On Apr 3, 10:41?am, "Mike Andrews" wrote:
On 3 Apr 2007 10:13:41 -0400, Scott Dorsey wrote in :

In a pinch, you can make an improvised one with two RCA jacks.

An octal socket will hold two FT243 rocks, if you have the real-estate
for it.

In my younger days I made them from old octal sockets.

What I did was to select an old molded *BAKELITE* octal
socket that still had two or four good contacts properly spaced
(alternate pins). Sockets with damaged or missing mounting rings were
preferred. With luck and care you can get two xtal sockets from one
octal.

Then I'd remove the mounting ring and cut the bakelite piece in half
so that I had a piece with two contacts and the pin hole betwen them.
The hole between would then be drilled through for a 4-40 mounting
screw.

Then I would clean up the rough edges with various flat files. (I had
a lot of time and energy in those days).

End result is an FT-243 socket as good as any bakelite one you could
buy.

--

Another trick is:

1) Use an intact octal socket
2) Wire pins 1, 2, 5 and 6 together for one side of the circuit
3) Wire pins 3, 4, 7 and 8 together for other side of the circuit

Wired that way, you can plug an FT-243 in any way it will fit properly
and it will work.

73 de Jim, N2EY

I think I shall make one just for the heck of it.