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Comment by quickthrower2 | Hacker News Reader

I made one in one of those electronic kits in the 80s that had springs you poked wires into. Pretty cool to pick up “the station” on am (there was no tuning I think loudest won)

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I'm not sure you can really do that now. There are far more non-voice things transmitted on AM frequencies, so there is a good chance that your not-very-selective home-made radio is picking up someones garage door opener as the strongest signal.

The FCC is rather prickly about electrical noise in the licensed bands, to the point companies have had to modify designs to not become impromptu transmitters on those frequencies. This is one reason power cords grow those little black cylinders called ferrite beads:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrite_bead

So, in theory, a crystal set should still be a good way to pick up conservative talk radio and sports talk and you kinda get the idea it wouldn't be a popular project for kids these days given the current media landscape.

I had one as well, but I recall a variable capacitor used for tuning.

Yep, the old Radio Shack 100-in-1 kits. Great fun (early to mid 70s for me).

I think mine was called "MyKit 100", no Radio shack branding.

There was a small booklet with circuits and connection lists, like 1-12-14 meaning that you where supposed to put wires between those connections.

Absolutely no explenation about how the circuits worked.

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