[time-nuts] Up And Running
Hello to all the Time-Nuts: I Have been acquiring parts for a few weeks and finally have a Thunderbolt-Trimble system up and running. Though I would share a few pictures of what I did and how it looks now that it is all together and working. First, here is an overall look at what I have put together. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/TrimbleParts.jpg I had to use the attenuator to reduce the amplitude of the 10MHz signal from the Trimble. It was overdriving the Extron causing distortion in the output waveform. The 6db attenuator is just what was needed. I was running on a temporary old GPS antenna mounted on the edge of my garage roof for a while. I ordered a Trimble antenna from China, took about 10 days to get here. What a difference that made in the overall signal strength and stability of the unit. Here is a Lady Heather shot after running on the antenna over night. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/MyLadyH.jpg I am still having trouble knowing what all the indicators on the screen mean, but it appears that everything is working. Sure wish there was an index somewhere that told what each and every thing on that screen means! As I mentioned, the antenna arrived yesterday and I built a mount and installed it yesterday afternoon. Though you might like to see what I ended up doing. We have a lot of rain, snow, and ice here in Michigan, so I wanted to do something to protect the antenna and connectors the best that I could from the elements. First, here is a picture of the antenna from China, along with the adaptor cable to get it to an F connector to hook to my 50 foot RG6U cable with F connectors on each end. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/TrimbleAnt.jpg Here is the mount that I built. I am going to put it on my TV antenna mast that is mounted on the house. The 10 degree elevation pattern should see open sky in all directions. The mount is a piece of aluminum angle with a mast clamp on one end, the a sealable tea container on the other. The container is one of those push button kitchen containers that has a very tight air seal when the button on the lid is pressed in. It really holds well, and you cannot remove the lid when it is locked into place. Also this configuration makes it really easy to get to the antenna and connectors if necessary. Just release the button on the bottom and lift off the unit. The F barrel connector through the side of the container makes it easy to just unscrew the cable if necessary. The seal on the container is about ¾ of an inch wide, and really holds on to the inside of the container. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/BuildingTheMount.jpg To hold the GPS antenna in place at the top of the container, I cut a small aluminum plate, carefully drilled 3 holes for 2-56 hardware through the top of the container, using the aluminum plate as a template. The antenna is clamped into place by bolting the plate up against the bottom of the antenna, inside of the container. You can see from the next picture how the cable connectors and antenna wire is coiled up in the bottom of the container, and terminates on the F barrel connector inside. Looks like it is all ready to put up on the roof and connect to the cable. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/ReadyToPutUp.jpg Here it is, mounted about 25 feet above the ground, below the TV antenna. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/MountedHigh.jpg And here is a close up of the finished installation. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/UpAndWorking.jpg A lesson to be learned, about F connector barrels! When I hooked up the basement end of the cable, total disappointment! On the screen it said in yellow letters, Antenna Open. As I had tested the system end to end, BEFORE I put it all in the container, the only place that could be a problem was that F connector barrel. I brought the container back down to the bench and carefully looked at the connections. It was so simple, and I had caused the problem during early bench testing of the cables. The jumper cable from the antenna to the inner part of the F connector has a extremely small diameter center conductor. On the other hand, the RG6U cable has a greatly oversize, compared to RG59U cable, center conductor. In testing I had pushed the RG6U center conductor into both ends of the F barrel. This pushed the center part of the connector to its limits, and it did not close back down when the cable was removed. I installed a nice brand new F barrel into the side of the container. Starting the F connector on the inside barrel connection, I could feel the center conductor pushing into the connector. Taking it all back to the roof, tightening the F connectors in place, solved the problem! Somebody is probably going to ask, what I am using this system for? I have an HP synthesized signal generator and a Racal-Dana digital frequency counter that both have provisions for a 10MHz
Re: [time-nuts] Up And Running
