Poof-Slinky Crystal Radio Kit Rating :
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful.
Abysmally Poor Design
By Mike
I was so excited over this item I bought two - one for my 8 year old son who is a science enthusiast and one for my nephew. I was disappointed to find the amount of "assembly" required. I am no slouch - I have over 40 years of electronics experience and am even building a house, doing all the plumbing and electrical myself. But assembling this toy was just a drag. The worst part was having to manually wind the wire around the paper tube to create a tuning coil. It was difficult to do and my 8 year old was not even remotely interested in even watching me do it, forget his ability to participate. At one point the thing slipped out of my hand and all the wire came off - if it weren't for a lot of patience and luck, that would have been the end of the thing because the wire normally would be completely and irreversibly tangled at that point. Henceforth I kept a rubber band just behind my work in case it slipped again. Then the wire ends had to be stripped with sand paper. Then the wire connections were made in tiny screws with nuts - LAME. The "connecting wire" was insufficiently stripped to bend per instructions. The instructions were obtuse and overly complicated. Really it seems like an imbecile engineered this thing. I was so upset I got it for my nephew. I found out that my brother in law lost his grip on the thing while winding the coil and the entire thing was ruined - useless. Coil should be pre-wound and ends stripped. Connections could be made easily with little pre-mounted SPRINGS (hello, SLINKY corp???). It's not rocket science, guys. What a rip-off. I am never buying ANYTHING from this manufacturer ever again (unless it's a slinky). I have never written a negative review about a product before because who has time for that. But this was an absolute JOKE. No kid could assemble this damn thing.
We did get a couple radio stations, but couldn't hear well enough to even distinguish what we were hearing - what language, etc... A simple, single 1.5 volt battery module for optional amplification could have been included for about 25 cents of manufacturing cost. Really this toy was not thought out at all. I would say this thing cost about $1 to manufacture, package and ship to the US from China.
How much are they selling for????
RIP OFF!
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Would be a great activity, if only . . . . .
By C. Gookin
I bought 11 of these to use with my middle students. At first the students were enthusiastic about making a real radio. Our first problem arose when some of them did not receive enough wire to complete the coil. Why would they want to continue an activity without the proper supplies? Then we had problems connecting the extremely tiny nut and bolt assemblies that connect the wires to complete the circuit. The instructions are vague or incomplete in some sections. It is not always clear which wire they are referring to or which direction the diode should be turned to receive radio signals. To date, not one radio has received any radio signal. Mine has some clicking and humming sounds, but that's it. There is no trouble shooting or suggestions to help determine why one's radio isn't working. We have been assembling and reassembling them in hopes of finding out what the proper configuration is. Unless your child/student is a least middle school level, has an inquiring mind and a persistent nature, I would not recommend this kit.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful.it sucks
By Russell Cassity
this product looks cool but it is not. it does not work and is very very hard to build winding the coil was very hard and hooking it up was hard plus it is not good quality its a toilet paper roll and a thin plastic breakable base. please listen to me do not buy it it does not work it is a piece of junk.
Product Description
POOF-SLINKY: Crystal Radio Kit. Kids can build a working crystal radio that will pick up radio stations and allow them to experiment with radio waves while learning chemistry basics. No batteries or soldering are needed. This package contains: 1 diode, 1 base, four rubber bands, 1 tuning rod, 2 connecting wires, 1 coil wire, 1 sand paper, 1 earphone, three nuts, three bolts, four washers, 1 coil tube, 1 tuning ball and 1 instruction manual. Meets or exceeds ASTM F 963. Recommended for children ages 8 and up. WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD-Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #342009 in Home
- Brand: Poof Slinky
- Model: 2012
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.00" h x7.00" w x2.30" l,1.00 pounds
Features
- For ages 8 and up
