With the last post’s promising results, I set out to finish my crystal oven prototype and affix it to my QRSS MEPT prototype. If everything works well, I’m ready to publish the final schematic and parts lists! (and make several MEPTs for people who were interested in having one). I’m not confident my approach to the heater was the best, and am already thinking of ways I could have improved on its performance, but I think this just might work! I’ll test it overnight (styrofoam-enclosed vs. open air) and see how it does. I wonder if this is good enough to be used outside?
Here’s the device attached to the transmitter
here are some closeups
About the author
Scott W Harden
Scott Harden has had a lifelong passion for computer programming and electrical engineering, and recently has become interested in its relationship with biomolecular sciences. He has run a personal website since he was 15, which has changed names from HardenTechnologies.com, to KnightHacker.com, to ScottIsHot.com, to its current SWHarden.com. Scott has been in college for 10 years, with 3 more years to go. He has an AA in Biology (Valencia College), BS in Cell Biology (Union University), MS in Molecular Biology and Microbiology (University of Central Florida), and is currently in a combined DMD (doctor of dental medicine) / PhD (neuroscience) program through the collaboration of the College of Dentistry and College of Medicine (Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Science, IDP) at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. In his spare time Scott builds small electrical devices (with an emphasis on radio frequency) and enjoys writing cross-platform open-source software.
Permanent link to this article: http://www.SWHarden.com/blog/2010-08-27-hacking-together-a-crystal-oven-part-2/
I think you will want to characterize your crystals over a heat cycle, as most have multiple “S” curves at varying temp. You will want to configure your oven for a flat spot on the curve.
Peter G. Sulzer of NBS (now NIST) , on loan to JK Crystal Co., Sandwich, IL in 1956-7 built the first propor-tional control oven. That is what you have re-invented. It had large tubes in it (6080s or similar). The next version was solid state, of which there were two. They were accurate to +/-one second in 300 years. After being put on the exact same frequency, one stayed at the plant, and the other one went with Pete on an airliner around the world (which direction I do not recall). When he came back with it, the frequency difference was just as calculated, proving Einstein’s theory. I was there; I knew everyone involved and built some of the apparatus and circuitry used. Don Hartley (google Ralph VL Hartley, if you wish).
3 comments
Eldon R. Brown SR
August 28, 2010 at 12:54 AM (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Scott,
I think you will want to characterize your crystals over a heat cycle, as most have multiple “S” curves at varying temp. You will want to configure your oven for a flat spot on the curve.
Eldon – WA0UWH
jammit
September 28, 2010 at 2:44 PM (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I think you may want to look at this guys stuff:
http://www.romanblack.com/xoven.htm
Don Hartley
October 24, 2010 at 10:37 AM (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Peter G. Sulzer of NBS (now NIST) , on loan to JK Crystal Co., Sandwich, IL in 1956-7 built the first propor-tional control oven. That is what you have re-invented. It had large tubes in it (6080s or similar). The next version was solid state, of which there were two. They were accurate to +/-one second in 300 years. After being put on the exact same frequency, one stayed at the plant, and the other one went with Pete on an airliner around the world (which direction I do not recall). When he came back with it, the frequency difference was just as calculated, proving Einstein’s theory. I was there; I knew everyone involved and built some of the apparatus and circuitry used. Don Hartley (google Ralph VL Hartley, if you wish).