Fame & Fortune: Author Barbara Parker
This lawyer-turned-writer says her legal thrillers have not brought her the kind of riches she would like, but far more than she ever expected.
Crystal Radio Sets are Alive and Kicking
Ned Norris. This article can be reprinted, used in newsletters or on web pages as long as it is credited to Ned Norris of RUSC.com, it appears in its entirety and the resource box below is included.
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Crystal Radio Sets are Alive and Kicking
Author: Ned Norris
I was brought up under strict conditions. Bedtime was at a certain rigid time every night. Lights out meant no reading; it meant sleep. It certainly did not include listening to radio broadcasts.
But as a child of thirteen, I discovered the delights of the
crystal set. It was a frustrating affair. The workings of it
have remained a complete mystery. How, I wondered then, could a lump of gray mineral possibly capture radio waves and do so without a battery?
Now, several decades later, the answers are easy to find on the Internet here I quickly discover that crystal sets, and the parts to make them, are readily available today even though they look vastly different from the crude thing I had. In comparison, todays lookwellpositively modern.
To my amazement, according to Google there are 81,200 pages that contain the phrase crystal set.
There is even The Xtal Set Society http://www.midnightscience.com which says it is “dedicated to once again building and experimenting with radio electronics. It advertises books, parts and kits. One kit is called the Quaker Oat Box Radio Pack. It contains one roll of 24-gauge hook-up wire (100 feet), one germanium diode, one 47,000-ohm resistor, one alligator clip, and one crystal earplug. Sounds just about as basic as my old setbut I dont remember the other
instructions that come with this kit: You will need to provide your own antenna wire and oatmeal box.
The advertised price is $8.95. Do some reverse inflation
calculations and you will know better than I now remember roughly how much I paid for my set back in 1947. Any money I had in those days was earned by not spending my lunch money at school, so I know the set I had was dirt-cheap.
Radio Shack sells starter kits too. Describing a project for
beginning experimenters at http://www.thebest.net/wuggy/rs99fun.htm one reviewer said the Radio Shack crystal radio kit Cat. No. 28-178 is a pretty fair starter set. It does work, and some simple modifications will enhance its performance. When he wrote four years ago, the price was $9.99. After some modifications, which he describes, he was able to listen to New York, Netherlands Antilles, Cuba, Charlotte NC, Chicago, and a few others. What a difference a
coil of wire for an antenna makes!
For some fascinating photographs, you might want to take a look at http://www.schmarder.com/radios/crystal With their knobs and dials for tuning in a favorite station they make me positively envious!
There was no simple method for tuning my set. I remember there was a contact of some sort, and that by moving this minuscule distances across the crystal you could, with much patience, tune in a radio station. Usually, it was faint. Fiddle with the contact and the signal would be lost and found again many times
before a signal strong enough to enjoy came in. And it would often disappear in the middle of a show for no obvious reason.
He aims and fires, but he missesand that was his last bullet. The killer reaches for him, the axe raised in his other hand, and fizzle, crackle, silence. Mutter, mutter (the latter being me)!
Now I understand I needed to pay much more attention to installing a good antenna a 50-foot piece of wire outside the house and as high as possible and that I needed a good ground. But as a 13-year-old, I simply wanted to listen under the bed covers in the dark to my favorite radio thriller.
It almost didnt matter what the program was. Each had the compelling signature music, sometimes just single musical notes, the voices with their sense of urgency, the suspense, the climax, the scripting formula. I also remember the screech of car tires in chase scenes. It was pretty gripping stuff for a small boy.
Remember how shoes were always soled in hard leather? Rubber didnt make enough noise. Doors always squeaked; silent ones would not have been much use on radio. And do I remember correctly that detectives were always men and that secretaries were always women?
Today, when I recall those days long ago, I remember the crystal radio set with its finicky connection that would fade to almost nothing at the crucial point in the story. Then it would come back just as the announcer was saying something like: So long! See you next week.
This article is also available as a .pdf file at the following
url: http://www.rusc.com/misc/crystal-radio.pdf
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(c) Ned Norris. This article can be reprinted, used in
newsletters or on web pages as long as it is credited to Ned Norris of RUSC.com, it appears in its entirety and the resource box below is included.
Travel back in time to a land where classic old time radio shows live-on to be enjoyed once more by young and old. RUSC is an Aladdin’s Cave of classic radio broadcasts for you to download and listen to at your leisure.
About the author:
Ned Norris is webmaster of http://www.rusc.coma site specializing in downloadable old time radio where you can have instant access to thousands of classic old time radio shows from the 1930s, 40s and 50s.
Get home inspected before warranty runs out
New-home owners shouldn’t rely only on a builder’s inspector and a warranty that a house was built flawlessly, says Real Estate Adviser Steve McLinden.
