Re: [time-nuts] Prologix USB-GPIB Controller

[George Dubovsky]

I have a real NI GPIB-USB-HS if he'd be interested in that. Prolly cheaper
than a new Prologix.

geo

On Fri, Oct 7, 2016 at 3:15 PM, Dave M  wrote:

> Does anyone happen to have a Prologix USB-GPIB Controller available for
> sale?  One of my friends needs one for his bench.  He is retired and on a
> limited budget, and would like to find one cheaper than MSRP from Prologix.
>
> Dave M
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Re: [time-nuts] SoftMark USB to GPIB converter

[George Dubovsky]

List,

I have a genuine NI GPIB-USB-HS in perfect condition for sale; $167 shipped
in the US. It has the book and s/w 488.2 for Windows, ver 2.7.3. It was
used for about 2 months, 4 years ago.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Thu, Mar 3, 2016 at 11:15 AM, Clint Jay  wrote:

> You can have things made anywhere in  the world if you pay some Chinese
> factories enough.
> On 3 Mar 2016 16:01, "John Green"  wrote:
>
> > I noticed some US made ones on the auction site for cheap. They say they
> > offer a 30 day money back guarantee. Hmmm
> >
> > On Thu, Mar 3, 2016 at 12:27 AM, gonzo .  wrote:
> >
> > > No - Please don't.
> > > No more of us need be burnt by that POS.
> > >
> > > Once you've bought it, you discover all you can do is send one command
> at
> > > a time until you buy additional software to get the DLL needed to do
> > > anything even remotely interesting.
> > > The documentation is terrible to the point the 'free' DLL has the same
> > > name as the 'paid' version, so it took me several emails (if you get a
> > > reply, you're doing well) to workout why why it didn't work as
> described.
> > >
> > > By far the best 'affordable' GPIB to USB adapter on the market is the
> > > Prologix (http://prologix.biz/).
> > > If you are interested in building your own, have a look at  Anders take
> > on
> > > an open design (http://www.dalton.ax/gpib/).
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > > ian
> > >
> > > --
> > > I have a desire to do some data collection and storage from my Racal
> > 1992,
> > > and I need a USB to GPIB converter. We have a National Instruments
> > > converter at work, but I want to do this at home. The SoftMark unit is
> > > considerably less expensive than the NI one. Does it work?
> Specifically,
> > > would it work with my 1992? I seem to remember some discussion from way
> > > back that they don't play well with a lot of HP/Agilent/Keysight stuff.
> > Has
> > > anyone with a 1992 used it with a SoftMark converter?
> > >
> > >
> > > --
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Re: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt power connector crimper

[George Dubovsky]

Hi Matt,

Any of the AMP Service Tools - I have the I and II - will work. Positions A
and B (for the conductor and the insulation respectively) on Service Tool I
or E and B on Service Tool II will work nicely. I suspect there are lots of
other generic crimpers that will do the job as well. Heck, for just one
connector, needle-nose pliers, a good magnifier, a soldering iron, and a
dictionary of curse words will suffice... ;-)

Good luck.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Mon, Jun 8, 2015 at 6:29 AM, Matt Robert matt.rob...@gmail.com wrote:

 Hi Guys,

 I am currently in the process of completing my Thunderbolt project and I
 need to find a suitable crimper to attach wires to the pins that go inside
 the power connector.

 The only reference I can find is on this page here (
 http://www.prc68.com/I/ThunderBolt.shtml) that talks about the official
 Molex tool which is scarily expensive, and the page also mentioned a
 Radioshack tool that I can't find any further details on.

 Can someone please point me in the right direction of a suitable crimper
 for the Molex 538-16-02-0103 pins.

 Cheers,
 Matt
 VK2LK
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Re: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt power connector crimper

[George Dubovsky]

I had not realized that those ubiquitous AMP crimpers of yore were now ebay
curiosities, but this is what I was referring to in my earlier e-mail:


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Amp-Engineer-Service-Tool-II-Crimper-/231586917342?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0hash=item35eba7ebde


73,

geo - n4ua

On Mon, Jun 8, 2015 at 7:44 AM, George Dubovsky n4ua...@gmail.com wrote:

 Hi Matt,

 Any of the AMP Service Tools - I have the I and II - will work. Positions
 A and B (for the conductor and the insulation respectively) on Service Tool
 I or E and B on Service Tool II will work nicely. I suspect there are lots
 of other generic crimpers that will do the job as well. Heck, for just
 one connector, needle-nose pliers, a good magnifier, a soldering iron, and
 a dictionary of curse words will suffice... ;-)

 Good luck.

 73,

 geo - n4ua

 On Mon, Jun 8, 2015 at 6:29 AM, Matt Robert matt.rob...@gmail.com wrote:

 Hi Guys,

 I am currently in the process of completing my Thunderbolt project and I
 need to find a suitable crimper to attach wires to the pins that go inside
 the power connector.

 The only reference I can find is on this page here (
 http://www.prc68.com/I/ThunderBolt.shtml) that talks about the official
 Molex tool which is scarily expensive, and the page also mentioned a
 Radioshack tool that I can't find any further details on.

 Can someone please point me in the right direction of a suitable crimper
 for the Molex 538-16-02-0103 pins.

 Cheers,
 Matt
 VK2LK
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Re: [time-nuts] Lightning arrestors for GPSDO antenna

[George Dubovsky]

If anyone is interested, I have a few NOS Zap-Tech 30-105 (now called CX-TF
apparently) surge suppressors available. These are basically a single shunt
gas tube (the coaxial center conductor runs through the center of a custom
gas tube), and they were sold as GPS in-line suppressors. I use them at the
far end of the rf spectrum: all of my receive-only wire antennas
(Beverages) for 1.8-7 MHz have one on each feedline where they enter the
house. These antennas are up to 800' long, and I know for a fact they pick
up surges from every passing storm and, so far, the elephants have stayed
away... ;-)

These units have TNC female adapters on both ends, but if the TNCs are
screwed off (they are loc-tite'd on), there are F-female connectors
underneath. $20 will get one mailed in the US.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Fri, Oct 17, 2014 at 1:23 AM, ed breya e...@telight.com wrote:

 Of all device types, I think gas tubes are the best for this sort of
 application - very low C, and high surge current rating. I'm picturing the
 kind that are used in power supplies and such for limiting line transients
 - about 1 cm dia and length with axial leads. I don't know what kind are
 used in lightning arrestors, if they are the same or scaled up in size.

 Whether you make it able to take a direct hit depends on how big of a hit,
 your budget, and the environment of the antenna and lines. If it's the
 tallest thing in a huge field in a lightning-prone area, then it could be a
 big issue, but I don't think most people have that situation.

 You may want to look at the US National Electrical Code (NEC) for ideas -
 I believe that subject is covered there. The main thing there would be
 safety against injuries and fire, even if the equipment is destroyed.

