It's Crystal Clear

"This is the BBC World Service, here is the news....."

Yesterday I Blipped my Grandfather's morse key. Today I dug out his crystal set, took a few images and then did some research. This has been in my possession since Pop died in 1978. A couple of things have occurred to me; you never really know enough about people you care about, he and I had a great deal in common. Let me try and explain.

This is a Gecophone Junior Crystal Set, manufactured 1925 it cost 15 shillings. For those of you who have never used real money that's the equivalent of 75p in today's currency. The coil, necessary to receive various bandwidths cost a further 7s-6d that's 35p in funny money. So the equivalent of an iPod, headphones, and coil, handmade in Britain from Mahogany and top quality engineering skills cost £1-2s-6d - that's £1-25p. Sounds cheap doesn't it? So I found a website that does value comparisons. Here's the result.

Current data is only available till 2009. In 2009, £1 2s 6d from 1926 is worth ?£48.40 using the retail price index, £216.00 using average earnings.

If you have the time have a look at this link and see what the set would have looked like in it's prime. The 'cat's whisker' or tuning system is encased in glass. If you look carefully at my picture you can see the filament just below and to the right of the letter B terminal, now you know why it was called a cat's whisker.

Pop was as interested in modern audio equipment 90 years ago as I am in Apple products today. He was a determined, polite man with a love of his grandchildren that shone from him; I'm doing my damnedest to emulate him.