Has anyone here ever made a radio?

[Guest]

[Roz]

I was reading today that a chain store in the UK is no longer going to be selling analogue radios and it got me thinking, at one time, not-so-very long ago it seemed to be (in Britain at least) part of the rite of passage for a boy growing up that he'd make a radio. I think you could get kits that you then put together and learned how it worked as you went along. In fact, I think I remember my Dad mentioning that it was cheaper to buy a kit and put it together yourself than buying a pre-built radio, I know it makes complete sense that way, I think that in today's society pre-built things created en masse would be cheaper than a kit to build yourself.

Well, being a bit boyish/geekish at heart (you might object to this, but traditionally trading cards are a male-dominated area... as is my work...and as was my school ) I have always secretly fancied doing this

Obviously now that DAB is well on it's way to throwing the radio out of it's throne it looks like this girlish dream will never come true, but have many of you ever built a radio? Do you still have it? Was it difficult? Does the radio work well?

[Morningangel-Iola]

I have never made on, but look what I found

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0007XC1U2/202-3936198-3263046?v=glance&n=468292&s=kids&v=glance   

(Mind the links aren't Yak Shack friendly)

There are others just the maker got me on that one 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_n_23/202-3936198-3263046?ie=UTF8&keywords=radio&rh=n%3A595314%2Ck%3Aradio%2Cn%3A3361311&page=1

[Roz]

I have never made on, but look what I found

You kill me. That's a bit of a tongue in cheek comment - a real "almost midnight" comment

As though I'd want the University crest on a radio

Cool idea though. I was googling for them (rather than amazoning ) and found this rather splendid one

http://www.ccrane.com/science/discovery-toys/radio-ace-vintage-radio-kit.aspx

But I can't be sure of the quality. I might treat myself to something like this when I deserve it and in the meantime I can research it to get a cool one.

Bah to DAB

[Morningangel-Iola]

Thats a serious radio and a serious price 

[Roz]

Yeah - but to be fair, although the BBC are switching off analogue TV in 2012, they haven't announced an end date for analogue radio (probably because a lot of cars still come with them).

It's just that with a lot of the kits you aren't actually MAKING the raio, just assembling circuit boards 

[Bogleg]

Yeah - but to be fair, although the BBC are switching off analogue TV in 2012, they haven't announced an end date for analogue radio (probably because a lot of cars still come with them).

Tech Geek speaking... The switch off begins in a small town as a pilot scheme - I can't remember which one - next year (don't think it's Cambridge  ) and it's not just the BBC. When they switch off an area, it will be all channels. As for analogue radios in cars, Ford of Britain have said they will go the way of the cassette player by 2009. It won't be long before all manufacturers go the DAB way. What bugs me is that to see the difference between the two, you have to have the hearing of a dog and the eyesight of Superman. Most people are happy with what they've got.

[Roz]

As for analogue radios in cars, Ford of Britain have said they will go the way of the cassette player by 2009.

*ahem* if you don't mind our 14 month old Ford has a cassette player in it and thankfully I use an iTRIP to get iPod music onto the radio and then tune in so I'll never be short of a transmission to pick up even if they cut me off at source.

[savage727]

This would be a fun project for you Roz.      I had belonged to a group that builds Ham radios when I was a youngster.  We had adult supervision for the assembly and testing of the radios and then the ultimate experience of being able to communicate with other operators around the world.  It was fun and educational at the same time.  I also had training in the Marine Corps when I went through Pilot survival school on how to construct a source of communication should my own radio be lost or destroyed if I had been shot down over enemy territory.   

[Roz]

I also had training in the Marine Corps when I went through Pilot survival school on how to construct a source of communication should my own radio be lost or destroyed if I had been shot down over enemy territory.   

Well exactly! It's all got so high-tech these days that many of us just wouldn't know how to build a fire to make a cup of tea (see? there I am stranded on an island - was I making a fire to signal for help? Was I making a fire to cook some food? (Bananas make a great veg if they are very green), Nope! I was making a cup of tea

On a slightly more serious note, for me this would be about leaning how to make a radio receiver as a starting point for going on to build a transmitter... so Ed... when are you flying over to teach me? I was in the guides as a child and learned a lot of basic survival skills (that I then used to rescue Mark from drowning in a feather bog on Dartmoor ) but they were a little girly! For instance, I can make fires, and all sorts of little camping gadgets out of natural materials, but could I construct a communication device? Nope. Presumably we were supposed to remember to take some boy scouts with us to do that sort of thing

Perhaps we could make a forum TV show based on LOST and featuring us (I can see it now, instead of investigating the clanging noises coming from hatches and underground territory, once we'd got some hot water for that tea I was talking about earlier, we'd be looking for ways to make cards !!!)