100th Anniversary of crystal diode detector

The Yeovil Amateur Radio Club recently put on a crystal set evening to mark the start of the centenary year (2006) of the invention of the crystal diode detector, a device that revolutionised amateur radio in the years before World War One.

The club organised a display of nine vintage crystal sets, including two originals from the 1920s. Each crystal set was tried in turn using the club aerial and an audio amplifier so that everyone could hear what each set could receive.

The output of each crystal set before audio amplification was measured with a digital voltmeter and was typically tens of millivolts.

Some of the crystal sets were louder than others and some were more selective, but they all produced signals.

The occasion proved an enjoyable practical on-air radio evening.

Source: GB2RS News - Courtesy of the RSGB