Did we successfully complete the challenge?

In three days we just about managed to make apparatus that could send a signal about 20m. It was a struggle to hear the magic word above the noise of the wind and crashing waves nearby on the shore. The sound of the transmitter picked up by the radio was a little indistinct — a sort of rasping buzzing sound and very feeble. In addition, because the radio was not tuned, it picked up other radio stations in the background. On our maiden test run with the equipment, we did manage to send the word "YES". It was a very fiddly job to get reliable signals with the equipment outside, with wind, rain and all the other distractions of our fabulous location, but we succeeded with our challenge.

Web Links

The producers are not responsible for the content of external websites.

For more information about Transmitters:
Reaching Out: The Evolution of Communication on the ThinkQuest site
How to Construct an Efficient Wireless Telegraphy Apparatus at a Small Cost by A. Frederick Collins reprinted from Scientific American Supplement,1902
Antique Wireless and Scientific Instruments from the collection of John D. Jenkins
Building a radio on the Science Toys site

For more information about Receivers
Foxhole and PoW built radios: history and construction on the Bizarre Stuff website
The Crystal Radio page on the Bizarre Stuff website

Books

An Introduction to Amateur Radio by I. Poole, Bernard Babani (Publishing) Ltd 1989; ISBN: 0859342026

Simple Short Wave Receiver Construction by R.A. Penfold, Bernard Babani (Publishing) Ltd 1994; ISBN: 0859342204

Challenges main menu 

Major funding for Rough Science was provided by the National Science Foundation. Corporate funding was provided by Subaru.

Copyright © 2002 The Open University and WETA.