 I think what you would want is kind of a pi network - the lowest impedance
 path to ground at the antenna zone that can be practically realized, then a
 high common-mode impedance (or even fusible) line to carry the signal to
 the building, then another low impedance path to ground at the building.
 This means that in my opinion, you should not put the feedline in metal
 conduit unless it's essential for protection - or underground, which should
 improve the grounding. You want the antenna zone to absorb the brunt of any
 discharge, then use the higher line Zcm to hopefully give some degree of
 isolation from there to the building.

 Ed


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Re: [time-nuts] Need help with transformer core

[George Dubovsky]

Hi Corby,

I have the old data on that Indiana General part: it seems to be O-6
material - 4700 initial perm, 6000 max perm, up to 0.5 MHz, 210 degree C
curie point - and F1152-1 is a 36x22 mm ungapped ferramic pot core - AsubL
min =11530. If you need more data, I can probably scan the relevant pages.

Regards,

geo


On Fri, Aug 29, 2014 at 6:11 PM, cdel...@juno.com wrote:

 I'm trying to built a DC to DC from an existing schematic for a frequency
 standard I'm working on.

 The transformer core is identified as an Indiana General F1152-1-6

 The Dc to Dc is running at 22Khz and maybe 20 Watts.

 Can't find any info that would allow me to decide on a proper substitute.

 Anybody out there have any data on this?

 Thanks.

 Corby

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Re: [time-nuts] Starting point for a WWVB project?

[George Dubovsky]

The Ultralink is spoken for. Thanks...

73,

geo - n4ua


On Tue, Jul 22, 2014 at 1:10 PM, George Dubovsky n4ua...@gmail.com wrote:

 While looking for something else in the basement, I found this Ultralink
 301/333 WWVB receiver:


 https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/116677848251094111716/albums/6038922880078010001

 I think I picked it up because the case looked useful, but I haven't
 molested it. It does not seem to work and I can find limited documentation
 on it. The remote pod labeled 301 seems to be the entire receiver. It
 contains the ferrite-loaded antenna and a Temic U4226 receiver chip. The
 other box seems to be supporting and interface circuitry. I make no claims
 for the unit other than it's cute.

 I have no use for it. If someone wants a pig in a poke, $36 will get it
 Priority Mailed to you (domestic US only). Thanks.

 73,

 geo - n4ua

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[time-nuts] Starting point for a WWVB project?

[George Dubovsky]

While looking for something else in the basement, I found this Ultralink
301/333 WWVB receiver:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/116677848251094111716/albums/6038922880078010001

I think I picked it up because the case looked useful, but I haven't
molested it. It does not seem to work and I can find limited documentation
on it. The remote pod labeled 301 seems to be the entire receiver. It
contains the ferrite-loaded antenna and a Temic U4226 receiver chip. The
other box seems to be supporting and interface circuitry. I make no claims
for the unit other than it's cute.

I have no use for it. If someone wants a pig in a poke, $36 will get it
Priority Mailed to you (domestic US only). Thanks.

73,

geo - n4ua
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Re: [time-nuts] Using GPS to Fine Tune a Rubidium Frequency Standard.

[George Dubovsky]

I do not subscribe to QEX, but I know that all of the ARRL periodicals for
2013 (QST, NCJ and QEX) are on one CD and it is available now from ARRL and
its distributors. HTH...

73,

geo - n4ua


On Fri, Mar 21, 2014 at 9:20 AM, Anders Time anderst...@gmail.com wrote:

 Does anyone have a copy of the QEX 2013 november article(Bill Kaune) Using
 GPS to Fine Tune a Rubidium Frequency Standard?

 I´m really interested in this subject, but I can´t find this magazine in
 Sweden. I have contacted QEX, but it is very difficult to buy back-issues.

 Have any one built this frequency standard and can tell me more about the
 project?
 You can access the source code for the project here:

 http://www.arrl.org/files/file/QEX%20Binaries/2013/November_13/11x13_Kaune_PIC_Code.zip

 /Anders
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Re: [time-nuts] A day gone awry...

[George Dubovsky]

Ed,

I can't remember where I ran across it, but a fellow preached a principle
he called The Conservation of Bustedness. He posited that you can't have
everything working all at once: if you fix the counter, the generator
breaks; if you fix the generator, the dishwasher goes on the fritz; fix the
dishwasher, and the car won't start - you get the picture... ;-)

73,

geo - n4ua


On Mon, Sep 9, 2013 at 4:41 PM, Ed Palmer ed_pal...@sasktel.net wrote:

 It could have been from grinding my teeth in frustration at buying a dead
 unit! :)

 My money's on the 'bad luck comes in threes' legend.  I had good luck
 fixing the DTS-2077 so I had to pay for it with 3 bad things.  How's that
 for unscientific thinking?  :)

 Ed

 On 9/9/2013 11:27 AM, paul swed wrote:

 OK I don't get it. When I search for a 2077 I get some online game. Now it
 makes sense that thats a time sink but generally nothing that will break a
 tooth.
 Regards
 Paul
 WB8TSL


 On Mon, Sep 9, 2013 at 12:48 PM, Ed Palmer ed_pal...@sasktel.net wrote:

  At least I didn't drop it on my foot! :)

 Ed



 On 9/9/2013 10:10 AM, Burt I. Weiner wrote:

  Wow!  Sorry to hear that you tripped over your 2077.

 Burt, K6OQK

 At 09:00 AM 9/9/2013, time-nuts-requ...@febo.com wrote

  By the way, it turns out that I paid dearly for my good luck with the
 repair of my 2077.  In the two weeks following that, I got a pinched
 nerve in my back that's still giving me trouble, I broke a big chunk
 off
 a tooth and am now scheduled for a crown at a cost of about $1000, and
 my big-screen TV died! :(

 Ed


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Re: [time-nuts] More pictures of the mystery Collins Ru

[George Dubovsky]

Well, the outside label does claim it was made by GENRAD... ;-)

73,

geo - n4ua


On Sat, Jul 27, 2013 at 9:24 PM, Pete Lancashire p...@petelancashire.comwrote:


 https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/111617808980322733757/albums/5890266601277045697

 The board with the edge connector was inside the same bag the
 connector was in, the bag was taped to the unit.

 I pulled the ends off first, but was immediately stopped with foam, it is
 glued in place.
 Then when I finally got the lid with all the screws off, all there is, is
 one board covered in potting compound.

 The compound breaks away pretty easily. One can see where a couple parts
 were
 replaced and there soft RTV was used. There are two precision resistors in
 that area.

 The biggest surprise is the General Radio logo on the board !

 goo.gl/1XGG2F
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Re: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt antenna

[George Dubovsky]

 It seems, just go with quad shield RG-6 and be done with it.  I even have
 part of a spool of that laying around.  Maybe more of an issue is how do
 you properly connect a TNC to that stuff (the antenna has a TNC).

