Beat this for customer service

The Melbourne 2 m CW beacon has had the crystal repaired at no cost by Hy Q.

It now has a basic temperature controlled enclosure fitted, and the beacon is on test with occasional shut downs for various adjustments.

Regular readers will recall how we previously reported that the Melbourne 2m propagation beacon VK3RTG had gone QRT. Upon investigation it was found that its Australian made frequency-determining crystal had failed, after 40 years of reliable service.

Well it is now back on air with the same crystal and there's quite a story behind it.

You see, curiosity got the better of the beacon custodian Ron Cook VK3AFW, who opened the crystal holder to see what went wrong. He discovered a manufacturing fault.

The problem was that small drop of silver-loaded paint that provides a stable electrical connection with one of the electrodes that sandwich the wafer of crystal, was missing, not applied during manufacture, and it went open circuit.

After Ron VK3AFW pointed out the quality control failure, the manufacturer did not hesitate in offering to provide a free repair and the crystal now seems set to outlive us all.
The service provided on a product made 40 years ago
is outstanding.

For the next few weeks it will be radiating into a directional antenna with a NE heading. Check 144.430 +/- for the signal. Ron, VK3AFW asks for reports.

Source: Wireless Institute of Australia

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