English: AM crystal radio receiver using a Gillette stainless razor blade with copper tickler as a demodulator (detector). The detector works and stations are heard when the wire is touched to the black etched letters and arrowhead symbols on the blade, but not when it is touched to the plain stainless surface.

Induction coil 146 turns #22 copper enameled wire on spent 1.6 inch dia plastic wrap paper tube will span AM broadcast 760 kHz to 1500 kHz AM station tuning range. Spring loaded sliding contact with bare copper winding zone enables station selection, Springy sliding contact made from coffee can 5 mil aluminum hermetic seal. (common household discarded items)

50 foot outdoor antenna input and water pipe ground are required. Demodulated AM audio output will drive a single sensitive electro-magnetic earphone or a single 2 Watt audio amplified computer speaker.

Components required are: hand wound inductance coit, old Gillette stainless razor blade, dry pine breadboard, single electromagnetic earphone, or a 1 to 2 Watt amplified computer speaker. No resistors nor capacitors are needed. This razor blade diode AM receiver illustrates the ultimate in AM demodulation simplicity.

Yellow Rose9

.