 Peter


Here is one solution:


http://www.showmecables.com/Category/F-Connectors-Adapters.aspx?q=pg=1ps=25fq={attr_display2_sm:TNC%20to%20F}fq={attr_display2_sm:F%20to%20TNC}http://www.showmecables.com/Category/F-Connectors-Adapters.aspx?q=pg=1ps=25fq=%7Battr_display2_sm:TNC%20to%20F%7Dfq=%7Battr_display2_sm:F%20to%20TNC%7D


73,

geo - n4ua





 On 3/10/2013 11:01 AM, Volker Esper wrote:


 Hi Peter,

 Why not. The antenna is optimized for that purpose (receiving GPS L1),
 omnidirectional and tuned to the GPS frequency, snow skids down, birds
 can't land on it. As N0UU affirms, there's nothing further sensational
 inside.

 I don't know, how proficient you are with radio frequency stuff, but a
 gain of 35dB does not guarantee a good reception. You primarily need gain
 to compensate (cable) losses. The noise figure (NF), for example, can get
 much more important.

 What antenna do you use at the time? If you are using a magnetic car roof
 antenna a Trimble Bullet surely will be a better choice...

 There are lots of GPS antennas on ebay for even less than 30 Dollars. I
 run four different antennas, which I purchased from ebay and none of them
 has failed so far.

 Volker






 Am 10.03.2013 06:07, schrieb Peter Gottlieb:

 I'd like to get a better antenna for my Thunderbolt.

 I see Trimble bullet antennas type 57860-00 on ebay for $30 or so, specs
 look to be 5 volt 35 dB gain.

 Would something like this be a good choice?

 Peter



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Re: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt oven / non-stable operating temperature

[George Dubovsky]

Sarah,

The reported temperature is not the oven temp, but rather the temp of the
circuit board just behind the DB-9 serial connector. As far as I know, the
actual oven temp is not available outside the OCXO.

Regards,

geo

On Mon, Dec 10, 2012 at 5:15 PM, Sarah White kuze...@gmail.com wrote:

 Ended up with a gently used trimble thunderbolt a few months ago, and
 been trying to figure out the best settings to use (time constant,
 damping, etc.) for best performance.

 I got distracted though. There is something which I find rather
 annoying, and I'm spending more time messing with this factor than
 actually observing the performance at different damping / time constant
 / etc...

 The temperature seems to be aprox 20C above ambient temperature rather
 than a steady 40C. I thought the purpose of the oven was to keep the
 temperature stable. When I adjust the thermostat because I'm chilly, the
 thunderbolt gets warmer too (but not by as much)

 I've tried (seemingly, to me) everything:

 light insulation

 putting the unit in a spot away from drafts

 putting the unit in a place away from drafts in a shoebox with light
 insulation with a fan blowing in it (currently in a cupboard in this
 state, and the temp seems to fluctuate the least, but still by more than
 1-2 degrees centigrade)

 I feel like shouldn't need to fuss with ambient conditions this heavily
 for an OCXO, and find myself researching construction / design for a DIY
 outer-oven to wrap the thunderbolt in.

 Anyone have experience with non-stable temperature on a trimble
 thunderbolt?

 I've also noticed (monitoring with Lady Heather's Disciplined Oscillator
 Control Program v3.10 by John Miles aka KE5FX) the thunderbolt unit
 sometimes flags an alarm briefly (and I rarely ever manage to write it
 down before the screen updates or the alarm goes away) and the last one
 I was able to catch before it went away was related to temperature.

 Should I be getting a steady / non-flucturating 40C or something if the
 oven is working normally?

 Thanks in advance,
 Sarah


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Re: [time-nuts] Surge Arresters

[George Dubovsky]

I have a box-full of GPS protectors that were built by a company called
ZapTech. They are just coaxial gas tubes that seem to have a strike voltage
around 60-90 volts. We replaced them with (MUCH) more expensive PolyPhaser
units. I use the ZapTechs on all of my long (600-800 ft) low-freq receiving
wire antennas, and they seem to be doing the job but, as with all surge
suppression schemes, you can never really be sure.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Mon, Nov 26, 2012 at 11:42 AM, Chuck Harris cfhar...@erols.com wrote:

 There really isn't anything that will protect your
 receiver if the antenna takes a strike.  But, if
 you pass the coax into your house using a well
 grounded bulkhead connector, you can protect your
 house.

 I got one GPS antenna that had an EMP protector
 attached to it (came from NSA)... since the EMP
 protector was right at the base of the antenna,
 I suspect they were trying to protect the antenna
 from induced coax currents from nearby lightning
 strikes. The antenna was dead, of course.

 -Chuck Harris

 Peter G. Viscarola wrote:

 Hi TimeNuts,

 What are people using for surge arresters between your GPS receiver and
 the
 antenna, at the entrance to your house?

 I've got an entrance panel set up for HF, with copper ribbon to two
 ground rods.
 I'd like to add a connection for my GPSDO.

 I know the frequency is about 1.6GHz, and the active antennas use 5V or
 less... is
 that correct?  What are the parameters I should consider when selecting an
 arrester?

 An associated question, also, if I may:  Does it matter if I use
 different types
 of cable between the antenna and the entrance panel and then entrance
 panel and
 the GPS receiver?

 Thanks for your guidance,

 Peter K1PGV

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Re: [time-nuts] Adjusting HP 5065A frequency

[George Dubovsky]

On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 1:00 PM, Tom Van Baak t...@leapsecond.com wrote:

 There's a history to many of the GPSDO products you hear us talk about.

 I believe the original TBolt (fancy red case) did have an OCXO but it
 wasn't particularly high quality. Perhaps Bob can shed light on this.

 99% of TBolt's found on the surplus market today, and all the ones in the
 TAPR deal, have a surprisingly good OCXO's. These were customer specials as
 best we can determine, and never described on Trimble's web page. They are
 in the plain brushed golden color aluminum case.

 The T'bolts in the gold, brushed aluminum case were provided to Grayson
Electronics, at the time a part of the Allen Group (later Andrew and
Commscope) for use in a receiver for an E911 locator system. The Trimble
p/n was 41562-30 and, as far as I know, the only significant changes are
the value of one Zener to allow the -12 V line to run at -7 V w/o asserting
a fault and the change of the power connector to the back side of the
board. Only the board is from Trimble; the sheetmetal and the attached 3dB
coupler were provided by the OEM. Otherwise, I believe it to be the same
unit that was in the red and silver Trimble case being sold at the same
time (the one with the integrated dc-dc converters).

73,

geo - n4ua
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Re: [time-nuts] T-Bolt oven / LH question

[George Dubovsky]

You're probably OK. The T'bolt doesn't report oven temp, but rather the
temp near the edge of the pwb some distance from the oscillator. Think of
it as the environmental temp inside the package. If you ever look inside,
look for an 8 pin Dallas Semi IC that is labeled DS1620; it's right behind
the DB-9 connector - that's where the temp is measured.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Fri, Oct 12, 2012 at 11:28 AM, Don Oconnor eg...@wowway.com wrote:

 Hello all,

 I recently purchased a ThunderBolt on eBay. I believe the T-Bolt's
 oscillator oven is not operating correctly. But, having never used a T-Bolt
 or Lady Heather software I'm not sure.

