Re: [time-nuts] How quartz crystals are (were) fabricated

2013-08-01 Thread Tom Clifton
-- Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 19:14:58 -0400 From: Bob Camp 2) I'll *guarantee* that the workers in the pictures didn't show up for work on a normal work day dressed like that.

Re: [time-nuts] OT Prototype Boards

2013-06-25 Thread Tom Clifton
With Glass/Epoxy protoboards being so expensive, I have bought several lots of a phenolic perf board for prototypes off the web and they have been the most inexpensive boards I have ever found.  I don't feel bad about trashing failed prototypes..  Search your favorite site for 7x9cm PCB Blank

Re: [time-nuts] Net4501's cheap..

2013-05-19 Thread Tom Clifton
Seller obviously figured out that somebody feels they are of value and adjusted the selling price to see what he can squeeze out of them.  I'd suggest making a $20 offer if you want to try to drive the price back down to what is reasonable Message: 6 Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 18:07:51 -0500 From:

[time-nuts] NTPTool V2.0 - useful (free) utility

2012-12-13 Thread Tom Clifton
On and off I have been receiving error messages from various pieces of equipment about NTP errors from my pool of Symmetricom receivers.  I finally found NTPTool at:   http://www.geardownload.com/internet/ntp-server-tool-download.html (Click on the blue download image above the thumbnail image

[time-nuts] GPSDO Alternatives

2012-12-03 Thread Tom Clifton
While the Trimble Tbolts are still out there and reasonably available, are there any newer alternatives in the same general price range?  ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to

Re: [time-nuts] Frequency generator and counter on same external reference

2012-11-29 Thread Tom Clifton
Good heavens, no.  By doing so, they both have the same reference and the measuremets actually means something. I have a stack of HP stuff (3586, 3386 and assorted counters) all T'd off my Tbolt without issue.  The only caveat is that you don't put too much stuff across the T-bolt output so as

Re: [time-nuts] Frequency generator and counter on same external reference

2012-11-29 Thread Tom Clifton
Kind of funny you bring that up.  I have an old Fluke 1900A counter (plastic case) that radiates 10mhz clock that deafens my receiver.  It only took me a week  to find the intermittent source of interference  Boy, did I feel stupid... - Date: Thu, 29

Re: [time-nuts] Sure Electronics GPS

2011-01-16 Thread Tom Clifton
I have purchased many items over the past few years from Sure and have never been dissapointed in that I receive.  They do seem to have multiple seller accounts, each with different items - sureelectonics sureelectronics1 sureelectronics2 etc. Any way, I did a serch by seller and found a

Re: [time-nuts] GPS jamming susceptibility

2010-11-23 Thread Tom Clifton
In the RC Model Airplane world where some brave souls are experimenting with autonoumous (UAV)  flight , it is usual that they have a part-15 video downlink and/or telemetry at 900mhz or 2.4ghz and unless you put a trap on the input to the GPS receiver to significantly reduce those frequencies

Re: [time-nuts] 60 KHz Receiver

2010-10-05 Thread Tom Clifton
If you want to see a R E A L L Y big vlf antenna check out thest two links.  The first is about Soviet and US VLF antennas used for submarine communications during the cold war, and the second has a copule of photo's at the end of the powerpoint presentation of the installation in Cutler,

[time-nuts] PICTIC II Parts - SOIC to PDIP Adaptor

2010-07-09 Thread Tom Clifton
Would something like eBay 180460919851 be a suitable adaptor?  The description says that it takes .1 header pins on .3 centers 'ready for socket insertion'. I'm sure that there are other places (Sparkfun) that sell similar adaptors for those that have an aversion to on-line auction sites for

[time-nuts] DS-1 from 10MHz

2010-07-05 Thread Tom Clifton
I'm running more than a few days late on mail, but my inclination would be to order a custom programmed SI5355 from Silicon Labs for $5 - no minimum quantity and 2 week turnaround.  Admittedly the part is a qfn (SMT Quad Flat-pack No-leads) but it is easy, can run off an external user provided

[time-nuts] A very different analog clock

2010-06-25 Thread Tom Clifton
This is for the Uber-Timenerds http://www.adafruit.com/blog/2010/06/24/multimeter-clock-styled-after-the-simpson-260-multimeter/ ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to

Re: [time-nuts] Info on Rockwell TU00-D130-031-9230

2010-05-11 Thread Tom Clifton
The ugly header is  a 2mm spaced header instead of the 'normal' .1 header (2.54mm).  You will find that you can use a laptop 2.5 drive adaptor connector will typically have  2mm to 2.54mm headers that can be 'adapted.  I suspect that you can purchase 2 row 2mm headers on that on-line auction

[time-nuts] The WWVB Atomic Clock Kit #7

2010-02-01 Thread Tom Clifton
I noted this while looking for a DDS VFO, and thought it interesting and affordable if you are interested in a 60khz WWVB receiver kit  for $30 plus postage.  As a standard disclaimer, I have no affiliation with the gents producing  the kit.  The URL is:  http://www.qsl.net/k5bcq/Kits/Kits.html

[time-nuts] Notes on the Driscoll VHF Overtone Crystal Oscillator

2009-12-27 Thread Tom Clifton
Interesting read on a low phase noise oscillator by Chris Bartram GW4DGU http://www.christopherbartramrfdesign.com/blaenffos/oscillator/VLNO.pdf ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to

[time-nuts] Marginally off topic... Aircraft Automatic Direction Finders as beacon receivers.

