oldest edition of Cub book out there

[theysawyoucomin']

I am looking for the earliest edition of the Cub manual out there and the oldest reference to making a crystal radio. (course nobody even knows what it is anymore

 

thank you in advance for all replies.

[ScoutMomAng]

I have a "Den Mothers Den Book" from 1967. It makes absolutely NO mention of a Crystal Radio.

 

However, if you are looking to make one with the boys there is a Crystal Radio Kit available from Wal~Mart (usually found near the Optical shop) It is made by Smithsonian Institution. They also make several different kits (Weather station, Volcano, Micro Chemistry, Crystal Growing and Bioscope---all those are in the Mega Science Lab)...

 

These kits can also be purchased at Michaels.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Ang

[ScoutMomAng]

The Smithsonian Institution kits are also at the website: www.nsitoys.com Ang

[cajuncody]

I found this link on the web. It says that the Radios started in the 1943 Cub Scout book. Here is the link and part of the article:

 

http://www.bizarrelabs.com/crystal.htm

 

Set four: Cub Scout set

This is a set which appeared in the 1943 Wolf Cub Book, part 1, pp. 75-77. The text is verbatim. It may be public domain by now, but assume for now that the Boy Scouts of America hold the copyright. There is also a nice gif image of the set from the manual. If you have trouble getting this, let me know and I will see what I can do.

How to make a simple

CRYSTAL RECEIVER

A-Dry a cardboard mailing tube in the oven, then paint with a coat of shellac. The tube should be about 6 or 7 inches long and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Buy one pound of 26-gage (B. & S.) single cotton covered wire. Start and finish winding one half inch from ends of tube. Then shellac all over again. When dry, fasten down to a baseboard at each end, with a screw and washer to prevent it from touching at any point.

B-Cut a strip of cardboard as a test place for selector. When length has been determined, cut a brass strip the same size. Screw this down at a slight angle and mark on coil just where it touches. Fold a piece of sandpaper and with the folded edge remove the shellac and covering from wire on coil. This will leave an arc the bras strip will touch. In fastening on brass selector, use two fibre washers.

C-One end of wire from coil should go to "ground" clamp. Wire from selector should go to "antenna" clamp. Other end of coil wire should go to crystal detector. Run a wire from "ground" clamp back to one phone binding post. From other binding post, run wire to crystal. Between the phone posts, connect an .001 or .002 microfarad receiving-type fixed condenser, which costs very little.

This type of receiver works best when within 25 miles of a broadcast transmitter. Antenna and ground connections should always be tight.

- end of article

 

 

Here is another link

 

http://www.scitoys.com/scitoys/scitoys/radio/radio.html

[theysawyoucomin']

Thank you for the '43 and '67 references.

I do not need any instructions or kit availability.

The WWW has provided more than enough info.

We did this with 12 boys in a 5 hour den meeting once when the boys had an early release from school.

 

Next week one of the Dads came up to me and said, "You must be teaching those kids a lot. My boy and another Cub were discussinmg what a variable capacitor and a diode do".

I was happy.

 

I wish I knew somebody that had a handbook from 1936 or so, I'd love a xerox copy of that activity.

 

Anybody here tried it?

[theysawyoucomin']

Thank you for the '43 and '67 references.

I do not need any instructions or kit availability.

The WWW has provided more than enough info.

We did this with 12 boys in a 5 hour den meeting once when the boys had an early release from school.

 

Next week one of the Dads came up to me and said, "You must be teaching those kids a lot. My boy and another Cub were discussinmg what a variable capacitor and a diode do".

I was happy.

 

I wish I knew somebody that had a handbook from 1936 or so, I'd love a xerox copy of that activity.

 

Anybody here tried it?