Crystal sets? Any interest?

[boater sam]

Hey guys, don't shoot the messenger!

I only posted this in case someone wanted real old wood cased sets.
I make nothing out of it, not the least bit interested in crystal sets, last one I made was 67 years ago!
I will not get involved any further.

[Murphyv310]

Hi.
Sam...... Never be the middle man, one thing I've learned from experience over the years.

On a different note. I've given away and have been given many items over the years, these days I see a very worrying trend that is all down to how much money I'll make. The seller has no interest at all in the technology, it's history nor how educational it can be or even the pleasure gained in getting it to work, there is now a massive shift in the hobby. Dealers purporting as collectors,I've seen it all.

[joebog1]

Trevor!!!!.
Education?? today??.
You mean its not on guggle ?
Then its not education.

Sam, I think posted as he saw fit from a request from an aquaintance/friend. As the man said, DONT shoot the messenger.

If Sam hasnt been chased by the Rhodesian Ridgebacks, perhaps he will see whats available and post suitable pics.

After all, its all in our interest, yes interest, I did not pick up the vibe of accountancy.

Thanks to Sam. AND thanks to your dedication of at least offering here first.

My best regards,

Joe

[Murphyv310]

Well said Joe.
Certainly agree about education and yes decent of you to post the possibility of obtaining them Sam.
Let's see then what the owner says, hopefully he'll see some comments here.
Incidentally a large frame antenna 4x sides of 1 meter makes a terrific "crystal" set!

[Paul_RK]

If he's interested in how much he can get for them, eBay's the place - they're mostly not too difficult to pack for safe transport - or one of the larger collector events if he's disposed to take them along. I have four crystal sets - the first bought about 45 years ago in my student days, the last four or five years ago because I've an interest in electrical appliances made by Revo of Tipton and was curious to see something from them in the radio line - and may yet be interested in acquiring one or two more, but, yes, there's fast becoming nothing at all for them to receive.

Paul

[ppppenguin]

To each, his or her own.

I've never managed to summon up much interest in crystal sets. I made a few when I was a kid, using a germanium diode. Usually used the outer of a TV aerial downlead as the aerial and a crystal earpiece. They worked tolerably well - only about 10 miles from Brookmans Park. I may have the odd crystal set lurking in a dark corner, looking unloved.

I discovered television quite early on and never really looked back to radio that much. Except I listen the the radio a lot and rarely watch TV. My desk radio is a Murphy B842 transistor set from around 1970. It's on for hours every day.

[Pye Man]

I made a few crystal sets when I was a kid. They were popular at school – the trick being using an antenna lead with a croc clip to attach to the large sash metal window frames in the modern (early 1960s) classroom block. We were not far from Droitwich so reception was a breeze. After the pirates were outlawed I went to sleep listening on one for years and got to enjoy Radio 4 – at least my mother didn’t have to come in and turn off my little Philips set to save the battery.

There seemed to be quite a fad in the US for making quite sophisticated crystal sets. I happened across a site some years ago. I like the idea of how much you can develop a simple concept to perform well.

[BusyBee]

I like crystal sets and do take an interest. I'd love to collect them but don't have the space so didn't respond here. I have quite a few books which I have downloaded on the subject, as well as some printed ones. Many of the ideas used in the more sophisticated ones are very useful in valve and transistor radio design.

Tracy

[Sinewave]

I used to have a crystal set when I was a kid, something my Dad got for me, no idea what ever happened to it.

[joebog1]

To Jeffrey Borinski,
Quote:
I've never managed to summon up much interest in crystal sets.
Unquote :

I never drummed up much interest in television, even though I made a living from repairing them.
BIG clunky turret tuners. ( constant cleaning of the biscuit connections ) Programs to really make one hate television. TWO channels that had to come some 100 kliks from Canberra. One commercial station, one from ABC.
Complete with snow storms, over a few different mountain ranges. Cost in the thousands of pounds when avereage wage was less that 100 pounds per week. TV licencing, some few extra pounds, "Radio " inspectors in red trucks to throw the book at anybody that didnt pay the tax.
NOT to mention it required two off six metre long water pipes joined together, with a bit of super lossy 300 ohm twin lead to get the nano volts of signal into the set.
The constant loss of horizontal synch, OR the replacement of the 1 uF or 2.2 uF coupling caps for vertical deflection.
EHT supplies that defied understanding. WE ( family ) never had TV when I lived at home.

I know why.
Yes!!! Bring on the crystal sets.

Joe.

(I took several days to answer that post. )