From Raw Crystal to Crystal Oscillator – Crystals go to War in 1943

From Raw Crystal to Crystal Oscillator – Crystals go to War in 1943

Electronics has always relied on critical materials that have been difficult to acquire. Today we think of the gold, cobalt, neodymium, terbium, or dysprosium that are required to make electric vehicles, but during World War II raw quartz crystals were required to manufacture the oscillators used in the radio transmitters that were critical to the war effort. This was before the technology to grow quartz crystals was perfected, and the best natural quartz was mined in Brazil.

This video shows in amazing detail every step in making a quartz crystal oscillator, from inspecting the incoming raw crystals to shipping the finished crystal in its holder. You’ll be ready to set up your own quartz crystal factory after watching this film. Filmed at the Reeves Sound Laboratory, it shows the degree of labor intensive effort that was required to produce an accurate frequency reference, and highlights the contributions of women in wartime manufacturing.

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45 Comments

  1. @mantronickilldozer on July 30, 2024 at 9:26 pm

    God white people are amazing. I know we didn’t invent peanut butter but this stuff is pretty smart too.



  2. @janisalnis6422 on July 30, 2024 at 9:29 pm

    fat from fingers damages quartz surface – not good for long term stability.



  3. @Cookie-Dough-Dynamo on July 30, 2024 at 9:30 pm

    This specific crystal is used in the oscillation overthruster. A device produced by Yoyodyne propulsion.



  4. @oglordbrandon on July 30, 2024 at 9:32 pm

    These ladies dress better at their war time factory job, then some people do at their wedding today.



  5. @disguisessalt8031 on July 30, 2024 at 9:33 pm

    They had to so damage standing with their hands in that shit all day long



  6. @bkiffter on July 30, 2024 at 9:34 pm

    video is missing decomb filter



  7. @pdfico on July 30, 2024 at 9:37 pm

    Yes, some countries just are superior



  8. @CameronCarter1 on July 30, 2024 at 9:37 pm

    WOW!



  9. @greengrayradio1394 on July 30, 2024 at 9:38 pm

    I have several old-fashioned tube transmitters (like world-war 2 agent sets) anh have re-ground FT-245 crystals to get frequencies in the 80m ham band (3.571 kHz) Started with a crystal blank on around 3.2MHz, ground on a glass plate with "figure-eight" movements. Very time consuming to clean, remount in holder, test, re-do the lapping and so on, and so on.. Got it right finally, but, never again..



  10. @chandelballard6427 on July 30, 2024 at 9:43 pm

    I feel like I just watched a new hire on training video



  11. @ErikBramsen on July 30, 2024 at 9:45 pm

    Wheee! That was easy!



  12. @dotslashsatan on July 30, 2024 at 9:49 pm

    I got my fiancé a quarts crystal ring because it resonates at 32.768 (time)… which will tick 1sec for infinity



  13. @leoniousmumblescraper1311 on July 30, 2024 at 9:51 pm

    I have watched many of these types of documentaries and have noticed a common theme. Many of the operations which required precision and attention to detail were performed by women almost exclusively.



  14. @peep39 on July 30, 2024 at 9:52 pm

    omg that is incredibly labor intensive



  15. @1NEFFIBLE on July 30, 2024 at 9:54 pm

    Quantum computer to be grown by frequency, interwoven spirals of facets to calculate the murmuration of light particles



  16. @joec8750 on July 30, 2024 at 9:54 pm

    I feel like the only explanation for the enormous leap foward in tech has to be some alien intervention. From 1900 to 2000 I think we advanced technology more than the prior 2000 years



  17. @skiptoacceptancemdarlin on July 30, 2024 at 9:54 pm

    Talk about the Stone Age.



  18. @newtybot on July 30, 2024 at 9:55 pm

    I love satisfactory !!



  19. @LiveWithMorgan on July 30, 2024 at 9:56 pm

    I blame Henry Ford for this slavery.



  20. @truthtoad on July 30, 2024 at 9:56 pm

    These ladies go the the beauty salon before they come to work apparently! Good lookin~



  21. @DavoidJohnson on July 30, 2024 at 9:57 pm

    Brings back memories of factory work I did when leaving school in 1963. Yuk.



  22. @BVN-TEXAS on July 30, 2024 at 10:00 pm

    Where are the classy ladies like they had back then. Now they are all covered in tats and piercings along with blue and pink hair and nasty attitude.



