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Author Topic: Crystal Sources?  (Read 28547 times)

WA6EJO

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Crystal Sources?
« on: March 22, 2017, 08:38:31 AM »

With International Crystal closing there’s a need to put together a list of who’s left that will make crystals. I’m thinking of an older local repeater that has to move frequency, but no doubt there are other users (beacons, legacy commercial equipment, etc.,) with the same issue. I see there is an outfit in the UK, QuartSLab, that advertises to ship worldwide. Anyone else?
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K4JJL

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RE: Crystal Sources?
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2017, 10:21:53 AM »

Might be time to convert it to DDS.

http://www.pongrance.com/super-dds.html

Costs a little more than a crystal, though, but you'll never have to purchase another set again.
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WG8Z

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RE: Crystal Sources?
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2017, 09:50:40 AM »

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K4JJL

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RE: Crystal Sources?
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2017, 06:54:38 AM »

http://bomarcrystal.com/index.html

OMG NO!  Those are horrible.  They over-grind and use graphite to bring on frequency.  After a couple years, the graphite falls off, and it drifts badly.
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W1BR

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RE: Crystal Sources?
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2017, 02:12:08 PM »

Cheap DDS units may have spurs and noise side bands. 

BTW, we used to call them Bomar Bummers.
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VE3LYX

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RE: Crystal Sources?
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2017, 09:14:07 AM »

I buy often from Bry Carling. AF4K. A quick goggle will find him. Has a good and ever changing stock.
donVe3LYX
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W4KYR

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RE: Crystal Sources?
« Reply #6 on: March 30, 2017, 07:45:29 AM »

Jan Crystal is still in business.

http://www.jancrystals.com/
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N8YX

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RE: Crystal Sources?
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2017, 02:00:10 PM »

Jan is no longer making crystals (per an email to/from them last week) and from what I understand Bomar isn't doing anything in the 2-way space either.

The big challenge is going to be replicating ICM's customer service model. If a vendor can't (or won't) produce crystals to order in low quantities and at reasonable cost they're not going to get much business from this crowd.

A DDS replacement isn't the panacea some make it out to be. Build a HF crystal oscillator operating at, say, 40MHz (typical range of the heterodyne oscillators used in a lot of vintage gear) and look at its output on a spectrum analyzer. Pay attention to undesirable products and their amplitudes. Then build a DDS unit, program it for the same frequency and repeat the exercise.

Anything you see besides the fundamental is going to be present in both the TX and RX chains. Harmonics can be suppressed to a degree but wideband synthesizer noise will be a little more difficult to eliminate.

If anyone knows of a DDS chip which is usable to ~45MHz and whose spectrum output rivals the purity of a well-designed crystal oscillator, post it here.
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W1BR

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RE: Crystal Sources?
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2017, 04:25:03 PM »

ICM also had a massive library and could provide crystals based on manufacturer model numbers. Whether for a Micor channel element, or BFO crystals for a Ten Tec Omni they had the specs on hand. I hope those records are preserved.
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N7IOH

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RE: Crystal Sources?
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2017, 12:18:52 PM »

You might try these people.  They were recommended on the Drake Yahoo forum by some who have used them before.  They ship worldwide as far as I know with maybe a few exceptions like most companies.

http://www.quartslab.com/

Al, n7ioh
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K3EY

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RE: Crystal Sources?
« Reply #10 on: April 05, 2017, 07:53:59 AM »

I buy often from Bry Carling. AF4K. A quick goggle will find him. Has a good and ever changing stock.
donVe3LYX

http://af4k.com/crystals.htm
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W1BR

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RE: Crystal Sources?
« Reply #11 on: April 05, 2017, 08:45:25 AM »

Quartslab looks darn good!  Some guys on the repeater builder forum used them and were quite happy with the prices and service.  At least one company is filling the vacuum for small, custom order crystals.

http://www.quartslab.com/
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N8YX

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RE: Crystal Sources?
« Reply #12 on: April 05, 2017, 09:00:54 AM »

Quartslab looks darn good!  Some guys on the repeater builder forum used them and were quite happy with the prices and service.  At least one company is filling the vacuum for small, custom order crystals.

http://www.quartslab.com/
These guys may very well become my new best friends.  ;D
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KX4OM

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RE: Crystal Sources?
« Reply #13 on: April 06, 2017, 03:30:36 PM »

I bought a couple of crystals for my Drake R-4B from QuarTSlab when they were operating from Ireland. Good deal, less than International at the time.

Ted, KX4OM
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K9EID

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RE: Crystal Sources?
« Reply #14 on: May 12, 2017, 12:02:53 PM »

Sad to see ICM leave.  We have been sending the builder of the PINE BOARD PROJECT - an AM tube transmitter built on Pine Board - to Bry Carling AF4K  and all of the crystals have been excellent.   Good service and so far, no complaints.  Check the Project our it out on HAM NATION.
BOB HEIL, K9EID
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