Build a Transmiter with Natural Materials

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility of building a transmitter using only 50 meters of copper wire and natural materials. Participants explore various ideas, techniques, and humorous takes on the challenge, touching on both theoretical and practical aspects of creating a communication device in a resource-limited setting.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest using salt water or citrus juice as an electrolyte with dissimilar metal strips for a battery and a spark gap to emit an electromagnetic signal.
  • There is a proposal that heating one end of a copper wire could generate a voltage difference, potentially allowing for the transmission of a signal through Morse code.
  • One participant humorously suggests trading the copper wire for a working transmitter instead of attempting to build one.
  • Another participant points out that a copper wire itself can be considered a transmitter, depending on the context of communication.
  • Some participants engage in light-hearted banter referencing "Gilligan's Island," which adds a humorous layer to the technical discussion.
  • A later reply questions the expected voltage output from heating the wire, noting that typical thermoEMF values are quite low, which may not be sufficient for effective transmission.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of ideas and approaches, with no clear consensus on the best method to build a transmitter. The discussion includes both serious technical suggestions and humorous exchanges, indicating a mix of perspectives and unresolved questions about feasibility.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the materials and methods are not fully explored, such as the specific requirements for effective transmission and the limitations of the proposed techniques. The discussion also reflects varying levels of understanding regarding the physics involved in creating a transmitter.

wolram
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To start with you only have 50Mtrs of copper wire nothing else, all you have is what occures in nature, can you build a transmiter?
 
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You're certainly no Russell Johnson. Everyone knows that all you need is a couple of coconuts. :-p
 
Hmmm, while Danger is playing with nuts anyone have ideas.
 
Apparently you never got "Gilligan's Island" over there... you lucky bastard! (Russell Johnson played 'the Professor'.)
I guess that you could just use salt water or citrus juice as an electrolyte with dissimilar metal strips for a battery and a spark gap to emit an EM signal. Maybe some quartz or such-like for tuning if you're picky.
 
I would find someone on the island who is desperately in need of 50 meters of copper wire, and offer to trade it for a working transmitter.

- Warren
 
I am afraid that is hard
 
I emailed Richard Dean Anderson this question and he said yes, if you also have a qtip and a pack of gum.
 
Rach3 said:
I emailed Richard Dean Anderson this question and he said yes, if you also have a qtip and a pack of gum.

:smile: good one.
 
Danger said:
Apparently you never got "Gilligan's Island" over there... you lucky bastard! (Russell Johnson played 'the Professor'.)
I guess that you could just use salt water or citrus juice as an electrolyte with dissimilar metal strips for a battery and a spark gap to emit an EM signal. Maybe some quartz or such-like for tuning if you're picky.

Never heard of him, i think gilligans island was on when i was a kid, but that would make it so old how would anyone remember it?
 
  • #10
wolram said:
To start with you only have 50Mtrs of copper wire nothing else, all you have is what occures in nature, can you build a transmiter?
What is that? A circular saw that cuts along two perpendicular directions? :wink:
 
  • #11
Gokul43201 said:
What is that? A circular saw that cuts along two perpendicular directions? :wink:

Ok, Ok, i am off to commit harry carry.
 
  • #12
What is that? A circular saw that cuts along two perpendicular directions?

lol

A copper wire is itself a transmitter, since a transmitter is simply a means of tranmitting a communication signal from source to destination. All you would need is a piece of string and a coconut, or a copper wire and two halves of a coconut :P Like the shoestring-bean-can phone.

Maybe you mean a radio transmitter?
 
Last edited:
  • #13
3trQN said:
Maybe you mean a radio transmitter?
****, you're irritating! Of course he means radio; otherwise, one's own vocal chords are a transmitter. (Some more than others, as I can attest by W shrieking at me to drop my beer and come to bed. :cool: ) Catch you tomorrow.
 
  • #14
Danger said:
I guess that you could just use salt water or citrus juice as an electrolyte with dissimilar metal strips for a battery and a spark gap to emit an EM signal. Maybe some quartz or such-like for tuning if you're picky.
I've read that if you heat a metal rod at one end a voltage develops between the hot and cold ends. I don't know how much voltage one could expect but it seems that if you wind your wire into a coil, heat one of the free ends, and touch it to the cold end, a momentary current should flow. When current flows in the coil, of course, an EM pulse is produced. In this way you might be able to tap the hot end against the cold and transmit some morse code.
 
  • #15
zoobyshoe said:
I've read that if you heat a metal rod at one end a voltage develops between the hot and cold ends. I don't know how much voltage one could expect but it seems that if you wind your wire into a coil, heat one of the free ends, and touch it to the cold end, a momentary current should flow. When current flows in the coil, of course, an EM pulse is produced. In this way you might be able to tap the hot end against the cold and transmit some morse code.
Typical thermoEMF values are way smaller than a millivolt per kelvin. If heated through say, 500K (which is about the temperature that copper starts to get soft), you could make maybe a couple of tens of millivolts.
 
  • #16
Gokul43201 said:
Typical thermoEMF values are way smaller than a millivolt per kelvin. If heated through say, 500K (which is about the temperature that copper starts to get soft), you could make maybe a couple of tens of millivolts.
Wow. I was thinking you'd get two or three volts, which is already probably not strong enough to send an SOS from Gilligan's Island.
 

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