Morgan you're right with the antenna, 'cause the pistol-MD shouldn't be too heavy.
Accupack, Case, electronic, Antenna - maybe all together 1-2kg max.
I've been lucky with my FET find 'cause I found this info:
"2N5485 is a viable alternative to the seeminly weak MPF 102"
And I've constructed already circuit01 - see below.
It is very simple and uses two NF "low gain" transistors (the most common ever) but it has already noise output via speaker, even without any antenna!
The principle is an AM diode receiver with audio amp but without any tuning capacitor or ferrite-transformer-coils and you can built it at 1x1cm size even without pcb. Very sensitive already because it justs needs a 470k resistor as "electron-feed". No sparks audible so far.
Perhaps this will be later just the audio-stage. For amplifying such week electrostatic signals i have to check what noise level all those parts have and maybe an op-amp LM358 or LM324 makes a better job. And I'm already curious how good the field effect transistor will receives "whatever"..
Anyway - my first receiver circuit after a very long time and this is just the beginning!
