Build Your Own Crystal Radio Experiment Modifications

[secretlyhermione]

I'm doing an experiment for my school's science fair and am considering using the Build Your Own Crystal Radio kit. My hypothesis is that if I use antennas made from recycled materials (aluminum foil, metal sheets, etc) then my signal will remain consistent or improve while reducing overall cost. Could I detach the antenna on this radio? Any tips?

[bfinio]

Hi - yes, all the connections in the Crystal Radio kit are held in place by screws and clips, so none of them are permanent. You could easily swap out different antennas.

[secretlyhermione]

Thank you so so much!

[secretlyhermione]

Also, what device should I use to measure the radio frequency (in some form of Hertz)/what would work with the radio? Specific product recommendations are welcome. Also is there a device that would measure clarity?

[bfinio]

Hi - to do this you would need a device called an oscilloscope, which measures a changing voltage over time and produces a graph of that voltage:

https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... 79&dpr=1.5

Using an oscilloscope is a more advanced topic and we do not have our own tutorials on how to do it. There is a HUGE range in price, quality, and features, ranging from sub-$100 pocket-sized oscilloscopes to professional benchtop equipment that costs thousands of dollars. Depending on the oscilloscope, it will have features to measure things like the amplitude, frequency, and noise of the electrical signal. For example, here is a tutorial I made for one of the cheap pocket oscilloscopes:

https://youtu.be/vkU56XWVLhw?si=EKFBgv_H0OFYwS58

I believe there are also oscilloscope apps available for smartphones, where you can use a headphone cable (the older cylindrical plug type, not for newer phones that only have USB-C ports) to measure the voltage, but I would not recommend this as you run a higher risk of damaging your phone (better to buy a $100 oscilloscope if you can afford it than risk damaging an $800 smartphone).