Page initiated on 18 May 2017

Leuchtquarze

Luminous Quartz

During my last trip ( 23 - 25 April 2017) to my friend Rudolf Startiz in Bamberg, I was tantalized by viewing this antique luminous quartz device.

It has been since more than a decade ago that you could enjoy the phenomenon of luminous quartz operating

For this purpose, we operate a R&S video signal generator, providing carrier frequencies between 10 Hz and 10 MHz.

On the left-hand side the just obtained 1920s technique frequency checking device. Most likely once used as to control broadcast transmissions.

This device consists of 6 parallel fed quartz rods, operating in series resonance, technically known being X- or longitudinal mode resonators; like are all described luminous quartz resonators dealt with on this current webpage.

448 kHz, 475 kHz, 508 kHz, 544 kHz, 582 kHz and 623 kHz

However, two of these quartz crystals do fail to operate, reason not known, because viewing from outside through the glass window all seems to be in a good order.

Also this luminous quartz device I got from Rudolf Staritz

Resonance, according the data given 2999.9 kHz, although, also in this case the measured resonance lays slightly above this value. Whether this may be due to aging?

A detailed photo of the luminous phenomenon shown previously

When you look carefully, you can see that the luminous effect isn't equally divided in between the two electrical electrodes.

The brighter zones constitute the areas where the longitudinal quartz motion (vibration) are gaining their maximum amplitudes. Please bear in mind, that the quartz rod cross section is rectangular; hence, the visibility of this phenomenon is noticeable from all sides rotating (around) the length axis of the quartz-bar.

Frequency 4688.6 kHz

 Frequency 4674.0 kHz

582 kHz

Quartz rod resonating at 582 kHz

Operating on 445 kHz

However, 475 and 508 fail visibly to operate.

623 kHz

445 - 623 kHz   λ 674 - 481 m

Please consider also our Year 2005 Luminous Quartz webpage, were rather unique quartz device being dealt with

By Arthur O. Bauer