Re: [time-nuts] GPS antenna in attic?
Skylights and such are easy to keep leakproof, but you do have to check the plastic parts every once in a while. Years ago I installed one of those sun-tunnel type tubes for a small, windowless bath, and it worked great; however, about the time I replaced the roof, I discovered that the cover dome had cracks in it. Not just hazing, but cracks you could easily force a finger into! They had developed within the prior year, and when the rains began, they would have let the water in- not too much, but enough. When replacing the dome, I found that it had been acrylic, but a polycarbonate version was available for harsh climates. I ordered the latter, even though the helpfull expert said it was unnecessary. Yeah, right. -Dave - Original Message - From: Scott McGrath scmcgr...@gmail.com To: j...@quikus.com Cc: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Monday, November 26, 2012 10:52:26 AM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] GPS antenna in attic? They are no harder than a chimney to keep leakproof unless they are flush in which case everything said is true. You need structure and a leakproof membrane and proper flashing to redirect water Sent from my iPhone On Nov 26, 2012, at 10:38 AM, J. Forster j...@quikus.com wrote: I considered that about 5 years ago when I reroofed. The roofing contracctor told me that anything like a skylight is very, very hard to make and keep leakproof. You really, really don't want a leaky roof. -John = Or install a frosted dome type skylight as a radome lights the attic and allows for better reception Sent from my iPhone On Nov 25, 2012, at 10:15 PM, J. Forster j...@quikus.com wrote: There are ways to do it w/o drilling holes. Most all houses have vent stacks for the plumbing, typically 3 or 4 inch cast iron or thick plastic. You can clamp a couple of feet of pipe onto one of those and run the wire to under an eve or through a gable end, adding a drip loop of course. But, if it were my house and I just wanted to discipline my local standard, I'd try the attic first. Among other things, you can get to the antenna w/o climbing on the roof! New England is not sunny CA. -John On Sun, Nov 25, 2012 at 8:50 AM, Peter Gottlieb n...@verizon.net wrote: I'm beginning to set up in my new house and planning where all my various antennas are going to go. Being a wood frame building, I was wondering if it was sufficient to simply mount my Thunderbolt GPS antenna high in the attic. It will work but it will be far from optimal. All you need to do is get a big drill bit and drill through the roof and put up an iron galvanized pipe. Put a pipe flange on the end and bolt the GPS antenna to that. You will need some metal flashing and roofing tar and then you will have a first class setup. You run the coax down the pipe. The timing antennas are pointed on top so snow falls off Chris Albertson Redondo Beach, California ___ 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.
Re: [time-nuts] GPS antenna in attic?
Another possible option is running the cable through the same hole in the roof as the vent pipe. Frequently (for bath exhaust vents and such) there is a ~4-8 tin or aluminum shroud hat around the vent pipe, and in many cases, a gap between the pipe and roofing material (the shroud opening having a mesh to keep out critters). I used the gap to run my old Z3801A cable out before I had my roof replaced. I never replaced it because I upgraded to better cable, and it was too rigid for the old path (it had to bend enough to create a drip loop to keep the water out). I never did get around to rerouting the cable, so it's at ceiling level in the office. The performance is a little worse than I used to get but not bad enough to be a problem. In my case, the vent and main stack are about 2' apart, so mounting the antenna pipe (plastic) to the main stack worked nicely. -Dave - Original Message - From: J. Forster j...@quikus.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2012 7:15:05 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] GPS antenna in attic? There are ways to do it w/o drilling holes. Most all houses have vent stacks for the plumbing, typically 3 or 4 inch cast iron or thick plastic. You can clamp a couple of feet of pipe onto one of those and run the wire to under an eve or through a gable end, adding a drip loop of course. But, if it were my house and I just wanted to discipline my local standard, I'd try the attic first. Among other things, you can get to the antenna w/o climbing on the roof! New England is not sunny CA. -John On Sun, Nov 25, 2012 at 8:50 AM, Peter Gottlieb n...@verizon.net wrote: I'm beginning to set up in my new house and planning where all my various antennas are going to go. Being a wood frame building, I was wondering if it was sufficient to simply mount my Thunderbolt GPS antenna high in the attic. It will work but it will be far from optimal. All you need to do is get a big drill bit and drill through the roof and put up an iron galvanized pipe. Put a pipe flange on the end and bolt the GPS antenna to that. You will need some metal flashing and roofing tar and then you will have a first class setup. You run the coax down the pipe. The timing antennas are pointed on top so snow falls off Chris Albertson Redondo Beach, California ___ 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] Why the fuss?
These are amoung other reasons why I will never buy a house in a development or with a HOA. -Dave - Original Message - From: Bob Camp li...@rtty.us To: j...@quikus.com, Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 11:36:23 AM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Why the fuss? Hi and indeed many of the likely hiding places are also on the list of things you are not supposed to do. Bob -Original Message- From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On Behalf Of J. Forster Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 2:20 PM To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Why the fuss? Vent pipes are not usually 20-30 feet tall. -John = Which for all intents and purposes means nothing that looks like an antenna to John Q. Public. What if your GPS antenna looked like a vent pipe? or a Bird House? It may be difficult to hide a decent HF antenna, But, a 1.5 GHz antenna can be virtually invisible. Dale NV8U -Original Message- From: Bob Camp Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 1:02 PM To: 'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement' Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Why the fuss? Hi Right here in PA for one. You essentially can not buy a new house without there being various conditions written into the title. One universal one is no antennas. The only exception is for one 19 sat dish for TV, since that's a federal mandate. Bob -Original Message- From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On Behalf Of brent evers Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 10:57 AM To: j...@quikus.com; Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Why the fuss? Zoning, Legal? Where? Brent On Thu, Sep 27, 2012 at 10:41 AM, J. Forster j...@quikus.com wrote: Because: LORAN-C is gone. Not all can use GPS because of siting, horizon, zoning, legal, and other issues. Not everyone can erect antenna towers. There is nothing else, except perhaps WWV or CHU on HF. -John == I cannot think of a time-nuts WWVB reference requirement that cannot be better satisfied with a GPSDO. Will NIST publish a public domain reference circuit? That would allay patent concerns. -- Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX N2469R c...@omen.com www.omen.com Developer of Industrial ZMODEM(Tm) for Embedded Applications Omen Technology Inc The High Reliability Software 10255 NW Old Cornelius Pass Portland OR 97231 503-614-0430 ___ 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 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.
Re: [time-nuts] Why the fuss?
Well, that's what I love about the SF bay area- lots of old neighborhoods that didn't have all these silly restrictions in place when they were built. There are the usual CCRs, like I can raise chickens, but not cows, but it doesn't mandate what three colors you can paint your house, or the window coverings you can have or how long you can park your car in the driveway. Yes, things can change, but at least it's not in place in the beginning- and we can monitor implementation of any changes, at least in Palo Alto and Sunnyvale (where we have neighborhood groups that monitor such things, specifically because we like the status quo). I'm sure some or all of the newer developments do have silly restrictions, I just would never buy into one. -Dave - Original Message - From: J. Forster j...@quikus.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 1:47:15 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Why the fuss? Earth to Dave: Sometimes laws and regulations change years after you buy a piece of property or do something perfectly legal. Nobody is safe whenever (Congress, Agency, State Legislature, Town Council, governing body, or whatever) is in session. YMMV, -John === These are amoung other reasons why I will never buy a house in a development or with a HOA. -Dave - Original Message - From: Bob Camp li...@rtty.us To: j...@quikus.com, Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 11:36:23 AM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Why the fuss? Hi and indeed many of the likely hiding places are also on the list of things you are not supposed to do. Bob -Original Message- From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On Behalf Of J. Forster Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 2:20 PM To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Why the fuss? Vent pipes are not usually 20-30 feet tall. -John = Which for all intents and purposes means nothing that looks like an antenna to John Q. Public. What if your GPS antenna looked like a vent pipe? or a Bird House? It may be difficult to hide a decent HF antenna, But, a 1.5 GHz antenna can be virtually invisible. Dale NV8U -Original Message- From: Bob Camp Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 1:02 PM To: 'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement' Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Why the fuss? Hi Right here in PA for one. You essentially can not buy a new house without there being various conditions written into the title. One universal one is no antennas. The only exception is for one 19 sat dish for TV, since that's a federal mandate. Bob -Original Message- From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On Behalf Of brent evers Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 10:57 AM To: j...@quikus.com; Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Why the fuss? Zoning, Legal? Where? Brent On Thu, Sep 27, 2012 at 10:41 AM, J. Forster j...@quikus.com wrote: Because: LORAN-C is gone. Not all can use GPS because of siting, horizon, zoning, legal, and other issues. Not everyone can erect antenna towers. There is nothing else, except perhaps WWV or CHU on HF. -John == I cannot think of a time-nuts WWVB reference requirement that cannot be better satisfied with a GPSDO. Will  NIST publish a public domain reference circuit? That would allay patent concerns. -- Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX N2469R   c...@omen.com  www.omen.com Developer of Industrial ZMODEM(Tm) for Embedded Applications   Omen Technology Inc    The High Reliability Software 10255 NW Old Cornelius Pass Portland OR 97231  503-614-0430 ___ 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 mailing
Re: [time-nuts] WOT: Identify this movie
It sounds familiar, but I can't put a finger on it. For some reason, it reminds me of the Lovecraft story about the circular prison complex that the prisoners had to rotate one cell at a time via a big rope once a day. .. -Dave - Original Message - From: Bill Hawkins b...@iaxs.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Monday, September 24, 2012 11:05:13 PM Subject: [time-nuts] WOT: Identify this movie It's a dark and quiet night, and list traffic is way down, so please forgive me for this way off topic request. I'm writing a book about automation and have a chapter on the future thereof. I have a dim memory of a TV show or movie in black and white that has the teeming billions of earth living in high-rise buildings, each in a self- contained room. Occasionally, they work by pedaling a machine that generates electricity for the tower. Their leader exorts them to work harder through a wall-sized TV set. Does anybody recognize that scenario? At least one writer has suggested welfare dormitories for the 50% of workers made redundant by automation around 2050. Would like to get it into the book if I had a reference. Note the use of a time in the future to stay near topic. Bill Hawkins ___ 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] Be aware of test equipment seller orzel-enterprisesoneBay
Which means, of course, that it's almost impossible to make a profit on heavy, low cost items. I used to go out of my way to make sure my buyers were paying the actual shipping costs, but after all ebay's changes, it's easier to estimate worse case shipping coast to coast, or do free shipping with plenty of shipping built into the fixed price. -Dave - Ebay fees don't reflect shipping cost, so the seller makes more money by inflating the shipping price, even if it reduces the final sales price. That used to be the case but ebay now charges on the final price including shipping. ___ 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] Be aware of test equipment seller orzel-enterprises on eBay
But it's wrapped with bubble-wrap, surely that's enough, right? ;-) I once received a RM502 scope that was similarly packed; it was a testament to Tek's robustness that it wasn't damaged and actually worked out of the box. -Dave - Original Message - From: David Kirkby david.kir...@onetel.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Monday, September 10, 2012 3:16:55 PM Subject: [time-nuts] Be aware of test equipment seller orzel-enterprises on eBay I hope the list admin does not mind this email, but I think it will be useful to any time nut buying test equipment from eBay. orzel-enterprises sells electronic test equipment on eBay. I would advise anyone to think twice before purchasing from him. This is how he shipped a vector network analyzer and S-parameter test set which I won on an auction for $2750. It was shipped from the USA to the UK. http://boxen.math.washington.edu/home/kirkby/damaged-VNA-by-inadequate-packaging/badly-shipped-8753A-and-85046A.jpg Note the box is far too small, and so obviously both units suffered damage. He takes no reponsibility for this, and originally expected me to ship it back at my expense, and still pay the shipping charges from the USA. So I'd pay for two international shipments, as well as customs duties. After I pointed out Paypal would expect him to pay the shipping to me, he has agreed to refund the USA - UK shipping charges, but he still expects me to pay the UK - USA shipping costs. I object to this, since it was his total stupidity the thing not damaged. I don't see why I should pay for someone elses stupidity. Dave. ___ 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] Thunderbolt mounting
When I had my Tbolt running full time, I just had it sitting in the bottom corner of a bookcase that was hard to get to (Tek 7104 on a cart packed with other gear too was in the way, along with piles of other things). No drafts, so the temp stayed pretty constant. It was taken out of full service when I got a Z3801. I want to build a home for it and my two Rb units in a temp controlled box, but haven't gotten there yet. -Dave - Original Message - From: Gary Fiber gfi...@comcast.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 4:12:04 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt mounting I have mine in a nice case along with the switcher supply. Am debating on the need of including a small fan. I made a shelf from 2 sided PCB material and mounted the Thunderbolt onto that shelf. The switching power supply sits below the Thunderbolt mounted to the case bottom. Gary Fiber K8IZ Sent from my iPad On Jul 11, 2012, at 10:28 AM, Peter Gottlieb n...@verizon.net wrote: I would like to put my Thunderbolt into a chassis with power supply and would like to have the most favorable thermal environment since the unit is somewhat temperature dependent. I was thinking of mounting the unit in insulating material, but am worried it will get too hot to the point the temp control loop won't work properly. Has anyone experimented with this and found the best solution? I would like to remove the strong dependence on room temperature that I have currently. Peter On Jul 11, 2012, at 11:18 AM, Gary Fiber gfi...@comcast.net wrote: I purchased a Trimble Thunderbolt. Is there a web page or does someone have a set of written steps to set up the Thunderbolt? There are quite a few adjustments available for it and it makes sense to me not to reinvent the wheel. I have googled and got some results using Tboltmon. Have tried Lady Heather, but have to figure out just how to utilize that program. Have the Thunderbolt, a Mean Well 60 watt supply, have I hope is a decent antenna arriving Friday. Am intending on using the 19 MHz output for a time base for my HP-8935A and HP-8656B. Gary Fiber K8IZ Sent from my iPad ___ 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.
