Is Anyone Out There?

Crazy Fox has been wanting to build this "Make Your Own Radio" kit since we brought it home a few months ago. I bought it knowing we would be studying radio waves and sound waves in school and thought it would make a good activity. But, he couldn't wait. We did touch on sound waves back when we were studying our senses. So after we were done with school yesterday he begged me to help him build it.

Does this look like any radio you have ever seen?

First we wrapped the coil wire around the? . . . anyone? . . . anyone? . . .

That's right . . .the coil.

Then together, we assembled the pieces according to the directions. We carefully wrapped the wires around the bolts and sandwiched them between two washers to secure them in place. We sanded the thin plastic coating off the coil wire so that it could make a connection with the tuning wheel. Then as the directions instructed, we rechecked all of our connections and tightened all the bolts. Now go place one end of the connecting wire to a cold water faucet to act as an antenna, while holding the other end of the connecting wire in your bare hand. Slowly move the tuning wheel across the coil and you should be able to pick up a local radio station.

How cool is that?!

Except it didn't work.

So, we will be rechecking our connections and calling on some of our more electrically inclined friends. Really, how hard could it be? It says 8+ on the box. I am 8+. Crazy Fox is nearly 8 and he far surpasses my knowledge in most things technological. (Not this this is such advanced technology. For bonus points, can anyone tell me how long the radio has been around? Who invented the first radio?) He can usually figure things out just by tweaking them a bit. So at least until we can figure out where we went wrong, the answer is no. . . no one is out there.