Spooky Tesla Spirit Radio

Step 16 Spooky Effect #8 - Bring A Screensaver To Life

 In this example, the Spooky Tesla Spirit Radio is placed in front of an iMac computer screen. The radio is able to read the moving RF contents of the screen and make them audible. If it seems impossible that a simple crystal radio could do that, then watch the following...



The "Hyperspace" screensaver is available at download.cnet.com/Hyperspace/3000-2257_4-90475.html

Comments

[Stephen_A]

How much would you charge to assemble a completed Spirit Radio? I want one just for the "spirit chatter".

[drbill]

All it is is a crystal radio ! Build one! You can find a whole thing over at midnightscience.com

There are even SUPER sets you cab build for cheep!!!!

[mrfixitrick]

 Thanks for the link. Also, complete crystal radio kits from ComtrolAuto start at $7.45 

[mrfixitrick]

Hi Stephen

I seem to be getting into the business of making these! (just got my first order...)

I am charging $110. for the Spooky Tesla Spirit Radio in a jam jar with 2 Flat Spiral Antennas. The "Football" Antenna is tricky and I would have to charge $100 extra for it. Shipping would be extra.

Do you have a Mac or PC? I use the Mac software called Audio Hijack Pro to make the "spirit chatter" sounds from the AM radio in real time and record them. It provides radical alteration of pitch mainly, with reverb thrown in and a band bypass, all in real time. I don't know if there is an equivalent PC program, so "results may vary" with use on the PC.

It may take up to two weeks to get parts and assemble one of the Spooky Radios. What do you think?

[drbill]

Gawdddd!

[Drillbit]

Is there a difference in the effects for Spooky Effect # 2 - Disembodied Spirit Voices and Spooky Effect # 4 - Create Freaky Music between the flat spiral and the football antenna?

[mrfixitrick]

 The antennas don't make that much difference for those effects. I found the Football coil looks cool but didn't work as well as a spiral antenna. The main antenna is actually the AM ferrite coil in the jam jar, and that is what picks up most of the EMF.

[Stephen_A]

Aww, it's outside of my hobbyist budget right now. Thanks for the super fast response though - I'm sure there are other users interested :)

[student.mckinney]

What is the AM reciever for? I figured that the antennae would be sufficient, so is it necessary to produce this radio? I actually have one laying around somewhere, but I don't want to tear up my workshop looking for it.

[mrfixitrick]

The AM circuit serves as a general LC (Inductor-Capacitor) resonating circuit that picks up on many frequencies. An antenna alone won't pull in radio waves in sufficient amplitude; the resonance of the circuit increases the sensitivity many times over.

The receiver circuit also includes the 1N34A diode, which serves the purpose of a rectifier of the radio AC wave into a usable DC audio wave which can drive a speaker through an amplifier.

Perhaps an old transistor radio plugged into the computer would work for the purposes here as well.

[seedub]

That is impresive two thumbs up i have always been interested in crystal radios but this blows that out of the water! good job

[bears0]

 did you know that there is diffrent layers of time and if we could speed up we would go through the they are right in front of your nose but you cant touch them cause when you try it still keeps the lead no matter how fast you move

[mrfixitrick]

 There is more in front of our faces than we are led to believe.

Check out EJ Gold's book "Parallel Worlds Explored", available at www.idhhb.com/parallelworldsexplored.html for ideas about space, time, wormholes and such.