Need a radio? Why not build your own! The materials that are needed are probably in your house already. H. P. Friedrichs has an interesting design available on his Web site.

“If you’ve studied the subject of crystal radio for any length of time, you’re already aware that these instruments appear in an endless variety. The diversity found in vintage commercial sets is intriguing enough, though I have a special appreciation for homebrew sets and the unusual materials that one tends to find in their construction.

I submit that there is no better place to rummage for radio materials than the nearest waste can. If you’ve got the right eye, there’s always something that can be pressed into service as part of your next project. Empty toilet paper tubes and the venerable Quaker Oats (TM) box are timeless examples of ingenious recycling. I, myself, have built radio components from shoe polish tins, cigarette lighter parts, bits of scrap metal, transformer windings, and similar junk. In this article, I’d like to describe the construction of a set based on some contemporary refuse that you may not have considered.”