[Drake] testing your crystals

[Dick KF4NS]

This may not be the answer for everybody but it worked great for me.

If you have an MFJ antenna analyzer (or other brand) at your beckon 
call, attach a 50ohm resistor to the center pin of the analyzer and 
the other end to one side of the crystal and the other side of the 
crystal to ground on the analyzer.

Tune around the marked frequency of the crystal with the analyzer and 
when you get in close proximity to the frequency, you will see the SWR 
meter needle start to do a rapid dance. You are very close, Then very 
slowly tune for lowest steady SWR and the display will lock on to the 
crystal frequency as shown on the display.

All of my TR4C crystals read exactly on frequency except for the 
21.5mhz which was off by .001mhz. All are fine to use.

You can skip the resistor but it is much harder to find the "dip" in 
SWR. One bit of advice, if the unit has not been used for a while just 
spin the tune dial and band switch a few times because those are 
mechanical switches/pots on the analyzer.

Good luck and 73, Dick KF4NS
St Petersburg, FL 33714 USA
Keep The Glow!