1922 Federal Jr. crystal radio

[decojoe67]

I had a chance to acquire one of these in a trade and jumped at the opportunity. I always wanted a crystal set in the collection. I'm using it with a pair of Trimm headphones and a 1924 "Du-Wa" aerial eliminator I purchased years ago. I'm listening to it using my AM transmitter and completely amazed at the volume level and the crystal clear sound. I love the all black metal and bakelite cabinet. It has a primitive yet quality look to it. If you've never delved into these early set, I warn you, you'll be hopelessly hooked!
PS - Any and all information that someone can give me on this set will be greatly appreciated!

[decojoe67]

After enjoying the set with headphones I thought of an idea. I was fortunate to be able to acquire an excellent 1923 Dictogrand black and brass mini horn speaker from a friend. With the help of a small amp hidden below, and a strong signal from my AM transmitter, I am able to listen to a crystal-clear broadcast from the Federal Jr.! This set actually had an optional companion 2-tube amp to go with it, but not a single existing example has ever surfaced.

[old_coot88]

Cool! Do you hafta play with the cat's whisker much to get it goin'?

[decojoe67]

Originally Posted by old_coot88

Cool! Do you hafta play with the cat's whisker much to get it goin'?

I almost always use my AM transmitter, so with such a strong signal, the set is easy to use. With just a little tweaking of the cat's whisker, antenna and detector levers, the signal came in loud and perfectly clear. It's hard to believe there is no power supply! As a rule I always collected art-deco radios from the '30's, but these very early sets have me fascinated. I highly recommend this area of the hobby!