Looks good, but I would have gone for a different GPS antenna. The timing antennas are weather proof. I have a Marine grade GPS antenna, also weather proof, but the timing antennas are probably a little better since they have less response to GPS birds on the horizon. -Original Message- From: George Race geo...@mrrace.com Sender: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2012 10:53:25 To: time-nuts@febo.com Reply-To: geo...@mrrace.com, Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement time-nuts@febo.com Subject: [time-nuts] Up And Running Hello to all the Time-Nuts: I Have been acquiring parts for a few weeks and finally have a Thunderbolt-Trimble system up and running. Though I would share a few pictures of what I did and how it looks now that it is all together and working. First, here is an overall look at what I have put together. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/TrimbleParts.jpg I had to use the attenuator to reduce the amplitude of the 10MHz signal from the Trimble. It was overdriving the Extron causing distortion in the output waveform. The 6db attenuator is just what was needed. I was running on a temporary old GPS antenna mounted on the edge of my garage roof for a while. I ordered a Trimble antenna from China, took about 10 days to get here. What a difference that made in the overall signal strength and stability of the unit. Here is a Lady Heather shot after running on the antenna over night. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/MyLadyH.jpg I am still having trouble knowing what all the indicators on the screen mean, but it appears that everything is working. Sure wish there was an index somewhere that told what each and every thing on that screen means! As I mentioned, the antenna arrived yesterday and I built a mount and installed it yesterday afternoon. Though you might like to see what I ended up doing. We have a lot of rain, snow, and ice here in Michigan, so I wanted to do something to protect the antenna and connectors the best that I could from the elements. First, here is a picture of the antenna from China, along with the adaptor cable to get it to an “F” connector to hook to my 50 foot RG6U cable with “F” connectors on each end. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/TrimbleAnt.jpg Here is the mount that I built. I am going to put it on my TV antenna mast that is mounted on the house. The 10 degree elevation pattern should see open sky in all directions. The mount is a piece of aluminum angle with a mast clamp on one end, the a sealable tea container on the other. The container is one of those push button kitchen containers that has a very tight air seal when the button on the lid is pressed in. It really holds well, and you cannot remove the lid when it is locked into place. Also this configuration makes it really easy to get to the antenna and connectors if necessary. Just release the button on the bottom and lift off the unit. The “F” barrel connector through the side of the container makes it easy to just unscrew the cable if necessary. The seal on the container is about ¾ of an inch wide, and really holds on to the inside of the container. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/BuildingTheMount.jpg To hold the GPS antenna in place at the top of the container, I cut a small aluminum plate, carefully drilled 3 holes for 2-56 hardware through the top of the container, using the aluminum plate as a template. The antenna is “clamped” into place by bolting the plate up against the bottom of the antenna, inside of the container. You can see from the next picture how the cable connectors and antenna wire is coiled up in the bottom of the container, and terminates on the “F” barrel connector inside. Looks like it is all ready to put up on the roof and connect to the cable. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/ReadyToPutUp.jpg Here it is, mounted about 25 feet above the ground, below the TV antenna. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/MountedHigh.jpg And here is a close up of the finished installation. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/UpAndWorking.jpg A lesson to be learned, about “F” connector barrels! When I hooked up the basement end of the cable, total disappointment! On the screen it said in yellow letters, “Antenna Open.” As I had tested the system end to end, BEFORE I put it all in the container, the only place that could be a problem was that “F” connector barrel. I brought the container back down to the bench and carefully looked at the connections. It was so simple, and I had caused the problem during early bench testing of the cables. The jumper cable from the antenna to the inner part of the “F” connector has a extremely small diameter center conductor. On the other hand, the RG6U cable has a greatly oversize, compared to RG59U cable, center conductor. In testing I had pushed the RG6U center conductor into both ends of the “F” barrel. This pushed the center
Re: [time-nuts] Up And Running
Il 2012-09-28 16:53 George Race ha scritto: Hello to all the Time-Nuts: I Have been acquiring parts for a few weeks and finally have a Thunderbolt-Trimble system up and running. Though I would share a few pictures of what I did and how it looks now that it is all together and working. First, here is an overall look at what I have put together. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/TrimbleParts.jpg I had to use the attenuator to reduce the amplitude of the 10MHz signal from the Trimble. It was overdriving the Extron causing distortion in the output waveform. The 6db attenuator is just what was needed. I was running on a temporary old GPS antenna mounted on the edge of my garage roof for a while. I ordered a Trimble antenna from China, took about 10 days to get here. What a difference that made in the overall signal strength and stability of the unit. Here is a Lady Heather shot after running on the antenna over night. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/MyLadyH.jpg I am still having trouble knowing what all the indicators on the screen mean, but it appears that everything is working. Sure wish there was an index somewhere that told what each and every thing on that screen means! As I mentioned, the antenna arrived yesterday and I built a mount and installed it yesterday afternoon. Though you might like to see what I ended up doing. We have a lot of rain, snow, and ice here in Michigan, so I wanted to do something to protect the antenna and connectors the best that I could from the elements. First, here is a picture of the antenna from China, along with the adaptor cable to get it to an “F” connector to hook to my 50 foot RG6U cable with “F” connectors on each end. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/TrimbleAnt.jpg Here is the mount that I built. I am going to put it on my TV antenna mast that is mounted on the house. The 10 degree elevation pattern should see open sky in all directions. The mount is a piece of aluminum angle with a mast clamp on one end, the a sealable tea container on the other. The container is one of those push button kitchen containers that has a very tight air seal when the button on the lid is pressed in. It really holds well, and you cannot remove the lid when it is locked into place. Also this configuration makes it really easy to get to the antenna and connectors if necessary. Just release the button on the bottom and lift off the unit. The “F” barrel connector through the side of the container makes it easy to just unscrew the cable if necessary. The seal on the container is about ¾ of an inch wide, and really holds on to the inside of the container. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/BuildingTheMount.jpg To hold the GPS antenna in place at the top of the container, I cut a small aluminum plate, carefully drilled 3 holes for 2-56 hardware through the top of the container, using the aluminum plate as a template. The antenna is “clamped” into place by bolting the plate up against the bottom of the antenna, inside of the container. You can see from the next picture how the cable connectors and antenna wire is coiled up in the bottom of the container, and terminates on the “F” barrel connector inside. Looks like it is all ready to put up on the roof and connect to the cable. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/ReadyToPutUp.jpg Here it is, mounted about 25 feet above the ground, below the TV antenna. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/MountedHigh.jpg And here is a close up of the finished installation. http://www.mrrace.com/TrimbleGPS/UpAndWorking.jpg A lesson to be learned, about “F” connector barrels! When I hooked up the basement end of the cable, total disappointment! On the screen it said in yellow letters, “Antenna Open.” As I had tested the system end to end, BEFORE I put it all in the container, the only place that could be a problem was that “F” connector barrel. I brought the container back down to the bench and carefully looked at the connections. It was so simple, and I had caused the problem during early bench testing of the cables. The jumper cable from the antenna to the inner part of the “F” connector has a extremely small diameter center conductor. On the other hand, the RG6U cable has a greatly oversize, compared to RG59U cable, center conductor. In testing I had pushed the RG6U center conductor into both ends of the “F” barrel. This pushed the center part of the connector to its limits, and it did not close back down when the cable was removed. I installed a nice brand new “F” barrel into the side of the container. Starting the “F” connector on the inside barrel connection, I could feel the center conductor pushing into the connector. Taking it all back to the roof, tightening the “F” connectors in place, solved the problem! Somebody is probably going to ask, what I am using this system for? I have an HP synthesized signal generator
[time-nuts] Up And Running
Hi George, Your setup looks like a good approach to what you need for your requirements. I was looking at the weatherproof enclosure for your antenna. If I am correct, you have a total seal with regards to that container. The fasteners that pass through the enclosure on the top, are they utilizing any method of seal around themselves? I would be a little worried about the sealed container breathing with temperature changes and drawing moisture in around the fastener if they aren't sealed in any fashion. Normally outdoor enclosures and antenna radomes contain some sort of small weep hole to drain any moisture that may enter the enclosure or vent to equalize pressure changes with temperature. With the design of that container, a weep hole may not be practical given the deeper seal arrangement but a small pressure relief vent may help. And if you continue to utilize this design, a dab of RTV over each screw head would also help immensely. Greg On Fri, 28 Sep 2012 10:53:25 -0400, George Race geo...@mrrace.com wrote: Hello to all the Time-Nuts: I Have been acquiring parts for a few weeks and finally have a Thunderbolt-Trimble system up and running. Though I would share a few pictures of what I did and how it looks now that it is all together and working. remainder snipped ___ 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] Up And Running
Not sure it's a good idea to seal the antenna in a plastic box. Must get hot in there. And mounting it under a big Yagi? I considered using a puck antenna and protecting it with a black plastic conical cap that is used to keep seagulls off the top of dock pilings. Air could circulate under the cap. Tested the cap in a microwave oven, stayed cool. Didn't use it, though, got a HP conical outdoor antenna instead. Why would you want to attenuate the precision of the time signal by 6 db? The caption says, Precision Attenuator. :-) 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.