 Why I believe there is a problem:

 1.The T-Bolt's external case is barely warm (my guess about 100F)

 2.The positive 12 volt power supply current remains steady at about
 155mA

 3.The temperatures displayed on LH software.
  Near the top left of the screen in white 22.29C
 Underneath in red -16.3C
  At bottom of screen above graph 16.2C


 Question, is this normal? Do I need to enable the oven or change a
 temperature setting?
 Thanks in advance.


 Don O'Connor
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[time-nuts] GPS antennas FS

[George Dubovsky]

Someone just posted some GPS base-station antennas for sale on qth.com. I
don't recognize the antenna (probably a patch antenna in a radome) and I
don't know the seller, but the price looks right for an outdoor unit.

http://swap.qth.com/view_ad.php?counter=1021176

73,

geo - n4ua
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Re: [time-nuts] Up And Running

[George Dubovsky]

I have lots of little switch boxes, matching networks, amplifiers, etc,
mounted outside, usually in gasketed boxes from Bud and Hammond. I put a
0.050 hole in the bottom of all of them. It has proven to be large enough
to stay clear of debris and small enough to keep little critters out. I
even have some mounted on wooden posts less than a foot above the ground
(in Virginia) and, to my surprise, ants have not been an issue.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 1:06 PM, George Race geo...@mrrace.com wrote:

 Hi Greg, appreciate your concern and comments.

 I did put a dab of jell super glue on each of the screw heads, after they
 were tightened down,  I then wiped them clean.  Maybe a bit of RTV would be
 appropriate as well.

 I did not put any weep holes in the cover, which is now the bottom of the
 assembly.  It would be quite easy to drill up through the whole assembly,
 into the container, through the center of the push button which is about 2
 inches in diameter.  A piece of fine mesh screen inside and out would keep
 away the hornets and other intruders.

 All good suggestion!  Looks like at least one more trip on to the roof!

 Thanks,
 George

 -Original Message-
 From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On
 Behalf Of Gregory Muir
 Sent: Friday, September 28, 2012 11:58 AM
 To: time-nuts@febo.com
 Subject: [time-nuts] Up And Running

 Hi George,

 Your setup looks like a good approach to what you need for your
 requirements.

 I was looking at the weatherproof enclosure for your antenna.  If I am
 correct, you have a total seal with regards to that container.  The
 fasteners that pass through the enclosure on the top, are they utilizing
 any
 method of seal around themselves?  I would be a little worried about the
 sealed container breathing with temperature changes and drawing moisture
 in around the fastener if they aren't sealed in any fashion.

 Normally outdoor enclosures and antenna radomes contain some sort of small
 weep hole to drain any moisture that may enter the enclosure or vent to
 equalize pressure changes with temperature.  With the design of that
 container, a weep hole may not be practical given the deeper seal
 arrangement but a small pressure relief vent may help.  And if you continue
 to utilize this design, a dab of RTV over each screw head would also help
 immensely.

 Greg




 On Fri, 28 Sep 2012 10:53:25 -0400, George Race geo...@mrrace.com
 wrote:

 Hello to all the Time-Nuts:

  I Have been acquiring parts for a few weeks and finally have a
 Thunderbolt-Trimble system up and running.

 Though I would share a few pictures of what I did and how it looks now that
 it is all together and working.

 remainder snipped

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[time-nuts] Washington DC-area time-nuts

[George Dubovsky]

There is a hamfest in northern Virginia this Sunday:

http://manassashamfest.org/

While it's mostly ham radio junque, because it's in the Washington metro
area, some hi-tech surplus and microwave stuff does show up. I will be
there with a handful of Trimble Thunderbolts and antennas, a nearly-new
Symmetricom GPSDO rubidium, and probably a few ublox 5 modules.

73,

geo - n4ua
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Re: [time-nuts] wwvb weak on east coast especially when the pre-amps under water.

[George Dubovsky]

All,

W.L.Gore and Associates makes a whole line of these things, but I'm not
sure where you go to buy just one.

http://www.gore.com/en_xx/products/venting/protective/index.html?xcmp=ijdgpvmktgurl

73,

geo - n4ua



On Tue, May 15, 2012 at 2:59 AM, Attila Kinali att...@kinali.ch wrote:

 On Mon, 14 May 2012 18:01:01 -0400
 Joseph M Gwinn gw...@raytheon.com wrote:

  Modern outdoor enclosures use a filter of some kind, but the underlying
  principle is the same.

 I don't know what other types are around, but we use vents with
 a gore-tex foil over them. Keeps water out but lets the case breath.
 This prevents any pressure build up, which would then start to suck
 watter in from the seal.

 Unfortunately, i'm currently unable to find the maker or the type of
 the vent... If anyone is interested in those, i'll can ask around.

Attila Kinali

 --
 The trouble with you, Shev, is you don't say anything until you've saved
 up a whole truckload of damned heavy brick arguments and then you dump
 them all out and never look at the bleeding body mangled beneath the heap
-- Tirin, The Dispossessed, U. Le Guin

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Re: [time-nuts] Trimble T'Bolt

[George Dubovsky]

It's the original Thunderbolt. It's the same as the gold-cased OEM units
available on the bay, but it includes an internal dc-dc converter that
provides the 3 voltages for the gps board.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Fri, Mar 23, 2012 at 9:33 AM, Stan, W1LE stanw...@verizon.net wrote:

 Hello The Net,

 On Ebay: 120880795618


 Is this a very old T'Bolt or the newer e T'Bolt  ?

 I like the single power supply even though it is 24VDC

 Stan, W1LECape Cod

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Re: [time-nuts] Trimble T'Bolt

[George Dubovsky]

Yes, you can, but you need to transplant the in-line power header in the
old board to the new board and mount it on the back side of the pwb.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Fri, Mar 23, 2012 at 9:46 AM, J. L. Trantham jlt...@att.net wrote:

 Probably older.  Date Code is 9932.

 However, I wonder if you could 'transplant' a newer TBolt into the case and
 use the built in 24 VDC power supply?

 Joe

 -Original Message-
 From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On
 Behalf Of Stan, W1LE
 Sent: Friday, March 23, 2012 8:34 AM
 To: 'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement'
 Subject: [time-nuts] Trimble T'Bolt


 Hello The Net,

 On Ebay: 120880795618


 Is this a very old T'Bolt or the newer e T'Bolt  ?

