----- Original Message -----
From: "Damien Mannix" <damienman...@hotmail.com>
To: <drakelist@zerobeat.net>
Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2012 9:54 AM
Subject: Re: [Drakelist] Exploding cap? Further progress?!
Thanks Steve and Chris for your helpful advice regarding a
possible bad crystal. I think you are right but somehow,
despite being most careful, I seem to have made matters
worse! Are 45 year old crystals particularly delicate?
Should I renew them all?
Tried the 15m crystal in the 10m and 40m sockets. Nothing
doing. Tried the 10m and 40m crystals in the 15m socket.
Nothing doing either!! Two problems by the look of it as
far as 15m is concerned.
The real shock came when I put the 10m and 40m crystals back
in their correct places. 40m is fine but 10m is now dead.
Of course I have taken it out and re-inserted it but to no
avail. Maybe I wrecked it!
Chris had trouble with a dirty crystal socket. Obviously I
can clean the crystal pins, though they appear clean enough,
but how on earth do I clean a crystal socket?
Isn't Ham Radio fun!
73
Damien
G3XER
I doubt if you broke the crystal. Crystals do fail
with age, more often they drift. Before giving up on a
crystal try cleaning the pins. The least abrasive cleaner is
the eraser end of a pencil or a similar type eraser. This
also works on tube pins. If that doesn't work try a fine
brass brush or fine steel wool.
The pins of the crystal socket are harder to clean but
I suggest using Deoxit with the aid of a wooden toothpick or
a small stiff brush like a tooth brush or an "acid" brush
with the bristles cut short to make them stiff.
Crystals can be tested using a grid-dip meter, if you
have one. Connect the crystal across the coil terminals in
place of the coils and adjust the capacitor to get
oscillation.
International Crystal seems to be a good source for
Drake crystals. They know the characteristics. If you
determine the crystals are bad I suggest calling them.
--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles
WB6KBL
dickb...@ix.netcom.com
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