Thanks to my very understanding spouse, who is also an excellent Craigslist searcher, I have 3 nice tuning caps, and a handful of old radio coils, which I intend to repurpose. Photos attached.
1. Is there a way I can identify or measure the coils to see which use they're for, either the bands they're meant to tune, or whether they're to "tune" the radio internally? So nice to have them in their own shielded cans, I worry that I'd bork them if I took them out to look at them.
2. Is there a way to clean and de-dust, and de-grime the tuning caps? The radios they came from looked to have escaped abuse, so the dust and grime is 80 years' worth of whatever was floating past them in the air. Air in a can blast this stuff out, or do I need to find a long-bristle brush with stiffer bristles that can reach in between the vanes and knock out unwanted particles?
Thank you for any information.
I believe the larger 3-gang cap will be the main tuner for the Crystal radio we're building, and that the 2-gang will work nicely in a coil / capacitor (tank?) circuit for some loose coupling action...that's about as far as my plan goes. Lots of cool crystal set circuit ideas online
1. Is there a way I can identify or measure the coils to see which use they're for, either the bands they're meant to tune, or whether they're to "tune" the radio internally? So nice to have them in their own shielded cans, I worry that I'd bork them if I took them out to look at them.
2. Is there a way to clean and de-dust, and de-grime the tuning caps? The radios they came from looked to have escaped abuse, so the dust and grime is 80 years' worth of whatever was floating past them in the air. Air in a can blast this stuff out, or do I need to find a long-bristle brush with stiffer bristles that can reach in between the vanes and knock out unwanted particles?
Thank you for any information.
I believe the larger 3-gang cap will be the main tuner for the Crystal radio we're building, and that the 2-gang will work nicely in a coil / capacitor (tank?) circuit for some loose coupling action...that's about as far as my plan goes. Lots of cool crystal set circuit ideas online