2009-12-22 Thread Tom Clifton
Approaching off topic, but possibly of interest as Loran and WWVL is on the fringes of this... I have several dead King KR-85 ADF untis that I want to  repair and press into service as 505khz beacon monitors.  Designed primarily for receiving 200khz to 500khz

[time-nuts] 5070B once more.... (actually capacitors)

2009-05-23 Thread Tom Clifton
The word we got from our Dell National Accounts rep was that there was a run of contaminated electrolyte affectring several capacitor manufactures. Gee, go figure QC issues in a country still painting toys with lead based paint... Any way, I recently purchased a pile of low ESR caps from

[time-nuts] Rockwell GPS Chipset

2009-02-17 Thread Tom Clifton
Any chance it is a Jupiter? http://www.gpskit.nl/gps-readme.html If so, they are fine receivers. THe header pins are 2mm spcing - same as used on laptop hard drive adaptors ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go

Re: [time-nuts] beryllium oxide

2009-01-16 Thread Tom Clifton
Also used on old lighthouse tubes used for uhf and low microwave applications fro the '40's and '50's. If my memory serves me, these tubes were found in devices like the airborne APX-6 IFF Transponder in which the greatest hazard was the detonators used to destroy the device should a plane go

[time-nuts] What Price Precision?

2008-09-13 Thread Tom Clifton
For those who are ARRL members, they now have archives of QST on-line. I stumbled across a two part series in the Sept and Oct 1952 QST ehtitled: What Price Precision? The economics of Frequency Standards By George X.M. Collier W0EG The article highlights Crystal Charactgeristics,Hammarlund

Re: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt temperature spikes

2008-07-14 Thread Tom Clifton
My own gut feeling is that it is a glitch making its way through one of the power supplies. Its decay looks like it could be capacitive... Pr thermal. or (fill in the blank) I'm using the brick power supply povided and it is possible that they generate transients, or poorly react to normal

[time-nuts] Thunderbolt temperature spikes

2008-07-12 Thread Tom Clifton
I too am seeing them - four or five events during a 24 hour time period. Below are 50 temp readings before and after an event. 32.82 32.82 32.82 32.82 32.82 32.82 32.82 32.82 32.82 32.83 32.92 32.91 32.90 32.89 32.89 32.88 32.87 32.87 32.87 32.86 32.86 32.85 32.85 32.85 32.85 32.84 32.84 32.84

[time-nuts] Thunderbolt Data Plotting

2008-07-11 Thread Tom Clifton
Well - I have lots and lots of raw numbers, and no really good way of plottinng it. I'm hardly a linux guru, but would gnuplot be a suitable tool for graphing data like the snipper below? 374741 -0.5 0.00 0.7314587 32.10 0 130 18.2 158 4.0 12 1.8 132 3.2 157 9.0 152 5.8 138 12.0 133 6.2

[time-nuts] Thunderbolt Loop Damping

2008-07-07 Thread Tom Clifton
The manual doesn't give much direction on tweaking the disciplining parameters. Also, not having anything better to compare results to, I'm pretty handicapped. Has anybody done any tweaking and perhaps can offer any suggestions? Over the weekend I was able to get a GPS antenna on the roof

[time-nuts] Thunderbolt Power Question

2008-07-06 Thread Tom Clifton
As the requirement is for a few milliamps it appears that All Electgonics has an inexpensive DC DC converter http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/DC-32/DC-DC-CONVERTER/-/1.html that runs off of +5v. All I have to do is to run the -19v output throught a negative regualtor and its a

[time-nuts] Thunderbolt Power Question

2008-07-05 Thread Tom Clifton
As I sit here reviewing the power requirements for the Thunderbolt, I note that the -12v is only 10ma. Does this indicate that it is only used for the RS232 output and if so for a battery backup I can cheat and only service the +12v (750ma)and +5v (400ma)?

