Circuit Diagram
To get the most out of your crystal set, you must have a good ground connection and a good antenna. Cold-water pipes make excellent conductors to ground. Make sure the pipe has been sanded or scraped clean where you plan to make connection.
As a starter, string up a temporary antenna to see what your crystal set can do. Use about 100’ of wire if you can, and locate it as high as is practical. But don’t run the wire under or near power lines or leave it up when not using the set (and never use the set during a storm). Should you decide to erect a perma- nent antenna, you’d better use a lightning arrester and get some authoritative advice on installing the antenna properly.
Operating the Set
With everything assembled tightly, the ground and antenna wires connected, and headphones clipped in, we’re ready for the big moment. Move the slider slowly until you pick up a station. Then adjust for loudest sound. Since the set we have built is a rather simple one, it won’t receive too many stations. And it’s possible more than one station will come in at the same time. But the sounds will be clear and thrilling, and the set won’t cost us a penny to operate. So, happy experimenting. . . and good listening.