If you end up still wanting to get a frequency counter and want to spend a few bucks, I would keep your eyes peeled for a good deal on an HP 5385A or something similar on fleaBay, don't mess with the sub $100 cheap ones. Then get a 10mhz GPSDO reference like the Leo Bodnar GPSDO <http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=234>... setup a simple GPS antenna outside your shack and then finalize the setup with the K3EXREF. Then distribute the 10mhz signal from the GPSDO to your Frequency Counter and your K3. You then end up with a lab grade accurate frequency counter and you never need to worry about the K3 accuracy ever again. Then run out and get a frequency generator because you spent several hundred bucks on the above setup and because the XG3 is just to practical and simple... look for an HP 8656B or something similar and use your GPSDO as a reference for that. Oh and then you might want to get an HP power meter like a E4418A and sensors to check the accuracy of the frequency generator. (sensors at $150-$400 a pop) :) Oh, and then if you have a PPS output from your GPSDO you can setup your own Raspberry PI or Odroid Stratum 1 NTPD server and have a NTP clock reference that is accurate into the potentially nano second range to sync your PC clocks against. (all just because you can ... lol!)
Of course, I agree with the other posts... it's crazy simple to zero beat with WWV and or switch back and forth between the CW side bands to zero your REFCAL setting on the K3. And it's free too. ;) But some of us like buying and tinkering with this stuff. I'm guilty as accused. Max NG7M On Sat, Feb 11, 2017 at 12:25 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire <r...@cobi.biz> wrote: > Some people seem to have a lot of trouble detecting "zero beat" but once > the > technique is learned, it's easy to calibrate the K3/K3S to within 0.2 Hz of > WWV's carrier (one beat every 5 seconds). One could get closer depending > upon your patience. > > It's useful to wait until WWV transmits a steady carrier with no tone, > otherwise it's easy to accidentally zero beat one of the sidebands produced > by the tone so you end up off by the frequency of the tone. > > The K3 makes a great tunable frequency meter. Nowadays I use the K3 > (calibrated against WWV) to check the calibration of the counter's master > oscillator. > > 73, Ron AC7AC > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bill > Frantz > Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2017 10:01 AM > To: stengrevics > Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Frequency Counter for Calibrating K3S > > Frequency counters will also need to be calibrated. I have been quite happy > using WWV with my K3, and you can't beat the price. > > 73 Bill AE6JV > > On 2/11/17 at 9:39 AM, jstengrev...@comcast.net (stengrevics) wrote: > > >I am considering buying a frequency counter to calibrate my K3S. I see > >that Amazon has several for <$100. Has anyone had any experience with > >these? Are they just a waste of money? > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to m.matthew.geo...@gmail.com > -- M. George ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
