Hi all

Is there anyone in the group who has a 1980 ARRL handbook who could
scan and email me the circuit of the xtal calibrator/marker generator.
I've a friend building replica glowbug regen receivers who needs this
info to help get his unit operational.

Thanks miken, zl1bnb

miken ) writes:
Hi all

Is there anyone in the group who has a 1980 ARRL handbook who could
scan and email me the circuit of the xtal calibrator/marker generator.
I've a friend building replica glowbug regen receivers who needs this
info to help get his unit operational.

Thanks miken, zl1bnb

You'd do well to give an idea of what's inside.

The Handbook changes glacially, so chances are good any specific
article is in more than one edition.

Michael VE2BVW

Hello Miken:

I found my 1981 ARRL Handbook. They have a "marker" generator, which uses
an LF-353, a 4001 and a 4013 - all integrated circuits. There is also a
simple 2 transistor 100 kHz oscillator.

The marker generator puts out 100, 50 and 25 kHz.

When I read the request for a circuit to supplement a glowbug, I thought a
tube crystal calibrator would be what was wanted, and thought perhaps the
later 1981 edition might have abandoned a tube version. So, I pulled out a
1972 ARRL Handbook and even then all they had was solid state.

If you are going to use integrated circuits in a glowbug receiver, you need
to hide them, since it is unbecoming and might cause others to ridicule the
otherwise heroic effort to recreate a glorious radio. A simple tube can do
a wonderful job of putting out 100 kHz signals, and if you want 50 kHz, you
can use a neon bulb divider.

Many of the simple receivers I built would have been lost with a 100 kHz
marker. A 1 MHz marker would have been more useful, and even then I was
guessing at the which MHz it was. The best marker was simply a crystal in
the ham band and a known point. Something like 3550 kHz, which could also
be used to spot at 7100 kHz. Even odd marked frequencies are useful - then
a properly hand calibrated graph laminated on the front panel (ala HRO) will
give a feeling that none of the wonderful new rigs can touch.

73, Colin K7FM

"COLIN LAMB" wrote in message
...
Hello Miken:

I If you are going to use integrated circuits in a glowbug receiver, you
need to hide them, since it is unbecoming and might cause others to
ridicule the otherwise heroic effort to recreate a glorious radio. A
simple tube can do a wonderful job of putting out 100 kHz signals, and if
you want 50 kHz, you can use a neon bulb divider.

Many of the simple receivers I built would have been lost with a 100 kHz
marker. A 1 MHz marker would have been more useful, and even then I was
guessing at the which MHz it was. The best marker was simply a crystal in
the ham band and a known point. Something like 3550 kHz, which could also
be used to spot at 7100 kHz. Even odd marked frequencies are useful -
then a properly hand calibrated graph laminated on the front panel (ala
HRO) will give a feeling that none of the wonderful new rigs can touch.

73, Colin K7FM


Colin

do you have a link for using a neon lamp as a frequency divider? This is
the first reference I've seen for this, and I'm fascinated to learn more
about it.

Peter

Hi Peter:

That will teach me tomake a statement without my resources handy, so please
do not time me. I have started looking now. I recall that there are
probably one or more in Hints and Kinks, none in the ARRL Handbook (it was
pretty basic as far as test equipment0, one or more in QSTs from the 50s and
various other books. I have most of those so will go through them. We have
a lot of readers, so do not be bashful if you know the references.

Some of the early computers used neon bulbs as dividers and the circuit is
in some of those textbooks.

Well, go ahead and time me starting - - now.

Colin K7FM

"Uncle Peter" ) writes:
"COLIN LAMB" wrote in message
...
Hello Miken:

I If you are going to use integrated circuits in a glowbug receiver, you
need to hide them, since it is unbecoming and might cause others to
ridicule the otherwise heroic effort to recreate a glorious radio. A
simple tube can do a wonderful job of putting out 100 kHz signals, and if
you want 50 kHz, you can use a neon bulb divider.

Many of the simple receivers I built would have been lost with a 100 kHz
marker. A 1 MHz marker would have been more useful, and even then I was
guessing at the which MHz it was. The best marker was simply a crystal in
the ham band and a known point. Something like 3550 kHz, which could also
be used to spot at 7100 kHz. Even odd marked frequencies are useful -
then a properly hand calibrated graph laminated on the front panel (ala
HRO) will give a feeling that none of the wonderful new rigs can touch.

73, Colin K7FM


Colin

do you have a link for using a neon lamp as a frequency divider? This is
the first reference I've seen for this, and I'm fascinated to learn more
about it.

Peter


When I saw Colin start to suggest a tube calibrator, my thought was
"what will you use for a divider, a neon bulb?"

But like him, I can't put my fingers on a circuit. Undoubtedly
somewhere someone did build a crystal calibrator with a neon divider
to get closer together markers, before there were IC dividers.

Another common place would be electronic organs, they'd use neon
bulb dividers to get the next lower octave from a master oscillator.

I'm sure in those "101 things to do with Neon Bulb" books, or even
the wide coverage articles in the magazines, would have a divider.

One Rufus P. Turner book I do have from the tube era has no such
dividers.

I can't find the one book about electronic musical instruments that has
a lot of organ circuitry, which likely does have dividers.

Tube era frequency counters likely used them to some extent.

I am blank about how they worked. It may be like a synchronized
oscillator, using the crystal oscillator to sync a free running
neon bulb multivibrator.

There were also pulse counters, collect pulses until they voltage
of the collected pulses trigger something and it starts over again.

I'm sure I've seen the basic principle, whatever it is, used with
unijunction transistors and even 555s, they all operate basically
the same. But I sure can't find an exact reference in the books
I have handy.