Re: [time-nuts] Up And Running
Nice job George 73, Bill, 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.
Re: [time-nuts] Up And Running
George,
Don't need much of a hole. I wouldn't go past a single 1/16 one or so. That
would be small enough to keep most critters out of the container.
From what I can observe, that gasket is recessed down below the inner surface
of the cover with the container inverted as it is. Any moisture that would
collect would first run down into this recess before it would reach the
surface of the cover and have a chance to drain. This could result in
collection of the moisture resulting in winter time freezing and possible
cracking of the container. If you are to drill a weep hole, it might be
better to try to do it in the lid from up underneath right above the gasket
(providing the lid outer {now downwards] surface is recessed). Coming up from
below would help keep anything from getting driven inside from high winds
carrying wetness. That might take some doing if you are hanging off the tower
trying to drill a tiny hole and not allow it to go entirely through both the
lid and the container.
Don't mean to spoil your day!! I have encountered too many moisture problems
with supposedly well-designed commercial products designed to be mounted in the
great outdoors. Although, I have seen some good designs as well incorporating
such approaches as pressure relief valves and expansion membranes incorporating
desiccant inside the enclosure, etc. But we're not building military hardware
here.
Also, Bill Hawkins had a good comment regarding heat buildup inside the
container. Something to keep in the back of your mind.
Greg
On Fri, 28 Sep 2012 13:06:02 -0400, George Race geo...@mrrace.com wrote:
Hi Greg, appreciate your concern and comments.
I did put a dab of jell super glue on each of the screw heads, after they
were tightened down, I then wiped them clean. Maybe a bit of RTV would be
appropriate as well.
I did not put any weep holes in the cover, which is now the bottom of the
assembly. It would be quite easy to drill up through the whole assembly,
into the container, through the center of the push button which is about 2
inches in diameter. A piece of fine mesh screen inside and out would keep
away the hornets and other intruders.
All good suggestion! Looks like at least one more trip on to the roof!
Thanks,
George
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Re: [time-nuts] Up And Running
Hi Bill, see my comments below. Not sure it's a good idea to seal the antenna in a plastic box. Definitely will vent it from the bottom! Must get hot in there. And mounting it under a big Yagi? Uda would be pleasantly surprised to see what has evolved from his first antenna! I considered using a puck antenna and protecting it with a black plastic conical cap that is used to keep seagulls off the top of dock pilings. Air could circulate under the cap. Tested the cap in a microwave oven, stayed cool. Didn't use it, though, got a HP conical outdoor antenna instead. Why would you want to attenuate the precision of the time signal by 6 db? The caption says, Precision Attenuator. :-) Was worried the signal would come out as a 5MHz sine wave, but it did not! :-; But, it does turn the 5 volt P to P that comes out of the Trimble into 2.5 volt P to P. It must be a Precision Broadband Amplitude Only Sine Wave Signal Attenuator Thing-E! Guess you could call it a PBAOSWSATE for short! All the best, George 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] Up And Running
I did put a dab of jell super glue on each of the screw heads, after they were tightened down, I then wiped them clean. Maybe a bit of RTV would be appropriate as well. If you are trying to weatherproof an outdoor item, you will probably find that 3M 5200 marine adhesive/sealant is the best product for the job. That said, I'd be worried about temperature/humidity cycling as mentioned by others, because you will never get a 100% hermetic seal -- so some version of a weep hole and other moisture preventive measures may be in order. 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.
