Will a cats whisker radio still work?

[ericmark]

I remember making one as a boy, yellow bits in coal made a good diode, but are there any transmitters left running?

 

[Johntheo5]

In the late 50s, we used to wire a Germanium Diode? across the terminals of a old/surplus earphone then connect it to a aerial wire (barbed wire or the like) and pick up the local radio radio (only one at that time) station, no battery required.

 

[BS3036]

In the next year or so, the BBC will stop all am broadcasting. Most of Europe has done the same. Only the USA have a lot of stations, and as I understand it a rule that cars still be equipped with it as it is used for national emergency transmitters. There may well be LPAM or Community Radio stations available here to still be able to demonstrate crystal sets. Or you can cheat and use your own low power am transmitter, as so many old broadcast radio enthusiasts use to make their refurbished sets actually do something.