[ARC5] Crystal tester.

Sun Jun 12 11:02:01 EDT 2016

     I made a simple adaptor to fit the Millen meter, I think I just 
folded bare wire to fit the coil socket and put alligator clips on the 
other side. I adjust the tuning capacitor for maximum current. There is 
enough radiation to pick it up with a sensitive counter. The counter 
allows me to see the frequency variation with load impedance. Its been a 
while since I used this and don't remember if I tried it on overtone 
crystals but it certainly works on fundamental crystals.

On 6/12/2016 6:56 AM, J Mcvey via ARC5 wrote:
> Not sure how accurate you wnt to get, but here is the grid dip
> meter/oscillator that I used to test the crystal. The FT243 base
> plugged right in the top.
> The meter shows output which can be peaked with the tuning dial. I
> attached a foot long length of wire to the "hot side" of the crystal so
> that it would radiate a bit.
> Dialed my radio in on CW  to spot the resonant frequency . Neither the
> wire nor the peaking affected the resonance much , maybe 100Hz max.
> Of coarse, this was on the low end of the HF spectrum (6325KHZ).
> http://www.lodestarelec.com/27-grid_dip_meter.html?CID=8
>
>
> On Sunday, June 12, 2016 9:20 AM, N4ch--- via ARC5
> <arc5 at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>
>
> Regarding crystal testers: a lot of you PROBABLY have one in your shack,
> and don't know it.   Many years ago, I was faced with the same need, and
> discovered that many garden-variety grid dip meters will work just fine
> (and you can either look at the meter for an activity indication, or
> simply place the GDO and "test" crystal near a short length of wire,
> connected to the antenna jack of a (calibrated) general-coverage
> receiver.   Many such GDOs (such as the old Knight-Kit ones) have a
> FT-243 socket as the connector that accepts the plug-in coil; simply
> plug this style crystal in to test.   It's a fairly simple procedure to
> make up a "test adapter" (to accept virtually ANY case-style crystal);
> simply open up a "junker" FT-243 crystal, and use the holder (with two
> short lengths of flexible wire and 2 small alligator clips) to make an
> adapter.    In the case of testing FT-243 crystals, simply plug the
> crystal into the socket, instead of a coil.   Over the past few years, I
> have typically used a Kenwood DM-81 (a battery-operated solid-state dip
> meter........whose companion coils also "fit" the FT-243 pin
> outline)........works fine as a "go-no go" tester.   Meter will not move
> unless there's oscillation, and if U want to know what frequency U are
> on, simply look for activity on a nearby receiver........safe, simple,
> and easy.   Works great on most every crystal I've tried, 1-50 MHz or so.
>
> 73, Herman, N4CH.
>
>
> In a message dated 6/11/2016 8:07:10 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> hwhall at compuserve.com writes:
>
>     There's many solid state tester designs around that let you check
>     those xtals you run across at hamfests, etc., before you decide to
>     buy. Make them with gator clips to accommodate the various pin types.
>
>     Wayne
>     WB4OGM
>
>     -----Original Message-----
>     From: Rich Post <kb8tad at gmail.com>
>     To: Ken Gordon <kgordon2006 at frontier.com>
>     Cc: ARC-5 List <Arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
>     Sent: Sat, Jun 11, 2016 5:58 pm
>     Subject: Re: [ARC5] Crystal tester.
>
>     The military used this one (TS-39B/ TSM-1) and likely some other
>     crystal testers
>     <http://www.ohio.edu/people/postr/bapix/TS-39B.htm>
>
>     You can also simply plug a crystal into a grid dip meter in place of
>     a coil and check the freq on a counter.
>
>     A third method is shown in the third picture down, using a sig
>     generator, scope and counter.
>     <http://www.ohio.edu/people/postr/bapix/SigGenFun.htm>
>
>     Rich KB8TAD
>
>     On Sat, Jun 11, 2016 at 6:56 PM, Kenneth G. Gordon
>     <kgordon2006 at frontier.com <mailto:kgordon2006 at frontier.com>> wrote:
>
>         __
>         Wayne:
>
>         The military had a good crystal-test unit, but I cannot remember
>         its nomenclature.
>
>         --  --
>
>         Ken W7EKB
>
>         <http://www.qsl.net/donate.html>
>
>
>     ______________________________________________________________
>     ARC5 mailing list
>     Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/arc5
>     Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>     Post: mailto:ARC5 at mailman.qth.net <mailto:ARC5 at mailman.qth.net?>
>
>     This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net <http://www.qsl.net/>
>     Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
>
>     ______________________________________________________________
>     ARC5 mailing list
>     Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/arc5
>     Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>     Post: mailto:ARC5 at mailman.qth.net
>
>     This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>     Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> ARC5 mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/arc5
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:ARC5 at mailman.qth.net <mailto:ARC5 at mailman.qth.net>
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net <http://www.qsl.net/>
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> ARC5 mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/arc5
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:ARC5 at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL