crystal radio: the first real free energy device

[pomodoro]

Since the current is in the microamp level, we are not asking much from the uranium. The question is if the electrons dislodged by alpha particles  can be made to flow in the direction of the RF current only, and they need to keep their energy. Simply dislodging  energetic electrons randomly might increase the conductivity of the galena but will amplify nothing. 
Bill, that site has cool chemicals, UO2 is dirt cheap. Strange how he has no thorium though.

[profitis]

Pomodoro:'Simply dislodging  energetic electrons randomly might increase the conductivity of the galena but will amplify nothing.'

Might also be specific to where you prick on the crystal.the uo2 won't dissolve in the mass but rather disperse as colloidal entities.prick one section you might get a galena effect,prick another you might touch a uo2 particle and a galena at same time,maybe get a tri-fold transistor type whacko effect? Exciting 

[Pirate88179]

At the mention of Radio Active material I was reminded of the boy who built a reactor out of smoke detectors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hahn

I read the book about him called...(I think)  The Radioactive Boy Scout.  It was a very good read.  If memory serves, he salvaged Americium from 100 smoke detectors that be bought surplus.  He made a wave guide or target guide (or whatever you call it) out of lead and bombarded some uranium with the beta (or alpha?) particles focused by the lead.  In a few short weeks, the radiation levels being put out set off some gov. sensors a good distance away and the entire neighborhood had to be evacuated.

Anyway, it is a great book for anyone that like to read about science stuff.  That kid was obviously very smart....but careless.

Bill

[Pirate88179]

TK:

I decided to use a large peanut butter jar at 3.8" dia.  I ran the numbers using your figure for capacitance for this larger diameter and, the answer I ended up with was 20 turns?  That seems like a very small number of turns.  Does the diameter really make this much difference?  I can re-run the numbers using a smaller gauge wire say like 28, which would require more turns I believe.  I will see what happens.

The cool thing about using a peanut butter jar (plastic) is that you can contain the entire radio circuit in side the jar with the windings on the O.D. and hook-up posts mounted in the plastic lid.  I saw someone else do this and this is the only thing I have of a larger diameter right now.

I am not too worried as I have those ferrite rods (.500 dia. x 6" long) that I can slide inside the jar from the top to lower the freqs. I can receive if I get too high.  I just did not think it would look good with only 20 turns.

I know, performance should trump looks...and I agree but...if I can do both that would be better.  I even have some 32 gauge mag. wire and can run the numbers again with that.

Thanks for your help.  As soon as I can afford a slinky, that will be my adjustable antenna.  Perhaps you should alert the Slinky folks about this new use for their old product?

Bill

[Magluvin]

If we dont use a detector, can the circuit build higher voltages if let to do so? Just wondering. Seems that the transmitters send out quite a bit of high amplitude signals. Maybe some super fine tuning can produce more out.  Say if the tuned circuit is allowed to build, then take some when it reaches a predetermined higher level.

Mags