Re: OT. A self powered Radio, Do anyone remember Popular Science Article?
- From: Neon John <no@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2007 20:58:24 -0500
Most of us scientifically-oriented kids did similar things. That's not really
relevant to this claim for many reasons.
First and foremost, the amount of energy that "a small amount of Radium" releases is
miniscule. Radium was used in much higher quantities then than it was until Tritium
replaced it in luminous materials in the 50s. Still, his acquiring say, 100uCi of
radium would be doable, if not a bit difficult. Radium releases about 100 calories
of decay heat per gram (Curie). Therefore, 100uCi would release 0.01 calories, a
truly insignificant amount. That is total decay energy, most of which is expressed
as the kinetic energy of the ejected particles that ultimately decays as heat. Only
a tiny amount of that total energy release constitutes as charge on particles that
can be used to make current flow.
Computing the theoretical amount of charge that could be recovered from such source
is a bit more complicated than I care to get into in a Usenet post but that's not
even necessary. Just the knowledge that the TOTAL energy release of radium is so
small - 10 millicalories, 1.16e-5 watt-hours for a 100uCi source makes it
self-evident that it won't be powering a tube-type radio.
During the era discussed, there were basically two options for radio detection -
vacuum tubes and crystals. Crystal radios didn't need external power, as they are
powered by the energy of the received radio signal. That leaves tubes. Even with a
cold cathode tube, it just ain't gonna happen.
Even though my BS detector is chattering away at a low level from scanning this
article, it does have some interesting info and drawings on beta batteries.
http://www.rexresearch.com/nucell/nucell.htm
I would write this off as complete nutterism except for one thing. He was allowed to
present a paper on the subject to an American Nuclear Society meeting. Presumably
that means that the paper was peer-reviewed. That has my attention enough to go back
and read the article carefully and try to work around the gobbledygook.
John
4.8MeV per disintegration
On Sat, 22 Dec 2007 15:42:59 -0500, BR <bobrkirk2@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I built a self powered radio back when I was in Jr. High. Not using--
radioactive materials, but the signal from a strong AM broadcast
station. The "power supply" was a tuned circuit set to 1330 KHz (the
frequency of the station that I lived less than a mile from) a couple of
germanium diodes and capacitors in a voltage doubler circuit. This
powered the rest of the radio (with a second tuning dial to pick the
station you really wanted to listen to) built with germanium
transistors. It would not play very loud, but it still worked well
enough to use a speaker in a quiet room.
Neon John wrote:
I don't know which is more amazing - that people would make up these stories or that
people would actually believe them.
Suggest googling for "beta battery". Skip the first hit at treehugger.com. It's as
entertaining as this rumor.
Bottom line: Nah. Not even close, especially in the pre-transistor era and
double-especially with a "small quantity of radium".
John
On Sat, 22 Dec 2007 07:29:06 -0800 (PST), Jack <tinacci3@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
This is somewhat OT, but wonder if anyone out there remembers this.--
Back in the late 30's or 40's I remember the Popular Science Magazine
running an article which described a self powered radio invented by
some fellow in Detroit. It was supposingly powered by a minute amount
of radium in a sealed lead capsule via the use of a magnet splitting
and directing the alpha &beta rays of the radium on to plates creating
a negative and positive pole where by current flowed from one to the
other powering the radio circuit. By grapevine it was later said that
the inventer died mysteriously after being contacted by RCA and
Consolidated Edison Co. Have never seen or heard any reference to that
article since.. Has anyone else?
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
What do you call a blonde's cranial cavity? Vacuum chamber?
.
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