De Silva, S.U. Delayen, J.R. Li, Z. Park, H. JACoW Geneva, Switzerland 978-3-95450-191-5 10.18429/JACoW-SRF2017-TUPB053 English 506-508 TUPB053 cavity ion dipole HOM luminosity Contribution to a conference proceedings 2018 2018-01 https://doi.org/10.18429/JACoW-SRF2017-TUPB053 http://jacow.org/srf2017/papers/tupb053.pdf The rf-dipole cavity has successfully demonstrated the principles of using a compact cavity operating in TE11-like mode in generating a transverse kick. Several proof-of-principle rf-dipole cavities have been fabricated and the rf tests have demonstrated high transverse gradients. The rf-dipole geometry has been adapted into a square-shaped geometry designed to meet the dimensional constraints for the LHC also maintaining crabbing in both horizontal and vertical planes. Recently, two prototype rf-dipole cavities intended for the test at SPS for have been completed that is designed to accommodate the FPC and HOM dampers. The performance during the rf tests have shown excellent results on achieving the design requirements of operation for the crab cavities for SPS. This paper presents the experiences and lessons learned during the cavity preparation and testing, including process validation, frequency tracking.