Foxhole Radio Blued Razor Blade VS Un-Blued Blade Pt 2/2 (4K)

I did a video a while back regarding using a blued razor blade in your crystal radio / fox hole radio: • Foxhole Radio Blued Ra...
I found I could use an untreated / un-blued blade. A viewer said I should have compared a blued blade to an un-blued one and I agreed. So here is that comparison. Oh, and I included the original "fake" blued blade for comparison.

[@Pygar2]

In "Foxhole Radios" by Brian Carusella, he did an extensive test with a variety of blades, some WWII NOS! None of them, blued or unblued, were all that hot. The REAL difference came from using a pencil lead as the contact! GREAT book!

[@tsbrownie]

I found the same thing. The edge of the blade used against the pencil lead (not shown in this video) works pretty well. So far nothing matches galena or iron pyrite.

[@castlefolk]

Isn't it the idea, you created a semi conductor with using an oxidised blade & lead pencil.. Love you videos by the way

[@tsbrownie]

Using a razor blade as a detector does not require heating it. I have used graphite as a detector and it also worked. Combining the 2 will work. I'm not really sure what to make of the videos out there that say one needs to blue the razor blade, then use a graphite pencil. It's unnecessarily complicated and redundant, like using double diodes.

[@castlefolk]

@@tsbrownie I could hardly get mine to work with a heat blued oxidised blade. Just once.. hence the interest. Makes you think is the pencil lead etc etc etc hehe

[@tsbrownie]

@@castlefolk I think the graphite is more reliable.

[@franzliszt3195]

Interesting the rough surface you mention at the end is helping make a point contact. It appears than on the old germanium diodes the surface was etched (i.e., not smooth) -- perhaps to further make a better point contact? Who knows anymore -- all those trade secrets are long lost.

[@adnacraigo6590]

I always imagined that it was the oxidation caused by the flame treatment that made it work. ???

[@tsbrownie]

Many metal oxides do have diode-like properties. This experiment seems to point to something else. My best guess is the point contact thing. There's a small chance that there is something going on between the copper cup and the razor blade. The hacksawed surface of the copper might also be supplying a point contact or dissimilar metal junction.

[@Dark_Matter2]

I did test just for fun test like you and blue is not necessary, I've got best results at the edge of box cutter knife

[@tsbrownie]

@Dark_Matter2 I suspect they heated the blades to burn off any soap residue, skin oils, protective coating, etc, and not to add some magic electrical property.

[@haraldlonn898]

I am thinking of if the edge chould be better. No clue.

[@tsbrownie]

I tried the edge. It's about the same. The edge works well with pencil lead, but that's a different story.

[@putraperdana4941]

Apa bila tidak ada dioda 1n43 atau granium pirit anda bisa menggantikan nya dengan .kartu chip yang ada di hp( gsm) atau kartu chip yang ada di kartu kridit...itu sangat bagus. Anda cari letak pin terendah yng menunjukkan nilai pada multi tester...dan itu kartu chi bisa bertidak menjadi dioda rf

[@tsbrownie]

"If you don't have a 1n43 diode or granite pyrite, you can replace it with a chip card on your cellphone (GSM) or a chip card on your credit card... that's very good. You look for the lowest pin that shows the value on the multi tester... and that chi card could not be an RF diode"