[time-nuts] UCCM arrived
Hello to all, I connected the unit to a 11m of H-155 cable(assumed 4.79dB loss "worst case" at 1.5GHz), thrown the GPS antenna on the balcony horizontally and this is what I got: UCCM-P >SYSTem:STATus? --- 57964-80 serial number 87896988 firmware ver 2.0.1.6-01 LINKmode --- Reference Status __ Reference Outputs ___ XX Ref 8KHz 0: [Unusable] XX Ref 8KHz 1: [LOS] TFOM 2FFOM 0 XX Ref 8KHz 2: [LOS] UCCM A Status[ACTIVE] XX Ref 8KHz 3: [LOS] >> GPS: [phase:-1.2E-08] ACQUISITION ...[GPS 1PPS Valid] Tracking: 4 Not Tracking: 6 Time PRN El Az C/N PRN El AzGPS 23:42:46 26 Nov 2016 24 45 139 4325 57 286 6 24 62 3819 11 42ANT DLY -1 ns 2 30 101 4632 37 279Position 29 30 206 4112 70 37MODE Hold 14 26 309 31 8 309LAT N 45:40:29.276 LON E 9:26:51.177 HGT +320.96 m (MSL) ELEV MASK 5 deg --- Command complete UCCM-P > Seems to work (? I understand this from GPS phase and FFOM 0, not sure about the hold position status) I have somewhat stable 10MHz output, tomorrow I will use a mast for the antenna to get it higher slightly above the roof, (vertically this time!). - I got the software from the seller but complains about some ancient OCX stuff don't want to mess with ActiveX anymore, hopefully Lady Heater will support it soon. - Given the attenuation (less than 5 dB) do I really need to change the cable for something better? Leds are Yellow Activity solid, red unnamed blinking fast, Red 1PPS blinks once a second and DC green is solid. Anything else special to check? Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW - JN45RQ PS: the other clock (qrp-labs) is way behind schedule, but hopefully will arrive soon ` ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] Software availability for Trimble module boxed with two serial ports
Mike, thank you. Found several versions on the net, which one is the "best" version to try? TIA. Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW - JN45RQ ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] Software availability for Trimble module boxed with two serial ports
Wasn't there some chatter on this forum about this seller a few months ago ? Yes, but *hopefully* was just about the two output of the unit (supposing it was the same, it was not mentioned in the post). Another "problem" by itself to double check. Seems that I found someone that has this unit at least. Thanks. Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW - JN45RQ ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] Software availability for Trimble module boxed with two serial ports
Have you tried the stock Thunderbolt? Not yet, package is coming from China, like twenty days+ waiting before getting it. Supposing the box will only make the serial port(s) available, where I could find the software for the "stock" Trimble module it has inside? AFAIK it is different from Thunderbolt but really I don't have a clue if common software do exist for the two. TIA. Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW - JN45RQ ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
[time-nuts] Software availability for Trimble module boxed with two serial ports
Just ordered one of these: http://www.ebay.it/itm/252162780444?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Asked the seller for documentation and or software but still he didn't send me anything. Did anybody buy one as well? Could you please share what you have that could be used with the thing? Thanks in advance. Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW - JN45RQ ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] Has anybody checked this? GPSDO in kit
e) Which is the antenna signal level (dBm) that this unit require to operate properly?>> The antenna you referenced should be fine. I would hazard to guess that antennas a re a whole separate topic. The gain should be fine. What you need is a clear unobstructed view of the sky. I am pretty close to the window, with somewhat easy access to the roof. A 5m pole would pull out the antenna over the roof from the balcony(12m length total, worst case). No taller building around for several hundreds meters. Having a more precise required signal level would help. SAT cables are mismatched but generally cheaper and able to play nice with cheap splitters, but to play safe I should stay with more expensive cable. LMR-400 sure original is a Tiffany item, here. Lot's of LMR-400 "equivalent" and not even cheap. Ouch. >>As for splitting remember that it is a active antenna and expects 5 volts so not sure if the Wilkinson splitter would work??. Since yesterday I was thinking Wilkinson were a brand of shaving blades! Seems yes, according to this schematic: http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/247256/gps-splitter-with-200ohm-dc-load-and-50ohm-rf-impedance-on-all-ports This one takes into account sensing for antenna too, so I hope the answer is yes. >> I would be interested as to what others have to say about splitting the antenna. Have read that a common television satellite antenna splitter commonly found on Ebay can be used, but the impedance may be 75 ohms and the connectors would have to be changed. If they work, it could be a cheap option, but I've always seen them with F connectors, so it could be not worth it. > b) which is the difference between the Symmetrical and Trimble (...omissis...) >understood seems that Trimble does not initiate a Survey at power on. >>I had the Symmetricom so can't tell you much about the difference other that from what other posters have contributed they are very close to if not identical in many respects.Not having to complete another survey on >>power up is a definite plus on the Trimble, but I found that it can complete a survey on the Symmetricom quite quickly. Ok, thanks. >>There is a number of serial ports on these boards. Looking at the fifth picture on the ebay link, at the top left corner next to the SMA connector just below R13 is a vertical row of holes. That is the main serial connection and >>it is at TTL levels. There is other serial connections available on a ribbon like connector at the end of the board. Posts on the EEVBlog show where and the pins on the ribbon connector and what they do. One poster on >>EEVblog probed the ribbon connector and identified the pins. http://tipok.org.ua/node/53. Some of the UART are high voltage, others TTL >>[http://tipok.org.ua/sites/default/files/gps_rx_lores.jpg]<http://tipok.org.ua/node/53>Trimble/Symmetricom UCCM GPS Receiver 50-pin connector ...<http://tipok.org.ua/node/53> >>tipok.org.ua >>Introduction. This page describes the pinouts of 50-pin connector, avaliable at "Trimble 57963-C" and "Symmetricom UCCM 089-03861-02" boards, which can be bought on Ebay. >>Unfortunately they don't show the backside of the board in the Ebay link, but I strongly suspect as the main serial connection does not look populated by any wiring in the picture, they are tapping into the rx pin of the GPS >>receiver as the source for one of the RS232 connectors. This is a source of NMEA statements and is documented on the EEVblog. I asked the seller to provide docs, he was quick to answer but still nothing about the specific stuff the enclosure does. A Chinese would not populate a connector for nothing, if it's there there should serve a purpose. >>You can't send any commands put it does send out a continuous stream of useful NMEA commands that make it a ideal source for a DIY project to add a display. Once you receive your unit and connect it to your pc you will >>(should) see a stream of NMEA commands from one of the RS232 ports. Let's wait and see what will come up. He said it is not NMEA, but TIPP, well not exactly TIPP but similar (!??!!). My bad English strikes again... >>Hope this helps. I unfortunately toasted mine, and was contemplating about picking up another one. Sorry to hear that. Hope you either fix or replace it. Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW - jn45RQ PS: I nevertheless bought the clock kit with a GPS antenna from qrp-labs, with enclosure and GPS antenna but not the frequency reference(yet). Once both will work I will nag you about how to easily compare the two... ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] Has anybody checked this? GPSDO in kit
Any pole mount outdoor antenna with a gain in the 20 to 30 db range should be fine with any of these units. Cable loss can be an issue if it is getting the net gain down below 10 db (antenna gain - cable loss). The frequency is 1.5 GHz Perfect, mine should have 3.5 + 26db. I will start with few meters of RG8X (or something similar I don't remember what I have) then I will use something better. Trimble and Symmetricom made a number of “twin” units over the years. They went into the same application, but did not function identically on the serial side. The OEM apparently was expected to deal with two different interfaces. Things like power in and timing signals out would be identical for the two designs. Uhm, ok. Let's see what I will get. thanks. Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW - JN45RQ ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] Has anybody checked this? GPSDO in kit
I ended up buying a pre-cooked Trimble plus a missilehead-like GPS antenna: http://www.ebay.it/itm/252162780444?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT http://www.ebay.it/itm/262679152903?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT This should limit the chance it would be a DOA(well I hope at least), it comes already boxed, has somewhat a wide power supply voltage range, no pigtails to play with, and the antenna is new. Now I just need to prepare the cable for the antenna, the mounting pole and wait them to arrive through snail mail. Many thanks to all but especially to Larry McDavid W6FUB that helped me a lot to decide. Now, while I wait... 1) I am reading the thread on EEVBlog(Thanks Bob and Bryan), (I have like one month before I receive the unit so I could have spent more, I admit) but I have several questions: a) Is this a board or a puzzle? seems that brings reverse engineering to a whole new level. 32 pages of forum posts looking for missing parts...LOL b) which is the difference between the Symmetrical and Trimble unit? I am mostly interested in interfacing, like the ability to get also NMEA sentences (if possible) and the ability to add the KOBB display. In the thread thereare a lot of information but really not sure how much is common between the two. Only sure thing I have understood seems that Trimble does not initiate a Survey at power on. c) since I *may* like to use the GPS antenna also for the clock kit(I WANT a DISPLAY!), I would like to build/buy a *simple* spitter. Just a second output. I hope that a passive cheap schematic would do. BTW, on which frequencies this unit receive data? Just 1575.42MHz? Would it be possible to build a Wilkinson splitter? d) still confused about the number of serial ports available, their expected usage and voltage levels. e) Which is the antenna signal level (dBm) that this unit require to operate properly? Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW - JN45RQ On 10/24/2016 1:05 AM, Giuseppe Marullo wrote: Hello Attila, not cheap at that point, and I already have that ST board(I live few km from ST headquarters, BTW)!. Still licking my wounds from Eclipse-whatever chaintool, ouch, no way I am going to mess with that again anytime soon. I am not in the mood to start another endless project, way too many unfinished stull in my drawers(as many others I guess). I like the qrp-kit kit, but I will have a good look at eevb for the "thunderbolt in disguise" and then I will decide. Thanks. Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW - JN45RQ On 10/23/2016 5:52 PM, Attila Kinali wrote: On Sun, 23 Oct 2016 15:32:33 +0200 Giuseppe Marullo <giuse...@marullo.it> wrote: I am puzzled about what to do, still the total cost of it for a OXCO + GPS(unit with antenna) + control mcu is 67usd, I doubt I could find anything like this for a cheaper price new. Yes, it's cheap for a kit, but it is not that cheap if you want to be cheap. :-) You can get GPS modules for as low as $5 on ebay (these are new), a uC board for another $10-30 (even cheaper on ebay) and a quite good OCXO for $10-30, also from ebay. A few wires, a bit of programming and you have an GPSDO that beats the progrock. So, by buying the right stuff you can stay below $30 and have something that will get you a long way for experimenting. Just for the fun of it: http://www.ebay.com/itm/STM32F030F4P6-ARM-CORTEX-M0-Core-Mini-System-Development-Board-5V-3-3V-/371769616187?hash=item568f32273b:g:seAAAOSwXeJYCx63 $1.40 http://www.ebay.com/itm/MCP4725-I2C-DAC-Breakout-Development-Board-12Bit-Resolution-/401209928223?hash=item5d69f9aa1f:g:j5gAAOSw34FVH5b1 $1 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aircraft-Flight-Controller-w-Ublox-NEO-6M-GPS-Module-for-Arduino-APM2-/182318966076?hash=item2a730ea53c:g:QuoAAOSwOVpXc3K~ $5.04 http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-USED-ISOTEMP-OCXO-143-141-10-MHz-5V-SC-CUT-Square-Wave-Crystal-Oscillator-/331997554003?hash=item4d4c98a553:g:w~sAAOSwCGVX~g24 $16 Total cost: ~$25 including shipping and all but the OCXO are new. You will need programmer for the uC board, if you don't have that, change the uC board for an STM32F0DISCOVERY board: http://eu.mouser.com/ProductDetail/STMicroelectronics/STM32F0DISCOVERY Of course, any "real" GPSDO will beat this one by orders of magnitude in phase noise and stability, but they are also much less fun to build :-) Attila Kinali ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] Has anybody checked this? GPSDO in kit
Hello Attila, not cheap at that point, and I already have that ST board(I live few km from ST headquarters, BTW)!. Still licking my wounds from Eclipse-whatever chaintool, ouch, no way I am going to mess with that again anytime soon. I am not in the mood to start another endless project, way too many unfinished stull in my drawers(as many others I guess). I like the qrp-kit kit, but I will have a good look at eevb for the "thunderbolt in disguise" and then I will decide. Thanks. Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW - JN45RQ On 10/23/2016 5:52 PM, Attila Kinali wrote: On Sun, 23 Oct 2016 15:32:33 +0200 Giuseppe Marullo <giuse...@marullo.it> wrote: I am puzzled about what to do, still the total cost of it for a OXCO + GPS(unit with antenna) + control mcu is 67usd, I doubt I could find anything like this for a cheaper price new. Yes, it's cheap for a kit, but it is not that cheap if you want to be cheap. :-) You can get GPS modules for as low as $5 on ebay (these are new), a uC board for another $10-30 (even cheaper on ebay) and a quite good OCXO for $10-30, also from ebay. A few wires, a bit of programming and you have an GPSDO that beats the progrock. So, by buying the right stuff you can stay below $30 and have something that will get you a long way for experimenting. Just for the fun of it: http://www.ebay.com/itm/STM32F030F4P6-ARM-CORTEX-M0-Core-Mini-System-Development-Board-5V-3-3V-/371769616187?hash=item568f32273b:g:seAAAOSwXeJYCx63 $1.40 http://www.ebay.com/itm/MCP4725-I2C-DAC-Breakout-Development-Board-12Bit-Resolution-/401209928223?hash=item5d69f9aa1f:g:j5gAAOSw34FVH5b1 $1 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aircraft-Flight-Controller-w-Ublox-NEO-6M-GPS-Module-for-Arduino-APM2-/182318966076?hash=item2a730ea53c:g:QuoAAOSwOVpXc3K~ $5.04 http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-USED-ISOTEMP-OCXO-143-141-10-MHz-5V-SC-CUT-Square-Wave-Crystal-Oscillator-/331997554003?hash=item4d4c98a553:g:w~sAAOSwCGVX~g24 $16 Total cost: ~$25 including shipping and all but the OCXO are new. You will need programmer for the uC board, if you don't have that, change the uC board for an STM32F0DISCOVERY board: http://eu.mouser.com/ProductDetail/STMicroelectronics/STM32F0DISCOVERY Of course, any "real" GPSDO will beat this one by orders of magnitude in phase noise and stability, but they are also much less fun to build :-) Attila Kinali ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] Has anybody checked this? GPSDO in kit
Thanks to all that have answered, as usual very good advices. I am puzzled about what to do, still the total cost of it for a OXCO + GPS(unit with antenna) + control mcu is 67usd, I doubt I could find anything like this for a cheaper price new. Only cheap alternative could be this one(already discussed here one year ago): http://www.ebay.com/itm/141734507722?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 Would this allow me to play as the "standard" ThunderBolt using the same software? Any preferred model among 63090/73090/65256 "models"? Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW - JN45RQ PS: Still I like the idea of the kit...the trimble would require PSU, antenna, boxing and no fancy display... On 10/22/2016 4:02 PM, Giuseppe Marullo wrote: Hello, I know, I know it is not supposed to be high end stuff(timenutted), but I was looking for a GPS clock and noticed that this could be a cheap GPSDO too: http://qrp-labs.com/progrock.html It has a OCXO option, a box, a display(customizable), a GPS and could be probably fitted with a Raspberry Zero for a cheap NTP server too. Any advice? Sorry if this has been already discussed here, didn't find any reference in the ML. Could it be compared to a Thunderbolt GPSO in terms of performance, how worse it could be? I just need a clean/self-calibrating 10MHz reference to tune HF radios ...seems good enough for the price. Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW - JN45RQ ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
[time-nuts] Has anybody checked this? GPSDO in kit
Hello, I know, I know it is not supposed to be high end stuff(timenutted), but I was looking for a GPS clock and noticed that this could be a cheap GPSDO too: http://qrp-labs.com/progrock.html It has a OCXO option, a box, a display(customizable), a GPS and could be probably fitted with a Raspberry Zero for a cheap NTP server too. Any advice? Sorry if this has been already discussed here, didn't find any reference in the ML. Could it be compared to a Thunderbolt GPSO in terms of performance, how worse it could be? I just need a clean/self-calibrating 10MHz reference to tune HF radios ...seems good enough for the price. Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW - JN45RQ ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] [Little OT now]Re: Cheap Frequency chip with serial output
The Teensy 3 can be programmed using the Arduino software. It's just a better Arduino, that's it. But you say you have a PI. Why not use that? send your final RF to a zero crossing detector then to a counter in the PI. I expect the PI does not have a counter, nor I would know how to set it up. Examples I found are in the 1MHz max range. Do you know which is the upper limit for it? ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
[time-nuts] [Little OT now]Re: Cheap Frequency chip with serial output
Marullo looks like you have a solution. Even a choice of displays. Paul and others, thanks but that was not exactly what I was searching for. You did give me very good suggestions but my problem is a little more subtle. I just need the simplest chip incarnation that would provide me with frequency out on a serial port. To cut a long story short, this is what I would like to do: http://home.comcast.net/~tinkyr/736/Ham%20Radio%20Deluxe%20and%20the%20FT-736.htm but for the FT-102. The FT-102 is a radio with analog VFO, almost no digital stuff in it, latest and greatest hybrid Yaesu radio with PA using 3 x 6146B. I need to emulate a radio from the Ham Radio Deluxe perspective, so I need to know which is the frequency and the band on which the radio is. Communication will be unidirectional from the radio to the computer, or even if I would receive commands from the computer there is no way I could change the band and/or frequency of the radio, nor I would (tube finals, need retune). I want to move the knobs on the radio, and the computer should track what I do. The computer should never try to command the radio. This is just for tracking purposes (yeah, LoTW coherence when registering contacts). I was searching a chip because I feel at ease using Lazarus, and I am playing with a nice Raspberry PI (PITFT), seems silly to add an Arduino, even though Raspberry could see it through USB as serial. So far: - cheapest is Cheapduino - most poweful is Teensy (3.1 version goes up to 60MHz) but I don't know how to program it. Prolly it has enough horsepower/pins to capture frequency/band selector and emulate everything so no PI needed. Still I don't like the idea to develop in C while having Lazarus on a PI for 35bucks. Do you know any precooked chip able to go at 8MHz minimum, better up to 30MHz with 10Hz resolution and simply shove the reading down to a ttl/3.3v serial interface? Please feel free to answer privately, at this point it is not that time nuts question anymore, thanks. Giuseppe IW2JWW - JN45RQ ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] Cheap Frequency chip with serial output
On 26/10/2014 17:47, Alex Pummer wrote: Hi Marullo look there: http://www.aade.com/dfd.htm almost plug and play frequency display for ham radio 73 KJ6UHN Alex Hello Alex, I answered to all in another message, but yes I know AADE, I got my son(7yo at the time) build me the LC Meter, I love it. I really need the serial output, he does not provide it in any of his kits. I saw the site is down to serious illness, I hope he did recover: http://www.aade.com/ ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] Cheap Frequency chip with serial output
An Arduino can by pretty small. Here is an Arduino compatible that can do exactly what you ask for. https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12765 You can find these on eBay for a lower price. Yes, 3.1 version is even better, up to 60MHz: https://www.pjrc.com/teensy/td_libs_FreqCount.html A very good candidate for my problem. ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] Cheap Frequency chip with serial output
On 26/10/2014 17:49, Magnus Danielson wrote: Giuseppe, If you look at http://www.radiomanual.info/schemi/FT102_user_VA3VFO.pdf you realize that the display is the result of a frequency counter being built in. You could either tap in and count yourself, or you could tap a whole number of other points depending on what you are after Yes, but still I would need to tap into the band selector. If possible, better read a meaningful frequency (again, if possible). Once I will go for tapping the band selector, yes I could just use the input to the frequency display( that is really a frequency counter, not like new synthetized stuff). Love to get some serial interface into my IC-740, which is just a little too old for serial interfaces like the younger onces. Well, use the ft-736 emulator approach, maybe your could be somewhat driven. IC-740 sports digital VFOs and it is solid state so...have fun. Being the FT-102 a tube radio, there is no way I will set the VFO using a computer, like this: http://www.sdr-kits.net/Webshop/products.php?34cPath=6osCsid=dug2k29uis64g4kgidd38kk9u3 I would need like 6 knobs/selectors to be turned from the computer...could be a good robot project :) Cheers, Magnus On 10/26/2014 03:20 PM, paul swed wrote: Marullo Thats a mighty old radio. That being said reading the frequency of the VFO may or may not work out for you. The actual frequency will be made up of a number of other frequencies that are injected at different stages. Drake as an example actually uses the VFO in a plus or add on some bands and a minus or subtract on others. If you can read just the VFO then at least you have the last digits correct accept for the minus case. Regards Paul WB8TSL On Sat, Oct 25, 2014 at 10:26 PM, Giuseppe Marullo giuse...@marullo.it wrote: Hello, just wanted to know if there is any very cheap pre programmed pic or something similar to get frequency of a Yaesu FT-102 radio. I need it to know its frequency, either the VFO alone (sub 6MHz) or possibly its real rx and tx frequency (up to 30MHz). Using the VFO would be easier but then I will have to probe the mechanical band commutator. I know Arduino could be a solution, just wanted to know if something smaller is available, possibly with rs232. TIA Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW - JN45RQ ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/ mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
[time-nuts] [little OT]Re: Cheap Frequency chip with serial output
Something like this one: https://www.tindie.com/products/isp51/60mhz-lcd-frequency-counter-module-and-if-offset-user-definable-and-uart-usb-read-1/ I would not even need the display. Ok, I don't think it will have top notch accuracy, but ... ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
[time-nuts] Cheap Frequency chip with serial output
Hello, just wanted to know if there is any very cheap pre programmed pic or something similar to get frequency of a Yaesu FT-102 radio. I need it to know its frequency, either the VFO alone (sub 6MHz) or possibly its real rx and tx frequency (up to 30MHz). Using the VFO would be easier but then I will have to probe the mechanical band commutator. I know Arduino could be a solution, just wanted to know if something smaller is available, possibly with rs232. TIA Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW - JN45RQ ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] OT - Old Hatfield 2105 Step attenuator specs
Alberto, many thanks but I need just to calibrate (I should say invent) a S-Meter for a BITX20a QRP Radio, and possibly double check the sensitivity in some very relaxed way. My equipment: - MiniVNA Pro with a 2 signal generators from approximately 0 to -60dBm (not clear if they have an additional 12 or 18 dB attenuator inside). Obviously it is not calibrated nor checked. - The 2105 - Dummy load and VNA calibration set (short, open and 50Ohm dummy load) - several SMA/BNC adapters (probably not enough ones) I need the typical -73dBm and something in the -112dB range to be satisfied. I don't know if and how much the MiniVNA is accurate, I should ask some ham in ARI to double check it. Toto I have a feeling we are not in Agilent anymore... Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW On 1/10/2014 4:50 PM, Alberto di Bene wrote: On 1/8/2014 11:13 PM, Alan Melia wrote: /Hi Alberto it is quite interesting to continue that test with no attenuator but the shells of the coax plugs connected together. I would guess with the gear you have the resultant would be at least 120dB downbut this is not the case for all signal generators!/ Hi Alan, quite true. I performed the test you suggested, using as generator a RohdeSchwarz SMDU that has a calibrated output down to -140 dBm, so it must be well shielded... I used 10 MHz as frequency, and, given that the settings of this forum do not allow HTML (why ?) these are the links to the screen captures stored on my Dropbox account. As selective voltmeter I used the ELAD FDM-S1 receiver together with, guess what... Winrad :-) This is what I see with the Hatfield attenuator set to its maximum, i.e. 100 dB : https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15089947/hatfield-100dB.gif Setting it to 0 dB gives this result : https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15089947/hatfield0dB.gif So you can see that the difference between the two measures is just 88 dB, not the theoretical 100... And it is almost all to be attributed to internal leakage of the attenuator, because, excluding the attenuator, and just connecting together the two BNC shells, leaving the center pin unconnected, gives this : https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15089947/hatfield-shells.gif So the Hatfield attenuator IMHO can be fruitfully used only if you do not pretend from it the utmost precision at high attenuation settings. 73 Alberto I2PHD ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] OT - Old Hatfield 2105 Step attenuator specs
David and all, following my post I was directly contacted by Peter (G4BCH) from Pascall that kindly forwarded to me the datasheet of the Dinosaur. Should anyone need it, just contact me off list. Giuseppi, with any old attenuator its worth a DC resistance check to see if one of the attenuator sections has not been fried over the years. Should be easy enough to fix if somebody has Once I will receive the attenuator (somewhere lost in the Mediterranean between Italy and Greece) I will do some checks, I just need to scale down the signal generator of the MiniVNA Pro, by far not high end equipment but really fun to use. Not to mention I was pleasantly surprised someone still cared to address my request, both from the list and from the vendor. Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
[time-nuts] OT - Old Hatfield 2105 Step attenuator specs
Hello to all, and Happy New Year. I would like to know the specs for this attenuator, especially the maximum frequency, if any good folk has a ballpark idea... I was not able to locate any info about it. Thanks in advance. Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] OT - Old Hatfield 2105 Step attenuator specs
Alan, thank you for your answer. . If you are refering to the units in blue crackle diecast case with miniature toggle Sort of, but mine is orange: http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mkbCnoRgl8RNnxvJdy9phAw.jpg Seems pretty close, I was hoping for some better figure but I plan to use it for HF bands, so no big deal if the Fmax is 150MHz. Thank you again. Giuseppe Marullo IW2JWW ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
[time-nuts] OT- RMC sentence and magnetic variation/compensation in GPS module
Hi all, I am unable to understand how to get this field from a RMC sentence, on the GPS I am using (LS20031) the field is empy so I am wondering if this is just a problem of implementation or what. AFAIK, the data is highly variable (location and time) so how is the GPS module able to provide it? Is it something provided by satellites? Will the module compute it from the path comparing the bearing with an onboard compass? Could some good soul shed some light on the matter? Thanks in advance. Giuseppe Marullo ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] OT- RMC sentence and magnetic variation/compensation in GPS module
Thanks to all for your answers. I am designing a low cost automagic satellite dish pointer. I was thinking that adding the magnetic compensation to the magnetic compass would be neat, but obviously I can't get it from the internet, still wondering how the GPS could provide a useful value if the modeling is difficult, varying widely in time and space. Giuseppe Marullo ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] OT- RMC sentence and magnetic variation/compensation in GPS module
Are you sure? I guess so, it is a motorhome traveling South and Central Europe without Internet connectivity. Really how could Garmin and others provide such data? Do they allow the user to upload the maps? Never heard about it, but I may be wrong. Giuseppe Marullo ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] DCF77 clock with UTC display 5
If it is, why not purchase an *analog* DCF77 synchronized clock, set it to local radio time and then just move the hands on the spindle to reflect UTC? That's what I did with my WWV clocks that only handle the US time zones. Worked just fine. Well, I could just buy a 3 USD LCD digital clock, set it to UTC and periodically realign for time drift, no worry about winter/summer time switch. How do you handle summer/winter time? Either case, we could be hung, drawn and qartered for these tricks, wrong maling list. I would probably have used a stamp2 with a DCF77 module, but I don't know how reliable could be the stamp2 as clock when the dcf77 signal is not present. Probably I will need to resort to some special IC from Maxim/Dallas that would keep track of time, and the stamp2 should be used to adjust the time. Nice as a project, but I would rather prefer a ready made unit, after all I would just log correctly my QSOs. Giuseppe Marullo I will have to ask in the ham radio world... ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
[time-nuts] DCF77 clock with UTC display
Hi all, I would like to know which could be the cheapest clock (possibly not wristwatch) that would display UTC time. It seems that DCF77 clocks either display CET/CEST and/or other timezone but I was unable to locate a UTC display so far. This is the closest match I found, sadly it does not decode DCF77: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-108B Do you know any viable alternative in EU? TIA, Giuseppe Marullo ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] DCF77 clock with UTC display
