Kids' Radio Kit

Hi all!

I wast just wandering around Munich, Germany, today and happened to end up in the toy store (I always end up there to check out the newest model railroads). Browsing through the shelves, my eye caught something I couldn't believe: A kit for kids to build their own tube radio! (http://www.kosmos.de/Kosmos/kosmos.nsf/$Kurzinfo/FSA9B29A08990FEE90C1256EFE003D2A30?opendocument --> The link is in German, but the picture gives you a good impression).

This is made by a company called "Kosmos" and they are quite famous here in Germany for building science kits (chemistry, physics, astronomy, electricty, electronics, etc.). It turns out this kit is a "re-release" to celebrate the 70th anniversary of this kit. They first started producing it in 1935. It was made so kids could learn about the wonders of physics and the very new radio technology (it being only 10 years old at that time). And it gave kids a chance to assemble their own personal tube radio.

The kit is suitable for kids 12 and older, costs 99 Euros (around 130$) and comes with a wooden box and all the parts one could ever need to build a simple radio (including a tube). Also, they include a reprint of the original 1935 manual.

I think it is great that kids today - who only now radio stations if they also broadcast online - get to know and understand how radio used to be and how it works. If I weren't so broke right now from buying - in the past two weeks - an Akubra Federation, Indy shirt, Indy pants, MKVII bag and a banjo I think I'd buy one of those kits myself.

Allbest...
...Jens

Wow! I wonder if they'd ship to the US? I had one of those "Crystal Radio" kits as a child, but I couldn't quite make it work.

Radio Shack used to have all sorts of radio kits like that years ago. I remember going there to test vacuum tubes from TVs that blew out and buying replacements so I could fix it myself.

I had the 6 Million Dollar Man backpack crystal radio. You moved the "antenna" in and out to tune it and the ground wire went to the screw holding on my bedside lamp outlet's cover plate.

I had a crystal set in the 1950s that looked like a satellite about the size of a baseball. I was amazed at how many locations made good ground for reception

There is a repro of the old Rocket Radio, this website tells how to improve it:

http://www.crystalradio.net/misc/rocket/

Restroration Hardware had them a few years ago, I picked one up for the old memories of listening late at night as a kiddo.


The main site: http://www.crystalradio.net/