So Long, and Thanks for all the Crystals
There was a time when anyone involved with radio transmitting — ham operators, CB’ers, scanner enthusiasts, or remote control model fans — had a collection of crystals. Before frequency synthesis, because popular, this was the best way to set an accurate frequency. At one time, these were commonly available, and there were many places to order custom cut crystals.
One of the best-known US manufacturers of quartz crystals still around is International Crystal Manufacturing (ICM). Well, that is, until now. ICM recently announced they were ceasing operations after 66 years. They expect to completely shut down by May.
In a …read more
