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Gadget Freak Case #149: Spirit Radio Receives Transmissions from the Beyond
Rick Crammond's Spirit Radio creates spooky sounds, paying homage to all things that go bump in the night
Design News Staff -- Design News, September 28, 2009
As homage to Nikola Tesla and things that go bump in the night, Rick Crammond created this spooky sound generator that uses a simple crystal radio circuit connected to a PC's sound-in jack, Tesla-inspired plug-in antenna, and DSP software to control the gain and pitch of the circuit to create some great, real-time sound effects! The same radio circuit is a great RF field detector, makes cool sounds from all forms of light, listens to audio ranges, and even receives AM broadcasts. Because what could be spookier, really, than listening to a late-night, syndicated radio show host!
Get Build Instructions | View Parts List | Post a Comment | Watch Video
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Amt |
Part Description |
Allied Part # |
| 1 |
D1-Germanium 1N34A Diode |
935-0301 |
| 1 |
C2-.001µf Capacitor (marked 102) |
507-0822 |
| 1 |
R1-47k Resistor |
296-6641 |
| 1 |
Chassis Banana Jack-Red |
528-0158 |
| 1 |
Chassis Banana Jack-Black |
528-0159 |
| 2 |
(or more for each antenna) Banana Plug |
528-0302 |
| 2 | 3.5 mm Mono Chassis Jack |
932-0260 |
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> Marconi invented the crystal radio
No, that was GW Pickard.
> Tesla invented the superheterodyne circuit that is
No, he invented the regenerative receiver.
> Tesla's problem was that he was always in the wrong
And that's called "blaming the victim." Why not instead say "Tesla should have first made sure to be rich, then when the thieves stole his work, he could hotly pursue numerous multi-decade patent cases simultaneously. That'd show 'em."'>Pretty cool! Those spirals certainly add to the weirdness, but Tesla's original invention was supposed to function as resonant base loads which increase the effective aperture of your electrically short antennas. They need to be either very large, or wound as hundreds-turns pancake coils. As they are, they probably won't do much in this application, unless you're trying to pick up VHF stations (not much natural noise up above 50MHz.)
> Marconi invented the crystal radio
No, that was GW Pickard.
> Tesla invented the superheterodyne circuit that is
No, he invented the regenerative receiver.
> Tesla's problem was that he was always in the wrong
And that's called "blaming the victim." Why not instead say "Tesla should have first made sure to be rich, then when the thieves stole his work, he could hotly pursue numerous multi-decade patent cases simultaneously. That'd show 'em."
bill beaty - 2009-27-10 21:34:18 EDT -
This has nothing to do with Tesla. Marconi invented the crystal radio; Tesla invented the superheterodyne circuit that is used, in one form or another, for AM radio to this day. And I think he did so before Marconi. Tesla's problem was that he was always in the wrong place at the wrong time to get credit for whatever he did.
Bob Benjaminson - 2009-12-10 19:38:09 EDT -
It is great to see people being creative.
DA - 2009-29-9 11:51:24 EDT -
If it is a serious project, IT SUCKS!!'>If this is a HALLOWEEN joke, it's so-so.
If it is a serious project, IT SUCKS!!
Dennis Hewett - 2009-28-9 22:08:45 EDT
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