Crystal Radios
Crystal radios were (and are) simple devices, capable of being constructed by anyone possessing rudimentary assembly skills, and utterly fascinating. Crystal sets were the most common type of radios before vacuum tubes came along. Many were home-made affairs, but a number of companies also produced fully assembled crystal sets during the 1910s and 1920s.
The fascinating aspect of crystal radios is that they "run on nothing," drawing their power from radio waves themselves, which are gathered from the air by a long wire antenna. The technical term for a radio operating in this way is passive receiver.
Although crystal radios consist of a minimum of parts--the barest configuration containing an antenna wire, tuning coil of copper wire, crystal detector and earphones--commercial manufacturers of crystal sets often dressed them up using beautiful wood mounting boards or cabinets and brass fittings.
From plain homemade brews with wires sticking out here and there, to plastic radio kits aimed at budding young experimenters, to fancy furniture-quality sets, crystal radios were (and are) a diverse lot. How diverse? Just browse these listings and you will see.
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