Re: [time-nuts] Humor break
Obviously, it's not a REACH to say that SIN was probably involved here... :-) Ok, I'll go away now... -Dave - Original Message - From: Jean-Louis Oneto jean-louis.on...@obs-azur.fr To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Monday, June 11, 2012 2:44:31 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Humor break It seems that ROHS is involved: (tin) whiskers ? On 11/06/2012 21:14, Bill Hawkins wrote: Celia Rivenbark of Wilmington, NC, wrote a piece about an accident on a Florida highway, headline Driving and shaving just don't mix. In it she remarked that the woman who caused the accident appears to have a face that would stop a clock and raise hell with small watches. What I love about life is that you learn something new every day. Who would have dreamed that watches could be affected too. Bill Hawkins ___ 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. -- Jean-Louis Oneto OCA GeoAzur - Avenue Nicolas Copernic 06130 Grasse - France e-mail: jean-louis.on...@obs-azur.fr ___ 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] Paywall rant
It's good to know you can still wander in. I used to go there to browse on rainy days when I had nothing to do (pre-internet, of course). -Dave - Original Message - From: Rick Karlquist rich...@karlquist.com To: li...@lazygranch.com, Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Tuesday, June 5, 2012 4:03:33 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Paywall rant li...@lazygranch.com wrote: Terman Library (Stanford) used let any schmuck use the computers in the library. You could email the articles to yourself. Now it requires a password. BTW, the library in Terman hall is the Engineering Library not the Terman Library. A common misconception. Rick ___ 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] LightSquared in the news again
A law firm with a technology department? -Dave - Original Message - From: Michael Blazer mbla...@satx.rr.com To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Monday, June 4, 2012 7:44:26 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] LightSquared in the news again It's not a technology company if it has more lawyers than engineers. Mike On 6/4/2012 7:33 PM, Eric Williams wrote: Typical of technology companies that have more lawyers on staff than engineers. On Mon, Jun 4, 2012 at 5:09 PM, Tom Knoxact...@hotmail.com wrote: Lightsquared is like a cockroach every time you think it is dead it shows up again. Thomas Knox 1-303-554-0307 Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2012 19:25:22 -0400 To: time-nuts@febo.com From: charles_steinm...@lavabit.com Subject: [time-nuts] LightSquared in the news again From today's communications news (fair use): LightSquared stressed its intention to deploy a nationwide 4G wireless broadband network, during a meeting with Angela Giancarlo, chief of staff to FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell. The commission has some legal and policy responses it can take to address the inability of a limited number of GPS receivers to operate properly in spectrum that has not been allocated for GPS use, the company said in an ex parte filing. It said the actions proposed in the commission's Feb. 15 public notice revoking its ancillary terrestrial component are disproportionate and inappropriate, especially in light of the current administrative record. http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view;jsessionid=PbLJPNCL1F1v170xHrQhXLJlClpRjS2DfgWX7c4CqvvhwQlgG2nn!-1221852939!NONE?id=7021921317 ___ 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 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] In the atomclock repairshop...
Sometimes half the fun of a new album was the great artwork and goodies contained inside. Another bygone art form. I never did get excited by CDs and tiny artwork. I thoroughly enjoyed the article, along with the google translation. -Dave - Original Message - From: Chuck Harris cfhar...@erols.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2012 4:55:32 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] In the atomclock repairshop... That we even know what an LP sleeve is gives a pretty good clue about what a bunch of old goats we are ;-) -Chuck Magnus Danielson wrote: On 04/26/2012 12:37 AM, Tom Harris wrote: The portrait of your good self on page 4 A night seance in rubidium lamp light is superb, I would guess that this is inspired by a LP sleeve. Yes, indeed it is. Now, which LP sleeve is it? We have the age for it here. ___ 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] Fwd: FE-5680A Contact FEI
Or worse, they will start requiring their scrappers to use a drill press or punch to render the physics package unusable. I've seen this done locally by hard drive manufacturers- hundreds of pounds of working HDs destroyed on purpose on a regular basis. If they only scrap killed units, no one will want to reverse engineer them. -Dave - Original Message - From: Mike McCauley mi...@open.com.au To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2012 11:02:28 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Fwd: FE-5680A Contact FEI Hmmm, Seems they dont realise that their lack of cooperation will lead, not to protecting their product, but rather to the massive, public reverse engineering of it? On Friday, February 17, 2012 05:43:49 PM Gerald Molenkamp wrote: I have written to them on several occasions about 56 Sent via Gerald's iPad Begin forwarded message: From: Peter Gottlieb n...@verizon.net Date: 16 February 2012 10:58:10 AEDT To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Subject: Re: [time-nuts] FE-5680A Contact FEI Reply-To: n...@verizon.net, Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com I haven't personally tried but others have reported they were somewhat less than cooperative. Peter On 2/15/2012 6:23 PM, Bill Riches wrote: Just curious, Has anyone on this list actually contacted FEI and enquired about a schematic or other info about our 5680 units? They are still being sold by them. 73, Bill Riches, WA2DVU Cape May, NJ ___ 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. - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1424 / Virus Database: 2112/4811 - Release Date: 02/15/12 ___ 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. -- Mike McCauley mi...@open.com.au Open System Consultants Pty. Ltd 9 Bulbul Place Currumbin Waters QLD 4223 Australia http://www.open.com.au Phone +61 7 5598-7474 Fax +61 7 5598-7070 Radiator: the most portable, flexible and configurable RADIUS server anywhere. SQL, proxy, DBM, files, LDAP, NIS+, password, NT, Emerald, Platypus, Freeside, TACACS+, PAM, external, Active Directory, EAP, TLS, TTLS, PEAP, TNC, WiMAX, RSA, Vasco, Yubikey, MOTP, HOTP, TOTP, DIAMETER etc. Full source on Unix, Windows, MacOSX, Solaris, VMS, NetWare etc. ___ 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] FE5680 missing PPS soln
I was hoping that pulling the lock LED from my setup would clear up my PPS signal, but no luck. I'm now getting a 4.545Khz sawtooth with 10Mhz noise. I need to peek at the input to the 74AC240. -Dave - Original Message - From: Attila Kinali att...@kinali.ch To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, February 3, 2012 4:55:20 AM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] FE5680 missing PPS soln On Fri, 3 Feb 2012 09:50:52 - Rob Kimberley robkimber...@btinternet.com wrote: Mine was a green LED out of the junk box, but I did use 330R in series. 1k8 seems rather large. Then i'm not surprised that your FE-5680 refused to work :-) Just calculate: 5V supply, approx 2V LED voltage - 3V over the resistor. 3V/330R = 90mA. As i wrote already, the 74AC240 has it's absolute maximum rating at 50mA. For a general logic output, i wouldn't recomend to draw more than 10mA (as Bob Grant wrote, the lock signal doesn't seem to pass trough the 74AC240). Hence, i would say that 330R seems rather small :-) Keep in mind that you drove circuit at over current for quite a long time. The circuit is most likely damaged (if they dont have an over current limit, which i doubt). If for an unknown reason the lock signal fails in the future, it might be due to this. 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 ___ 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] Intro Q: Racal-Dana 1991 or 1992 Counter ?
You mean you can't take it with you?! It will (hopefully) be a long time before I get to that point, because it sounds boring already. -Dave - Original Message - From: Bill Hawkins b...@iaxs.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2012 1:40:06 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Intro Q: Racal-Dana 1991 or 1992 Counter ? IMHO, the RACAL 1992 is an excellent frequency and phase tool, with its 9 digit display. The Phase AB feature allows fine comparison of two 10 MHz inputs. Don't know the 91. The cure for time-nuttery is to get old, and realize that your collection of equipment will prevent you from being able to move to assisted living. Bill Hawkins -Original Message- From: cfo Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2012 2:58 PM Hello Nuts I'm a Danish radio ham , and have recently picked up electronics again. I'm programming AVR ARM controllers , and doing some basic electronics stuff. I am rusty in analog electronics , and even have to lookup how to calculate a base resistor on a bjt. --%--- snip And now back to the Racal-Dana 1991 or 1992 Counter question. I might need a TIC , and the HP5070 + shipping is to much. So i was wondering about one of the above mentioned Racal's. I have a nice offer on a 1991 , but can get a 1992 also ? Witch one would you recommend for general Nut usage. 73 de OZ1FTG CFO Ps: I suppose the above sounds familiar. Has anyone found a cure the yet ___ 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] New unit of time measurement
I like the ped-countdown displays here (San Jose, US) because I can better judge if I'll need to stop or not when approaching an intersection. I've noticed the drivers getting worse and worse about following basic laws like stopping at red lights. Rush hour only makes things worse- at the freeway on ramp intersection near where I work, an average of 5 cars go through the intersection after the light turns green for the other direction. To be fair, I've done the same when I am carrying something delicate and mis-judged the light, but these people just want to get home faster- I've often wished we could shoot offending cars with indelible paint balls... and the CHP could write tickets when you had enough hits on your car... Worst offenders? BMW and Audi drivers... I can dream... -Dave - Original Message - From: Poul-Henning Kamp p...@phk.freebsd.dk To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Sunday, January 15, 2012 10:31:45 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] New unit of time measurement In message 2867F1FA0E254465AF8CA85C85ED0C79@narvik, David J Taylor writes: In China I've seen down-counting LED displays for the red sign. But this is just to simple for Europe. Badly. I've certainly seen countdown display for pedestrians in several European cities. They are not used for cars here in Denmark because a certain testosterone driven segment of drivers think they are in pole-position when they see a count-down. -- 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. ___ 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] Odd pulses on 1PPS output- 5680A
Finally got a chance to play with my 5680A, and was happy to see that it locks in about 45 seconds from cold. The messy 10Mhz output is about 80mVpp, but the weird thing is the output on pin 6 (1PPS). The output is a 20 microsecond, 1.8Vpp, square wave that is clean on top, but rings like crazy on the bottom. When zoomed in on, the 10Mhz signal can be seen as noise on this output. My PS output is clean and the 5v is being provided by an inline 7805 (with caps). The onboard switcher section is not populated, so I'm at a loss as to where the signal is coming from. -Dave ___ 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] FE-5680A arrived
Mine is 0436 (still untested- too busy) -Dave - Original Message - From: Peter Gottlieb n...@verizon.net To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 8:09:51 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] FE-5680A arrived Got another one today, date code 0435. On 1/10/2012 10:48 PM, Peter Bell wrote: Hi, Joseph The unit number just seems to be a mechanical serial number - all you can really say about it is that higher numbers are newer. The most useful number is the 4 digit prefix on the serial number - this is an EIA format date code (two digits of year, two digits of week) - all the units I've seen have been from '03 or '04 - the newest one I have is 0420 - so dating from early June 2004. There is also another date / revision label on the main PCB (visible by removing the bottom cover) - this seems to be the PCBA build date. Regards, Pete On Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 9:03 AM, Joseph Grayjg...@zianet.com wrote: With all the talk on the list about these things, and considering the price, I could no longer resist temptation and ordered two from nichegeek. First, I was amazed at the speed at which I received these units. The order was placed last Friday, the shipment went out late Saturday and I received them today (Tuesday). In my experience, it has always taken two weeks or more to receive anything from China. I couldn't believe I got these in just three days. BTW, I paid $38 each with the free shipping. An outstanding deal IMO. I also received the semi-useless freebies. My only quibble so far is that both units were packed in nothing more than a large envelope, with a thin layer of bubble wrap added. Nothing is dented or rattling around, so hopefully they are OK. I'm just about to wire up a cable and power them on, so I'll know soon. The units I got have numbers of UN 71xxx and UN 78xxx. I don't know exactly what this means, but according to the ebay sellers, they are claiming that 6 and 7 numbers indicate newer units. Can anyone decipher this number sequence? Joe Gray W5JG ___ 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. - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1416 / Virus Database: 2109/4134 - Release Date: 01/10/12 ___ 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] FE-5680A Shipping question
I finally broke down and bought one too- mine took about 10 days to get to the west coast. -Dave - Original Message - From: paul swed paulsw...@gmail.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 7:27:13 AM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] FE-5680A Shipping question Yes the free shipping by post is about 4 to 5 weeks. Regards Paul On Fri, Dec 30, 2011 at 10:24 AM, mike cook michael.c...@sfr.fr wrote: Mine was slow, but I expected it. 25/11-28/12. Le 30/12/2011 11:30, Rob Kimberley a écrit : I bought a couple of these on EBay recently. Would like to know from the group what the typical shipping times have been so far from China. Cheers Rob Kimberley __**_ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/** mailman/listinfo/time-nutshttps://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-nutshttps://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] Speaking of shipments from China
I've never had to pay any duty for shipments from China, Japan, Europe, etc -Dave - Original Message - From: li...@lazygranch.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 3:41:43 PM Subject: [time-nuts] Speaking of shipments from China I got a feebay shipment from China today. Duty? No problem, it was declared a gift. ;-) ___ 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] eBay Giveaway Vectron OCXOs
Depending on how old these OCXOs are, I may have an original datasheet for them. Most of my collection is early to mid 90's. -Dave - Original Message - From: Javier Herrero jherr...@hvsistemas.es To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, December 23, 2011 12:37:10 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] eBay Giveaway Vectron OCXOs El 23/12/2011 20:38, Hal Murray escribió: Running it at 5V with a Ref out at 4.8V would seem too close. Maybe it's a 12V part? Has anybody traced out the board? Is the power to the OCXO connected to one of the power rails feeding the Rb? The OCXO is supplied separately and does not seem to be part of the board :) Regards, Javier ___ 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] eBay Giveaway Vectron OCXOs
Figures... -Dave - Original Message - From: Dan Rae dan...@verizon.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, December 23, 2011 12:59:11 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] eBay Giveaway Vectron OCXOs On 12/23/2011 12:42 PM, d.sei...@comcast.net wrote: Depending on how old these OCXOs are, I may have an original datasheet for them. Most of my collection is early to mid 90's. Dave, obviously it would be great if you did have one, but from the data sheets, Vectron assigned an arbitrary part number suffix to the generic number once you ordered the options you want, in this case the -18 suffix, and it can't easily be translated back... Dan ___ 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] Bad GPS location
I don't know why anyone would want to buy a house within a homeowner association. It's too bad you can't install an antenna at the top of a tree, but all that swaying around can't be good. -Dave - Original Message - From: Peter Gottlieb n...@verizon.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2011 4:49:15 AM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Bad GPS location Cities with tall buildings can be even worse (canyon effect). Plenty of flags in CA...actually, I've seen more prominently displayed on my trips there than I have in KS, for example. I find condo and homeowner association rules to be FAR worse than zoning regulations. On 10/13/2011 12:53 AM, Perry Sandeen wrote: Wrote: There are places, like a lot thick with 100' pine trees, that satellites are pretty much unusable. A tower is out of the question due to zoning Perhaps it’s time for the old Flagpole antenna. Unless of course one lives in California where displaying the American flag might be considered “provocative” to someone or something. Regards, Perrier ___ 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. - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1410 / Virus Database: 1522/3948 - Release Date: 10/12/11 ___ 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] Am I the only Time Nut who doesn't wear a watch?
I fall into this category too. I used to wear an Avocet altimeter watch all the time, but once the last of the three I had could no longer be fixed, I just kind of gave up. I don't usually carry a cellphone either. I keep thinking I should get a watch for those occations when I might actually need one, but I rarely see any I like. Dave ___ 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: At the Flea
As I recall, Gilbert also offered some sort of Atomic energy lab set in the early 50's; they'd probably have to call in the hazmat folks if one of those appeared at a flea market. Dave - Original Message - From: Chris Albertson albertson.ch...@gmail.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Monday, April 18, 2011 7:55:36 AM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] OT: At the Flea On Mon, Apr 18, 2011 at 5:48 AM, aartmol...@comcast.net wrote: On CSPAN's Book TV yesterday the President of Dow Chemical stated that their *starting* salary for newly graduated chemical engineers is now $120K. That $10 chemistry set might have been a good investment. That kids father was either really smart or stupid. We don't know. He could of been a chemist and read the content and made an informed decision. For example, no we are not heating Mercury in an open test tube, not in my house. Or he could have been ignorant and had a fear of chemicals not knowing what scary sounding things like sodium chloride is. If it was a 50's vintage set I'd not be surprised if there was something really dangerous in there. After all this was the period when they sold hot chassis TV sets and cars with no seat belts just to save a buck or two. -- = Chris Albertson Redondo Beach, California ___ 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: End of an Era
Last time I drove by (Thursday) they were still there; maybe they were working on the one closest to Yahoo (or maybe I was just worn out and didn't notice). I'd love to have one moved to my back yard, but the neighbors would probably complain (and the power lines would be too close). Dave - Original Message - From: k6...@comcast.net To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Saturday, December 4, 2010 1:00:59 PM Subject: [time-nuts] OT: End of an Era The last two steerable dishes at Onizuka AFB (The Blue Cube) in Silicon Valley are being disassembled. One of those local landmarks, highway 237 at Mathilda. Did anyone see them listed on eBay? cheers-- Bob Martin K6RTM ___ 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 loosing things
The LW would explain missing single socks, pens, etc. The local randomness is probably a quantum effect... Dave - Original Message - From: Steve Rooke sar10...@gmail.com To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 2:11:06 AM Subject: [time-nuts] OT loosing things While repairing my LCD monitor, I took off my glasses so as to be able to see better close up as I'm VERY short sighted and even the vari-focals my optician prescribes can no longer get me close enough to solder properly. Without them on, I can focus VERY close but the range is VERY short, being just a few inches. So I completed the work involving a few stages without putting the glasses back on just to save time but, when I went to grope around and try to find them, I could not. So where did I put the blessed things, and after a period of serious extended looking around, blind panic started to set in. What the dickens had I done with them! So I ended up shuffling out of the workshop, through the house, stumbling over the dogs, and up to the bedroom to, eventually, find my spare pair. On my return to the workshop I still could not find the glasses looked everywhere. A cup of tea ensued and I took a less panicky search only to find they had fallen down the back of some gear, or maybe it was the fairies at the bottom of my garden which had done it. I concluded that in my blinded state of putting them down in the first place, I had obviously chosen an poor safe place. After this I got to thinking and wondered if there is perhaps something darker happening here. My current theory is that there is something called a Lost Wormhole which moves around randomly and removes items from there current place, setting them down in some completely different dimension. So the chances of loosing something increases in proportion to the time that the item is left somewhere due to the increased probability of it being borrowed by the LW. Now, all is not lost as the LW is a two way pipe and so eventually your lost item will be dropped back somewhere in your vicinity but probably not where you thought you had left it. To my mind, this seems to fit my experience of the way the World seems to work and I'm sure there is some law here. For the humour challenged, this message is :) rated. Please feel free to comment on my theory but perhaps this should be via PM. Thank you for your time, Steve -- Steve Rooke - ZL3TUV G8KVD The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once. - Einstein ___ 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 loosing things
Not ususally, anyway; my daughter has some with toes that are. Maybe high-end socks? -Dave - Original Message - From: J. Forster j...@quik.com To: Steve Rooke sar10...@gmail.com Cc: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 3:52:06 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] OT loosing things Socks, not gloves. AFAIK, socks are not handed. -John = On 13/11/2010, J. Forster j...@quik.com wrote: The sock problem has a simple, and obvious, solution. When you buy socks, buy a several year supply, all identical. When you no longer have more than 1 pair, buy a new batch. But what if you loose all the left or right foot socks (Murphy's Law applies here), you'll end up buying more when just half of them are lost. Steve QED. -John = The LW would explain missing single socks, pens, etc. The local randomness is probably a quantum effect... Dave - Original Message - From: Steve Rooke sar10...@gmail.com To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 2:11:06 AM Subject: [time-nuts] OT loosing things While repairing my LCD monitor, I took off my glasses so as to be able to see better close up as I'm VERY short sighted and even the vari-focals my optician prescribes can no longer get me close enough to solder properly. Without them on, I can focus VERY close but the range is VERY short, being just a few inches. So I completed the work involving a few stages without putting the glasses back on just to save time but, when I went to grope around and try to find them, I could not. So where did I put the blessed things, and after a period of serious extended looking around, blind panic started to set in. What the dickens had I done with them! So I ended up shuffling out of the workshop, through the house, stumbling over the dogs, and up to the bedroom to, eventually, find my spare pair. On my return to the workshop I still could not find the glasses looked everywhere. A cup of tea ensued and I took a less panicky search only to find they had fallen down the back of some gear, or maybe it was the fairies at the bottom of my garden which had done it. I concluded that in my blinded state of putting them down in the first place, I had obviously chosen an poor safe place. After this I got to thinking and wondered if there is perhaps something darker happening here. My current theory is that there is something called a Lost Wormhole which moves around randomly and removes items from there current place, setting them down in some completely different dimension. So the chances of loosing something increases in proportion to the time that the item is left somewhere due to the increased probability of it being borrowed by the LW. Now, all is not lost as the LW is a two way pipe and so eventually your lost item will be dropped back somewhere in your vicinity but probably not where you thought you had left it. To my mind, this seems to fit my experience of the way the World seems to work and I'm sure there is some law here. For the humour challenged, this message is :) rated. Please feel free to comment on my theory but perhaps this should be via PM. Thank you for your time, Steve -- Steve Rooke - ZL3TUV G8KVD The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once. - Einstein ___ 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. -- Steve Rooke - ZL3TUV G8KVD The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once. - Einstein ___ 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 loosing things
LOL- They don't get lost, it's mine that vanish and turn up randomly. Dave - Original Message - From: Mike Feher mfe...@eozinc.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 4:35:54 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] OT loosing things Well, how often do you loose your daughters socks? - Mike B. Feher, EOZ Inc. 89 Arnold Blvd. Howell, NJ, 07731 732-886-5960 office 908-901-9193 cell -Original Message- From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On Behalf Of d.sei...@comcast.net Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 7:10 PM To: j...@quik.com; Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Subject: Re: [time-nuts] OT loosing things Not ususally, anyway; my daughter has some with toes that are. Maybe high-end socks? -Dave - Original Message - From: J. Forster j...@quik.com To: Steve Rooke sar10...@gmail.com Cc: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 3:52:06 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] OT loosing things Socks, not gloves. AFAIK, socks are not handed. -John = On 13/11/2010, J. Forster j...@quik.com wrote: The sock problem has a simple, and obvious, solution. When you buy socks, buy a several year supply, all identical. When you no longer have more than 1 pair, buy a new batch. But what if you loose all the left or right foot socks (Murphy's Law applies here), you'll end up buying more when just half of them are lost. Steve QED. -John = The LW would explain missing single socks, pens, etc. The local randomness is probably a quantum effect... Dave - Original Message - From: Steve Rooke sar10...@gmail.com To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 2:11:06 AM Subject: [time-nuts] OT loosing things While repairing my LCD monitor, I took off my glasses so as to be able to see better close up as I'm VERY short sighted and even the vari-focals my optician prescribes can no longer get me close enough to solder properly. Without them on, I can focus VERY close but the range is VERY short, being just a few inches. So I completed the work involving a few stages without putting the glasses back on just to save time but, when I went to grope around and try to find them, I could not. So where did I put the blessed things, and after a period of serious extended looking around, blind panic started to set in. What the dickens had I done with them! So I ended up shuffling out of the workshop, through the house, stumbling over the dogs, and up to the bedroom to, eventually, find my spare pair. On my return to the workshop I still could not find the glasses looked everywhere. A cup of tea ensued and I took a less panicky search only to find they had fallen down the back of some gear, or maybe it was the fairies at the bottom of my garden which had done it. I concluded that in my blinded state of putting them down in the first place, I had obviously chosen an poor safe place. After this I got to thinking and wondered if there is perhaps something darker happening here. My current theory is that there is something called a Lost Wormhole which moves around randomly and removes items from there current place, setting them down in some completely different dimension. So the chances of loosing something increases in proportion to the time that the item is left somewhere due to the increased probability of it being borrowed by the LW. Now, all is not lost as the LW is a two way pipe and so eventually your lost item will be dropped back somewhere in your vicinity but probably not where you thought you had left it. To my mind, this seems to fit my experience of the way the World seems to work and I'm sure there is some law here. For the humour challenged, this message is :) rated. Please feel free to comment on my theory but perhaps this should be via PM. Thank you for your time, Steve -- Steve Rooke - ZL3TUV G8KVD The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once. - Einstein ___ 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. -- Steve Rooke - ZL3TUV G8KVD The only reason for time is so that
Re: [time-nuts] Why .30 cal holes can't be seen at 800 yds...
Since when is the Anarchist Cookbook censored??? I have an original copy that I'm saving for a sale about 30 years from now. ($$$ I hope) It's really a rather simple publication with too much obvious information and questionable recipes, or so I've been told by people who should know. Dave - Original Message - From: Mike Feher mfe...@eozinc.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Wednesday, November 3, 2010 4:35:37 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Why .30 cal holes can't be seen at 800 yds... Well, I really have not contributed much if anything to this thread, and this will be no exception. However, it does remind me of my youth and specifically of some of my non electronics related activities. Of course, what I am about to disclose below, today would label me a terrorist. In the late 50's and early 60's besides electronics, a bunch of my friends and I were also interested in explosives and the reactions that various chemical combinations could bring. All of the required ingredients were available in any drug store, off the shelf. None of our interests had to do with actually creating havoc, or harm, but just the ability to do them. The now censored The Anarchist Cookbook is a joke compared to what we used to improvise, and, no one ever got hurt. What triggered me to respond to this post was the explosion upon impact statement. I devised a very unique, at the time, device that worked just the way I wanted. I had a pump action .22 caliber air pistol, on which I made a mount to place a rifle scope. It was awesome. Anyway, the .22 pellets were hollow, so, inside, in the very front, I place the tip of a self igniting match and followed it with gunpowder. Gunpowder of course was readily available either from bullets (shot gun) or I just made it. Then I epoxied the end to seal it. Overnight they were ready to go. Real neat. When shot, upon impact, they of course would explode. Since at the time I was considered one of the brains at high school, and all my teachers were my buddies, they had no objection to me having this pistol in my briefcase at school. Heck, I even was a baby sitter for a lot of their kids, and, of course, I repaired their broken TVs and radios. I even helped one build a house. The last several years of HS, a lot of my teachers signed my yearbook as To 007. I still have those yearbooks, and the best is the one where one teacher signed it To 007 - From Dr. No. I better save the more volatile experiments and adventures for another time, as this has nothing to do with time-nuts, other than to prove that besides time, we are all kind of nuts. Regards - Mike Mike B. Feher, EOZ Inc. 89 Arnold Blvd. Howell, NJ, 07731 732-886-5960 office 908-901-9193 cell -Original Message- From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On Behalf Of Bill Hawkins Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2010 5:39 PM To: 'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement' Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Why .30 cal holes can't be seen at 800 yds... Group, I haven't been following this thread that won't die, but I've contributed to others :^) If the problem is that it is expensive to detect when a bullet hits a target half a mile away, then have I got a solution for you! Visit any friendly neighborhood terrorist supply store and buy a small quantity of PETN, or any other explosive that can be detonated by the impact of a bullet. Smear a coating of this over the area of the target that you intend to hit. When you hit the target, there will be a very bright flash with a very fast propagation velocity, which should be adequate for the average 10X scope and photosensor. No, I don't know where to find a terrorist supply store. Perhaps you can make do with the PETN in blasting caps, or brew up a batch of nitrogen tri-iodide, as any college freshman could do in the fifties. Or try the powders from a Very pistol flare. Yours for more creative solutions, Bill Hawkins ___ 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] Time of death-Again
Wasn't there a sci-fi movie with a similar scene? (guy riding bomb, but in space) I know I've seen it, but can't place it. Dave - Original Message - From: Michael Conlen michael.con...@ncf.edu To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 9:42:11 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Time of death-Again Remember though, they were flying low to stay under radar and evade the enemy while going for their secondary target because they couldn't reach the first. They dropped from a pretty low target, and probably didn't care since as far as they could tell the world wasn't going to be worth living in if they got back. On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 6:51 PM, Perry Sandeen sandee...@yahoo.com wrote: Gents, Wrote: If you want a sub-microsecond time of death, sit on a bomb like Major T. J. King Kong in Dr. Strangelove, and get your friends to time and triangulate the prompt radiation. That should be good to a few 10's of nanoseconds. Absolutely Not So! The H-Bombs are slowed by parachutes so the bomber can get away. The outside temperature for a B-52 at operating altitude over Russia would likely be at least minus 60 degrees F. Major T, since he was wearing an indoor uniform, would become a solid block of ice before the bomb went off so his TOD has a variance of time between when became a solid chunk of ice and the time of instant defrosting. This could be 30 to 60 seconds. Totally un-acceptable accuracy for even the cadet grade newbe time-nut ;) Why, anyone accepting such an error would have to answer to the Coca Cola company distributor at Burpelson Air Force Base. Carpay Diem, Carpell Tunnel-Whatever Regards, Perrier ___ 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] Maintaining boatanchors
I work with a guy who worked there for years as a CE. He still has contacts; it's a real long shot, but I'll give it a shot. -Dave - Original Message - From: Jason Rabel ja...@extremeoverclocking.com To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Monday, October 25, 2010 12:06:10 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Maintaining boatanchors I wish Symmetricom would release source to the old TrueTime / Datum products... But I'm sure most of that source code has been lost / thrown away. For instance, the older network time servers are much cooler to me than the new models. The old stuff was custom designed and specifically written / tweaked by hand. The newer time servers are just off-the-shelf single board computers, a GPS module, and then *maybe* a custom oscillator module Then they just run on a *nix OS with some small custom scripts to do the timing and automate setup... Just not the same... HP had a program called NOMAS (Not Manufacturer Supported) where they did release the source code to some of their calculator products ___ 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] I have a new toy
I have it's slightly younger cousin, a Wavetek 5100; I thought mine had a 10MHz reference, but I could be wrong. Never had an issue with it. -Dave - Original Message - From: Larry Snyder lar...@teamlarry.com To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 4:51:10 PM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] I have a new toy Magnus Danielson mag...@rubidium.dyndns.org wrote: On 10/25/2010 05:08 AM, paul swed wrote: Never heard of one before indeed interesting More or less exactly what I was thinking myself. Would guess it uses the mix and divide strategy used in many of the decade synthesizers of it's time. I have an older cousin of it, the Rockland 5100. 1 mHz steps from 0 - 2 MHz, 8 MHz reference. It's handy for verifying music tuning gear. -ls- ___ 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] 60 KHz Receiver
The city of Sunnyvale was thinking of replacing it (the Blue Cube, etc) with car dealerships, but decided against it because only 3 dealers would fit. I was happy; who needs more car dealers? They now want to do something that won't increase traffic too much. They also just opened a bike trail in the wetlands behind Moffet (in reality, it took them a few years to remove 2 locks). There are still signs back there banning cameras (or they were there a year ago). Dave - Original Message - From: J. Forster j...@quik.com To: bro...@pacific.net, Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Saturday, October 9, 2010 9:27:20 AM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] 60 KHz Receiver About the only doors in the place that did not have electronic combo locks were the bathrooms. Sad to see it's being shut down. IMO, it was one of the kewl places to be in the heddy early days of space. OTOH, it probably makes some sense to muve the thing into the bowels of a mountain somewhere. FWIW, -John == Hi Dave: Yes, it was right on the central expressway and was part of the GTE military electronics complex. Hi John: My recollection of the antennas at the Blue Cube is that they are out in the open. See photo at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Cube Have Fun, Brooke Clarke http://www.PRC68.com d.sei...@comcast.net wrote: We had similar dome in Sunnyvale (Ca) until the late 80's, but I can't remember who owned it, maybe GE?; it's all housing now. Dave - Original Message - From: Arthur Dentgolgarfrinc...@yahoo.com To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, October 8, 2010 5:06:34 AM Subject: [time-nuts] 60 KHz Receiver Lester Veenstra-“No, Andover Maine.� The white Dacron fabric dome of the station in Andover, Maine, really stood out and could be seen by hikers on the tops of mountains miles away. Somewhere I have photos I took looking down at that white speck in the distance. On one of my hiking trips I stopped to check out the facility. The Dacron fabric dome that was held up only by air pressure (like a carnival funhouse) was still standing but was scheduled to be taken down in the near future. Below is a link to a video about Telstar that appeared on the History Channel and another link to still photos of the horn and the inside of the dome. The date given for removal in the second link was 1985 but I was thinking the dome was removed a few years later than that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyfGuSmSHWM http://users658.mainememory.net/slideshow/386/display%3Fformat=listprev_object_id=1050prev_object=pageslide_num=1.html -Arthur ___ 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. -- Have Fun, Brooke Clarke http://www.PRC68.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. ___ 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] 60 KHz Receiver
We had similar dome in Sunnyvale (Ca) until the late 80's, but I can't remember who owned it, maybe GE?; it's all housing now. Dave - Original Message - From: Arthur Dent golgarfrinc...@yahoo.com To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, October 8, 2010 5:06:34 AM Subject: [time-nuts] 60 KHz Receiver Lester Veenstra-“No, Andover Maine.” The white Dacron fabric dome of the station in Andover, Maine, really stood out and could be seen by hikers on the tops of mountains miles away. Somewhere I have photos I took looking down at that white speck in the distance. On one of my hiking trips I stopped to check out the facility. The Dacron fabric dome that was held up only by air pressure (like a carnival funhouse) was still standing but was scheduled to be taken down in the near future. Below is a link to a video about Telstar that appeared on the History Channel and another link to still photos of the horn and the inside of the dome. The date given for removal in the second link was 1985 but I was thinking the dome was removed a few years later than that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyfGuSmSHWM http://users658.mainememory.net/slideshow/386/display%3Fformat=listprev_object_id=1050prev_object=pageslide_num=1.html -Arthur ___ 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] Thunderbolt initial check out?
Between Tboltmon and Ladyheather, you'll see that your unit either works or it doesn't. My bet is that it will work just fine, even if the antenna is indoors- and then you won't be able to stop watching it (esp. with lady heather) for at least a few hours... Have fun! Dave - Original Message - From: russell rstanph...@austin.rr.com To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2010 4:47:54 PM Subject: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt initial check out? This is my first attempt at having a time reference for my home lab. I have recently ordered a pulled / untested Tbolt (board in box wo/ power supply) from ebay. It has a 5 day right to return if non functional. While waiting to receive the unit, I have been getting things ready here (antenna, power supplies w/ connector, and TboltMon). My question. Is there a check out procedure or list of things that I can test quickly to determine if I have received a functional unit with a decent oscillator? I just want to make sure I have not been sent a dud. Longer term I can read more, learn, monitor and tweak its performance. I am only trying to make sure I have a good platform to start with. Thanks for you advice / comments. ___ 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] LPRO101 orientation vs lock
I got one of the ebay LPRO-101s about 6 months ago and played with it for a while, but had problems maintaining a lock. First of all, it has a heat sink bolted to the bottom that is just a little larger than the LPRO itself, including being about 1.25 thick( 1 fins). Typical frequency when locked is 10,000,000.007 on a 5360A clocked by a Z3801A. Both then and now, it takes about 45 seconds to lock from cold, and will stay locked for about 45 minutes. I found that in the position with the heat sink on the bottom will stay locked the longest (up to a few days), but then it becomes intermittent. Other positions will lock for a while, but bottom down always works the longest. For those of you who employed these in TM5xx or similar plugins, did you have lock issues? Is my unit just old? Dave ___ 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] LPRO101 orientation vs lock
Hi Bob- I don't have the LPRO in a plugin, but I had considered it, and was wondering if any of those that had built one had thermal and/or lock issues. Re the sun in our valley... not this year! My tomatoes just started really producing and my squash and zucchini still haven't even flowered. That has NEVER happened to me before. A very odd year weather-wise! Dave - Original Message - From: k6...@comcast.net To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2010 8:07:19 AM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] LPRO101 orientation vs lock I assume you mean Tektronix TM5xx or 5xxx modules. I haven't seen an LPRO plugin, but considered doing one for my TM506 rack. My conclusion was that I couldn't get rid of enough heat without cutting custom fins for the LPRO. Recall that the physics package in the LPRO is the biggest source of heat, and looking at the unit with the connector facing you and on the left, the physics package is along the right side toward the rear of the unit. I decided the way to mount the LPRO if I had to go vertical was with the physics package closest to the top, to minimize the components that got baked. (I welcome recalibration of this opinion from more knowledgeable sources!) If I could cut fins for the new top edge, as well as a good plate for the bottom, and some fans, i might be able to get rid of enough heat to make it work. I considered mounting the LPRO to the rear of the module connectors, in the area containing the linear power supply components. I reconsidered on recalling admonishments in the LPRO docs and on this list that cesiums do not like magnetic fields! Mounting the unit next to large power transformers wouldn't seem to be suck a good idea... You might have better luck running it in a TM5006 rack, as they have much better cooling and airflow (a reason to get rid of that 506 and pick up a 5006!). I've had good results with my LPRO mounted on a half inch plate of T6061 aluminum and an old AMD heatsink+fan mounted above the physics package, held in place with arctic silver heat transfer compound and spring-loaded wire clips going to the plate. I've been meaning to run noise studies to see if the fan causes any problems (vis a vis mag fields). Since I expect to be using the LPRO only occasionally, I've been trying to talk my son into making me a steampunk-themed case, something like rosewood with brass corners and detailing... Cheers and 73 -- Bob K6RTM in sunny silicon valley On Sep 16, 2010, at 2:51 AM, d.sei...@comcast.net wrote: I got one of the ebay LPRO-101s about 6 months ago and played with it for a while, but had problems maintaining a lock. First of all, it has a heat sink bolted to the bottom that is just a little larger than the LPRO itself, including being about 1.25 thick( 1 fins). Typical frequency when locked is 10,000,000.007 on a 5360A clocked by a Z3801A. Both then and now, it takes about 45 seconds to lock from cold, and will stay locked for about 45 minutes. I found that in the position with the heat sink on the bottom will stay locked the longest (up to a few days), but then it becomes intermittent. Other positions will lock for a while, but bottom down always works the longest. For those of you who employed these in TM5xx or similar plugins, did you have lock issues? Is my unit just old? Dave ___ 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 https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts End of time-nuts Digest, Vol 74, Issue 77 * ___ 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: Christchurch NZ Quake Map
Brings back memories- I was on the west coast of the south island in 1990, leaning against a large log on the beach very close to the water line at sunset, when a quake hit. Being from California, it was fun because I was used to experiencing quakes in buildings, cars, etc; but I had never felt one in such a natural setting. Kind of hard to explain, but it was a very other-worldly experience. -Dave - Original Message - From: Steve Rooke sar10...@gmail.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Wednesday, September 8, 2010 6:16:45 PM Subject: [time-nuts] OT: Christchurch NZ Quake Map Sorry this is a bit OT but various people have shown interest in what is happening over here so you might like to look at this animated map showing the progress of the quakes in chronological order. This was designed and produced by Paul Nicholls of the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/ Steve -- Steve Rooke - ZL3TUV G8KVD The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once. - Einstein ___ 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] Off Topic in the Extreme
I used to have a huge problem with my Comcast link going down (in Silicon Valley!), but they seem to be MUCH more reliable than a few years ago. The problem now appears to be very short outages, which seem to be caused by local cell interference with my wifi network. Still trying to figure it out. (ie- the stoppages in a streaming netflix movie appeared to be sometimes linked to local cell texting traffic) Go figure... Dave - Original Message - From: Attila Kinali att...@kinali.ch To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Thursday, September 2, 2010 12:36:56 AM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Off Topic in the Extreme On Wed, 1 Sep 2010 13:25:55 -0400 Bob Camp li...@rtty.us wrote: I suspect that it's not an unusual stance. If it is common, it would be something to think long and hard about in a mission critical timing setup. I don't know about the US, but in Europe such a stance would cost an ISP most of its customers, hence they cannot allow to say oh, it's not web, we dont guarranty anything if you are not using the web. It would be literally their death sentence. Usually, the ISPs here are more or less responsive on any issue a customer has. The smaller ones better than the bigger ones. Most probably because they know if the customer doesnt get what he wants, he'll switch to an other. Attila Kinali -- Why does it take years to find the answers to the questions one should have asked long ago? ___ 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] Thunderbolt not seeing satellites
Hi Steve, I don't know what the issue is, but my experience was very similar. My Tbolt is the same (or very similar) to yours and worked fine for a few years off and on. When Lady Heather became available, I took it out again. It worked great with the antenna indoors in my lab for about 4 hours, then data displayed by LH gradually dropped off to what you would see if the unit wasn't working. Since then I've tried again many times with the antenna in various locations, including full sky view with no results. No alarms except for the ones you would see in a normal start situation. Did the factory reset, etc. It has never seen a sat since. The antenna and cable are good. My primary receiver is a Z3801A, so I've had little incentive to delve into this problem (too many other pressing projects). -Dave - Original Message - From: Steve stev...@suddenlink.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2010 12:09:11 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific Subject: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt not seeing satellites Hi all, I have used a Trimble Thunderbolt for several years as a source for accurate 10MHz signals for counters and signal generators. I have occasionally looked at the Thunderbolt with a laptop and Lady Heather, but have largely treated the Thunderbolt as a plug-and-play-and-forget-about-it device. Several weeks ago I acquired one of the fluke.l monitors and attached it to the Thunderbolt, placing the fluke.l in a location such that I see it every time I walk into my shop. To my dismay, after watching the fluke.l for a while, I discovered that my Thunderbolt rarely sees satellites. I then began more intense monitoring with Lady Heather, finding that the Thunderbolt will on rare occasions show one satellite as usable, most of the time none. Another Thunderbolt, purchased in May, 2008, when they were sold on this list, routinely see 4-8 satellites when connected to the same antenna. Input voltage to the poor performing unit is about 28VDC. I did the tboltmon.exe Factory Reset with no discernible difference in performance. It is the Thunderbolt model in the aluminum housing with the red and black Trimble Thunderbolt label on top. Any thoughts as to what's wrong with it? Steve -- Read The Patriot Post Vertitas vos Liberabit http://patriotpost.us/subscription/ ___ 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] Surplus Places...
Wow, kind of a cross between the old Halted and Alan Steel in Redwood City. I know where to go if I need doorknobs! Dave - Original Message - From: Burt I. Weiner b...@att.net To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 1:24:47 PM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: [time-nuts] Surplus Places... In the Southern, California - Los Angeles area, we have a place called Apex Electronics. Some of the prices in the past have been outrageous, but now seem to becoming more reasonable. Right now there seems to be a ton of NTSC TV stuffs coming in the doors. I think you could spend days foraging around at Apex. Here's a link that really doesn't even begin to do it justice: http://www.apexelectronic.com/ Burt, K6OQK Burt I. Weiner Associates Broadcast Technical Services Glendale, California U.S.A. b...@att.net K6OQK ___ 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] frying pan antenna
I think tar paper basically has two functions these days- it's a cheap backup in case the roofers don't install correctly, and the lines on the paper are used as a guide to install the shingles. Dave - Original Message - From: Chuck Harris cfhar...@erols.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 11:44:49 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific Subject: Re: [time-nuts] frying pan antenna Joseph M Gwinn wrote: The tar paper is there primarily to reduce air infiltration when the wind blows. Now days this purpose is served by the white housewrap, the original brand being Tyvek. That doesn't follow. Most houses in the US have attics below the shingles that are open to free air by way of soffit vents. Even in the case of cathedral ceilings, the space below the roof sheathing is open to the outside air... to not do so will seriously compromise the shingle life due to excess heating. Tyvek is never used on roofs. It is always too slippery for walking on. Water that blows past the shingles is stopped by the tarpaper or housewrap, keeping the sheathing and insulation dry. Nope. There are two layers of shingles over any given part of the roof. Modern asphalt shingles have an asphalt glue down strip that ties the shingle tabs to the course below. There isn't going to be any air infiltration of significance. Builders and roofers are of a mixed mind over tarpaper. Many leave it off because it is a hazard to the roofers. The stuff is very slippery if it gets even the slightest bit wet. The roof stays dry either way. -Chuck Harris ___ 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] The Smell of Tantalum in the Morning
I've seen the butt weld (or crimp) of the wire in hermetic units fail due to corrosion in both HP and Tek gear. In all cases (about 6), the gear appeared to not have been protected too well from the elements, or was exposed to high humidity for a long time. The good news is that it fails open and is pretty obvious. Dave - Original Message - From: Chuck Harris cfhar...@erols.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Monday, February 8, 2010 6:46:54 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific Subject: Re: [time-nuts] The Smell of Tantalum in the Morning The history of tantalum failures is wide and varied, but there are some common characteristics: 1) The tantalum is in a power supply circuit and receives a rapid ramp from 0V to operating voltage. 2) The tantalum is spec'd close to its operating voltage, very close 5V on a 6.3V part, 12.5V on a 15V part... 3) The tantalum is dry slug, and is sealed with epoxy. 4) The instrument has been powered down for an extended period. HP equipment from the 1980's is pretty immune to the problem because they typically use hermetically sealed mil spec tantalum capacitors. Tektronix equipment from the 1980's is infested with tantalum problems because they used the cheap epoxy dipped parts. Tantalum failures are pretty rare in equipment that is run continuously. Tantalum has a self healing feature that corrects any small problems while in operating... Large problems result in detonation. Dipped tantalum capacitors of any age are prone to failure. The tendency can be mitigated largely by never allowing a tantalum capacitor to see voltage above 50% of its rating. And finally, powering a tantalum in reverse, will cause instant and irreparable damage. -Chuck Harris Tom Van Baak wrote: I powered up a 5071A to watch the end of Loran-C today and was greeted by the special smell that only a mother board could love. Does anyone know the history of tantalum capacitor failures in ten-year old [HP/Agilent] test equipment? This is not my first. Last one was more like July 4th. Thanks, /tvb ___ 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] EFRATOM LPRO-101
Mine worked great for about two weeks, but now BITE goes high again after about 45 minutes. It's quite stable when it's locked. Haven't had a chance to look closer yet. Dave - Original Message - From: Jim j...@commo.com To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Tuesday, February 2, 2010 2:08:06 PM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: [time-nuts] EFRATOM LPRO-101 Hello all. I received an EFRATOM LPRO-101 last week from eBay Fluke 1, and wired it up last night. The results are not good. Using a HP 5370B counter with calibration less than one year old, the frequency reads = 10,000,146,012.9 Power Applied = 24.9Vdc @ 0.30 amps after warm up Lamp Voltage = 5.9 Vdc Ext C Field = 2.437 XTL V Mon = 14.67 Bite = 4.57 Bite never goes low. I just sent an email to the outfit I purchased it from, but would like to get this working instead of waiting a month or so. Is it dead? Any thing I can do to revive it? Any suggestions? Thanks to all. Jim N0OBG -- The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. Eccl 10:2 (NIV) ___ 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] Ikea Lamp
I hate the yellow lamps in my area because they are only found in certain vicinities. You're driving along at night, maybe searching for something, and suddenly one of the street lamps turns red! It's happened to me a few times... Dave - Original Message - From: Robert Atkinson robert8...@yahoo.co. uk To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@ febo .com Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 4:34:23 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] [OT] Ikea Lamp Hi Steve,They do use them in the USA.The advantages are,1 High efficiency2 Better visibility in rain and fog. As there is only one main colour you do not get diffraction rainbows.3 Kind to astronomers. A simple narrow stop band optical filter allows astronomers to remove the light pollution. In some areas around observatories they are mandated by local planning regulations. These are considered to outweigh the disadvantage of no colour rendition. Robert G8RPI. --- On Sun, 31/1/10, Steve Rooke sar10538@ gmail .com wrote: From: Steve Rooke sar10538@ gmail .com Subject: Re: [time-nuts] [OT] Ikea Lamp To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@ febo .com Date: Sunday, 31 January, 2010, 9:19 Not wishing to push this O/T thread more O/T but coming from England, and now in New Zealand , we have these sodium streetlights which I think are a pain in the neck. They have only two narrow spectra of yellow light and although they produce light it makes it hard, if not impossible, to make out colours. I wonder if they are being used in other members countries? Steve 2010/1/31 Dave Martindale dave . martindale @ gmail .com: If you care about accurate colour rendering, stick with incandescent, preferably halogen. White LEDs are actually blue LEDs coated with a phosphor that absorbs some of the blue light and emits approximately yellow instead. If you look at the spectrum, you'll see a broad yellow peak and a narrower blue peak. Your eyes see it as approximately white, but it's deficient in red and green compared to a black body emitter like hot tungsten. On the other hand, it's not as spiky as the output of fluorescents . -- Steve Rooke - ZL3TUV G8KVD A man with one clock knows what time it is; A man with two clocks is never quite sure. ___ 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] Conducting Bench Top Material
I took apart the last dead one just for that purpose. I initially eyed the 105deg Al cap, but it was dead, along with one of the xstrs (hole in package). The film caps, diodes and fuse are still good too. As is the tube- don't know what I'll do with that. -Dave - Original Message - From: Max Robinson m...@maxsmusicplace.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, January 29, 2010 12:39:25 PM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Conducting Bench Top Material I've heard you can salvage some good rectifiers and maybe a transistor or two from dead CF bulbs. Regards. Max. K 4 O D S. Email: m...@maxsmusicplace.com Transistor site http://www.funwithtransistors.net Vacuum tube site: http://www.funwithtubes.net Music site: http://www.maxsmusicplace.com To subscribe to the fun with transistors group send an email to. funwithtransistors-subscr...@yahoogroups.com To subscribe to the fun with tubes group send an email to, funwithtubes-subscr...@yahoogroups.com - Original Message - From: d.sei...@comcast.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, January 29, 2010 1:32 AM Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Conducting Bench Top Material And now they are trying to do away with edison bulbs. I hope the LED equivalents are better, because the CF bulbs seem to last less in most home apps. (I have standard bulbs that have outlasted multiple CF bulbs in similar applications) In particular, I have a 75W desk lamp bulb which has been in use since '97 and gets more hours than the ceiling CFs in the same room, which have been replaced at least 3 times... They are not enclosed or abused. I was really PO'd at the short life of my first set of CF lamps. They seem to be doing better now, but still there is no great enhanced life span. Dave - Original Message - From: Bill Hawkins b...@iaxs.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 2:28:31 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Conducting Bench Top Material Warning: Way OT When the vacuum tube was born, there were half as many people on this planet, and global climate change wasn't a problem. Very few people will talk about populution. It's as if there was a blind spot in the brain. Maybe there's no intelligent life in the Universe because all life evolves with similar selection pressures. Once technology removes natural predators (or stops world wars with the atomic bomb), population heads for the sky until the big die-off. If other people don't have a problem with having four kids, I have no problem with using vacuum tubes and Edison bulbs. All in my humble opinion, of course. Bill Hawkins -Original Message- From: Rex Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 11:50 PM Steve Rooke wrote: Wasn't life so much easier with valves (tubes)... Nostalgia? Valves (tubes) warmer in close proximity, yes. Global warming should make that, on average, less helpful. glowing bulbs Other than that memory, and certain trade-offs at big Rf power, I'll say I no longer encourage the glowing bulbs for most things. ___ 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. No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.432 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2654 - Release Date: 01/28/10 19:36:00 ___ 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] Conducting Bench Top Material - OT
Please don't let you cat talk to mine! Dave - Original Message - From: Thomas A. Frank ka2...@cox.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 7:56:10 PM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Conducting Bench Top Material - OT The largest discharge we got was from an acrylic rod and the cat. Speaking of cats...one of mine has learned that he can rub across the blanket on the bed and build up quite a charge. In the middle of the night, if one of the other cats is in 'his spot', it is not uncommon to find him rubbing vigorously, then going over to that cat and lightly tapping him on the butt, dumping his charge with a brilliant spark...and a very startled leap from the sleeping one. Why hiss and pounce and wrestle when you have electricity at your whim? Tom Frank, KA2CDK P.S. - while thus far he hasn't tried that on us, we have added a humidifier to the room, just in case. ___ 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] Conducting Bench Top Material
And now they are trying to do away with edison bulbs. I hope the LED equivalents are better, because the CF bulbs seem to last less in most home apps. (I have standard bulbs that have outlasted multiple CF bulbs in similar applications) In particular, I have a 75W desk lamp bulb which has been in use since '97 and gets more hours than the ceiling CFs in the same room, which have been replaced at least 3 times... They are not enclosed or abused. I was really PO'd at the short life of my first set of CF lamps. They seem to be doing better now, but still there is no great enhanced life span. Dave - Original Message - From: Bill Hawkins b...@iaxs.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 2:28:31 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Conducting Bench Top Material Warning: Way OT When the vacuum tube was born, there were half as many people on this planet, and global climate change wasn't a problem. Very few people will talk about populution. It's as if there was a blind spot in the brain. Maybe there's no intelligent life in the Universe because all life evolves with similar selection pressures. Once technology removes natural predators (or stops world wars with the atomic bomb), population heads for the sky until the big die-off. If other people don't have a problem with having four kids, I have no problem with using vacuum tubes and Edison bulbs. All in my humble opinion, of course. Bill Hawkins -Original Message- From: Rex Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 11:50 PM Steve Rooke wrote: Wasn't life so much easier with valves (tubes)... Nostalgia? Valves (tubes) warmer in close proximity, yes. Global warming should make that, on average, less helpful. glowing bulbs Other than that memory, and certain trade-offs at big Rf power, I'll say I no longer encourage the glowing bulbs for most things. ___ 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] Conducting Bench Top Material
I guess I wasn't too clear; it was the bare devices we were trying to destroy; the VIC20 was just used for testing. The largest discharge we got was from an acrylic rod and the cat. - Original Message - From: Charles P. Steinmetz charles_steinm...@lavabit.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 7:04:11 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Conducting Bench Top Material Dave wrote: Back about 1981, we had piles of 6502s, etc and decide to some antistatic testing. We put a 40pin ZIF socket into a VIC-20, and then set about trying to fry the uP using carpet, a cat, car seats, etc. The DUT was then put back into the VIC and series of tests run to verify operation. I don't think we ever had a failure. Of course, there may have been some hiding that we missed, but all the static damage I've seen has been pretty severe. That said, I always use a wrist strap and mat if I'm working on something I don't want to break further. Installed components are generally much less vulnerable to ESD than bare parts, because there are leakage paths (both intentional and otherwise) on a circuit board that allow the ESD to flow around the component rather than through it. With a naked part, any ESD to one of its leads has to flow through its other leads or the case of the device, thereby maximizing any damage. Best regards, Charles ___ 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] Conducting Bench Top Material
Atari used them by the truckload too, and again, probably due to price. I'm sure somebody is probably still producing them, or can. It was a very durable item; once, on a lark, we took one that had been run over by a truck and sat out in the weather for who knows how long, bent the pins enough to solder it to a 40pin header and tried it out in a CBM 8032it worked... I kind of wish I had been working back then when stuff was so robust Now we have poly Ta caps that have a real shelf life that's not MSL related. Dave - Original Message - From: Poul-Henning Kamp p...@phk.freebsd.dk To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 12:03:54 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Conducting Bench Top Material In message 1548123648.14120691264567016061.javamail.r...@sz0108a.emeryville.ca .mail.comcast.net, d.sei...@comcast.net writes: I guess I wasn't too clear; it was the bare devices we were trying to destroy; the VIC20 was just used for testing. The 6502 was a very robust device manufactured in NMOS technology. The original target market was motorolas very lucrative military/space 6800 market, so the chip had to match or exceed the 6800 on all points, including accidental damage. The first version, the 6501 was in fact pin- but not instruction-compatible with 6800, but Motorola had a legal fit and MOS gave up on that idea. The fact that 6502 mainly ended up in Commodore computers was mainly a matter of its lower price. Later the crash in microprocessor prices saddled Jack Tramiel with a huge overpriced inventory which made him outright buy MOS to avoid a repeat performance of that problem. 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. ___ 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] Conducting Bench Top Material
Back about 1981, we had piles of 6502s, etc and decide to some antistatic testing. We put a 40pin ZIF socket into a VIC-20, and then set about trying to fry the uP using carpet, a cat, car seats, etc. The DUT was then put back into the VIC and series of tests run to verify operation. I don't think we ever had a failure. Of course, there may have been some hiding that we missed, but all the static damage I've seen has been pretty severe. That said, I always use a wrist strap and mat if I'm working on something I don't want to break further. -Dave - Original Message - From: Charles P. Steinmetz charles_steinm...@lavabit.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 11:27:11 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Conducting Bench Top Material Bruce wrote: Although over the years the non-conductive top has been an asset in avoiding short circuits, etc., I am concerned about static discharges when handling modern semiconductors. Would it make sense to spray the Masonite with a weak copper sulphate or similar solution so as to make the masonite slightly conductive, but not so conductive that 155 VAC connections could not safely rest upon it? Is there a better-suited material that could be used to replace the Masonite? I notice that many folks who have contributed on this thread use anti-static benchtops, but I have never found it necessary (and I try to keep the RH in my house under 45% -- it is generally 20% or less in the winter). I've been fooling with static-sensitive parts for 35 years and haven't lost one to static yet. With that perspective, my preferred benchtop is white Formica with a very, very slightly pebbled surface. Very durable, including to molten solder, and small parts show up well. I use rubberized gunsmith mats for preventing scratches to delicate workpieces (these happen to be anti-static, but that is not why I have them). Other bench thoughts: Bench depth is very important. I sometimes work on equipment that is more than 24 deep, so I want at least 30 of clear space in front of any obstructions (power strips, Variac, test equipment, whatever). In the past, I used a flying bridge over the rear 18 of a 48-deep bench to elevate the test equipment, which worked very well. Now I use 24 deep adjustable wire-rack shelving units behind a 30 benchtop (As others have pointed out, you can do the same with equipment racks -- I'm not a fan of rack-mounting test equipment unless the racks are anchored and everything is on slides, which I was not prepared to do). I don't have enough shop real estate to have a permanent access aisle behind the test equipment, so the bench and racks have large (5) locking polyurethane wheels and can be pulled out relatively easily for reconfiguration. This provides plenty of stability for electronic projects, but you wouldn't want to mount a big vise on the bench and try to bend 1 rebar. For that, I have a separate metalworking shop. Bench height is also important. I prefer a tall bench, suited to working standing or sitting on an ergonomic stool, so my bench top is 44 above the floor -- a bit below my standing elbow height. Finally, one can never have too many power outlets, or too much light, in a workshop. Lighting should be arranged so that it doesn't cause specular reflections from the workpiece or the faces of test equipment. Best regards, Charles ___ 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] Test Equipment
Even worse are the tables with plastic tops...instasag! I've scavenged a few local leg sets from dumped tables on the curb for future projects. My lab has particle board tops covered with anti-stat matts, but they are sitting on 2 drawer filing cabinets and there is no sag. I have 4 racks currently in the house and garage; in one case, the rack out weights the contents by quite a bit. It will still be working after the roaches take over the world... Dave - Original Message - From: John Miles jmi...@pop.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 5:37:55 PM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Test Equipment Another important aspect of the electronic test bench is the furniture. I started with the cheapie particle board fold up legged tables and very soon learned they could not hold much weight without significant sagging. If you have the space, you could do what I do, and bolt multiple folding tables together with 'L'- and 'T'-shaped flat metal brackets. The idea, besides adding surface area, is to dampen the tables' tendency to wobble. This adds a surprising amount of stability and load-bearing capacity. It completely eliminates the need to add a center leg, which is otherwise pretty much mandatory when using folding tables. With cheap folding tables, you don't have to feel bad about drilling into your workbench or otherwise marring and gouging it. Every few years, or when you move, just throw the old folding table away and spend $39.95 on another one. Voila, a brand new workbench. Many industrial equipment catalogs will give you an idea of the accessories possible. Shelves, drawers, electrical outlet strips.etc. An effective infrastructure will allow the test bench to gradually grow, as the budget allows. Also, HP/Agilent equipment racks are sometimes available on eBay. These are nothing like the relay racks or server racks that you commonly see in data centers. They are *stout*. They're very expensive when new, but almost free for the shipping when bought used. I used generic shelving units to hold test equipment for a long time, but once you use real racks, you won't go back. An Agilent E3662A/B rack can hold up to 81 EIA units of gear weighing up to 1800 pounds. I have three in my living room and wish I had more... -- john, KE5FX ___ 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] Test Equipment
HA! The BT remover is one of my faves when nothing else works, and I don't want to use the realy nasty stuff like paint remover. I was given a can about 15 years ago and I'm just now running out. Dave - Original Message - From: Rex r...@sonic.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2010 12:04:46 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Test Equipment paul swed wrote: It also helps to simply clean the stuff. A bit of soap and water and scrubbing gets years of grunge off. I have found that Bug and Tar Remover, sold to clean cars, works well on front panels. It seems to be strong enough to soften label gunk, but not strong enough to mar front-panel paint. ___ 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] LPRO in TM500
Hi Corby, I had decided to put the LPRO in another box, but then other things came up, and now that I have time again, I'm thinking about returning to the TM module. I'm curious as to what voltage regulator you used? The input and output are so close that I'd thought only a dc-dc converter could do it. Happy holidays! Dave - Original Message - From: Corby Dawson cdel...@juno.com To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Sunday, November 8, 2009 10:09:51 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: [time-nuts] LPRO in TM500 Dave, I have in the past installed a number of FRSC and also PRS10 into single slot TM500 modules. If I remember correctly I used a thick (about 1/8) aluminum plate most of the length of the module as the mounting and heat sink. The edge of the plate was attached to the module with screws and aluminum angle brackets to allow the top and bottom of the module to also help with the heat sinking. They all worked fine. If you use a dual wide module you will have more room to work with and maybe could used a finned heat sink. The edge connector used was one from a guy on ebay that made custom ones to use with TM500 Modules. You just screw it into place in the module using the existing holes. For power I paralleled the two 25VAC windings, fed them thru a full wave bridge into a largish capacitor, and then into a regulator set for 22VDC. The regulator is isolated with a silpad and bolted to the top frame of the module. The 10Mhz output is on the front along with a lock LED. Hope this helps. Corby Dawson Weight Loss Program Best Weight Loss Program - Click Here! http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/c?cp=EcIysG6hvgWbo9Au-LXB8wAAJ1ABLZFyqoH-WnHH1GJ345whAAYAAADNAAAEUgA= ___ 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: Disk Drive recovery.
Boy, does that bring back memories! I have had a bunch of SCSI drives with this problem. One drive in particular was so bad that I had to use a plier to free the spindle (about 1/4 was exposed for a grounding tab). I couldn't afford a replacement at the time, so I kept hoping it would keep working, which it did until I found a good deal on a removable cartridge drive (can't think of the name now, but the cartridges were about 5 square). I probably still have it around somewhere. -Dave This reminds me of the ancient Seagate insufficient startup torque problem. At work I was able to unfasten the hard drive and, at power-up, give the drive a quick physical rotation, just enough to get it spinning and then copy the user's data from it. Of course, users don't back up their files. Mike - AA8K Dave Baxter wrote: For many failed hard drives, it's not a hardware failure at all, but a very corrupted data surface, rendering even the drives own error ___ 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] Efratom LPRO101 in a Tek TM500 plug-in housing?
Has anyone built a LPRO-101 into one of these plugin housings? I'm toying with the idea, but don't want to reinvent the wheel. My biggest concern is getting rid of the heat. -Dave ___ 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] Any Time nuts in AU?
I'm not in AU (left coast US), but I've got a clock on my office wall that runs backwards (the numerals progress CC too). I think I got it as a gift years ago when Dick Smith had a store in the area. It didn't last very long. Cheers, -Dave - Original Message - From: Joseph Gray jg...@zianet.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Wednesday, October 7, 2009 3:14:14 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Any Time nuts in AU? Does time run backwards down there? :-) Joe Gray KA5ZEC On Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 2:53 AM, Ray Hudson hudson...@yahoo.com.au wrote: Just a test to see if I can send to the mailing list and to find out how many time nuts are in the land down under Thanks Ray. Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.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. ___ 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] GPS from a window seat
It's so nice that they allow pacemakers all the time! I'd hate to think people would have to turn them off for flights... Why the ban on AM/FM receivers? -Dave - Original Message - From: Thomas A. Frank ka2...@cox.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Saturday, October 3, 2009 1:31:08 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] GPS from a window seat saying angrily using a GPS on a plane is illegal. Nonsense...unless their own rules prohibit such use, in which case you are legally obliged to comply. There is no blanket (ie: government) rule against them. It is up to the airline; in the past year I've flown a number of different airlines. Some said in their in-flight magazine that GPS use was allowed, others said it wasn't, and some didn't say anything at all. For example, Southwest airlines specifically allows the use of GPS units: http://www.spiritmag.com/flightservices/flight-services.pdf US Airways implies they're OK, but is not explicit: http://www.usairwaysmag.com/inflight_information/passenger_information/ Either Jetblue or United prohibit GPS', but I cannot find anything on their websites (they are the other two airlines I've recently flown, so it's one of them where I saw the prohibition). No rhyme or reason to it at all. Tom Frank, KA2CDK (frequent flyer...and gadget user) ___ 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] RoHS Solder
It's not the silver I'm worried about. I saw a report on a website about 8 months ago regarding the scarcity of many of the rare earths that drive solar, etc (yes, I've tried to find the report again, but can't). This was prior to the whole China export thing. It predicted that many vital elements would be mined out by the 2015-2020 time frame. I wonder how long it will be until we start mining old garbage dumps for metals. -Dave .. ... Another part of the scam is that only two companies (one a University if I remember correctly, one a Japanese company) hold the patents to the Silver based solder that everyone now needs to use... And according to the USGS we are quickly running out of mineable Silver.. ___ 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] Agilent 05071-60294 05071-60219 oscillators
I've dealt with Outback more than a few times because they are local to me. I have never had an issue with them, and they've let me wander around and make offers on stuff that wasn't active. Finding their physical location was the only challenge... but they were the seller here- I've seen the opto table in person. -Dave - Original Message - From: Mike S mi...@flatsurface.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Sunday, August 30, 2009 11:26:04 PM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Agilent 05071-60294 05071-60219 oscillators At 12:28 AM 8/31/2009, Jim Palfreyman wrote... Well these two bidders are one (outback6)... My guess is their plan is to buy these oscillators in bulk and then sell them off individually to make a profit. Uh, outback6 is the _seller_. eBay doesn't disclose buyer's names directly anymore, just a hint. For one auction, it was k***u, a power seller with sales of 800+, for the other it was _***b, who has a rating of 126. ___ 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] does no one like the Racal-Dana 1998 counter?
Don't know; I have an RD 1996 that is my main counter. No complaints at all. -Dave - Original Message - From: Scott Burris slbur...@gmail.com To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 2:19:54 PM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: [time-nuts] does no one like the Racal-Dana 1998 counter? I've seen lots of discussion about the 1992 counter over the past year. But I've seen nothing about the 1998 counter, which I have, and it seems to have similar specifications. If you are collecting test equipment for a home lab (ahem), is the 1992 more desirable than the 1998? Does the 1998 suffer from the same front panel button failures? Anyone happen to know where to find a service manual for a 1998? I already have a users manual. Scott ___ 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] Obscure terms - enough!
I think someone needs to take chill-pill and relax... are you humorless or just an idiot? I get tired of off-topic posts too, but I'd rather laugh than grind my teeth over something light and fluffy... Life is too short for negative stuff... laugh a little and live longer... Dave (I don't apologize for anything, and I'm happy!) - Original Message - From: Chris Cheney chris.che...@tesco.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Friday, August 21, 2009 1:24:07 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: [time-nuts] Obscure terms - enough! An off-topic from time to time is great, but a new email every minute unrelated with time-nuts is a bit too much, didn't you think ? Sorry, I don't want to be rude. Don't apologise. Why the posters think this puerile off-topic drivel is acceptable on the time-nuts list beats me. If they were to reread their postings in a couple of months, they might realise how childish they have made themselves look. Chris ___ 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] Difference in GPS antennas
As I recall, this is the type of antenna my handheld GPSr has. I had a set of batteries bleed out in and had to disassemble it in order to do a good cleaning. -Dave - Original Message - From: Magnus Danielson mag...@rubidium.dyndns.org To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2009 9:27:30 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Difference in GPS antennas Lux, Jim (337C) wrote: On 8/15/09 7:58 AM, Magnus Danielson mag...@rubidium.dyndns.org wrote: Thats a quadrifilar helix antenna. A quite traditional antenna form. Not sure I have one of those around here. If you're near a harbor with fishing boats, you'll see plenty of quad helices about a half a meter in overall height, used for VHF Weather satellite reception. They're also used on spacecraft (Mars Science Lander, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and Phoenix all have UHF quad helix antennas, I think, for about 400 MHz) Not used by the fishing vesels near me... I didn't mean helixantennas as such, I was just asking myself the question if any of my *GPS* antennas was infact of the quadra-helix design, a few of them have the sizes that they *could* be that. The 4 helices need to be fed in the appropriate phase (0,90,180,270), usually, they're fed in pairs (a differential signal feeds 0,180 and another feeds 90/270) There are several ways to phase them, depending on the bandwidth requirements. A quadrature hybrid is one way. The other is to make one helix slightly longer than resonant and the other slightly shorter. A typical GPS sat has two rings of helix antennas, an inner and outer ring. These create a far-distance shape of lobes that i circularly fairly even but pushes more energy towards the edge of the earth, as seen from the satellite, such that the additional space loss from increased distance is being somewhat equalized by the GPS antenna. That's the trick being used to reduce the power variations from the GPS sats as experienced by the user. Cheers, Magnus ___ 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] US ebay sellers who won't ship outside the US
More inept governmental garbage. I rarely buy surplus anymore, but when I do, it all gets broken down into parts/assemblies for spares and all markings are removed and it goes into scrap mode. Occasionally, I have to build up something from parts on hand, which can be fun... Come to think of it; I haven't received any emails from gov auction sites in a while, have some gone out of business? - Original Message - From: John May j...@impulse.adsl24.co.uk To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2009 9:47:43 PM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] US ebay sellers who won't ship outside the US But it makes you glad you're an engineer rather than a pointy haired bureaucrat! That incident reads like a Dilbert comic strip. Pete Lancashire wrote: When I was at Tek in the 80's I received some assembles from a company in China to check out for component issues. I was denied their return due to some parts being on the list .. -Original Message- From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On Behalf Of Poul-Henning Kamp Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2009 1:40 PM To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Subject: Re: [time-nuts] US ebay sellers who won't ship outside the US In message c6848687.91d9%james.p@jpl.nasa.gov, Lux, James P (337C) writ es: ITAR and EAR are complex and[...] Actually, the Vasenaar Convention made all that a lot simpler. --- Not that much simpler.. You still have the Basic List and Munitions list, and the terms on the list are vague enough that there's a lot of room for interpretation. Start fooling with software defined radios that do things like automatically identify the type of modulation, and you're right into dual-use territory. ___ 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.
Re: [time-nuts] Antennas, roofs
In my case, I have a large number of low angle peaks and valleys (hence the leakage issue); my sky view is really good, and I'm planning on putting a set of parallel horizontal bars about 18 apart between my 4 sewer riser and another point about 15' away. All cables will be going through a 5 roof T vent which happens to be attached to nothing in particular (I had to insert a screen to keep the roof rats out- they were not happy!). The big issue is that I can't get inside the crawl space of the area in question, so I need to wait for drier weather to rip up the existing roof and put everything in place. Sigh... - Original Message - From: Ken Winterling wa2...@frontiernet.net To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 6:33:40 PM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Antennas, roofs Hal, If your new roof will have a ridge vent you can poke the antenna cables through it to the outside leaving enough slack to create a drip loop before continuing to the antenna(s). Since the ridge vent follows the slope of the roof the cable will exit on the down side so water will run off. Ken, WA2LBI On Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 19:18, Hal Murray hmur...@megapathdsl.net wrote: I really need to put in a feed through to the roof because my Z3801A is struggling with an indoor antenna too; but the roof needs to get replaced first... Speaking of antennas and roofs Currently, my antennas are inside. That's good enough most of the time. It's also good for providing nasty test cases to software. I also need a new roof. I'm scheming to poke a hole in the roof so I can get some antennas in a better position. If I have more than one antenna, does it matter how near eachother they are located? I'm picturing a plastic pipe that sticks up a few feet and a bracket at the base that has the right magic angle to match the pitch of my roof. The pipe would screw or glue into the bracket. The bracket would get screwed to the roof over a hole. The cables would go through the hole and up inside the pipe. I haven't worked out the details for the top of the pipe yet. My (handwave) straw man is a U turn to keep the rain out, and mount the antennas on the main pipe. Maybe a T to get them out to the side. Do brackets like that exist? If so, what term or brand do I google for? I have a typical not-very-steep sloped roof. Is there a standard angle? ... Plan B would be to stick the pipe through the roof and attach it inside to the side of a rafter. I assume the roofers can treat it like a plumbing vent pipe. A slightly crazy idea... Has anybody poked antennas up inside a skylight? I'm thinking of the setup which has a hole in the ceiling of a room, a box from that hole through the attic space up to and through the roof, and a plastic dome on top. A shelf or bracket on the inside of the box would get the antennas almost on the outside. I've seen ads for metal roofs/shingles, the claimed advantage being long life which is attractive to me. I assume they would be a disaster for antennas inside. What about outside, slightly above the roof? I'd expect bad things, but maybe there is some way to turn it into an advantage. -- These are my opinions, not necessarily my employer's. I hate spam. ___ 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] Lady Heather display is GREAT!!!
Lady Heather is great; I finally had a chance to try her out. However, about 2 hours into my test it started loosing sats (indoor antenna, 3 to 6 sats at any given time; it lost 5 over the course of about 2 minutes) and now the tbolt won't acquire anything. This, of course has nothing to do with LH, but I'm wondering if it went belly-up. I'm going to let it cool down completely and try restarting. The only alarms it displays are discipline and satellite. When it died I was away for a few minutes, and nothing touched it. I tried a warm restart, and I saw it try to grab a sat once over a 20 minute span. I haven't used it in months, but it has always been reliable. -Dave ___ 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] Off Topic question...
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationUnitedStates.aspx -Dave -- Original message -- From: WB6BNQ wb6...@cox.net Dave, I would think the immigration people in the UK would probably have some idea in that regard. At least it would not hurt to ask them. BillWB6BNQ Dave Ackrill wrote: Sorry for the off topic question, but my partner, Kate, is off visiting friends in Canada and USA on Friday and is in 'panic' mode. The problem is that she has now got it into her head that she might need to get innoculated for 'something', but she doesn't know what and I don't think she needs any jabs... However, as the US immigration people are on holidays for the Presidential inauguration, she can't get a reply until it's too late to do anything about arranging to go to see the Dr. to get any jabs she 'might' need. So, can anyone tell me what jabs, if any, visitors to Canada or the USA might be asked if they have had recently? Thanks - Dave ___ 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] beryllium oxide
Since we're on the subject, what does BeO typically look like when it's used as a washer, heatsink, etc. I ask because I tend to keep everything and I modify things all the time. Is there any way besides being painted that it could pass as Al? -Dave ___ 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] Any nixie project people out there?
Hi David- Any takers yet? While the last thing I need is another nixie counter (I have 4 or 5 already), I do have a soft spot for nixies, and hate the way so much gear has been chopped up for trendy clocks. That said, what I'd really like to do is make an accurate, self turning hour glass that drives a nixie clock. Or maybe a GPS disciplined hour-glass driving a nixie clock. How the hour-glass could be disciplined, except in turn-over speed, I'm not sure. It's still in the planning stage. My purchasing budget has been greatly reduced due to the economy, so I'm looking for deals where I wouldn't have before. -Dave -- Original message -- From: David Medin [EMAIL PROTECTED] I appreciate the assistance I've gotten here in getting my Tbolts set up and generating that beautiful traceable 10 MHz for my benches at home and work. I've got a giveback IF someone plans to put it to good use. My faithful Ballantine 5700A 9 digit nixie frequency counter isn't counting so well in its upper range as of last week, and as much as I have some affinity for it (I've had it for over 20 years), I have no time to repair it and have a more modern counter with my Tbolt now driving the reference. If anyone out there is looking for a nixie project for a clock or just simply wanting to use the parts, let me know. I'm not really looking for anything for it, but I'd rather just drop it off at a UPS shipping store and have them package and send it at your cost, and that would be your only obligation. It has a 1 MHz (I believe, because the external reference is 1 MHz) ovenized oscillator on a PC board, 9 digits of working nixies soldered to the PCB, a gate to 10 seconds, and a range of 10 Hz to 512 MHz, although the upper octave is not working properly and indicating about twice the applied frequency. It is chock full of ECL and TTL including the nixie driver TTL, most in sockets, so it should be real accessible for those wanting to turn it into something else where just the drivers and divider chain would be of use. The case comes together with Dzus on top and bottom, and has a few dents and also a spot where the NASA inventory tag used to be years ago. It does work, top range aside. I do NOT have a manual. No takers, and the nixie driver chips will go on ebay, but I'd rather give it to someone who can use it in only the whacky way a Time Nut can. Thanks. Dave Medin _ Are you a Techie? Get Your Free Tech Email Address Now! Visit http://www.TechEmail.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. ___ 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] Any ex-Cylink or PCom folks out there?
Any ex-Cylink or Pcom folks out there? -Dave ___ 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] AC Connector On HP 5061B
The cable length issue was a pain for me because I built my GPS box in stages, leaving the dist amp for last. In the end I found a nice used commercial unit, but it didn't fit in the planned location (the unit I was going to build would have had outputs near the center of the box), so I have 3 nicely routed cables going to the front panel, and the other 5 are ugly coils stuffed above and below the Z3801A for the rear panel. -Dave On the DA you will want to ensure all your output cables are of identical length as this will ensure that all signals are in phase at the timebase input(s). It's a small thing really a fraction of a picosecond but it's there and easily compensated for. ___ 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] What outdoor antenna for Tbolt?
I'm not sure about the manufacturer of mine, the label just has a serial number, made in usa, and part number 25045-10. It came with my tbolt when I got it from ebay a few years ago. The whole set including the ps and a bunch of coax was $199 (buy it now) -Dave -- Original message -- From: David Medin [EMAIL PROTECTED] What outdoor bullet antenna are people using for their Tbolts (manufacturer and model number), where did you find it, and how much did you pay for it? I'm looking at several eBay antennas and the like crossing my fingers that the bias voltage and current will work, but I'd rather get some advice from those of you that have actually done the deed. I'm only really interested in antennas designed for permanent outdoor or marine installation. Thanks! Dave Medin __ Are you a Techie? Get Your Free Tech Email Address Now! Visit http://www.TechEmail.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. ___ 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- RK devices?
The parts I have don't have date codes, but they must be circa 1990. Is there any data out there regarding RK devices? My library has nothing and the web appears to be silent too. -- Original message -- From: Jeffrey Pawlan [EMAIL PROTECTED] They were a competitor to minicircuits and others. Tried to win by being very inexpensive. ___ 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] Leap Second Pending
The mechanical clepsydra shown overleaf is simple in operation. The cylindrical vessel is slowly filled with water and a float with a stem and rack engages the wheel to which the hour hand is attached. As the vessel fills so the float rises and the hour hand is made to rotate. When the vessel is full it is emtied (sic) and the process starts over again. While this type of clock is spectacular and one would like to think it is of ancient origin, it has to be recorded that no ancient example has been handed down to us. Actually, if I'm visualizing this correctly, a similar design was built by the ancient Greeks. I recall a article in National Geographic about the Tower of the Winds (or similar). The source of the water stream was a tank that constantly overflowed, maintaining constant water pressure. There was little to go on as far as actual physical evidence, so maybe it was wishful thinking and has been debunked since? -Dave ___ 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] Grounding a Z3801A
I'm finally getting around to reinstalling my Z3801A after frying and then fixing the on-board power supply, but I'm really paranoid about doing it again (I had forgotten that the unit has a positive ground). The external supply had floating outputs, the AC input was grounded to the chassis and the case of the Z3801A was grounded. I also realized that the external clock display board was grounded to both the chassis and the internal ground of the Z3801A, which is probably where the short came from. In this next attempt, the external PS AC input ground will be eliminated and it's case will be isolated from the chassis. The Z3801A will also be isolated from the chassis, as will the display assembly. That leaves the RS232 cable, which is grounded as it passes through the front of the chassis, and the signal outputs. Should I isolate the rs-232 as well? What about a double dc block on the output signals? I realize this all sounds a bit extreme... -Dave. ___ 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] Thunderbolt monitor
I too have never seen one go dim. In fact, I have a VCR (Beta!) that's been pluged in continously since I got it new in the early '80s. It still looks the same as when I got it except that the display has had a left to right wave going through it since about 1995. So, wavy- but not dim at all. -Dave -- Original message -- From: Jeffrey Pawlan [EMAIL PROTECTED] Regarding the VFD display, although they may be very different one manufacturer to another, I can definitely dispute a prior statement made that VFDs in general have a short lifetime and become dim. They are universally used in VCRs, DVD players, microwave ovens, and some clocks. I have never had one become dim or burn out. The displays in my appliances are on even when the rest of the appliance is off. I have never seen one become dim even after 15 years of on-time. I look forward to your project. 73, Jeffrey Pawlan, WA6KBL ___ 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] HP 113BR manual scanned
I have a 103AR I got about a year ago which doesn't oscillate. I got the manual scans from someone out there, so it has been done, but is not widely available. Mine is a series of separate files, so a unified file might be useful to others in the future. -Dave -- Original message -- From: David Forbes [EMAIL PROTECTED] Another one from the old 36 foot NRAO telescope files - the HP 113BR analog clock unit. http://www.nixiebunny.com/hp113br.pdf Enjoy. Does anyone think Agilent is interested in a manual for something this old, or is this more of an HP Archives sort of boatanchor? I also have a 103AR manual to scan if anyone's interested in this ancient stuff. Let me know. -- --David Forbes, Tucson, AZ http://www.cathodecorner.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. ___ 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] Fw: HP 5334B rackmount ears
The ears I have should be the same as the one on the right side in the hp2.jpg, except for the 1 spacing. -Dave -- Original message -- From: Stanley Reynolds [EMAIL PROTECTED] Correction my counter is a HP5334A not B sorry don't know if they are different. - Original Message From: Stanley Reynolds To: time-nuts@febo.com Sent: Thursday, June 5, 2008 12:27:15 PM Subject: [time-nuts] Fw: HP 5334B rackmount ears My HP5334B tabs look like this with a 1 3/4 inch seperation for the case holes and the same for the rack mount. http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn306/stanleyreynolds/hp1.jpg http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn306/stanleyreynolds/hp2.jpg ___ 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] HP 5334B rackmount ears
I think I have some; what is the height? 2RU? -Dave -- Original message -- From: Scott Mace [EMAIL PROTECTED] Does anyone know where I can get a set of rackmount ears for the 5334B? I need to rack this unit and take off the feet. Scott ___ 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] HP 5334B rackmount ears
Hi Scott- I do have two that should work. One is marked HP 3490, so if that one uses the same you should be fine. The mounting holes (ear to counter) are 1 apart and are set back .5 from the front of the flange. I'd send you a pix, but my camera is hiding somewhere. -Dave -- Original message -- From: Scott Mace [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yes, it's a 2U. I think it's option 908, option 909 or something. Scott [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I think I have some; what is the height? 2RU? -Dave -- Original message -- From: Scott Mace [EMAIL PROTECTED] Does anyone know where I can get a set of rackmount ears for the 5334B? I need to rack this unit and take off the feet. Scott ___ 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.
Re: [time-nuts] Valpey - VF154
Randy- Here's some minimal info: http://www.datasheetarchive.com/VF154-datasheet.html I don't have access to my databook collection at the moment, but given the date codes on those oscillators, they may be long obsolete. -Dave -- Original message -- From: Randy Leifer [EMAIL PROTECTED] Novice here. I have a small electronics lab at home. PART 1: I have these Valpey Fisher VF154 1 MHz oscillators. I could not find any details at the VF website on this particular model #. (OC, VC, ???) Picture/link below PART 2: Does anyone have a link to a simple circuit, where I could use these to get a stand-alone signal @ around 1 or 2 volts? This is just an educational value/exercise for me, I don't really have an intended use (yet) for these. I have some high-speed opamps and buffers? Thanks, =Randy Leifer= http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y177/Midiot/DSCN.jpg ___ 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] Trimble Thunderbolt EOL
While the mini-T is obviously not the same, the -E version many be nothing more than a RoHS compliant version of the original. I've seen many changes to devices/assemblies in the past year or two, but when the smoke clears it's nothing but a RoHS-related change. In fact, in many cases, there is no actual change in the device at all. It was always compliant but marketing wanted a *RoHS* part number. It's been driving me crazy... -Dave -- Original message -- From: Richard W. Solomon [EMAIL PROTECTED] It seems the T-Bolt is being replaced with a newer version. I wonder which ones we will be getting ?? http://trl.trimble.com/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-383748/TBolt%20EOL.pdf 73, Dick, W1KSZ ___ 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] Low profile coax connector?
After digging through boxes tonight, I found a few leftover bits from when I did some work for Trimble, in particular a couple of antennas from their early handheld units that I'll like to try out with a Jupiter board. I thought the connector was a Hirose H.FL (3mm tall) male, but I found some samples of those in the box and the grounding ring of the female is the same diameter as the H.FL male. Close, but no cigar as they say. It's also close to the Tyco OSMT/SSMT series, but the body has a corner bevel instead of the Tyco side bevel. Anyone know what the connector is? If not, I may just replace it with the H.FL or something a little larger. Thanks, -Dave ___ 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] Thunderbolt Group Buy, part 1
My feelings exactly, I would have done the same except that (1) I already have a Tbolt, and I had so many messages, that I (2) started in the middle of the flood... The original message should have been worded in such a way to avoid a massive reply. At this price, I really had to convince myself that I *didn't* need another one! ;-) -Dave -- Original message -- From: Chuck Harris [EMAIL PROTECTED] Before you get all angry, consider how most people view the list: IN LINEAR ORDER OF MESSAGES SENT! They see TVB's message about a new supply of Thunderbolts, and quickly post a message saying: me too! It isn't until it's too late that they see the message saying that there is no list, and don't bug the group (or TAPR) with requests for cheap GPSDO's. The real problem is TVB shouldn't have made the announcement until TAPR was ready to deal with taking orders. (Can you blame him for being excited?) And, I don't think there is any cause for you to insult list members and call them cheapskates. They just want in on what turned out to be a much better deal than was ever contemplated. Remember the earlier deal was for several hundred dollars each. The new price changes the calculus completely. -Chuck Harris Bill Hawkins wrote: How about a firm statement that there is NO list being made of people who are clamoring for a cheap Thunderbolt. As long as the possibility exists that there is a list, people will keep ignoring John. Me, I invested $600 in Lucent boxes and have no return on them. I'll not throw good money after bad. Meanwhile, we get the names of the cheapskates . . . Bill Hawkins -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 8:54 PM To: time-nuts@febo.com Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt Group Buy, part 1 Hi John, people are not getting it, and keep sending-in requests to this list... Is there any possibility to set up a mail alias that can get all these requests, and keep the noise off of this list as well? thanks, Said In a message dated 5/6/2008 09:57:55 Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: As I said below -- we will first send ordering information to those who were on the pre-order list last year, and then will announce how others may order. Please stay tuned, but also please don't clog up the TAPR inbox! Thanks, John ___ 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] HP Z3801A
Richard- Schematics for the power supply/oven control board are available, but I've never seen anything else. (and even those are not from HP) -Dave -- Original message -- From: Richard W. Solomon [EMAIL PROTECTED] I have one coming and am looking to collect some info on it. I Googled it and got quite a bit of info, but nowhere have I found a Service Manual or its like. Anyone know where I can get one ? Thanks, Dick, W1KSZ ___ 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] Z3801A up and running!
First of all, many thanks to those who gave help, hints, ideas, and schematics (!) over the past eight months; all was appreciated! The story: I was building a master power/timing module for my rack system, including a Z3801A in a snazzy pull-out configuration with a dist. amp. All was great until I did the final power on test... The Z3801A was dead and the external PS shut itself down for ~4 minutes every time I tried to power it up. I had forgotten that the unit was designed for a *positive ground* environment... oops! After a few half hearted attempts to get it going, I gave up for a while to work on other projects. Later, knowing I had to thin out the herd I asked for and got the schematics for the PS board. While not 100% accurate, they were good enough. The incorrect grounding had blown out Q3 and CR4. I took a long time to track it down because it was hard to isolate portions of the circuit, and I didn't want to cut any traces. Deciding I didn't need the input voltage envelope circuit anyway, I just bypassed Q2, reassembled everything, and it's now purring along. Not having much luck acquiring sats, but it's locked on to a few, not bad considering the antenna is indoors, leaning against a book case. This weekend, I'll give it a real test on the roof. One last thing; this was the first pcb I've really had soldering issues with. Sometimes it just wouldn't melt unless I used the big weller gun, sometimes the clearance in the holes was so tight that I had to pull parts through even when the solder was totally melted. The pcb laughed at both my solder-suckers. I even ended up making a tip to heat all 3 terminals of a TO-220 at once. That worked, but the 2 wide tip for the DC/DC conv. didn't Thanks again to all, -Dave ___ 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] 58532a ANTENNA CABLE?
Hi Jeff- I have only used SatStat with my Z3801A, and it did take a while to get it set up right under XP. I much prefer Tboltmon for the Thunderbolt. Now that both are functional, I can start playing with them. I found that the Z3801A with the std HP antenna and recommended cable didn't work very well with the antenna in the garage (no plywood, 1x6s and 3 layers of asphalt shingles), it took forever to acquire sats and would lose the lock at the drop of a hat. It had to go out in the weather to be stable. On the other hand, the Thunderbolt antenna is in the corner of the garage, tilted at an angle, with hanging bicycles on one side and 19 racks on another, and is happy as a clam. Are clams happy? I've always wondered about that saying... -Dave -- Original message -- From: jshank [EMAIL PROTECTED] There appears to be three software-monitoring programs available, GPSCon Pro, GPS Control SatStat. I was just curious about what the group thinks of these three programs or if there are any other available. The Z3801A manual suggest rg-213 of lmr-400. I have neither on hand but am not apposed to purchasing either. I do have rg58/u and coax CATV cable on hand but the problem is that it is a difficult process to run the cable from my basement lab to the second floor attic and I only o want to do it once. Originally, I was going to penetrate the roof at the ridgeline and install the antenna on a one foot but I understand it is possible to receive singles from under the plywood/asphalt shingle roof. Is it worth a penetration of the roof? Jeff ___ 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] Racal-Dana 1992 switches
Are these switches the same as the ones in the 1996? Mine works perfectly now, but if the switches are a ticking time bomb, I'm going to move it to a area with better temperature control, and start looking for a donor unit just in case. -Dave -- Original message -- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Had the same trouble!!! bought a junk racal unit (they have several models) for $10 stole the switches from it!!! Sad way to send a unit to the scrap BIN!!! The unit is EXCELLENT well worth the repair effort Norm David McGaw wrote: Does anyone know of a source of push-button switches for the Racal-Dana 1992? I have one that over half are bad. No luck from Racal-Dana or their service house. Thanks, David ___ 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] Z3801A schematics?
Are any schematics available, especially for the power supply board? -Dave ___ 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] Clock Powers of Ten
So you put a sensor on the neck of the hourglass, and rotate it whenever the sand stops falling. You'd have to adjust the sand to make up for the rotation time, and to further calibrate it... -Dave -- Original message -- From: Bruce Griffiths [EMAIL PROTECTED] Brooke Clarke wrote: Hi Tom: Nice overview. I think in your Powers of Ten you showed a timepiece for which I don't remember any data. Since it's shown on the last page does that mean the hour glass has very good specs? How can it have (as a clock)? It isnt a periodic device by itself. Need to turn it into an oscillator/periodic device first before AVAR etc, can be measured. Bruce ___ 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.
