R A D I O • TV • E L E C T R O N I C S

Crystal Set
in a Bedside Lamp
By ARTHUR TRAUFFER

T HIS combination unit is not only useful as a lamp, but it pro-

vides Junior with a radio of his own. Being a crystal set, it
serves as an emergency radio when your main radio is in the
repair shop, or in the event of a power-line failure in your neigh-
borhood. And it makes possible late evening listening to local sta-
tions without disturbing early-to-bed sleepy-heads.
This crystal receiver requires no conventional antenna and
ground; the same power-cord that feeds the lamp also serves as an
effective antenna. Although the idea of using power lines as an
antenna for a crystal set is not new, the coupling method shown
here is somewhat unique. The lamp-cord is simply wrapped around
the tuning coil to provide an antenna coil which is inductively and
capacitively coupled to the tuning coil. There is absolutely no dan-
ger of shock to the listener because there are several layers of in-
sulation between the lamp-cord and the tuning coil.
Also note the tapped tuning coil which increases selectivity and
thus helps to separate powerful local stations.
Let's build the lampstand first. Its base is a 4 x 4 in by 2-1/2 in
deep plastic food container (your super-markets,
drug stores, or department stores will have one).
The post of the lamp consists of a 2-3/4 in length
of 3/4 in OD plastic tubing, with a 3-1/2 in length
of 1/8-pipe threaded on both ends, passing through
the plastic tubing to join the lamp socket, post,
and base, securely together (Fig. 2). A rubber
grommet with a 1/4 in. opening is inserted into a
3/8 in. hole drilled 1/2 in from the edge of the box,

166 SCIENCE AND MECHANICS

as shown. Before assembling
the lampstand, you can "frost"
the plastic tube and plastic
container by rubbing them
with Kitchen Klenzer and a
damp cloth. This takes the
shine of the plastic and also
removes any dirt or greasy de-
posits that might prevent the
enamel from getting a good MOUNTING HOLES FOR MIDGET
VARIABLE CAPACITOR
grip on the plastic surface.
Now give the plastic post and
base of the lamp a coat of good
grade glossy pale-blue enamel
to match the General-Electric
blue plastic "clamp-on" lamp-
shade which is used with this
lamp, or color to match the
shade you select. If you pre-
fer, you can make the lamp
base of 3/8 in. hardwood, but
make the inside dimensions of
the box the same as the plastic
food container for a close fit.
Figs. 3 and 4 show locations for head-phone tip
jacks and tuning-capacitor mounting holes. The
capacitor mounting holes shown are for the 11.2
to 381.4 mmf. midget single-gang (Allied #61-
009) used by the writer. If you use another make,
locate these holes to fit it. For exact locations,
it's a good plan to make a paper template off the
condenser and then mark the plastic box off the
template.
Fig. 5 shows the simple hook-up lor the re-
ceiver, and Figs. 6 and 7 show how the parts are
arranged inside the lamp base. The best pro-
cedure for installing and wiring the crystal re-
ceiver and lamp cord inside the lamp base is to
first wind the tuning coil on a hardwood form.
To make this form, cut a 2-5/8 in length off a
1-3/8 in diameter hardwood tool handle (sold at
hardware stores) and give the wood form a
couple of coats of shellac to moisture-proof it. On
this form, wind 105 turns of #28 Belden Cot-
enamel wire, making a tap 30 turns from the
right-hand end of the coil. Now give the coil a
coat of shellac to moisture-proof it and to pre-
vent it from unwinding. It's wise to give the
ends of the coil a second coat of shellac. Let
shellac dry.
Now mount the coil onto the rear of the tuning
capacitor using two 1/2 x 1.5 x 1.5 in- brass angle-
brackets (Fig. 6). To do this, you will have to
thread two of the holes, on the rear of the Allied
61-009 capacitor with a 6-32 tap for the two 6-32 few turns of the lamp-cord around the left-hand
rh mounting screws. Note also that the left- end of the tuning coil (Fig. 6). The number of
hand bracket is cut short on one side and drilled turns of lamp-cord around the tuning coil will
to pass a 6-32 screw. Now mount the coil onto depend on the degree of sensitivity and selectiv-
the brackets with two 1/2 in. long steel rh wood ity required in your location. Few turns result
screws (brass screws might twist in two when in increased selectivity and lowered sensitivity,
driven into the hardwood coil form). Two lock- while a greater number of turns results in in-
washers on each end of the form keep it from creased sensitivity but reduced selectivity. In
turning on the brackets. my case, 3 or 4 turns did the trick, and that
Pass the lamp-cord through the rubber grom- should be about right for most locations. To keep
met on the back of the lamp base, and wind a the turns from unwinding, coat the coil with plas-

