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Posted: 9/22/2016 4:28:31 PM EDT
Stumbled on this. Hope it's of some interest and not a dupe.
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Posted: 9/22/2016 5:19:46 PM EDT
[#1]
That was a very interesting video. Thanks for sharing it with us.
BD |
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Posted: 9/22/2016 5:23:18 PM EDT
[#2]
WWII technology at its best.
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Posted: 9/22/2016 6:09:15 PM EDT
[#3]
Cool video. I always wondered how they did it.
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Posted: 9/22/2016 8:11:57 PM EDT
[#4]
That was pretty cool.
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Posted: 9/22/2016 8:23:08 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
WWII technology at its best. Vietnam for the most part too. |
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Posted: 9/22/2016 9:20:24 PM EDT
[#6]
Thanks for posting. The video filled in a big gap in this book. It covers many other problems involved in getting the crystals from the ground and into the radio sets. The Nazis were putting a lot of effort into cutting off the flow of quartz from Brazil to the US.
There's an article in the April 1946 issue of QST, pp 48 - 50 on grinding surplus crystals to a desired frequency. It was tricky but several of us managed to shift a few surplus crystals into the Novice band without screwing them up. You could tell about what frequency the blank would wind up on by putting a sheet of foil under the glass the crystal was being ground on and connecting the foil to a receiver. A hissing sound would be heard as the crystal was moved around on the glass. ARRL members can access the article through the archives. |
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Posted: 9/22/2016 9:36:15 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thanks for posting. The video filled in a big gap in this book. It covers many other problems involved in getting the crystals from the ground and into the radio sets. The Nazis were putting a lot of effort into cutting off the flow of quartz from Brazil to the US. http://www.arrl.org/shop/images/P/0353.jpg There's an article in the April 1946 issue of QST, pp 48 - 50 on grinding surplus crystals to a desired frequency. It was tricky but several of us managed to shift a few surplus crystals into the Novice band without screwing them up. You could tell about what frequency the blank would wind up on by putting a sheet of foil under the glass the crystal was being ground on and connecting the foil to a receiver. A hissing sound would be heard as the crystal was moved around on the glass. ARRL members can access the article through the archives. You old dudes amaze me. |
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Posted: 9/23/2016 4:37:22 AM EDT
[#8]
Great video. Thanks for posting! Jim...
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Posted: 9/23/2016 8:19:25 AM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
...You old dudes amaze me. The lack of money is the mother of invention. Commercial crystals cost three or four bucks, and surplus ones outside the Novice bands could be had two or three for a dollar. An hour spent mowing lawns or raking leaves (we didn't have snow to shovel) would put fifty cents in your pocket. There was a big advantage to this, though. We entered ham radio working split, since most Novices were limited to one or two transmit frequencies. We called CQ, then tuned around listening for a reply. A couple of defunct radios from the neighborhood repair shop would produce enough parts and a chassis for a 5 Watt transmitter. A surplus J-38 Key could be had for a buck. TV was new in our area, so sets that were beyond repair were a rarity, and had usually been hit by lightning. Our big salvation was WWII surplus. An ARC-5 receiver that covered 40 Meters was about seven bucks, but had to be modified to operate without a remote control head and function on 115 VAC. ARC-5 transmitters were cheap, but would often wipe out TV reception a couple of blocks away. They were also VFO controlled, which was a no-no for Novices. It's often been said that quartz crystals oscillators were a big factor in winning the war because they enabled inexpensive, stable radios in the VHF spectrum used for aircraft and mobile communications. The Nazis didn't have a reliable supply of suitable quartz, so had to use expensive, hard-to-make capacitor and inductor tuning assemblies for the VHF spectrum. |
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Posted: 9/23/2016 9:16:56 AM EDT
[#10]
Well I learned something today. Pretty cool!
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Posted: 9/23/2016 10:26:19 AM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Thanks for posting. The video filled in a big gap in this book. It covers many other problems involved in getting the crystals from the ground and into the radio sets. The Nazis were putting a lot of effort into cutting off the flow of quartz from Brazil to the US. http://www.arrl.org/shop/images/P/0353.jpg There's an article in the April 1946 issue of QST, pp 48 - 50 on grinding surplus crystals to a desired frequency. It was tricky but several of us managed to shift a few surplus crystals into the Novice band without screwing them up. You could tell about what frequency the blank would wind up on by putting a sheet of foil under the glass the crystal was being ground on and connecting the foil to a receiver. A hissing sound would be heard as the crystal was moved around on the glass. ARRL members can access the article through the archives. Yep, found it easy. Thanks. Same month had a discussion of 5m going to 6m. Also thanks to the OP for the video, way fun to watch. |
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Posted: 9/23/2016 10:49:08 AM EDT
[#12]
interesting.. lol @ the label "damage to this vital war material is SABOTAGE". |
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Posted: 9/23/2016 2:25:37 PM EDT
[#13]
Great video - the number of steps was incredible.
