Remco Crystal Radio - Unboxing - 4K

Unboxing a Crystal Radio found in a storage attic.

[@steveperry1344]

that's cool. i used to like crystal radio sets when i was a kid, they weren't really crystal sets but used a diode detector with the coil and capacitor, a little different than a real crystal set from the 1920's. it was all we sometimes had as our own radio, like the kids today have a smart phone.

[@pgh45rpms]

I had one of these. It pulled in five stations. My antenna was a copper wire strung from my bedroom storm window to a tree limb 20 feet away. It was a standard AM radio, frequency range 540 to 1600 khz.

[@pjimmbojimmbo1990]

I had one of those back in the late 1960s. Mine was Blue. I remember building it. Instead of the antenna Wire, we used the Window frame, the ground was the furnace duct

[@pXnEmerica]

If it's anything like the one I bought a few days back, you need to remove the coil and take a bit of sandpaper and clear a strip where the ball on the back of the tuner slider will slide against. Make sure you clear off all the enamel from the wire so it can make good contact, but be careful not to break the wire. I'd guess that you're just not making a connection. There are many high power AM stations still operating, so that probably wouldn't be your issue. I tried mine out last night and could barley get anything, seems like the only wear on the back was from the ball rubbing over the years which was enough to clear a little enamel off the wire to make a bit of signal pass, cleaning it up I've got the local sports channel, fairly loud and clear. I do have ~30 ft of wire on the antenna side and it hooked to house ground all in the basement.

[@chronobot2001]

My first crystal radio was a spy pen radio like they used to advertise in comic books. It worked surprisingly well. Probably because I lived in the city near some strong stations.

[@georgeplagianos6487]

I got one in dark blue from Smith Johnson from Chicag novelty shop; They cost about 399 back then

[@scsu5085]

You said No body uses these frequencies anymore? AM radio is still very active. As for the antenna, you need about 50-100 ft of thin wire (not laid on the table) but installed outside, as high as you can get it, away from/not touching other metal objects. Usually one end on a wood fence or tree limb up high (horizontally). The other end into your antenna input in the radio I didn’t catch what you used as a ground. If it’s a sink cold water pipe, endure it’s copper pipe, and there are NO sections of it that have any pvc plastic pipe (anywhere in between the sink, all the way to your service panel ground rod which is really what grounds the pipe and you electricity) I’d take compressed air and blow dust off all connections. Also. Insider a wire toothbrush or steel wool to gently scrub any prongs of connectors The coil can also gave corrosion on it, so gently sand just the area that contacts the “wiper” arm channel selector

[@uxboat]

Thanks Ryan , I also had one and it was blue wished I would have kept it or at least got a picture .Cheers Mike

[@dennisp3005]

I built one in the 1950s. Erik Burman noticed the that one side of the coil is not connected. It should connect to the sliding brass ball assembly that tunes the radio. Also the antenna is very important as noted by sc su.

[@dennisp3005]

One side of the coil connects to ground, and the ground side of earphones. The other side of the coil connects to one end of the diode, the other end of the diode connects to the earphones. The antenna connects to the brass ball slider tuner.

[@WindyRiverRR]

Thanks! I will take a look at this!

[@tomypower4898]

Cool crystal radio

[@chronobot2001]

Things were so fun back then. Kids miss out on this type of stuff because of all the playstation and phone app nonsense. Everybody thinks they are super geniuses because they can use an iphone but they don't have a clue about the basics of science.

[@steveperry1344]

i would listen to one at night to listen to red sox baseball games after lights out in bed.

[@thevintageaudiolife]

Thanks for sharing, great find!

[@elbreezybrizzle]

Why don't they bring toys like this back

[@jungleman4921]

Didnt show you connecting the "fixed crystal".

[@jonellinder3406]

Try a very long wire for the antenna.

[@erikburman530]

Did you try attaching the loose wires from the coil?

[@pXnEmerica]

Doesn't need to be it's connected on the other side and terminated by the ball on the back of the slider. Variable resistor.