Grinding a Radio Quartz Crystal - FT243

[@kevinrice7635]

Seems to know what he's talking about ❤love the show...all the best Hombre 🎉🎉🎉.

[@TheArtofEngineering]

TU OM …. We all learn together, this is what I love about this hobby/obsession it is lifelong learning 73.

[@freemind9734]

Great job!

[@TheArtofEngineering]

@@freemind9734 Thanks 🙏 it was fun! 73

[@jeffreyyoung4104]

During the 40s, 50s and 60s, so many of those crystals were built and sold to radio amateur operators for their transmitters. I bought some surplus crystals as a novice in the 1970s, only to find the frequencies I chose ended up being right on top of high power short wave transmissions from the communist block countries. I ended up taking my crystals apart and grinding them, and only one went out of band, but using a #2 pencil, I was able to put a dot of graphite in the center of the crystal and lower the frequency back into band! However, my crystal holders were of the side mounted plates, not the slide over covers you had. Thankfully, the FCC changed the rules and allowed Novice operators to use VFO operation, which was a miracle we had prayed for! I was given a Heathkit VFO to build for my HW-16 transceiver, and I was able to make contacts much easier! Today, we look back and say how crude we were using crystals for frequency generation, but even in this digital era, we have master crystals in our transceivers that ultimately control the accuracy and stability of our transmissions! And I would be willing to bet, crystals will be needed well into the future of everyday electronics!

[@TheArtofEngineering]

Yes….agreed and as things get more modern and “fandangled” the trip down memory lane becomes a sought after experience. Thanks for sharing the ham memories and 73.

[@MegaCadr]

Great stuff!

[@TheArtofEngineering]

Thanks, I enjoyed making it! 73 de VK2AOE

[@MidlifeRenaissanceMan]

40m was open to Japan on Thursday night. I put out an RBN test call and still managed a QSO with Adam VK2NNW and VK3MJ Mark. It’s been quite some time between QSOs with either of those chaps. Anyway. We’re missing you in real life. There is Whiskey to sip. and you can’t say whiskey without Key. I have another one of those things to unbox

[@TheArtofEngineering]

Ha ha… yes I’m hoping my key has arrived in my absence! Also wireless mics. Great you got back on the key. That was the last video in the can… back around the 19th …. Hopefully a little time to play radio before work starts 😩

[@MidlifeRenaissanceMan]

@ what ?? That’s more than a week !! There’s all the Parks Off The Air video. Might be enough to throw a short together. Keep the hoards satiated. Save them running off to Hayden’s channel or stalking Peter Parker in his community posts. Actually, did you want me to swing past and check the porch ???

[@MidlifeRenaissanceMan]

Tall dark stranger. Well I’m tall, my beard makes me look a little dark I’m certainly strange. Probably need to do another video together. Fulfil the prophecy and all that stuff. Maybe a magloop versus a vertical washed down with a German Pilsner

[@F_Tim1961]

Where this could be really powerful in a practical world is to take two nominally ident. FT 243s at say 8175kHz for so and grind one up by 1500 Hz and you end up with a Lattice filter for either SSB Rx or SSB Generation or indeed both . There are details of the simple Lattice filter in the PDF /JPEG Schematic I sent you from ARRL HB - ie the full implementation in a Receiver , Superhet Rx. TEF

[@TheArtofEngineering]

@@F_Tim1961 Thanks Tim…. Yes the HOMEBREW possibilities are exciting…. It takes some time but is very meditative and a filter would be a fun project … happy new year OM and 73 from Siam.

[@F_Tim1961]

@@TheArtofEngineering The reality is that LADDER (Cohn ) filter at 9.00 Mhz can be bought out of PRC for about 15 AUD on a pcb with all the capacitors installed but a lattice filter might be a very interesting experiment - On top of that it could be a parallel module you could bolt in to your Dx -160 to produce vastly better selectivity - if it all comes up roses (leaving the existing systems in place). NOW that's a Real Radio man project.