Listening to free radio with your air core loop and 1N34A germanium diode

Here we use the air core loop and a single germanium diode for AM broadcast reception

[@notvalidcharacters]

So I clicked a thumbs-up as soon as I heard the words "I'm an analogue guy". I like Paul. He's a good egg. --- and we're back here at the Group W bench! I have that Grundig loop, although it's sold under a couple of different names too.

[@luisuriashermosillo6804]

Radio was, and is a wonderfull tool for many posible activities, from security, comunity integration, information, humor, music, health, you name it! Even more fantastic were radio people!!. We should save both, as not only high art state of radio arts and techs, but as advanced mental persons in our world. Keep the art alive and the most younger people tuned to all of this. We use to listen to a lot of AM radio in the north of Mexico from the US. A huge important developing influence in the 50s. Greetings, and thanks a lot, from Chihuahua, some 250 miles south of El Paso . 👌🏻🌟🤗

[@W1VLF]

Hi Luis, Thank you for your kind comments.. I love AM radio and was very discouraged to hear that some car manufacturers were going to stop putting AM into cars. I am glad that didn't become law!! W1VLF

[@W1AEX]

Nicely done Paul! It's amazing what can be done with a good idea, a few clip leads and what's in our junk boxes!

[@W1VLF]

Well their are not up to the caliber of the W1AEX videos I have watched.. but I guess they will do.. Thanks do much for watching and comment . Best of 73's Rob W1VLF

[@jeremycole3008]

excellent way of describing and illustrating this

[@Karl63601]

Hi Paul. Pretty sure it was my comment you referred to. Yep, I'm really enjoying BCB dxing. I've been playing around with a wideband untuned loop I cobbled out of some speaker wire and a little LNA module from eBay. Kind of a real poor man's Wellbrook. I'm about 40 miles south of St Louis, and with my cheap Retekess V-115 radio/recorder and my loop, I'm getting all kinds of dx. Regularly enjoy a number of Canadians and Cubans, and everything inbetween. I've also got an AN200 loop and with a diode and an old pair of Trimm Featherweights I regularly listen to my neighbors KREI (800KHz) about 3 miles to my south, and KFMO (1240KHz) about a mile to my west. Yep, I think this might be the most fun you can have with your pants on. Thanks again, and keep 'em coming. '73

[@W1VLF]

Yup Carl you are correct. I am not sure if can mention names yet on YT... As you can see I am new at this. BTW no one wants to see me with my pants off LOL.. Not even my wife!!!! Thanks for the comments.

[@W4TRI]

Love this discussion! Top work! If you could do a handwritten diagram with the cap you mentioned that would be helpful too.

[@W1VLF]

Good Idea.. Whats in my head is not always what come across in the video.. Some diagrams would certainly be helpful. I will do that.

[@1tux2]

This video threw me for a loop ;-} I watched a few of Paul's other ones and now I know how to wind and unwind them to hit sections of the band. I was going to go with plans on the internet but now I will get creative! I need a generator and scope like his so will keep his advice on those in mind. 73's AA8IB.

[@catalinalb1722]

Great video Sir! Respect! I have the AN-200 (branded Tecsun) and a Tektronix Osciloscope bought from a HAM Flea market. I will try this for sure! When I was a kid I had a galena stone between a longwire and the grounding wire. In parallel a small speaker. I was listening Radio România. I think also on Medium Wave. Thanks for your work. Keep safe!

[@oldmedia3189]

De unde ai luat osciloscop?

[@MrNeumerker]

I did the same thing in Hungary. My father and I we were able to listen to the Radio free Europe.

[@aultraman]

Great content! Never knew you could have a loop inside another loop. Thanks, KK6GXK

[@madmax2069]

3:27 thats just the plastic ring that holds the wraps of wire. I thought the same thing, but the plastic ring is halved and the part you're seeing is the step of the two halves so that they'll hold together.

[@philupdegrave731]

I like to old-school o-scope! Forget the LCD and plasma screens! If you ain't burnin' retina, then you ain't using a REAL o-scope! Great YT channel, great info.

[@kicktree]

That was fun! I had a 17 project electronic circuit kit as a child (1971). It had a simple rectifier receiver circuit. I was amazed! Still am! 73 K4nal

[@marusholilac]

In the 1970s I was playing with unpowered AM receivers and made what I believe is the least complex receiver possible. I had a straight length of wire, a germanium diode and a single lead to my headphones. The headphones had no ground connection. I was able to hear WEAM-1390 in Falls Church, Virginia, the strongest signal at my house 5 miles away in Arlington. I agree that it would be sad if the US one day lost AM radio. I found this video in a fruitless search of the web, looking for documented examples of radio reception in plumbing fixtures and fences.

[@CARLiCON]

got one easier than that, I took an old CB antenna & clipped it to the hot mic input on a laptop & using the media player to monitor the mic, was able to pick up my local 5kw AM station (transmitter about 5 miles away). No tuning capacitors, no diodes, no electrical components, no software, just antenna into the mic input, using the laptop as an amplifier. But of course this only works because of 2 things: 1) being close enough to a strong AM transmitter, & 2) dumb luck that the cb antenna is able to resonate close enough to the strong local station's frequency. Give it a try some time

[@toml.8210]

When you learn how to use these passive loops, they work well. Digital TV is one thing, but radio is an important tool for the survival of the country!

