"Peebles Originals" PO-101 Crystal Radio Kit

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This is a clone of the Mike Peebles PO-101 crystal set, assembled in September of 2022.
The kit was made by Victor Rodriguez.
 
Peebles Originals PO-101
 The panels were laser cut, and the coil forms were made on a milling machine, which is an improvement over the original kit.
 
Peebles Originals PO-101
Rear view. The set uses "spider web" coils with variable coupling between them.
 
Peebles Originals PO-101
This is one of the coolest looking crystal set kits ever made!
 

 
Peebles Originals PO-101
The first time I used it, it exploded!! It blew right off the table!
(See the link below labeled "Video Part 4.")
 

 
 
Peebles Originals PO-101
This is the original PO-101 kit that Vic cloned, purchased from ebay. The kit is old, possibly from the 1990s. Mike Peebles stopped using plywood for the panels years ago because they splintered, and he switched to Masonite panels.
 
Peebles Originals PO-101
The clone of the kit. Vic put as much time into this (if not more) as Mike Peebles would have.

Peebles Originals PO-101




 
Peebles Coil Form

 

Hand cut coil forms made by Mike Peebles.


Peebles Originals PO-101




 
Peebles Originals PO-101


Peebles' coil form reproductions made
with a computer controlled milling machine.


If Mike were still with us he would appreciate the milling machine. It looks like it took quite some time to make a coil form by hand.
 
Mike Peebles PO-101 crystal radio kit
Under construction, showing the clean layout of the set.
 

 
ANTENNA TUNER
 
Peebles Antenna Tuner
"Peebles Originals" PO-103 antenna tuner.
 
Peebles Antenna Tuner
Same construction style as the PO-101 crystal set. It has the same base and front panel.

 
Peebles Antenna Tuner
This is an excellent wave trap and antenna tuner, but the two-pole switch in the instructions doesn't match the switch that came with the kit. This is easily remedied by using an ohmmeter to find which switchpoints go to which poles. (Link to instructions is below.)
 

 
Peebles Crystal Radio and Antenna Tuner
The "Peebles Originals" PO-103 antenna tuner and PO-101 crystal set.
 
The Peebles PO-101 works well, but with my (crappy) antenna, at my location (about 15 miles north of Philadelphia, PA) it only picked up one station on the AM band, KWY 1060. However, it picked it up VERY WELL and it was very loud in the headphones.

With the addition of the PO-103 antenna tuner I was able to null the strong local station and receive several stations that were "hiding" under the local. The selectivity was very good. I was able to receive some shortwave stations without the antenna tuner, though the antenna tuner helped. The shortwave stations are only able to be heard around sunset or late at night.
 

LINKS

 
   
Instruction Manual
Instruction Manual
   
    PO-101 AM/SW Crystal Radio Kit
Instruction Manual
PO-103 Trap/Antenna Tuner
Instruction Manual
   

 
video link
video link
video link
video link
 
  Video Part 1. Examining the kit.  Video Part 2. Making the coils.  Video Part 3. Building the kit.  Video Part 4. Testing the radio.   
           

Peebles Originals
 
As of October 2023, the "Peoples Originals" website is still active and plans for the various Peebles kits can be downloaded. Click on the logo above to go to the site.
 
 

NEXT, some thoughts on the antenna tuner switch.
 
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