Thought i'd write this down, because of the odd reception.
I've been looking at crystal sets again, just to see about coil design and especially to try basketweave designs.
Firstly though, I wanted to quickly try out my Ground and antenna, to check all was well.
The Ground is a copper pipe in the earth outside, with a 10ft 18AWG wire to my bench.
The antenna, is a 26awg wire up and across the adjoining rooms ceiling, total length approx 30ft. Nothing fancy, tried and tested years ago.
Germanium diode, olde worlde telephone earpiece, Coil is on a 2.2" PVC pipe, with 65 turns and taps at 5, 18 and 30 turns.
To the design on this page:
http://www.techlib.com/electronics/crystal.htmlThe other circuit built to test is similar, but using 22AWG.
Here's where it gets odd.
I live near Tulsa, OK, a few miles South.
Here's the radio locator page for the general area and stations:
https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/locate?select=city&city=74401&state=OK&x=0&y=0In the 'old' days a few years ago, simple builds would get the local big stations easily, KRMG and KFAQ, both 50,000W Clearchannel megablaster things. Also religious radio stations and could tune in at nights to Chicago, Southern Texas, Nashville etc.
But NOW, all I get is 1 Mexican station
Listening and trying to understand, I heard 'Los Americas' several times, before/after commercials etc.
Looking that one up:
https://radio-locator.com/info/KMUS-AM?rd=427890It's again in Tulsa, but only 7000W.
OK, so, perhaps the antenna is more directional or something...except, last night both circuits could only receive 'Los Americas' and the same is true today. That station only puts out 250W at night !!!!!
How in the heck can the main 2 blasters and any local stations be getting nowhere, yet I can clearly hear something with 1/4 the power of a microwave oven ?
It certainly doesn't present itself as a swamper, being 50 miles away and with so little power.
Something is wrong, but am stumped on what it is. Changing the taps all over the place just moves that station around.
Mind you, if you are Mexican and/or like Mexican music, i've built exactly the right thing !
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Topic: Crystal radio weird reception - 1 Mexican station (Read 12003 times)