 I like the single power supply even though it is 24VDC

 Stan, W1LECape Cod

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Re: [time-nuts] 5680A update

[George Dubovsky]

Bert,

Since you have been running your unit for a long time, what temperature are
you holding your 5680 to? I suppose more to the point, I attached my unit
to a 1/2 think aluminum plate slightly larger than the 5680 footprint, and
that in turn is attached to a painted surface of a cabinet (no effort to
achieve max temp transfer there). The top (hidden mounting screw) of my
unit stabilizes at 140 F. It locks up just fine, but sometimes, after
several hours, it will unlock and fail to re-lock. I was wondering if I
need to drop the temperature.

geo

On Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 11:13 AM, ewkeh...@aol.com wrote:

 After eight weeks of monitoring to 1 E-12, I still se no aging. Waiting for
  a change so I can do other tests. One thing I clearly se is a 4 Hz filter
 response changing the output by +- 3 E-11. It may be more, will have to
 find a  way to check it more accurately, because of limited response time.
 I
 for one  will fix that problem with a Morion MV 89 and a 100 Hz analog
 filter.
 New  Morion's are available for less than $ 30 the ones I bought seem new.
 That's  also where I got my 5680A
 Have no contact with the seller.
 Bert Kehren
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Re: [time-nuts] 5680A update

[George Dubovsky]

OK, I remember the fan controller discussion; don't know why I didn't find
it just now when I was searching this topic. Thank you very much, Bert.

geo

On Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 11:38 AM, ewkeh...@aol.com wrote:

 I am using a fan that holds it within .1 C Its been month since I measured
 it but I did report it here and I think it is 42.7C.
 Bert Kehren


 In a message dated 1/17/2012 11:30:07 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
 n4ua...@gmail.com writes:

 Bert,

 Since you have been running your unit for a long time,  what temperature
 are
 you holding your 5680 to? I suppose more to the point,  I attached my unit
 to a 1/2 think aluminum plate slightly larger than the  5680 footprint,
 and
 that in turn is attached to a painted surface of a  cabinet (no effort to
 achieve max temp transfer there). The top (hidden  mounting screw) of my
 unit stabilizes at 140 F. It locks up just fine, but  sometimes, after
 several hours, it will unlock and fail to re-lock. I was  wondering if I
 need to drop the temperature.

 geo

 On Tue, Jan  17, 2012 at 11:13 AM, ewkeh...@aol.com wrote:

  After eight  weeks of monitoring to 1 E-12, I still se no aging. Waiting
 for
a change so I can do other tests. One thing I clearly se is a 4 Hz
 filter
  response changing the output by +- 3 E-11. It may be more, will  have to
  find a  way to check it more accurately, because of  limited response
 time.
  I
  for one  will fix that problem  with a Morion MV 89 and a 100 Hz analog
  filter.
  New   Morion's are available for less than $ 30 the ones I bought seem
 new.
   That's  also where I got my 5680A
  Have no contact with the  seller.
  Bert Kehren
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Re: [time-nuts] Thermal insulation choice?

[George Dubovsky]

There is a closed-cell foam,  aluminum foil clad on one or both sides that
is used as HVAC ductwork - they score it with a knife, and fold it to size
- that should withstand the temperatures you are contemplating, for a long
time. I have seen some approximately 1/2 to 5/8 inch, and the quantities
you need should be available free from your local HVAC shop.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Fri, Jan 6, 2012 at 2:39 PM, John Ackermann N8UR j...@febo.com wrote:

 I am looking for a readily available (from Home Depot or other local
 source) insulating material to use in a chassis that's housing a sensitive
 OCXO.  My goal is just to slow down any external thermal transients so the
 oven loop has time to react gracefully.

 I'm thinking of something in sheet form that I could glue to the inside
 bottom and side of the metal chassis.  The trimmed sheet sizes will each
 probably end up being around 4 x 8 inches.  I have enough clearance for a
 thickness of a half inch or so.  I'd like to avoid a bat material as that
 would be hard to mount neatly.

 Long lifetime (ie, not getting all crumbly after a few years) is important
 as I don't expect this oscillator to get cold until I do.

 Any suggestions of a material to look for?

 Thanks,

 John

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Re: [time-nuts] metric / English

[George Dubovsky]

Not that hard, actually. My 1984-vintage lathe has an inch lead screw, but
the quick-change box that drives the leadscrew will do all of the inch and
most metric threads directly. The few weird metric pitches are
accommodated by changing two gears on the input side of the QC box. I
suppose that at some very small level, there is some error in the metric
threads produced (and I've never bothered to calculate it for my lathe) but
it's a VERY small error that has never been an issue for me.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Fri, Dec 16, 2011 at 11:48 AM, Brooke Clarke bro...@pacific.net wrote:

 Hi Don:

 Sure converting lengths is easy and I have metric, English and weird taps
 and dies, but how do you turn metric threads?

 Have Fun,

 Brooke Clarke
 http://www.PRC68.com
 http://www.**end2partygovernment.com/**Brooke4Congress.htmlhttp://www.end2partygovernment.com/Brooke4Congress.html


 Don Couch wrote:

 The idea that conversion to metric would require replacing all of the
 machine tools (lathes, mills, etc) is a myth. Any U.S. machine shop has
 walls and toolboxes covered in conversion charts, converting drill, screw,
 wire, sheet sizes from one crazy measurement to another. One single
 additonal conversion chart, inch to metric, and you can keep using your
 inch machines on metric projects.

 My mill has inch lead screws. I added a low cost digital readout with a
 little button to show inch or millimeter movements, and now I do everything
 in metric. No problem.

 Don Couch

 --- On Thu, 12/15/11, Dan 
 Kemppainendan@irtelemetrics.**comd...@irtelemetrics.com
  wrote:

  From: Dan Kemppainendan@irtelemetrics.**com d...@irtelemetrics.com
 Subject: Re: [time-nuts] time-nuts Digest, Vol 89, Issue 51
 To: time-nuts@febo.com
 Date: Thursday, December 15, 2011, 10:29 AM

 On 12/14/2011 3:59 PM, time-nuts-requ...@febo.com
 wrote:

 It's not like metric is totally absent.  We drink

 2 liter cokes and defend

 ourselves with 9mm pistols.   Our cars

 use mostly metric parts.  Even ham

 radio operators, arguably the most jingoistic and set

 in the past bunch

 around, get on the 80, 40, and 20 METER bands.

 I agree with you, and funnily enough the rest of the NATO
 world uses 7.62mm and 5.56mm rifles. (Both were originally
 based on standard inch sized rifle cartridges designed in
 the US)

 The problem in converting to metric would require replacing
 a lot of tools. For example Mills, lathes, and other
 machining tools and measurement devices are expensive, and
 last for decades. I doubt many of the small tool shops
 around here could afford it.It's a great idea to standardize
 in theory, but in practice it becomes difficult. Maybe the
 whole world should standardize our language. We could all
 switch to Spanish or Latin or Chinese to speak with so we
 could all talk with each other. That would probably be more
 helpful to me on a daily basis, than having to switch
 measurement systems.

 While we're on the subject, let me throw time back into the
 mix. We use months and days for scheduling projects.
 Meanwhile some of our counterparts use calendar weeks. This
 is much more difficult to convert between than inch and mm.
 When is CW 36???

 There I threw some wood on the fire too!

