How did E.T. create a communicator device out of 1980’s Earth junk?

How did E.T. create a communicator device out of 1980’s Earth junk?

E.T. constructed his communicator device by

combining a Speak & Spell toy, a portable record player (turntable), a saw blade, an umbrella, and a TV UHF tuner. The device used the Speak & Spell to process signals, the turntable to create a spinning magnetic contact, and the umbrella as an antenna to beam a signal into space.

This video explains how the communicator device was built from everyday household items:

E.T. builds a makeshift device to "phone home", using various parts around the Taylor home. E.T. also learns to speak English, and requests the children's help to build the device.

• Key Components: E.T. used a Speak & Spell (toy), a UHF tuner from a TV, a Speak & Spell (for circuitry), a blender top, and an umbrella.

• The Process: He took a UHF tuner to multiply the Speak & Spell signal to a microwave frequency.

• Amplification & Transmission: A speaker microphone from a CB radio helped with sound, while a coffee can help to resonate the signal.

• The Antenna: The final signal was sent through an umbrella, which acted as a reflector/antenna.

• Power Source: The device was powered using electric signals, inspired by the, "electricity of life" found in, nearby trees.

The device was designed, based on, a, Buck Rogers comic, and was intended to be, a, functional-looking, sci-fi hack.

E.T.'s Communicator. E.T.'s communicator is a makeshift device created by E.T. to 'phone home' after he is accidently left behind on Earth by his botanist colleagues. The communicator was inspired by a "Buck Rogers" comic strip E.T. had read while under the care of Elliot and his siblings, Michael and Gertie.

How did E.T. create a communicator device out of 1980’s Earth junk?

Et. Phone Communicator