Description
Book SynopsisQuartz crystal-a technology that changed the tide of World War II Some of the defining leaps in technology in the twentieth century occurred during the Second World War, from radar to nuclear energy. Often left out of historical discussions are quartz crystals, which proved to be just as pivotal to the Allied victory-and to post-war development-as other technologies. Quartz crystals provided the U.S. military, for the first time, with reliable communication on the front lines, and then went on to become the core of some of the most basic devices of the post-war era, from watches, clocks, and color televisions, to cell phones and computers.
In Crystal Clear, Richard Thompson relates the story of the quartz crystal in World War II, from its early days as a curiosity for amateur radio enthusiasts, to its use by the United States Armed Forces. It follows the intrepid group of scientists and engineers from the Office of the Chief Signal Officer of the U.S. Army as t
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction: "We Were Heavily Armed and We Had Crystals" 1
1 From Wire to Wireless: The Development—and Acceptance—of Tactical Radio 5
2 Crystal Control—the Great Gamble 17
3 The Signal Corps Lays the Foundation 31
4 Nothing Else to Do but Grind Crystals 55
5 Riding the "Flat Wheel Limited"—Overseeing a Mass Production Industry 69
6 Supplying a Mass Production Industry—the Civilian Government Steps In 93
7 "The Whole Radio Crystal Program of the Armed Services Depends Upon the Success of the Procurement Program in Brazil. Nothing Must Be Allowed to Interfere With It" 117
8 "God Made Lots of Small Crystals" 129
9 The Aging Crisis—Stopgap Measures 145
10 The Aging Crisis—Physics to the Rescue! 153
11 "Without Crystals You Have Radio; With Them, Communications" 163
Appendix 1: Crystal-Controlled Equipment 175
Appendix 2: Crystal Manufacturers 179
References 183
Index 219
