DIY RF Receiver

If you're a hobbyist or just have a fondness for radio, you can make your own RF receiver. Radio frequency receivers have numerous uses, but they often act to pick up local radio stations. You can buy an RF receiver, but that's not nearly as fun as making one yourself. That way, every time a signal comes through, you'll have validation for a job well done.

Instructions

1. • 1

     Cut two sets of holes near the top side of your stiff plastic bottle with the nail about a half an inch apart. Parallel to the holes, punch two sets of holes near the bottom of the stiff bottle.

   • 2

     Push one end of the magnet wire through the holes near the top side. Pull through about eight inches of wire. Wrap the long end of the wire down the body of the stiff bottle. Make sure each wrap of the wire comes in contact with the last full wrap. As you wrap the wire, loop every fifth wrap around the pencil. These wire loops will be referred to as wire taps. Wrap this pattern until you get to the bottom of the bottle. Push the end of the wire though the holes at near the bottom side of the stiff bottle.

   • 3

     Strip the vinyl coating from the ends of the wire wrap at the top and bottom of the bottle with your wire cutters. Take care not to cut the wire. Carefully remove the vinyl coating from the wire taps. Take care in not removing too much, as you don't want to remove coating from the wire areas wrapped around the bottle.

   • 4

     Solder one end of the Germanium diode to the end of the wire at the bottom of the bottle.

   • 5

     Snip off the end of the cord to your corded phone handset. Strip off the protective covering to reveal the interior wiring. Find the transmitting yellow and blue wires. Solder the blue one to the free end of the Germanium diode. Solder the yellow wire to the free end of the magnet wire at the top of the bottle.

   • 6

     Clip and attach one end of the alligator jumper to a bare spot on the magnet wire you soldered the yellow wire. Clip and attach the other end of the alligator jumper to a piece of metal that's firm into the ground. This could be something like a pipe.

   • 7

     Clip and attach one end of the other alligator clip to the end of the insulated wire. Attach the insulated wire to a high spot like your roof or a tree branch. This will act as your antenna. Clip and attach the other end of the alligator jumper to one of the wire taps. Use the wire taps to adjust the station your RF receiver will pick up.