foxhole radio?

Question

When you wire the coil for a foxhole radio does the wire need to be bare where it it touching each other or can the wire be insulated?

Answer 1

If you are referring to winding the antenna coil of a crystal set, you should use enamel, or laquer-insulated wire otherwise the turns of the coil will short to each other. If you are referring to making connections between components in the set the wire needs to be bare. I hope this is what you are referring to.

Answer 2

For the tuning coil the turns must be insulated from each other.
Normally winding for these things is done with enameled copper wire.
The coating is very thin , it resembles something like clear paint.

If the design requires enamelled wire using a plastic coated wire ,(eg hookup wire speaker wire etc) will change the inductance value of the coil and it wont work on the frequency range that is anticipated.

You must follow the design recommendations as close as possible in this area.

If it says use enameled , then use enameled.
If it says hookup wire , then .........


PS . remember to scrape the enamel off the ends of the coil leads for a good electrical connection.

Answer 3

bare