Harry, thanks for your answer. I tried to look at the instructions, but I am unable to tell for certain if it can display UTC. I mean, there is a mention about foreign time, but everything else is about no need to manually setup Winter/Summer time, exactly what I would like to avoid. How could I be sure that a DCF77 clock does display/support UTC time? Giuseppe Marullo PS: I have one cheap Oregon Scientific Radio Controlled and I believe it does not support UTC On 6/5/2010 5:39 PM, Harry Hindriks wrote: Hi, Do you mean something like this? http://www.conrad-international.com/websale7/?shopid=conrad-intact=productprod_number=671628 They sell several radio controlled clocks. Most of these clocks can display UTC. Harry On Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:27:05 +0200, Giuseppe Marullogiuse...@marullo.it wrote: Hi all, I would like to know which could be the cheapest clock (possibly not wristwatch) that would display UTC time. It seems that DCF77 clocks either display CET/CEST and/or other timezone but I was unable to locate a UTC display so far. This is the closest match I found, sadly it does not decode DCF77: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-108B Do you know any viable alternative in EU? TIA, Giuseppe Marullo ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] DCF77 clock with UTC display
DCF77 is transmitted in CET/CEST and so receivers generally just display the received data with some allowing other TZ offsets as it can be received in the UK for example. I also lucked out when looking for one where daylight savings adjustments could be removed . Mike, exactly what I am experiencing. I am starting to believe that I will have to ask to ham radio manifacturers (like MFJ but they are US based) until they will develop a specific product, or I will have to build it myself, like a DCF77 receiver with some ehm, custom handling of the summer time... I can't believe there is no such need for aviation or other fields. Giuseppe Marullo ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] Timenoob - Cheap and simple 10MHz reference
Robert, Welcome to the group. Thank you and all the others, you are giving me a lot of informations. BTW, my provider retrieved my emails so I am fully operational (at least I hope). while I did not originally envision building this kind of equipment, I could do it while it lies well within the digital domain, I have some test gear (frequency counter, DMM, analog scope, BF frequency generator, LA and some FPGAs with 100+Msamples ADC) but...I will have to trust it so I am back at square one, until I have a reliable source... I would like a GPSDO, possibly ready to run, then I will start building something that I could actually check against the GPSDO. Maybe a GPSDO myself, who knows...wondering if this could be done all digital, without using a DAC, without using a driving voltage for a OCXO. Giuseppe ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
[time-nuts] Timenoob - Cheap and simple 10MHz reference
Hi all, just subscribed, I would like a quick advice on a 10MHz reference for calibrating my instruments and for fun. In particular, I would like to know if you could give me advice on EFRATOM FRS-A,FRS-C, DATUM LPRO-101, Thunderbolt and such. I would prefer a GPSDO (like the Thunderbolt), but budget is very tight (about 100EUR), so I am searching old surplus stuff on Ebay. Some examples: http://cgi.ebay.com/Thunderbolt-PRECISION-GPS-10mhz-FREQUENCY-TIME-Standard_W0QQitemZ270504461779QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3efb5285d3 http://cgi.ebay.com/EFRATOM-10MHZ-LPRO-101-Rubidium-Frequency-Standard_W0QQitemZ270504461780QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3efb5285d4 Any caveat, anything I should ask to the seller? Minimal fw version for the Thunderbolt (2.2 is okay)? Thanks in advance, Giuseppe PS: I am in Italy ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] Timenoob - Cheap and simple 10MHz reference
Thanks a lot to all for your quick answer. Rubinium should be good for my needs, but buying it surplus makes me think I could get something very used (and abused) and it does not have the self correcting thing thunderbolt has. GPSDO gives me also the time, maybe with a supercool LCD display. A Thunderbolt needs a triple supply (+12, -12, and +5) to operate. It also needs a GPS antenna of some sort. Do you know exactly the power requirement? On Ebay I read 15W then few mA on each branch (board only). Something is not clear to me. The dark side of the noon already embraced I have Giuseppe PS: I am experiencing mail problems for the first time in many years, please anyone willing to contact me directly do cc copy also this other email address: giuseppe.maru...@iname.com while my ISP gathers back all the bits they lost (2 days of emails vanished from my IMAP account under my eyes, literally) ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
