What common gas other than Xenon could I use as a ionisation medium for a cat's whisker quarts radio crystal ?

Question

I have made a radio crystal by cuting a quarts crystal in slivers lengthwase. I then made the cats whisker about one inch long from bronze welding rod and mounted both cats whisker and a slice of crystal on a thick piece of plastic. I then cut the element part out of a car headlamp to get a bulb. I then made hydrogen gas by using the Hoffman voltaic electrolisis proses. I inserted the gas into the bulb under water and then plugged it with the plastic disc on which the crystal and cats whisker was mounted, making provision for the anode and cathode wires to come out the bottom. I found that it does work as a diode but it has a very high electrical resistance which is unsatisfactory. I must either increase the hydrogen preasure to 3 atmospheres or use another gas that will cause ionisation. I could use a bicycle pump on a mounted bicycle valve but what bulb will withstand this preasure? I cannot obtain Xenon gas, so what other gas could I use as a alternative?

Answer 1

Are you getting quartz (used for oscillators) confused with galina(PbS) that is the early semiconductor in crystal radios?

Answer 2

You might try neon. But you're going to a lot of work.


Doug