Description
Object description
Open top reused wooden box with square pattern design on outer sides, containing homemade crystal radio receiving set consisting of cooper wire coiled around 4 wooden dowels, components screwed to wooden baseboard and 2 black and 2 red external terminals.
Physical description
Wooden box containing the following components:
The coils were made from insulated wire sabotaged from the indicator of a German car.
The crystals were made by mixing yellow sulphur and lead chips in equal parts, putting the mixture into a German rifle cartridge-case, sealing it, and putting it into the fire to bake. The contents then resembled a slate pencil with bright spots, but made efficient crystals.
The wire was wound round the four wooden pegs a certain number of times according to wave length.
When the British Expeditionary Force wave-length was changed the islanders were informed by a Colonel Britton broadcast that a few extra turns were needed.
The holder for the crystal was a shortened rifle cartridge case. The cartridge case cup was "loaded" with brass filings into which the crystal was pressed in order to improve reception.
The holder for the "cats-whisker" lever was made from pieces of Meccano.
"Cats-whiskers" were made from fuze wire.
Ordinary headphones or telephone receivers were used to listen in.
Label
Home-made crystal wireless set used on Guernsey by W A Renier during the latter part of the Second World War - from November, 1944 until the Liberation in May, 1945.
History note
Original caption:
Home-made crystal set used in Guernsey during the later
stages of the German occupation in order to listen-in to
the B.B.C. News and other broadcasts.
Towards the end of the summer of 1944 electricity cuts were announced on the island, so that it became imperative, even for owners of mains sets, to improvize crystal sets, instructions for the making of which had been broadcast by "Colonel Britton".
The donor of this set and a friend made over 50 such sets and distributed them among those who wished to listen-in to the B.B.C. late in 1944 and early in 1945.
This particular set was in use in the donor's home from November 1944 until after the liberation.
Naturally great care to avoid detection had to be exercised by those who used the sets during the occupation, but by their means summaries of the B.B.C. news-bulletins were disseminated.
The coils were made from insulated wire sabotaged from the indicator of a German car.
The crystals were made by mixing yellow sulphur and lead chips in equal parts, putting the mixture into a German rifle cartridge-case, sealing it, and putting it into the fire to bake. The contents then resembled a slate pencil with bright spots, but made efficient crystals.
The wire was wound round the four wooden pegs a certain number of times according to wave length.
When the British Expeditionary Force wave-length was changed the islanders were informed by a Colonel Britton broadcast that a few extra turns were needed.
The holder for the crystal was a shortened rifle cartridge case. The cartridge case cup was "loaded" with brass filings into which the crystal was pressed in order to improve reception.
The holder for the "cats-whisker" lever was made from pieces of Meccano.
"Cats-whiskers" were made from fuze wire.
Ordinary headphones or telephone receivers were used to listen in.
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