Mareike Gast's Refugee Radio
By Barb Dybwad 
posted September 6th 2005 6:30AM
posted September 6th 2005 6:30AM
This device, invented by German designer Mareike Gast, reportedly draws its power from the energy of the radio waves, needing no other external power source. There are two different versions of what she calls the Refugee Radio, both using the same parts but designed for two different scenarios: an emergency situation, or a long term refugee camp environment. This device would be a very timely unit in the Gulf Coast right now if only we had any federal agencies competent enough to deliver it.
Er, so she's just build a crystal radio then?
I had a science kit to make one of these about eighteen years ago...this is nowhere near being anything new.
WOW ... draws it's power from radio waves? So why can't my gadgets draw power from radio waves? They're are radio waves all around us all the time aren't there? They could be trickle feeding all my gadgets lying around, just keeping them topped up, that would be great. So why hasn't it been done before? Is it possible?
I'd say 'invented' is a little strong. It is a very basic radio most will know when starting out in electronics, a crystal radio. They can work surprisingly well with the right components. Don't expect lots of volume, all the power comes from received signal. Nice design, but google for 'crystal radio kit' and you'll find some very nice kits.
Um.. Marconi invented the crystal radio in 1895. This skank can try to claim she invented it all she wants.
Or if we had competent city agencies to deliver them. Or if we had competent state agencies to deliver them.
I'm sure that you meant to spread the blame around to everyone who deserves it, right?
Does it do FM? Didn't think so. Let me echo the disgust shared by a few others so far at this clown proporting to have invented a crystal set radio!
guys, he doesn't claims to have invented the crystal radio nor the cold water, he's an industrial designer and just developed a kit to build one. that's it
lol. it's a crystal radio.. what's so new about that? It's one of the most basic circuitry in electronics....
I have built a crystal radio before, but I am looking for one that can take some banging around. I would like to put one in my bug-out kit. The crystal radio I built is pretty fragile. That is why this one appeals to me.
I don't know about the technical part, but at least I recognize the name to be female. So it's not a "he" but a "she".
And she nowhere claims to have invented the technical part. What she's saying is that she designed 2 cheap diy-kits for emergency situations...
She didn't design anything. She repackaged existing designs. No kudos to her. Rotten cabbage to her. Bah.
-C
There is no amplifier in a crystal radio. Thus, it is "powered by the radio waves".
Your Blapunkt or whatever in your ride would be "powered by radio waves" if it had no amplifiers. But then you couldn't blast that crap you think is music across the 'hood.
This is the first time I've ever commented on any blog at engadget, but I felt compelled to echo the surprise that a 100 year old "technology" repackaged with a an insulting, demeaning name that prays on natural or man-made disasters would be featured here.
I also want to add that the politically-biased jabs, which are occurring here more frequently, are becoming tiresome at best.
Uh, it's Bush's fault?
Thought I would slip that one in, before the feeding frenzy started, thanks!
Seriously,
The mayor of New Orleans screwed up just as much as anyone else. He waited until the last second to evacuate the city, and he only did that after Bush called him up and told him to. Don't just blame the federal government when the state and local levels deserve just as much heat, if not more.
So you're saying that sheep, I mean citizens, could listen to evacuation warnings with this device and STILL ignore them even when their power has been cut off?
Since there are no competent federal agencies left, how about local and state agencies instead?
Wait, what's that?
They screwed up things, and WORSE???!?!?!!
And the people this is meant to help all ignored a MANDATORY EVACUATION?
Well, I guess that means no radios for anyone. If you need me, I'll be in my cave, protecting my cache of food and water for the upcoming apocalypse.
I can see al my comments have already been voiced.
Good to see I'm part of an intelligent group of peeps.
:P
I INVENTED THIS WHEN I WAS 8 YEARS OLD... ACTUALLY I FOLLOWED THE INSTURCTIONS THAT CAME WITH MY RADIO SHACK CRYSTAL RADIO KIT.
THIS IS SOO RETARDED. HAHA
"Amazing and impressive if indeed it does what it purports to do." - bookofjoe.com
YOU GUYS REALLY SHOULD REMOVE THIS RETARDED ENTRY
to people harping about the new orleans citizens who "ignored" the mandatory evacuation... the city did not provide buses (or enough of them) for the evacuation. 100,000 new orleans citizens don't have cars, as it's not a city where you need a car to get around, with the streetcars and buses. the city's evacuation plan depended on everyone having their own way out of the city. my aunt stayed because she has no car, so she had no way out. my dad wanted to come and get her, but the state had converted all roads into one way roads leading out, so he couldn't even do that.
oh, also: official estimates said that to fully evacuate the city would take 72 hours, the evacuation notice was sent around 24 hours before the hurricane hit, so they told everyone to evacuate KNOWING that there was no way everyone could.
the plan for this was about as good as teh escape plan on the Titanic.
As the creator of this kit says:
"I did not invent this technology - the first radios were run like this. However, I believe that there is a need for it again, especially because it is so cheap and easy. Also the fact that AM antennas have become much smaller make this technology attractive again."
I think those radios are actually bad during a crisis. Each radio reduces the overall power of the signal. Not good...
"I think those radios are actually bad during a crisis. Each radio reduces the overall power of the signal. Not good..."
Ahem, not true... A radio can't "draw" more signal from the source just because it's not powered.
"Uh, it's Bush's fault?"
Well, FEMA is a federal agency that was gutted in the past few years, and Bush is the boss man of that, so I guess yes.
http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/o/nov04/nov04c.html
Yeah, this is definitely nothing amazing. Its a crystal radio. Google it, they're fun and cheap experiments, I made one for a science fair projet in 6th grade.
Looks like a slow day at engadget.
Shhh, quiet, I'm trying to listen to my crystal radio, it's not very loud.
If only I had some lemon juice I could power-up my citric acid powered amplifier.