[@W1VLF]

I could not agree more. The ability to pass communications onto the public using a diode and wire alone as a a receiver is impairative

[@toml.8210]

@@W1VLF eye-phone owners will disagree! Let's see how they get emergency comms when their eye-phone doesn't work- or even turn on! The rest of us will be digging out the hams, or stringing up long-wire antennas. I've been listening to SW live from the Ukraine, since the wart started there.

[@kennethgroves6552]

Awesome video!

[@maikerumine]

I appreciated this video!

[@W1VLF]

Thank you

[@TerryLawrence001]

I remember using a pencil "lead' a safety pin and a used double edged blued razor blade for a detector :-) memories... I enjoy these videos Thank you!

[@W1VLF]

Yes... Memories!! Thank you for the vote of confidence. I will continue making videos as time permits

[@bradleyleben7785]

And no static! 👍

[@johnnytacokleinschmidt515]

Fellow Nutmegger here. I'm right next to 990 WNTY I'll give it a go this weekend and try my 2 kilo ohm headphones.

[@BonifacioJose1763]

Paul, simply sensational! won a subscriber! I'm passionate about radio, especially WM, LW and VLF...I'm looking for how to change MW to VLF but I can't find anything on the internet...I want to change one radio or make a receiver... I have a Kenwood thf6a. it takes me up to 100khz...and I want to go lower....help me

[@W4TRI]

There is Group W where they put ya if you may not be moral enough...... Love Arlo!

[@bobcox9836]

Thank you!!!!

[@W1VLF]

You're welcome!

[@krisraps]

This Is The Best Video On This Exact Subject Onm KZbin, Soo Coool! Learned Actually SOmething :) I Have BUNCH Of Old USSR Diodes, Transformers, Transiostors, Everything, Thats So Crazy, I have Selenium Electric Parts And Ohh, I Have Mountains Of USSR Stuff, Vaccum Tubes N Stuff

[@charlesloukas1946]

A geranium transistor could be used as a diode

[@af4od02]

Excellent video. Thanks. What is the upper and lower frequency use of the little Grundig loop?

[@W1VLF]

About 500 KHz to 1700 KHz

[@frankartieta4887]

HaHa I`m good in the call book :) I havent seen a callbook in years Neat call w1 very low frequency I have never experienced loops The tuning is pretty darn sharp sharper than I would have thought I have built very simple crystal sets The high q of the coil there does make an undoubtedly big improvement 73

[@W1VLF]

Yes .i does... In small antennas, fractions of wavelength, I like to say "it all about the Q". Also I figured there would some OM out there who got the joke!!! Thank Frank

[@ronbercan1000]

Thank you

[@watsok]

I have read about using a voltage divider to feed a silicon diode about 1/4 volt DC to get its larger forward voltage drop over germanium reduced. Have you tried this? Really like your videos

[@W1VLF]

No Sir I have not tried that, but it does make sense. With weaker signal you may not have enough voltage to turn on the diode. Thank for the kind words.. I will keep on making them is people are enjoying them W1VLF

[@W4TRI]

on the AM loop you showed at the end what is the smallest PVC size you could get away with when building one of those?

[@W1VLF]

Hi Ronny.. The area of the loop is what determines it ability to capture signal. If you used to 4" diameter instead of 8" the level of signal would drop by 6 db. 2" another 6 db approximately. If you halve the diameter of a circle, the area reduces by 4 times, the opposite if you double the diameter

[@mranalogman3525]

Thanks, enjoyed this video. Is that a type-o in the end? 1N43 vs 1N34? Seems 1N34's are hard to come by these days. Folks talk about fakes and receiving silicon diodes instead.

[@W1VLF]

Hello, it was a 1n34 diode. I found a couple at a local ham radio fleamarket W1VLF

[@johnclarke4701]

I'm interested in building/experimenting with loops such as you had in the video. Do you or know of anyone who has a video on building such loops and determining their characteristics? Thanks.

[@W1VLF]

John, dont be afraid to just go ahead an experiment. Look at this video.. then use these technique to find out where your loop is resonant kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGfSYaaVZct-jLs

[@chrismead1464]

I have one of these commercial loop antennas, but no idea on what you did, is there a step by step you might consider doing for a total noob like me?

[@daic7274]

Nice...goes off to hunt diodes and have a play :)

[@TheMadRocker]

Very cool.. Question: Could the amp be replaced with a crystal radio earbud and diode inline, making it not need electric at all? Thanks ahead of time and keep up the cool work.

[@W1VLF]

Absolutely.. You would then have a real crystal set. As long as the signal of the station is strong enough to drive the high impedance head phones

[@TheMadRocker]

@@W1VLF Thank you again.. will give this a go.

