[Boatanchors] 1935 Transmitter Antique Crystal

[David Stinson]

Question was asked about that big antique 
crystal in the rig.  This letter copied to the 
list for general information.
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The big Blaley xtal wouldn't oscillate at first, either.
I think the bakelite outgasses over the years
and there was also a small amount of dust
in the holder. I put a lint-free cloth on my bench
and took it apart. Using a good, fine brush, I 
brushed out the holder and plates and gently 
brushed-off the blank, touching just the edges.
As I'm sure you know, it's very fragile.
Then I used mineral spirits to clean the 
plates and the blank. Put all the parts on
the cloth and covered them with a tissue for 
several hours to dry. Gave everything a final 
brushing and "blow," then put it all back together.
It fired right up, but still is not as active as some
of my other xtals. Works OK with extra feedback.
Actually, I've tried FT-243 and HC-6 with this 
rig at up to 600 volts on the plate. That's good
for about 15 watts out, which is plenty if you have
a good antenna. They seem to hold-up, 
but I haven't done an actual QSO with one. 
I'll give a couple a long test and let you know.
73 Dave AB5S