 Dan

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Re: [time-nuts] Noob question on measuring Allan Deviation on 10 MHz source

[George Dubovsky]

John,

I believe the scaling factor was the key. Thanks.

I have v 1.58 of Stable32 and the scaling function now has its own button
and is not in the Open dialog. I'm sure I'm nowhere near out of the woods
yet, so I'm gonna keep your e-mail addy on speed dial ;-)


geo

On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 4:19 PM, John Ackermann N8UR j...@febo.com wrote:

 Hi George --

 You can feed frequency data into Stable32, but the documentation doesn't
 clearly explain that you need to scale the readings into fractional
 frequency using the scaling function in the File/Open dialog.  To get
 fractional frequency, you divide the results by the nominal frequency,
 except that the scaling model in the Stable32 input box allows
 multiplication only.

 So, for a nominal 10 MHz (or 1e7 Hz) source where the data is in Hz format
 (10,000,000.xxx Hz), you would multiply by 1e-7.

 But if your counter outputs in MHz format, (10.xxx MHz), that's already
 effectively scaled by 1e-6.  So you end up using 1e-1 as the multiplier.

 I have lost much hair trying to keep this straight; as wonderful as
 Stable32 is, the documentation is aimed at people who already know what
 they are doing. :-)

 73,

 John
 


 On 12/14/2011 3:29 PM, George Dubovsky wrote:

 List;

 OK, I need to measure the stability of a 10 MHz sine-wave source. After
 reading a lot of background info on this list and some of the sources that
 were referenced, I thought I could get away with a frequency measurement.
 I
 now think I was wrong.

 What I have is an Agilent 53230A counter (a pretty capable box - claims 20
 ps one-shot resolution in TI mode), a Trimble Thunderbolt, the 10 MHz
 oscillator to be measured,  and a copy of Stable32. My first effort
 involved feeding the Trimble 10 MHz into the counter as its Ext Reference.
 I then fed the Trimble 1pps into the Ext Trigger input of the counter and
 fed the sinewave 10 MHz signal to be measured into Ch 1 of the counter. I
 then captured the frequency reading of the counter every second and
 stuffed
 those numbers into a file. I collected about 20 hours of frequency
 readings, but when I imported that into Stable32 and attempted to do an
 Allan Dev plot, it didn't look very good - specifically, the sigma numbers
 were in the region of 10e-2 to 10e-4.

 So, I grabbed another Thunderbolt and attempted to do the same measurement
 on it, figuring that everyone (but me) has taken data on a T'bolt, so I
 could just look on tvb's site or some such to find proper data on a Tbolt.
 Again, the plot didn't look like it should.

 Am I going to have to go to time interval measurements to do what I want?
 And does this mean I will have to square up my 10 MHz signal to have real
 edges?

 geo
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[time-nuts] Noob question on measuring Allan Deviation on 10 MHz source

[George Dubovsky]

List;

OK, I need to measure the stability of a 10 MHz sine-wave source. After
reading a lot of background info on this list and some of the sources that
were referenced, I thought I could get away with a frequency measurement. I
now think I was wrong.

What I have is an Agilent 53230A counter (a pretty capable box - claims 20
ps one-shot resolution in TI mode), a Trimble Thunderbolt, the 10 MHz
oscillator to be measured,  and a copy of Stable32. My first effort
involved feeding the Trimble 10 MHz into the counter as its Ext Reference.
I then fed the Trimble 1pps into the Ext Trigger input of the counter and
fed the sinewave 10 MHz signal to be measured into Ch 1 of the counter. I
then captured the frequency reading of the counter every second and stuffed
those numbers into a file. I collected about 20 hours of frequency
readings, but when I imported that into Stable32 and attempted to do an
Allan Dev plot, it didn't look very good - specifically, the sigma numbers
were in the region of 10e-2 to 10e-4.

So, I grabbed another Thunderbolt and attempted to do the same measurement
on it, figuring that everyone (but me) has taken data on a T'bolt, so I
could just look on tvb's site or some such to find proper data on a Tbolt.
Again, the plot didn't look like it should.

Am I going to have to go to time interval measurements to do what I want?
And does this mean I will have to square up my 10 MHz signal to have real
edges?

geo
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Re: [time-nuts] Active LORAN antenna

[George Dubovsky]

Ulrich,

I have the SRS active antenna schematic FS700-14, Revision B, and it is
identical to Stan's schematic except that my R3 is 1k and his is 100k. Don't
know which is the newer schematic.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Fri, Aug 26, 2011 at 9:02 AM, Stan, W1LE stanw...@verizon.net wrote:

 Hello UL,

 My SRS active antenna is internally potted in resin, so tracing the circuit
 is difficult.

 I was able to chip away the PVC white housing and some of the black potting
 material to get at the antenna input terminal. Then I repackaged it with a
 new CB antenna.
 Living on Cape Cod, quite near to the former Nantucket Loran station, I can
 only rarely receive
 some of the European stations.

 The schematic in the manual shows a switch or a jumper for the gain
 reduction.
 So, the schematic is probably an old version, and all bets are off as to
 what
 the production models, we have, consist of.

 I did buy the manual form SRS and the active antenna schematic shows a
 2N5951,
 not the 2N5991 you mention. My schematic is a rev B, Document Number
 FS700-14
 This document in not dated.

 The frequency selective L-C filter network is different, see attachment.

 If the attachment does not get thru, please send your direct e-mail
 address.


 Stan, W1LE Cape CodFN41sr





 On 8/26/2011 6:00 AM, Ulrich Bangert wrote:

 Gentlemen,

 my friend Frank and I both miss the matching actice antenna for our
 Standford Research FS700 Loran frequency standards. We also do not have a
 schematic of it. Nevertheless we have tried to re-engineer the circut from
 the part's list and the circuit description in the FS700 manual. Our
 result
 is shown in the accompanying schematic.pdf.

 The generator in the left in conjunction with the 10 k resistor represents
 the expected high footpoint impedance of the very short (3 m) antenna. The
 VDD in the right in conjunction with the 100 ohms resistor represents what
 it believed to be inside the FS700.

 Not shown here is a 100 k resistor that may be included between the filter
 output and the 7 k resistor to form a 30 dB divider together with it. Also
 not shown is a 390 micro henry inductance which's impact is not to be
 found
 in the circuit descripion. Also not shown is a small neon bulb for
 overvoltage protection.

 The ac analysis shows that the overall filter function is well around 100
 kHz. But it seems as if the fet (a 2N5991 in the original) would not have
 enough gain to counteract the overall damping included in the front end
 let
 alone to deliver some additional gain for the receiver's front end.

 We both feed the receiver currently with dipoles for 80 m ham radio and a
 resistor that makes the receiver think the active antenna is connected.
 The
 receiver has a possible total of 130 dB gain and my receiver says it uses
 94
 dB gain while Franks receiver says it uses 102 dB gain. The noise margin
 is
 also a bit better on my location. However, if one looks at the manual f.e.
 at page 17 one could get the impression as if a receiver gain of 75 dB may
 be considered much more normal as our values. Instead of improving the
 reception everything gets even worse if the active antenna is connected. I
 should also note that my qth is only 200 km away from SYLT (our German
 Loran
 station) while Frank is even 70 km nearer to it.