  23. @dj_donnychronic on July 30, 2024 at 10:01 pm

    The millionth on an inch girls nails were FIREEEEE



  24. @perkunast9680 on July 30, 2024 at 10:03 pm

    I had a CB radio with crystals, I think I only had 3 channels that’s all I could afford.



  25. @valuedteammember1005 on July 30, 2024 at 10:03 pm

    Your video made the whole process crystal clear. Thank you.



  26. @planetsaturn1300 on July 30, 2024 at 10:04 pm

    wow that was amazing. such a complex process. Love the hairdryer scene.



  27. @martynewport on July 30, 2024 at 10:04 pm

    Excellent! As an electronic engineer I really learned much…



  28. @s1lv3rbordeaux47 on July 30, 2024 at 10:04 pm

    Should we compare the humans of the past to humans present day of a completely different species? As the discoveries made to innovations acquired in or past history seem not of human ability if the level of true innovation these days are used as reference, it’s common fact that many of today’s innovation is no less based on discovery made many decades ago, so has indeed our human species changed considerably. Don’t confuse this an adaptation of evolution as such would need undoubted progression to potential which has no place within this modern society, in fact the complete opposite is far closer of reality with more reliance on specific guides to follow has become our unfortunate deduction of worth. We have succumb to a behavior that insists in strictly obeying the many laws & rules set upon us. The obeying behavior subsequently limits our potential drastically though unfortunately this is but seldom of any common realisation, viewing like minded individuals amoung us who have sought to overcome theses boundaries of involuntary reduction of worthy intellect have significant disruptive infliction directed upon them as a result of believing noncompliance of importance, this could in many cases be seen simular to the ancient action to exile nonconforming individuals from a residential village scenario only the required conformity is that of retirement of one’s own viable brain in favour to only OBEY.



  29. @johnson2207 on July 30, 2024 at 10:04 pm

    God bless the millionth-of-an-inch girls.



  30. @ZilogBob on July 30, 2024 at 10:04 pm

    That was amazing. I wanna see a documentary about how they make the tiny crystals used in billions of digital watches.



  31. @stinkymccheese8010 on July 30, 2024 at 10:05 pm

    Is there somewhere that compiles, remasters and makes these old training videos for the public?



  32. @forbiddenera on July 30, 2024 at 10:05 pm

    Bravo to those women..especially while having full long painted nails ❤



  33. @opieshomeshop on July 30, 2024 at 10:08 pm

    I’m confused. Where are all the feeeemails with coolaid colored hair? And wierd piercings and make up all over their face? No safe spaces? No one complaining of mental illness? No crazy clothing? Why they look mature and responsible. They don’t look like 12 year olds even though they are in their 20s and 30s. Hmm.. Something is really off here… I just can’t place it….



  34. @glenlarsen8496 on July 30, 2024 at 10:08 pm

    I need to find myself one of these "millionth of an inch girls" .im gonna rock her world with my 2.5 inches !!



  35. @user-gb1mt6bt2c on July 30, 2024 at 10:09 pm

    ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤



  36. @standard74521 on July 30, 2024 at 10:09 pm

    Ty



  37. @rtpfixit on July 30, 2024 at 10:11 pm

    1. How is it that the same guy narrated every 50s documentary.
    2. Watching them determine the crystal alignment by eye and mark it out in nail polish is wild when you grew up in a world with a ASML and cleanrooms.



  38. @ianking.5721 on July 30, 2024 at 10:13 pm

    And women bitch about jobs they work these days lol..look at all these ladies kicking ass probably your grandmothers



  39. @roberthuff3122 on July 30, 2024 at 10:14 pm

    ASML before ASML.



  40. @fullyawakened on July 30, 2024 at 10:15 pm

    This is what real girl bosses looks like, Gen Z. Part of the backbone of our nation



  41. @sparty94 on July 30, 2024 at 10:15 pm

    imagine the trial and error to get this process down pat.



  42. @xToxicNinjax on July 30, 2024 at 10:17 pm

    Aliens meeting humans for the first time: How did you figure out how to control the electromagnetic spectrum?
    Humans: Shiny rocks and bug goop mostly.



  43. @AK-vx4dy on July 30, 2024 at 10:17 pm

    I wonder how many such crazy mutlistep technologies we have today… it is from mineral but seems like watchmaking crossed with ic manufacturing



  44. @jjones503 on July 30, 2024 at 10:18 pm

    The pyramids were signal towers



  45. @nikbo40 on July 30, 2024 at 10:18 pm

    Now we have hamburger flippers and baristas.