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Posted: 9/23/2016 2:47:30 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
The lack of money is the mother of invention. Commercial crystals cost three or four bucks, and surplus ones outside the Novice bands could be had two or three for a dollar. An hour spent mowing lawns or raking leaves (we didn't have snow to shovel) would put fifty cents in your pocket. There was a big advantage to this, though. We entered ham radio working split, since most Novices were limited to one or two transmit frequencies. We called CQ, then tuned around listening for a reply. A couple of defunct radios from the neighborhood repair shop would produce enough parts and a chassis for a 5 Watt transmitter. A surplus J-38 Key could be had for a buck. TV was new in our area, so sets that were beyond repair were a rarity, and had usually been hit by lightning. Our big salvation was WWII surplus. An ARC-5 receiver that covered 40 Meters was about seven bucks, but had to be modified to operate without a remote control head and function on 115 VAC. ARC-5 transmitters were cheap, but would often wipe out TV reception a couple of blocks away. They were also VFO controlled, which was a no-no for Novices. It's often been said that quartz crystals oscillators were a big factor in winning the war because they enabled inexpensive, stable radios in the VHF spectrum used for aircraft and mobile communications. The Nazis didn't have a reliable supply of suitable quartz, so had to use expensive, hard-to-make capacitor and inductor tuning assemblies for the VHF spectrum. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
...You old dudes amaze me. The lack of money is the mother of invention. Commercial crystals cost three or four bucks, and surplus ones outside the Novice bands could be had two or three for a dollar. An hour spent mowing lawns or raking leaves (we didn't have snow to shovel) would put fifty cents in your pocket. There was a big advantage to this, though. We entered ham radio working split, since most Novices were limited to one or two transmit frequencies. We called CQ, then tuned around listening for a reply. A couple of defunct radios from the neighborhood repair shop would produce enough parts and a chassis for a 5 Watt transmitter. A surplus J-38 Key could be had for a buck. TV was new in our area, so sets that were beyond repair were a rarity, and had usually been hit by lightning. Our big salvation was WWII surplus. An ARC-5 receiver that covered 40 Meters was about seven bucks, but had to be modified to operate without a remote control head and function on 115 VAC. ARC-5 transmitters were cheap, but would often wipe out TV reception a couple of blocks away. They were also VFO controlled, which was a no-no for Novices. It's often been said that quartz crystals oscillators were a big factor in winning the war because they enabled inexpensive, stable radios in the VHF spectrum used for aircraft and mobile communications. The Nazis didn't have a reliable supply of suitable quartz, so had to use expensive, hard-to-make capacitor and inductor tuning assemblies for the VHF spectrum. Knew the last bit, but I'm always fascinated by the golden years of ham radio. As a bit of trivia the prc74 uses both crystals and ww2 era resonant/regenerative circuits. |
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Posted: 9/23/2016 2:49:48 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
interesting.. lol @ the label "damage to this vital war material is SABOTAGE". I might have to reproduce one of those labels to put on my safe. I might also have to put one on my hockey cup for laughs. |
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Posted: 9/23/2016 3:38:45 PM EDT
[#16]
If you are interested in grinding your own crystal give this guy a call. He has crystal blanks and holders and will put together a kit with instructions. He is the go-to guy for crystals in homebrew rigs as well as boat anchor restorations. Nice guy, knowledgeable, and helpful.
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Posted: 9/23/2016 3:40:30 PM EDT
[#17]
double tap
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Posted: 9/23/2016 4:41:04 PM EDT
[#18]
I run frequently run into Bry on the air. He is a nice guy.
I ribbing him during the last SKCC WES because he wasn't crystal controlled. There was a 100 point bonus for each rockbound QSO. |
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Posted: 9/23/2016 5:09:24 PM EDT
[#19]
Nice video. Thanks for posting it.
I also have a bunch of QSOs with Bry. He is very active in the SKCC. Not only that, he is a rock muscian, going all the way back to the early 1960s, in England |
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Posted: 9/23/2016 6:33:13 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If you are interested in grinding your own crystal give this guy a call. He has crystal blanks and holders and will put together a kit with instructions. He is the go-to guy for crystals in homebrew rigs as well as boat anchor restorations. Nice guy, knowledgeable, and helpful. Neat!, might get a few more cut for the trc77 |
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Posted: 9/23/2016 7:40:48 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
WWII technology at its best. I was thinking how much we still do things like that |
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Posted: 9/24/2016 2:17:25 AM EDT
[#22]
That's not ancient technology - those live on in your cellphone, teevee, even the thing you are reading this very post on!