168 SCIENCE AND MECHANICS

tic cement and allow it to dry thoroughly. A
thumbtack holds the left-hand end of the coil
securely while the cement is drying, but you'll
have to hold the other end of the coil by hand,
or some other means, until the cement sets.
Referring to Fig. 6, note that the condenser-
coil-assembly is mounted into the lamp base with
three short 6-32 rh machine-screws, which have
the heads filed flat so that the tuning knob can
set close tc the base without rubbing on the
screw heads. There are two washers between the
capacitor and the inside of the lamp base, on
each of the three mounting screws. These wash-
ers fill the space so that the plastic will not bend
too much when the screws are tightened. The
right-hand end of the lamp cord antenna coil is
slipped into the post of the lampstand at the
same time that the coil-condenser-assembly is
slipped into position in the base. Before install-
ing the assembly into the lamp base, be sure to
make the connection from the left-hand end of
the tuning coil to the stator lug on the bottom of
the capacitor. You cannot reach it later!
The next step is to connect the lamp cord to
the terminals in the lamp socket. Solder the
right-hand lead of the tuning coil directly to the
right-hand angle-bracket, and from there to the
upper tip jack on the right-hand side of the lamp
base. Slip spaghetti tubing over both leads of
the germanium diode, and solder the cathode
lead of the diode to the lower tip jack. The wir-
ing is completed by soldering the remaining lead
of the diode to the 30-turn tap on the tuning coil.
Remember that the purpose of this tap is to in-
crease selectivity. If selectivity is not a problem
in your area, you can increase sensitivity some-
what, especially at the low-frequency end of the
band, by putting the tap in the center of the coil,
or by connecting the diode directly to the stator
lug on the tuning capacitor which is the same
as connecting it to L.H. lead on the tuning coil.

JUNE, 1953
 If you enjoy fishing for more distant stations
on cool evenings after the local stations have
signed off, you can increase the sensitivity of
this crystal radio by connecting a wire from the
upper tip jack or phone tip, to a bed spring or
other large metal object. Do not make a con-
nection to a water pipe, or gas pipe, unless you
make the connection through a good 600-volt
fixed capacitor; and then the capacitor should be
connected at the water pipe end of the wire.
The writer has used this lamp-radio as a crystal
tuner, for local stations, by connecting the tip
jacks directly into the Phono jack in a console
model super-het receiver. In this case, the crystal
diode jack goes to the "grid" in the phono jack,
and the upper jack goes to the Gnd side of the
phono jack. Shielded phono-cable should be used
when making the connections to reduce hum
pick-up. When using this crystal receiver as a
Hi-Fi tuner, the lamp-cord on the crystal receiver
should not be plugged into a wall outlet. The
lamp-cord itself acts as the antenna for the
crystal tuner.

Mounting Polystyrene UHF Coils

• Here are two methods for mounting home
made polystyrene UHF coil forms. Drill an un-
dersize hole in one end of a length of polystyrene

rod (A), and let the mounting screw cut its own
threads. Use lock-washers when mounting. Heat
one end of a length of polystyrene tubing, press
the end flat, bend flat end at right-angles, and
hold until cool (B). Drill a hole for the mount-
ing screw through the flat portion.—ARTHUR
TRAUFFER.

Pencil Clip Secures Screw to Driver

• A screw-holding screw driver is easily made
by adding an ordinary metal pencil clip to
the driver, as shown, so that it will hold the
head of the screw while it is being placed
r~

in position for driving. It will probably be neces-

sary to bend the arms of the clip with pliers
so that it will grip the smaller driver shaft. Pull
clip back out of way when not in use.—K. M-
SCIENCE AND MECHANICS