Initial commit: Piezoelectric circuits guide and backlog tasks

Add comprehensive guide covering:
- Zero-power crystal telephone (two piezos, no batteries)
- Amplified version with LM386
- Full-duplex intercom
- One-crystal walkie-talkie with PTT switching
- Rochelle salt crystal growing instructions
- Physics explanations and demonstration scripts

Backlog tasks created:
- task-1: Build Unpowered Crystal Telephone (high priority)
- task-2: Build One-Crystal Walkie-Talkie (medium priority)
- task-3: Grow Rochelle Salt Piezoelectric Crystals (medium priority)

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
Jeff Emmett 2026-01-06 00:03:42 +01:00
commit 33c3d24838
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backlog/config.yml Normal file
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project_name: "Crystal Radio Project"
default_status: "To Do"
statuses: ["To Do", "In Progress", "Done"]
labels: []
milestones: []
date_format: yyyy-mm-dd
max_column_width: 20
default_editor: "nvim"
auto_open_browser: true
default_port: 6420
remote_operations: true
auto_commit: false
bypass_git_hooks: false
check_active_branches: true
active_branch_days: 30

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---
id: task-1
title: Build Unpowered Crystal Telephone
status: To Do
assignee: []
created_date: '2026-01-05 23:02'
labels:
- hardware
- piezoelectric
dependencies: []
priority: high
---
## Description
<!-- SECTION:DESCRIPTION:BEGIN -->
Build the zero-power piezoelectric crystal telephone that demonstrates the reversibility of the piezoelectric effect. Two crystals connected by wire - no batteries needed\!
This project demonstrates:
- Direct piezoelectric effect (sound → electricity)
- Inverse piezoelectric effect (electricity → sound)
- Energy flows both directions through the same crystal
Refer to piezoelectric-circuits-guide.md for full instructions.
<!-- SECTION:DESCRIPTION:END -->
## Acceptance Criteria
<!-- AC:BEGIN -->
- [ ] #1 Acquire 2x piezo discs (27mm or 35mm)
- [ ] #2 Build acoustic couplers (funnels or cups)
- [ ] #3 Solder wires between the two piezos
- [ ] #4 Test communication at 1-3 meters
- [ ] #5 Test maximum distance achievable
- [ ] #6 Document results with photos/video
<!-- AC:END -->

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---
id: task-2
title: Build One-Crystal Walkie-Talkie
status: To Do
assignee: []
created_date: '2026-01-05 23:03'
labels:
- hardware
- piezoelectric
- electronics
dependencies: []
priority: medium
---
## Description
<!-- SECTION:DESCRIPTION:BEGIN -->
Build the half-duplex walkie-talkie that uses a SINGLE piezo crystal as both microphone AND speaker. Press PTT to talk, release to listen - demonstrating the ultimate reversibility of piezoelectricity.
Key components:
- LM386 amplifier
- DPDT momentary switch (PTT)
- Single piezo disc per unit
- 9V battery power
Refer to piezoelectric-circuits-guide.md Build 4 section.
<!-- SECTION:DESCRIPTION:END -->
## Acceptance Criteria
<!-- AC:BEGIN -->
- [ ] #1 Source LM386 chips and support components
- [ ] #2 Acquire DPDT momentary switches for PTT
- [ ] #3 Build amplifier circuit on breadboard/perfboard
- [ ] #4 Wire PTT switching logic
- [ ] #5 Build enclosures (Altoids tins work great)
- [ ] #6 Test two-unit communication
- [ ] #7 Add TX indicator LED
<!-- AC:END -->

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---
id: task-3
title: Grow Rochelle Salt Piezoelectric Crystals
status: To Do
assignee: []
created_date: '2026-01-05 23:03'
labels:
- chemistry
- piezoelectric
- crystals
dependencies: []
priority: medium
---
## Description
<!-- SECTION:DESCRIPTION:BEGIN -->
Grow piezoelectric crystals from kitchen ingredients (cream of tartar + baking soda). Rochelle salt has one of the strongest piezoelectric effects known\!
This adds a "made from scratch" dimension to the crystal radio project - demonstrating that the piezoelectric property comes from the crystal structure itself, not manufacturing.
Refer to piezoelectric-circuits-guide.md crystal growing section.
<!-- SECTION:DESCRIPTION:END -->
## Acceptance Criteria
<!-- AC:BEGIN -->
- [ ] #1 Acquire cream of tartar (200g) and baking soda
- [ ] #2 Make saturated Rochelle salt solution
- [ ] #3 Grow seed crystals (3-7 days)
- [ ] #4 Grow main crystal from seed (1-4 weeks)
- [ ] #5 Apply electrodes (conductive paint or foil)
- [ ] #6 Test piezoelectric response with LED/multimeter
- [ ] #7 Compare to commercial ceramic piezo
<!-- AC:END -->

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