Re: [time-nuts] Up And Running
I have lots of little switch boxes, matching networks, amplifiers, etc, mounted outside, usually in gasketed boxes from Bud and Hammond. I put a 0.050 hole in the bottom of all of them. It has proven to be large enough to stay clear of debris and small enough to keep little critters out. I even have some mounted on wooden posts less than a foot above the ground (in Virginia) and, to my surprise, ants have not been an issue. 73, geo - n4ua On Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 1:06 PM, George Race geo...@mrrace.com wrote: Hi Greg, appreciate your concern and comments. I did put a dab of jell super glue on each of the screw heads, after they were tightened down, I then wiped them clean. Maybe a bit of RTV would be appropriate as well. I did not put any weep holes in the cover, which is now the bottom of the assembly. It would be quite easy to drill up through the whole assembly, into the container, through the center of the push button which is about 2 inches in diameter. A piece of fine mesh screen inside and out would keep away the hornets and other intruders. All good suggestion! Looks like at least one more trip on to the roof! Thanks, George -Original Message- From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On Behalf Of Gregory Muir Sent: Friday, September 28, 2012 11:58 AM To: time-nuts@febo.com Subject: [time-nuts] Up And Running Hi George, Your setup looks like a good approach to what you need for your requirements. I was looking at the weatherproof enclosure for your antenna. If I am correct, you have a total seal with regards to that container. The fasteners that pass through the enclosure on the top, are they utilizing any method of seal around themselves? I would be a little worried about the sealed container breathing with temperature changes and drawing moisture in around the fastener if they aren't sealed in any fashion. Normally outdoor enclosures and antenna radomes contain some sort of small weep hole to drain any moisture that may enter the enclosure or vent to equalize pressure changes with temperature. With the design of that container, a weep hole may not be practical given the deeper seal arrangement but a small pressure relief vent may help. And if you continue to utilize this design, a dab of RTV over each screw head would also help immensely. Greg On Fri, 28 Sep 2012 10:53:25 -0400, George Race geo...@mrrace.com wrote: Hello to all the Time-Nuts: I Have been acquiring parts for a few weeks and finally have a Thunderbolt-Trimble system up and running. Though I would share a few pictures of what I did and how it looks now that it is all together and working. remainder snipped ___ 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] Up And Running
The secret is to keep your equipment warm(er), then when the trapped humid air condenses, it condenses on a colder surface, hopefully eventually running down to the hole you left at the lowest point. The existence of such a hole, that is a non fully sealed package, means there is less chance for ingested hot humid air to be trapped and condense in the first place. Sometimes you need to dissipate power in your system simply to create the elevated temperature if otherwise your system is so efficient. Unless you are going to start helium leak test, I seriously doubt the your airtight package is. I have been known to add a always on light bulb, for example. Lester B Veenstra MØYCM K1YCM W8YCM les...@veenstras.com US Postal Address: 5 Shrine Club Drive HC84 Box 89C Keyser WV 26726 GPS: 39.33675 N 78.9823527 W Telephones: Home: +1-304-289-6057 US cell +1-304-790-9192 Guam Cell: +1-671-929-8141 Jamaica: +1-876-352-7504 This e-mail and any documents attached hereto contain confidential or privileged information. The information is intended to be for use only by the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for delivering the e-mail to the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this e-mail or any documents attached hereto is prohibited. -Original Message ..That said, I'd be worried about temperature/humidity cycling as mentioned by others, because you will never get a 100% hermetic seal -- so some version of a weep hole and other moisture preventive measures may be in order. 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.