Home Staging Tips to Help YOUR Home Sell in a Slower Market
Let’s face it; many real estate markets are experiencing a slow down the likes of which we haven’t seen for years. For a home seller this means setting the price right. But equally important is the concept of home staging. The first step is back to the basics: unclutter, fix and clean! But what is the second step and third?
In the Twin Cities market buyers have on average 25-50 homes that will meet their needs. A typical showing day with buyers will mean visiting 7-10 homes and buyers do get confused. As the day wears on, buyers start to distinguish homes by their characteristics. Some descriptions are not flattering. Recently I was with a buyer who was remembering homes as “the lizard home” and ” one with the Nasty bathroom”. That day there was also the house with “neon green room” and the ever, unpopular “retro house with the orange counters”. So what can you do to make your home memorable for the right reasons?
Paint Properly
If adjoining rooms are painted in the same color palette, hour home will appear more spacious. Don’t take short cuts. If you don’t have time or patience to properly tape trim and ceilings, hire a professional. Painted woodwork and ceilings are noticed and sometimes worse than not painting at all.
Go Luxurious
Invest in accessories to accent your home. Big, fluffy coordinating bathroom towels and mats warm up the bath. Fresh flowers on a beautifully set dining room table look inviting. A color-coordinated rug in the foyer will make a wonderful first impression.
Cush-up the Carpeting
Don’t replace the carpet on the cheap. Invest in the BEST padding you can find. Buyers will in most cases have to remove their shoes when walking through your home. In their stocking-feet, they will feel the difference!
Make it Match
Slipcovers are a quick and inexpensive way to update and coordinate mismatched furniture. Put away the old blankets and cozy up the room with a beautiful accent throw and a few pillows.
Empty the Closets
Make certain the closets are neat and organized. Replace and paint any shelves and organizers that appear dingy.
Replace Handles, Knobs and Switchplates
Inexpensive yes; but often overlooked. Handles that are outdated or missing and switchplates that are dirty or worn send the wrong impression. If they are replaced to look new and shiny, it shows that you pay attention to the details of your home.
Pack the Personal Items
The Elvis collection has to be packed! Likewise, take down the annual school photos of Junior from age 5 to 18. Use the “3 in any direction” rule. No more than three accent pieces should be able to be seen in any direction. Anymore than three is a distraction. If your photos or collection was on the wall, remember to patch the holes and repaint.
The Sun Shines When Windows Sparkle
In feng shui teaches that windows are consider the “eyes of the home” Make sure your windows are sparkling clean inside and out. Avoid the use of vinegar as a cleaner, as the smell may linger.
Before you scoff at spending money on a home you no longer plan to live in, remember this…It is still your home until it sells. It is in many cases your biggest financial investment. Consider it as a small investment for a big pay off or in this case, sale, in the end.
Copyright 2006/Teri Eckholm
About the Author
Teri Eckholm, a Minnesota Realtor with Keller Williams Premier Realty, has served clients in the Twin Cities area for years. Selected as a 2004 and 2005 Super Agent by Mpls/St. Paul Magazine, her extensive sales and marketing background has allowed her to assist clients move from across town and across the U. S. Find additional information on Teri and the Twin Cities metro real estate market at http://www.terieckholm.com
Are Custome Made Faucets Right For You?
Everything is custom-made now, even faucets and taps
From the early days of indoor plumbing up until about 30 years ago, the kind of faucets and taps you had in your home didn’t matter much. You used whatever came with the house. There were usually two different knobs, one for hot and one for cold, and sometimes even two separate faucets.
The last thing anyone cared about was what “style” they were. But times change. As homes became more custom-built and society grew more image-conscious, a whole new market opened up: designer taps and faucets, made to suit the homeowner’s personal tastes. Now there are literally hundreds of styles, all functioning essentially the same way but adding aesthetic appeal to the kitchen or bathroom.
The bathroom is where homeowners have done the most with designer taps, maybe because guests are more likely to use this room than the kitchen, and maybe to help bring elegance to a room whose uses are less than appealing. Matching bathtub and sink faucets are common. Taps are usually made of steel, with finishes such as chrome, nickel and brass available.
The best place to see the various faucets available is at a home improvement center. These stores usually have numerous styles on display, allowing you to see and touch and determine what will go best with the decor in your home. Styles such as “Victorian” or “modern” help guide you; Victorian taps in a distinctly modern bathroom might look odd.
Most of the major brands offer lifetime guarantees on their taps, assuring you’ll get years of good use out of them. It’s rare that a homeowner changes faucets more than once, unless there’s a complete overhaul of the home’s interior design. For the most part, once you choose a style, it’s part of the house for as long as you are. Choose something you like and let it enhance the beauty of your home.
About the Author:
faucethut.com is a website packed with information on Kitchen Faucets and Automatic Faucets
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