 Questions:

 1) Anyone an idea what we are possibly doing wrong?

 2) Anyone an idea for the 390 micro henry inductor?

 3) Anyone own the original schematic?

 TIA for your help

 Ulrich Bangert
 www.ulrich-bangert.de
 Ortholzer Weg 1
 27243 Gross Ippener


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Re: [time-nuts] Active LORAN antenna

[George Dubovsky]

I have the schematic of the active antenna, but I will not be able to get to
it until Monday.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Fri, Aug 26, 2011 at 6:00 AM, Ulrich Bangert df...@ulrich-bangert.dewrote:

 Gentlemen,

 my friend Frank and I both miss the matching actice antenna for our
 Standford Research FS700 Loran frequency standards. We also do not have a
 schematic of it. Nevertheless we have tried to re-engineer the circut from
 the part's list and the circuit description in the FS700 manual. Our result
 is shown in the accompanying schematic.pdf.

 The generator in the left in conjunction with the 10 k resistor represents
 the expected high footpoint impedance of the very short (3 m) antenna. The
 VDD in the right in conjunction with the 100 ohms resistor represents what
 it believed to be inside the FS700.

 Not shown here is a 100 k resistor that may be included between the filter
 output and the 7 k resistor to form a 30 dB divider together with it. Also
 not shown is a 390 micro henry inductance which's impact is not to be found
 in the circuit descripion. Also not shown is a small neon bulb for
 overvoltage protection.

 The ac analysis shows that the overall filter function is well around 100
 kHz. But it seems as if the fet (a 2N5991 in the original) would not have
 enough gain to counteract the overall damping included in the front end let
 alone to deliver some additional gain for the receiver's front end.

 We both feed the receiver currently with dipoles for 80 m ham radio and a
 resistor that makes the receiver think the active antenna is connected. The
 receiver has a possible total of 130 dB gain and my receiver says it uses
 94
 dB gain while Franks receiver says it uses 102 dB gain. The noise margin is
 also a bit better on my location. However, if one looks at the manual f.e.
 at page 17 one could get the impression as if a receiver gain of 75 dB may
 be considered much more normal as our values. Instead of improving the
 reception everything gets even worse if the active antenna is connected. I
 should also note that my qth is only 200 km away from SYLT (our German
 Loran
 station) while Frank is even 70 km nearer to it.

 Questions:

 1) Anyone an idea what we are possibly doing wrong?

 2) Anyone an idea for the 390 micro henry inductor?

 3) Anyone own the original schematic?

 TIA for your help

 Ulrich Bangert
 www.ulrich-bangert.de
 Ortholzer Weg 1
 27243 Gross Ippener

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Re: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt hardware revisions

[George Dubovsky]

All,

The Label you are referring to is applied by the equipment mfgr, and has
only a loose correlation to the vintage of the Trimble unit inside the case.
The label has a bar code, a mfg serial number, the date the production bar
code was issued, the Andrew/Grayson assembly part number (A002206.G1), and
the revision letter of that assembly. Although I've never looked it up, I
think Rev E changed the 3 dB splitter to a different model. If your case
either has a small splitter attached, or 4 holes in the top cover where the
scrapmonger ripped it off, it is probably a Rev E. That says nothing
absolute about the vintage of the Thunderbolt inside.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 12:54 AM, Ziggy zig...@pumpkinbrook.com wrote:

 Well, if it's any help, on my rev E unit with the 'coarse' temperature
 chip, there is a sticker on the top (near the power connector) with a bar
 code, a date (3/14/05) and the Rev E designation. There's also a series of
 numbers that could be a serial number and some other kind of rev designator
 but their significance is not clear.

 My Rev D unit with the 'fine' temperature chip has a similar sticker dated
 12/16/03.

 Paul - K9MR


 On Aug 10, 2011, at 5:55 PM, Richard W. Solomon wrote:

 OK, now, how old is old enough ?? Where is the units date code located ?
 Hopefully, the seller knows (or even cares) where to find it.

 73, Dick, W1KSZ


 -Original Message-
  From: Bob Camp li...@rtty.us
  Sent: Aug 10, 2011 9:59 AM
  To: 'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement' 
 time-nuts@febo.com
  Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt hardware revisions
 
  Hi
 
  The real question is what's the date code on the unit? If the rev E part
 is
  old enough to have the good thermometer chip in it - that's the one to
 get.
 
  Bob
 
  -Original Message-
  From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On
  Behalf Of David Garnier
  Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2011 10:19 PM
  To: time-nuts@febo.com
  Subject: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt hardware revisions
 
  Hi,
 
  I'm brand new to the time-nut odessy thing so please bear with me. ;-)
 
  I'm in the market to buy a used Thunderbolt, I have found a vendor that's
  selling used Thunderbolt receivers and states one can have the choice of
  PCB
  revisions A, B or E.
 
  Does anyone have any specific info or determined the product history of
  these guys?
  Any information would be greatly appreciated.
 
  Thanks,
 
  Dave Garnier - wb9own
 
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Re: [time-nuts] LightSquared vs old GPS gear: Antennas?

[George Dubovsky]

I have recently done some side-by-side testing of a new PCTel antenna vs an
older Trimble bullet antenna to see if there was any degradation of GPS
operation. The PCTel had 26 dB gain and a sharp bandpass filter incorporated
that was 60 dB down at the the lower edge of the GPS band (upper edge of
lightsquared), but the Trimble bandpass rolled off more gradually. Both
operated fine in GPS service, but the PCTel would be more likely to survive
LS QRM in timing apps. Unfortunately, the price is the same as just about
any new GPS basestation antenna, which places it at the upper end of the
budget for all but the dedicated hobbiest.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Fri, Jun 10, 2011 at 9:15 PM, Hal Murray hmur...@megapathdsl.net wrote:


 Is it possible/interesting to design an antenna that has a low-angle cutoff
 at 20 or 30 degrees?  That probably won't eliminate many satellites that
 are
 useful for timing receivers.

 I'm interested in things like a Z3801A or a ThunderBolt.  I'm assuming it
 is
 not reasonable to replace the GPS unit.  Replacing the antenna might be
 reasonable, assuming it's cost is low enough.

 That only helps in a donut shape area around the LightSquared antennas.
 Farther away it's not necessary.  Too close and either the antenna would be
 too high or the power would burn through the antenna anyway.

 I live in flat ground.  I'm not sure where the nearest cell phone tower is.
 I don't know of any on the nearby hills to the west.  To the east, they are
 either low or far away.  (Maybe I just haven't noticed them yet.)

 Another option would be a setup to null out an signal at a specific compass
 angle.

 I realize this won't help the zillions of currently installed GPS
 navigation
 units.  They are mostly consumer gear with relatively short expected
 lifetimes so the FCC might do something like say 5 years from now...
 which
 would be nasty for people like us using ancient gear.