Michael VE2BVW

Hi Michael:

I know I have seen at least a few circuits, but so far I have not put my
eyeballs on one. I checked QST back to 1950, being distracted a bit when I
came upon the Clipperton Island DXpedition. Also checked a number of Hints
and Kinks.

Even used Google. I found a number of references to them, but no actual
circuit. Although they were used in electronic organs, I know I have seen
crystal calibrator circuits using them.

Shhhhh. Please do not let my wife know that, with bookcases spread out all
over I cannot find the circuit. Her idea is that if I have not looked at
something in the last 15 minutes, I should discard it - even though she
still keeps her old clothes she does not fit into anymore.

And, remember that the neon bulb also makes a nice low current screen
regulator, too. (oh, oh, now someone will ask for that circuit.)

Back to the library,

Colin K7FM

In the process of looking for the neon bulb divider, I found a few circuits
using a ECC81, or a 12AU7 or a 6U8 divider - and one circuit even using a
simple rc oscillator locked by the 100 kHz crystal to yield 50 kHz signals.
That was in QST.

73, Colin K7FM

Michael Black wrote:

snip

I am blank about how they worked. It may be like a synchronized
oscillator, using the crystal oscillator to sync a free running
neon bulb multivibrator.

Neon bulb bistable multivibrators were staples of low speed digital
counters and of course electronic organs; the circuit relies on
hysteresis of twin bulbs connected through a common (cathode)
resistor. I may post links to some example implementation diagrams.

There were also pulse counters, collect pulses until they voltage
of the collected pulses trigger something and it starts over again.


One can use a charge pump (diode pump) to accumulate (constant
width and amplitude) pulses until neon bulb breakdown potential
is reached and the bulb discharges the output capacitor restarting
the cycle.

Regards,

Michael

Is there anyone in the group who has a 1980 ARRL handbook who could
scan and email me the circuit of the xtal calibrator/marker generator.
I've a friend building replica glowbug regen receivers who needs this
info to help get his unit operational.

Maybe the following will be of help:

QST page:
* 12, May '37: "A 100-Kc. E.C. Oscillator for Frequency Checking"
uses a 24A tube
* 53, May '37: "100-kc. Calibrating Oscillator" uses a 6L6 tube
* 40, Jan '39: 1000 Kc calibrator uses 6F6 tube
* 34, Sep '41: 50-, 100-, and 1000-kc oscillator uses three switched
LC combinations and one 117L7GT tube
* 52, May '45: "Battery-powered one-tube 450- and 1500-kc. signal
generator" (1G4, 1H5, or 30 tube)
* 31, Oct '51: Uses both halves of a 6SN7 dual triode to produce
50-kc signals
* 68, May '52: "Simple crystal marker oscillator" uses a 6J5 tube
plus two resistors and 'most any crystal.
This is the SIMPLIST calibrator circuit I've seen!
* 41, Jun '52: "...Frequency Standard...Oscillator" uses a 6F6
oscillator, both halves of a 6SN7 as a multivibrator,
and a 6K8 buffer/mixer to give 100-kc and 10-kc points
* 43, Sep '52: "Fig. 2 - Oscillator circuit for a simple 100-kc crystal
standard" uses a 6AU6 tube and NO inductor!
* 40, Jul '54: Uses a 6AK5 to produce 100/50-kc harmonics
* 14, Mar '55: "Frequency Marker with 50-Kc. Intervals" uses a 6AK5
and both "halves" of a 6U8 to provide harmonics up
to 30 Mc.
* 61, Jul '59: "100-kc calibrator with 1-kc markers" uses a 6AU6
oscillator and an NE-2 sub-harmonic generator
* 30, Mar '62: Uses a 6AU6 oscillator at 100 kc and a 12AU7
multivibrator to also give 50 kc markers
* 33, Jan '65: Uses a 6AQ5 oscillator at 100 kc and a 6AS6 10-kc
sub-harmonic generator (no diode and NO inductors!)
* 34, May '65: Uses a 6AU6 oscillator at 100 kc, a 12AU7 multi-
vibrator for 10 kc points, and another 12AU7
ACCURACY: multivibrator for 1 kc points!


CQ page:
* 35, Jul '47: "A Simple Frequency Standard" uses both halves of a 6SN7
and one semiconductor diode (an easily-hidden 1N34) to
produce 1000- and 100-kc signals up to about 60 mc.
* ??, Apr '55: "500-kc Marker" uses a 6AU6 tube
* 29, Dec '55: "A Heterodyne Crystal Calibrator AND CODE PRACTICE
OSCILLATOR" uses both halves of a 7N7, 6SN7, or 12AU7
(or pairs of many triodes) and two crystals to give
marker signals at the DIFFERENCE of the two crystals

RADIO-ELECTRONICS page:
* 34, Oct '55: "Dual-Frequency Crystal Calibrator" uses a dual-
frequency crystal and a 6AK5 to produce outputs at
1000- and 100-kc. Adds a 1N34 diode and a 6BE6 tube
to make a harmonic generator. Adds an NE-51 as a
relaxation oscillator to make the marker points
more-easily recognized!
* 52, Sep '66: "Crystal Calibrator" for CB; uses a 6C4 oscillator

If those aren't enough, I can also cite several "utility oscillators"
(which are usually coil-less).

--
--Myron A. Calhoun.
Five boxes preserve our freedoms: soap, ballot, witness, jury, and cartridge
NRA Life Member & Certified Instructor for Rifle, Pistol, & Home Firearm Safety
Also Certified Instructor for the Kansas Concealed-Carry Handgun (CCH) license