Re: [time-nuts] Up And Running
Normally outdoor enclosures and antenna radomes contain some sort of small weep hole to drain any moisture that may enter the enclosure or vent to equalize pressure changes with temperature. Not mine. The outdoor timing GPS antennas I have use an O-ring to form a completely 100% waterproof seal. The radomes are pressure tight and in my estimation would hold at least two atmosphere of pressure in either direction. I think this is pretty common for GPS antenna. Spend $30 and buy a real outdoor GPS antenna and it will have a pointed top and will be 100% sealed. Mount it on the end of a 1 iron pipe the cable goes down the pipe. 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.
Re: [time-nuts] Up And Running
completely 100% waterproof seal; famous last words, in the absence of a dry nitrogen pressurization. Lester B Veenstra MØYCM K1YCM W8YCM les...@veenstras.com US Postal Address: 5 Shrine Club Drive HC84 Box 89C Keyser WV 26726 GPS: 39.33675 N 78.9823527 W Telephones: Home: +1-304-289-6057 US cell +1-304-790-9192 Guam Cell: +1-671-929-8141 Jamaica: +1-876-352-7504 This e-mail and any documents attached hereto contain confidential or privileged information. The information is intended to be for use only by the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for delivering the e-mail to the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this e-mail or any documents attached hereto is prohibited. -Original Message- From: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com] On Behalf Of Chris Albertson Sent: 28 September 2012 16:55 To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Up And Running Normally outdoor enclosures and antenna radomes contain some sort of small weep hole to drain any moisture that may enter the enclosure or vent to equalize pressure changes with temperature. Not mine. The outdoor timing GPS antennas I have use an O-ring to form a completely 100% waterproof seal. The radomes are pressure tight and in my estimation would hold at least two atmosphere of pressure in either direction. I think this is pretty common for GPS antenna. Spend $30 and buy a real outdoor GPS antenna and it will have a pointed top and will be 100% sealed. Mount it on the end of a 1 iron pipe the cable goes down the pipe. 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] Up And Running
If you don't get all the H20 out, which for the regular Joe is very hard to do having the small vent hole is the way to go. If your worried about critter, there are quite a few hole plugs available just for this purpose. -pete On Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 1:36 PM, Lester Veenstra les...@veenstras.com wrote: The secret is to keep your equipment warm(er), then when the trapped humid air condenses, it condenses on a colder surface, hopefully eventually running down to the hole you left at the lowest point. The existence of such a hole, that is a non fully sealed package, means there is less chance for ingested hot humid air to be trapped and condense in the first place. Sometimes you need to dissipate power in your system simply to create the elevated temperature if otherwise your system is so efficient. Unless you are going to start helium leak test, I seriously doubt the your airtight package is. I have been known to add a always on light bulb, for example. Lester B Veenstra MØYCM K1YCM W8YCM les...@veenstras.com US Postal Address: 5 Shrine Club Drive HC84 Box 89C Keyser WV 26726 GPS: 39.33675 N 78.9823527 W Telephones: Home:+1-304-289-6057 US cell +1-304-790-9192 Guam Cell: +1-671-929-8141 Jamaica:+1-876-352-7504 This e-mail and any documents attached hereto contain confidential or privileged information. The information is intended to be for use only by the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for delivering the e-mail to the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this e-mail or any documents attached hereto is prohibited. -Original Message ..That said, I'd be worried about temperature/humidity cycling as mentioned by others, because you will never get a 100% hermetic seal -- so some version of a weep hole and other moisture preventive measures may be in order. 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] Up And Running
On Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 3:04 PM, Lester Veenstra les...@veenstras.com wrote: completely 100% waterproof seal; famous last words, in the absence of a dry nitrogen pressurization. The Antenna is many years old. I opened it up a while back to look to see how the antenna was designed inside. (it turned out to be a helix with a microwave amplifier placed at the feed point inside the helix) I'd say it was nearly perfect inside. Solder still shinny. That was after being on a cell tower for years before I owned it. The connector is type N and has an o-ring as well.It's been outdoors for well over 10 years and looks like new inside. The coax feed line and the n-connector lives inside the iron pipe and is not exposed to the elements. The pipe is grounded and extends directly through the roof in the same way a plumbing vent would. Here is a photo looking up through a tree from the street. https://www.dropbox.com/s/2qec0lf48occeom/DSC_3134%20copy.jpg 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.