[@chandansur5648]

nice video......graet. best of 73,VU2ZOC

[@fidelcatsro6948]

lets try light up LEDs with that Grundig loop and 1n34 diode

[@samuellourenco1050]

What about headphones, or perhaps piezoelectric speakers? Is it possible to do this without any amplifier?

[@MikinessAnalog]

Piezo-crystal earphones were what was traditionally used for decades as their impedance is so high.

[@poseypapusdiazfamily4630]

Nice..

[@markjulius2006]

So how does that work? Do you have the capability of choosing different radio stations or just the strongest one?

[@W1VLF]

Like crystal set .. you can select multiple stations is the signal is strong enough

[@kennethgroves6552]

Is that a Moxie cola bottle in the background? Nevada here..

[@migalito1955]

Cool beans. My friend gave me a crystal set she had giffted her deceased husband. I assembled it. I plan to do more than the basics later before I switch to SolderSmokes direct conversion receiver. kc2wvb P.S. Neat loops. My most recent tx/rx loop was made with 4 inch diameter aluminum dryer vent tubing. 4 foot square with 23 inch per side square of 3/4 copper pipe as te drive/sense loop. Its sweet on 40 up to 20 meters.

[@W1VLF]

Hey that's great! I am going to look at SolderSmokes direct conversion RX I had not heard of that before. W1VLF

[@robblerouser5657]

You need to get Moxie to sponsor you!!

[@jackmiller1030]

I know I'm commenting on this video a couple of years late, but can you *please* answer me a question? What circuit(s) did you clip those germanium diodes out of? I would like to find one in the "wild", so to speak, meaning salvage it from some piece of electronics. Are you able to tell me what would normally contain these? Thanks in advance!

[@DL-kc8fc]

If you find any older diodes, there is no warranty that the "crystal" will work, because for example in our country, on long waves in the amplitude modulation has not been broadcast for a long time. In addition, the crystals worked well at a time when the transmitters had power calculated in KW. Today, the situation is such that transmitters have power in fractions, ie in watts. But well, if you want a spare diode, make it from galenite according to old instructions, but you will not be satisfied with the functionality of the above causes. In the "wilderness" use an old cell phone that has a functional part of the FM. With a long coaxial antenna you can capture the signal and also have free radio. You can power the old mobile phone in the wild with a small solar panel. The video is not honest because it does not draw attention to problems. But it is possible that somewhere it is still broadcast in the amplitude modulation on long waves and the transmitter with great power is in sight. Then it could work.

[@CARLiCON]

you won't find these germanium diodes in anything modern that you can salvage, you may find one in an old radio circuit board but the leads will be too short to re-purpose & there's no point in ruining a good radio to make a crystal radio. You can find them online, also the old radio shack project kits always had them to teach beginner radio circuits.

[@ManuelPinner]

You can also can get Video to,

[@charlesh3]

A tiny thing: the text says "1N43" but the narrative correctly says "1N34".

[@W1VLF]

Whoops... Old age setting in .. W1VLF

[@blueline308]

@@W1VLF So which one is correct...?

[@W1VLF]

@@blueline308 my typing skills leave a lot to be desired... 1N34A is correct

[@paulschmolke188]

Fine demo! A basic crystal radio. It works well too. KE5TJ

[@W1VLF]

Thank you Sir!! W1VLF

[@attilarivera]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@psnpacific]

👍

[@DrEvil814]

"Group W bench" haha

[@krisraps]

Join HAM Discord Where There Are MANY Parts for radios - discord.gg/6DVRpHnzKD

[@jeromegrzelak8236]

made one for aircraft and cb band

[@douglasdunn7267]

Great show, old idea, modern application! DE K7YD

[@Nostrildomus]

C00L

[@a7sorips]

I don't like your videos. I LOVE THEM

[@W1VLF]

lol !!! Thank you.. W1VLF

[@eminusipi]

Get your hands on a galena crystal and make a true crystal radio. I used to have a tennis ball chunk of galena and gave it away years ago! Darn!

[@karlschulte9231]

Loss of AM BC would be sad plus harmful to the public in major disaster. Need simple ways to hear news. 73 wa2kbz

[@tima-ld6ci]

зачем подкладывать под осциллограф если специально для этого ручку сделали. переверни вниз и будет тебе подставка. "ну тупые"

[@joepangia4413]

Lol strikes for the oscilloscope signature of a potential copyrighted peice of content on KZbin. You’re too funny.

[@kchoudri]

oh yeah.. the intensitiy of sadness is obvious on your face ... hence I am not going to continue watching any further than 1:07...

[@ManuelPinner]

Not True just TV Broadcast! Ham Radio Communications will be Left Alone,

[@erin19030]

I am amazed at the reception range i get with my loop. I live outside of Philadelphia and picked. Uo a station in NC. I w was a freaky right wing low power station spewing forth white hate speech in disguise. Is this what has become of AM radio, now hate radio, even the evangelicals are off the wall.

[@timgene4118]

I like and subsribed, N8QCR

[@W1VLF]

Thank you Tim! I appreciate you subscribing