[Milsurplus] Crystals and etching.

[sbjohnston at aol.com]

20 years ago (if memory serves) I attempted to purchase the business known as CW Crystals.  As I understood it, the assets included machinery and raw materials to produce FT-243 crystals.  Unfortunately the owner's widow stopped communicating with me and I heard that someone had swooped in to make a deal in person.  

Still wanting to be in the crystal business I later purchased AF4K Crystals.  The new webstore starts at   http://af4k-crystals.com/    (not the same as the old AF4K website).

My operation is mainly based on rebuilding vintage holders (FT-243 and HC-6/U mostly) using modern, miniature crystals purchased from manufacturers in quantities typically of 500 or 1000.  This limits me to stocking frequencies that are likely to have multiple customers.  And of course I am not able to make one-off custom frequency crystals.

 Occasionally someone wants an original FT-243 and I can help, but my inventory of useful frequencies in original form is dwindling. 

Given the low level of demand for FT-243 crystals at this point, I can't imagine anyone equipping themselves to manufacture new FT-243s. I wanted to... but it didn't happen, and that was decades ago .  Maybe one could still find old machines  and a hoard of quartz blanks and holders to make crystals until those materials run out.  Then what?

I think my approach (rebuilding vintage holders with modern mini crystals) is a fair compromise given the situation we face.  I am constantly trying to collect unwanted vintage holders to stave off the need to make new holders too.  But I am prepared for the day the vintage holders can no longer be had  I have a proven design for a 3D-printed holders with real pins.  So I plan to be making at least reasonable facsimiles of FT-243s for the next couple decades at least.



Steve WD8DAS

sbjohnston at aol.com
http://www.wd8das.net/http://af4k-crystals.com
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