7 Feb 2012

Free power radios

KE3IJ's always excellent website has a novel receiver circuit that derives its DC power from AC mains hum and noise it picks up on its antenna.  It uses a single 2N3904 in a regenerative circuit. Ideally the circuit would be better with a lower Vbe device i.e. a germanium transistor.

Taking this one stage further, I know from my experiments at VLF that the AC mains hum between a pair of grounded electrodes can be pretty high. There is certainly enough 50(or 60)Hz energy going free in the ground to power something useful. I keep wondering if I could get a few uWs of HF RF power from a low voltage crystal oscillator that would be enough to work some local stations on CW? My nearest station is 0.3km and the next nearest 3km. Now having a QSO using free power from my back garden would be rather fun.
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousWed Feb 08, 09:03:00 am GMT

    Have a look at:
    http://www.crystalradio.net/crystalplans/xximages/Free2.JPG
    Philip G4HOJ

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  2. K3NGThu Feb 09, 01:57:00 am GMT

    I love his designs. They are so simple, but so elegant. I built and heavily modified one of his regen designs. They perform amazingly well.

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  3. AnonymousSat Feb 11, 12:59:00 pm GMT

    its an interesting idea but a 1.5v cell would last for a year swiched on all he time in that circuit.
    Then you wouldnt need all that rectifier mumbo jumbo!!

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