Improving Catwhiskers

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 40, 17 April 1930, Page 31

Improving Catwhiskers

SOMETIMES a crystal, after behaving ’ well, will suddenly "go dead for no apparent reason, and it is very difficult to ‘say, in all cases, what causes the trouble. There are, however, certain well-known causes which will interfere with the sensitiveness of a crystal, and in such cases the trouble is easily remedied. For example, dust or other dirt upon the surface of a ¢rystal is very undesirable; it may be removed by means of a camel-hair brush, or by dipping the crystal into methylated, spirits. The latter procedure has the effect of removing greasy contamination from the surface of the crystal, and — often produces a marked improvement in its rectifying properties. The cat-whisker sometimes become corroded, and the tip should be cleaned with sandpaper, or by snipping off a fragment of the thin wire with a pair of scissors.