They also are the heart of the clicky part of anything you use to spark a flame with, like on your grill, or lighter. Tinfoil moment - I don't believe in the healing power of crystals, but I can draw a line from brains, which use electricity, to dirt like quartz, that not only emit electricity, but vibrate when electricity is applied to them. I liked hearing the narrator - he did a TON of these kinds of explainer films back in the day. You could hear him flipping script pages in between scenes. Also, the girls must have known the film crew were coming - I bet they didn't typically dress like that in a factory that grinds minerals all day. Excellent video find! |
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Posted: 9/24/2016 9:50:46 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
That's not ancient technology - those live on in your cellphone, teevee, even the thing you are reading this very post on! They also are the heart of the clicky part of anything you use to spark a flame with, like on your grill, or lighter. Tinfoil moment - I don't believe in the healing power of crystals, but I can draw a line from brains, which use electricity, to dirt like quartz, that not only emit electricity, but vibrate when electricity is applied to them. I liked hearing the narrator - he did a TON of these kinds of explainer films back in the day. You could hear him flipping script pages in between scenes. Also, the girls must have known the film crew were coming - I bet they didn't typically dress like that in a factory that grinds minerals all day. Excellent video find! Ya, I noticed all the nail polish too. Wonder how long that lasted in the oil baths. |
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Posted: 9/24/2016 10:54:32 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
That's not ancient technology... Actually, it is. Now, instead of having to dig the quartz out of the ground, they grow it, and it's laser cut, trimmed, lapped, and etched by an automated process. They spit out precision crystal oscillators as easily as transistors, since the processes are similar. |
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Posted: 9/24/2016 11:44:11 AM EDT
[#25]
Is some version of this what a quartz watch uses as well?
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Posted: 9/24/2016 12:29:42 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Is some version of this what a quartz watch uses as well? Absolutely. And, that's the point I was trying to make - it's not something we gave up on in the black and white days, it is something that is a technology that forms the timing circuits of modern equipment. The most precise ones live in a small, temperature controlled box, informally called an oven. |
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Posted: 9/24/2016 2:45:17 PM EDT
[#27]
Yes. It's often a small metal cylinder about 1/2" long and 3/16" in diameter.
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Posted: 9/25/2016 5:42:32 AM EDT
[#28]
Finally blocked off some time to watch the vid. Had no clue that there were so many steps in the process.
Really dug the WWII period where the quality of your work could decide whether your neighbors son came home or not. Flashed back to stories my mother told me of first working at one plant soldering tabs on batteries for walkie-talkies. Quit that gig and got a job with Lake City, yeah THAT Lake City, in the quality control department. Thanks for sharing. |
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Posted: 9/25/2016 3:39:27 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Finally blocked off some time to watch the vid. Had no clue that there were so many steps in the process. Really dug the WWII period where the quality of your work could decide whether your neighbors son came home or not. Flashed back to stories my mother told me of first working at one plant soldering tabs on batteries for walkie-talkies. Quit that gig and got a job with Lake City, yeah THAT Lake City, in the quality control department. Thanks for sharing. Now that's a mama bear I would love to hear stories from over coffee and coffee cake after a holiday meal 
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Posted: 9/26/2016 3:51:14 PM EDT
[#30]
The sheer amount of ingenuity and engineering that went into figuring out this exacting process is nothing short of astounding.
The Greatest Generation at work! These people knew how to get stuff done, and what it meant if it didn't get done. Nowadays automation has replaced a lot of people who would do such work, and unfortunately with them, a lot of the ethos of meaningful production. Your average person would last maybe :30 into the video, shut it off, and then go back to using devices which use this manufacturing (or borrowed from it) to watching or listening to BS while taking it for granted. |
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Posted: 9/26/2016 6:12:09 PM EDT
[#31]
Wow labs have sure come a long way. I bet their environmental impact planning was a bit less time consuming with all of those acid baths... And not a glove in sight, even in their "dust free" room. lol
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Posted: 9/26/2016 6:37:51 PM EDT
[#32]
When you're worried about Nazis, that other stuff is inconsequential.
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Posted: 9/27/2016 5:51:34 AM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Now that's a mama bear I would love to hear stories from over coffee and coffee cake after a holiday meal Oh, back to crystals. If you happen to come across FT-243 crystals that are just below the ham bands it isn't difficult to lap them down to get into the ham bands. A plate of glass and some toothpaste with a mild abrasive will do the trick. I keep on the lookout for them at hamfests. Also be aware that you can use a frequency multiplier circuit to get to the freq you want. Say find a 9.045mhz crystal, install it in a doubler circuit and you now have a crystal good for 18.090mhz on 17m. |
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Posted: 9/27/2016 8:53:01 AM EDT
[#34]
There's an article on how to do it in the April 1946 issue of QST, pp 48 - 50.
It can be downloaded from the QST archives if you're an ARRL member. |
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