something to do with the modulation methods, but am not entirely convinced. I will probably fiddle about with it some more.
Bob

[Murphyv310]

Hi.
Nice repair and pleased you are happy with the results.
The link to the BVWS article did get me thinking. I still stand by my thoughts and others that the German set is insensitive, no sets of this design could ever be said that they were no matter what country and by who designed them. I felt it had a distinctly German bias for an article published in a British magazine. No I'm not being biased either, so think about this, over 2000 were brought to task about listening to foreign broadcasts, come now, it's possible to do this with a crystal set, decent aerial or a tunable frame aerial. Also who says those people had just the people's sets?? To my mind the article has as many myths as the ones they are trying to discount.

[Terry]

With respect, Trevor, I think you read a different version of that article to me.

He makes it perfectly clear that many other, more expensive, sets were available and sold well.

I'm also sure that there was just as much interest in making crystal sets, one valve TRFs, etc. as in this country - is it compulsory to include that in a history of the Civilian Wartime Receiver? Of course not, so why should it appear in the article under discussion?

You say: "no sets of this design could ever be said that they were (insensitive) no matter what country and by who designed them."

The article states that most sets of the design type - in any country - are really only local station receivers but that with a good aerial, they can receive quite distant stations, particularly at night just like any other set.

Different words, same meaning, surely? After all, I would expect these sets to be much more sensitive than the crystal sets you cite.

[pwdrive]

My experience of regen detectors is that they are very sensistive, DX no problem.

Lawrence.

[Murphyv310]

But there is no definition as to what sets, aerial systems were used, you cannot lump then all together without facts.
Yes regeneration sets can be quite sensitive but at room filling volume? The difference between receiving a strong signal and one that requires an ear at the speaker is in question. Sadly the article in not backed up with any hard and fast facts.

[pwdrive]

Actually I'm not entirely sure what the "empfanger" debate is all about, I do know that during WW2 in Germany any of the general pop listening to "enemy" broadcasts were committing an arrestable offence.

I had a Kleinemphanger in the 1960's it was given to me by someone who went through it all, the war that is.

Lawrence.

[Murphyv310]

Yes Lawrence you are totally correct.
One article I read perhaps 30 years ago made reference to the sets design. It was not as many believe for just costing but a method of routing out subversives and Jews. The lack of sensitivity and the fact it was a regen would often mean an aerial of illegal length, being a regen the set would often make the set oscillate so the SS would be able to locate the set that was tuned into illegal broadcasts, this would often lead to arrests and even worse.
One of my uncles sadly passed on was involved with signals during WW2 and trying to counteract our transmissions, they were paranoid and did anything to stop people in Germany listening to the allies, Some of the things he told me when young were terrible, but of course war is!!