 --
 These are my opinions, not necessarily my employer's.  I hate spam.




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Re: [time-nuts] 60 KHz Receiver

[George Dubovsky]

Speaking of LORAN receivers, I have two Stanford Research Systems FS700
receivers here at work (in central VA) that I have been asked to dispose of.
They both have ovenized oscillators, and I have one original manual. The
antenna is on the roof, but I think it'll stay there ;-). Any offers for one
or both?

73,

geo - n4ua

On Tue, Oct 5, 2010 at 8:57 AM, paul swed paulsw...@gmail.com wrote:

 A great thread by everyone. Oh to make the loran receivers work. But that
 is
 indeed the past. Can not hear Europe on east coast.
 But the question really is, what do you want to accomplish? I don't think
 its a time stamp. Its just to easy to get it from GPS or the network. But
 that could be a secondary use. I believe the primary goal would be
 frequency
 distribution with perhaps a tick.
 If this is the goal then I am 100% in agreement that there are far more
 efficient modulation and recovery methods today. The trick is you need
 something that does not effect the accuracy of the timing and may improve
 the various transmission issues at these frequencies. By the way this list
 has a heck of a brain trust so its very very possible.
 Someone mentioned spread spectrum. Thats very interesting as it is what GPS
 uses and could work at these lower frequencies.
 Like the  Hey this is just telemetry comment. You know the FCC does
 indeed
 give temp authorization for quite long periods of time. Years in fact.
 So I would be in the keep it simple mode.
 Great a single carrier with a id every 10 min. Maybe that could be waved to
 1 per hour or 24 hours. Unfortunately then we have nothing better then
 wwvb.
 The modulation method may be key and then what freq we would use. BPSK at
 higher frequencies is also impressive.
 My first contact was in the indian ocean on 5 whats from boston.
 Regards
 Paul
 WB8TSL


 On Tue, Oct 5, 2010 at 6:59 AM, Bob Camp li...@rtty.us wrote:

  Hi
 
  If you were starting from scratch there are a lot of things you could do.
  If the intent is to put out something a Loran receiver will recognize ...
  not so much.
 
  Bob
 
 
  On Oct 5, 2010, at 6:44 AM, Poul-Henning Kamp wrote:
 
   In message b69fdcaf-2b39-4575-b5cd-66a87fa1b...@rtty.us, Bob Camp
  writes:
  
   Even though it's pule, the RF power is way beyond the sub 1 W
   outputs currently contemplated on those bands. Signal to noise
   *does* matter.
  
   You know, there are other ways to skin that cat these days.
  
   Old-time signals had to be grossly inefficient because the receivers
   were inefficient, in particular the ear-wristwatch kind of time
   receivers.
  
   These days we have spread-spectrum modulation, and if our only goal
   is to transmit a timestamp, you can spread pretty wide and far and
   need very little power to produce a receiveable signal at long
   distances.
  
   The QRSS hams are playing around with numbers like 17,840,000 miles
   per watt, and all it takes to turn that into a time/frequency
   services is a spreading function with a really good autocorrelation.
  
   Obviously, you will not get second by second measurements, but the
   measurements you do get, say once per hour, will have much higher
   precision because of the averaging that goes into them.
  
   And equally obvious: propagation effects will take their toll, but
   still...
  
   Somebody with a license should try that on 137kHz...
  
   Poul-Henning
  
   --
   Poul-Henning Kamp   | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20
   p...@freebsd.org | TCP/IP since RFC 956
   FreeBSD committer   | BSD since 4.3-tahoe
   Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by
  incompetence.
  
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Re: [time-nuts] thunderbolt fault

[George Dubovsky]

The -12 can be anything from -7 to -12V and it will work. The units that
were removed from Grayson or Andrew equipment had a zener diode changed on
the Thunderbolt (by Trimble) that kept the power alarm from being invoked at
low values of this voltage.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 4:47 PM, francesco messineo 
francesco.messi...@gmail.com wrote:

 Hi Stan,

 On 2/26/10, Stan, W1LE stanw...@verizon.net wrote:
  Hello Francesco,
 
   After connecting to a known good power supply, active antenna, and
  computer,
   give it a chance to warm up and stabilize.
 
   After warm up, I get:
   +5VDC @ 0.250 A
   +12VDC @ 0.12 A
   -9VDC @ very low current, just barely moving the meter...


 it's actually +5V,+12 and -12V.
 Are there different versions? Mine works fine with these voltages,
 seen the requirement on the manual.
 However it completed the self survey two times and I set the save
 position flag. As I said I have one unit working fine, so I know what
 to expect from it. Each time the power goes off, it is reset to all
 defaults and eeprom is reported corrupted.
 I'll try an hard reset however.

 Thanks
 Francesco IZ8DWF

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Re: [time-nuts] CTS TCXO

[George Dubovsky]

Marco,

My Stanford Research FS700 Loran receiver from about that time period has a
CTS Knights 970-2097-0 10 MHz ovenized oscillator in it, and it ran from +
and - 15 Vdc. I don't know if this is of any help at all.

73,

geo - n4ua

On Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 4:09 PM, Marco IK1ODO ik1...@spin-it.com wrote:

 Hi all,

 I have a CTS Knights TCXO, P/N 970-3832-0. Frequency is 10 MHz.
 Anyone knows the working voltage? Date code is from 1987, too old for
 Internet :-)

 73 - Marco IK1ODO


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[time-nuts] NOS Thunderbolts for sale (w/D1 temp sensor)

[George Dubovsky]

Time-nuts;

I have three, essentially new Trimble Thunderbolt OEM boards for sale. These
were part of a production lot that had been returned to Trimble (several
years ago) from the OEM because the wrong zener had been installed in the
voltage sense circuit. This is the zener that allows the unit to work from
-7 Vdc (instead of the Trimble-standard -12 Vdc) without the Power Supply
alarm being invoked. Trimble changed the diodes, and the units were returned
to the OEM; these three were never installed in production units. In fact,
they are still sealed in the anti-stat bags that Trimble shipped them in.
This is the connectorized board that is normally mounted inside the
gold-colored aluminum case that everyone is familiar with.

The units have version 2.2 firmware, and all have the older D1 date code
DS1620 thermometer chip with the smaller temperature steps. $150 each for
the board assembly in the sealed bag; for another $10, I will install the
board in a case and throw in a power connector. Or, I can supply the case
and you can install the board. All, plus $5 each for flat-rate shipping.

73,

geo - n4ua
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[time-nuts] GPS-disciplined oscillators available

[George Dubovsky]

); SAEximRunCond expanded to false
Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Last fall, I casually mentioned (over on the HP board) that I had a few
surplusTrimble Thunderbolt GPS-disciplined oscillator assemblies available,
and I was buried by the response! I have obtained a few more and, if you are
interested, please contact me for more info at n4ua.va(at)gmail.com.

73,

geo - n4ua
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