[time-nuts] THUNDERBOLT STATUS LED'S

2008-06-23 Thread Tom Clifton
/snip Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:24:35 -0700 (GMT-07:00) From: Richard W. Solomon [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [time-nuts] THUNDERBOLT STATUS LED'S If there is NMEA Data available, there is a design utilizing a PIC chip that will indicate 3D GPS Fix. It was published by W1AUV. 73, Dick, W1KSZ

[time-nuts] Simple NMEA Display

2008-03-01 Thread Tom Clifton
From: Luis Cupido [EMAIL PROTECTED] Can anyone point me to any simple program, must run on older machines (windows 98) be and free. I mean very basic stuff for sanity checks of system antena etc. -- Very basic, Very Simple and very Free.. Use the hyperterminal program that

[time-nuts] GPS World Web page

2007-11-15 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] RETRY WOW!!! What a resource. Something for everybody from the kid that is geo caching to the physicist. Nice digital delivery too.. http://www.gpsworld.com/ Tom

[time-nuts] WinOncore

2007-11-06 Thread Tom Clifton
I just received an older 8 channel Oncore GPS board - still not sure if it is a timing or navigation part... In any event, I have found plenty of documentation on it, but so far none of the links for the Motorola eval software WinOncore (presumably free) seem to be functional. Can someone help me

[time-nuts] Snopes on the Danish Question

2007-10-31 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] RETRY http://www.snopes.com/college/exam/barometer.asp __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

Re: [time-nuts] Parallel voltage regulators

2007-10-26 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] RETRY This has been a fascinating and educational thread! I have always been aware of noise coming from switching regulators - just have Argo or Speclab look at your laptop's sound card with no input signal and there is plenty to

Re: [time-nuts] Parallel voltage regulators

2007-10-24 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] RETRY Thanks for all the good feedback! Looks like the LM388 is the way I'm to go. Got to toddle off to the local surplus shop in the morning to see what they have in the goodie bin. If they don't have it eBay is full of them. Tom

Re: [time-nuts] 60khz NTP Server?

2007-10-19 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] RETRY Thanks for all the replies on-list and off! I also found a list of manufactures at: http://tf.nist.gov/general/receiverlist.htm Tom __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo!

[time-nuts] 60khz NTP Server?

2007-10-18 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] RETRY Does anybody know of a product that is an NTP server that gets its time source from WWVB at 60khz? There are lots of Atomic Clocks out there but I haven't seen one that does what I want. If I had money I'd be purchasing

[time-nuts] Improving the stability of crystal oscillators

2007-10-10 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] RETRY While the website is not explicitly about frequency measurement, there is an interesting bit on improving the stability of crystal oscillators with external heater controllers. While it may not be suitable for long term high

Re: [time-nuts] Lucent WR-92066 L10 RFG-XO

2007-10-03 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] RETRY I also bought one that hasn't arrived yet. With the XO in the part number I am under the belief that it is a crystal oscillator, not Rubidium. I may be wrong, but the unit with the Rubidium oscillator is probably LUCENT

[time-nuts] HP-3566 Mini Manual

2007-09-24 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] RETRY Nice web page at KO4BB's Home Page: http://www.ko4bb.com Lots of good stuff including a 30 page brief operating manual for the 3586.

[time-nuts] GPSDO Question

2007-08-31 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] RETRY I have gathered everything I need to assemble a GPS Disciplined Oscillator. I have the Brooks Shera controller assembled, am about 99% done on the linear power supplies for +/- 5V, 12V supplies and a separate 24V oven heater

[time-nuts] HP-5328A Channel C Board Replacement Question

2007-08-27 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] RETRY I am replacing a defective Channel C board in my trusty 5328 counter. The old board is PN# 05328-20016 and the replacement (off eBay) is 05328-60045. Not quite plug-N-play... The new board has an SMA connector (I can handle

[time-nuts] Crimping VS Soldering

2007-07-28 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] The key is the gas tight connection between the surfaces. If moisture and/or oxygen can't get in the conection will remain true. Back in an earlier life in the telecommunications industry connections went from soldered to wire

[time-nuts] Time may not exist

2007-07-27 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Just to stir the pot a little - I'm providing a link to Discover magazine - a tome of great repute and a source of information on scientific discoveries of epic magnitude... Enjoy... http://discovermagazine.com/2007/jun/in-no-time

[time-nuts] Fury GPS

2007-07-19 Thread Tom Clifton
Wow - only $750 in quantity of 20 or $1k in singles. That's not much more than what you spend putting together your own. By the time you come up with the HP-10811, controller, power supplies and GPS you have come close. So, can I borrow $1k from someone? :)

[time-nuts] Active LF Antennas

2007-07-19 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Is the Doug Baker LF antenna still available? If so, how does one go about obtaining one? Get the Yahoo! toolbar and be alerted to new

[time-nuts] Active LF Antennas

2007-07-19 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Brooke - you scored a bullseye on that one. I had a couple of false starts, but got an email back from Frank Gentges suggesting I contact Far Circuits for the PC boards ($11.50 for the set which includes shipping). Now to obtain the

[time-nuts] HP-3336A - High Precision Attenuator

2007-07-17 Thread Tom Clifton
Greg Burnett hit the nail on the head. It is a machined base with four solenoids. I'm a bit hesitant to start taking screws out of it as I'm not sure what holds what together... Though if it is dead, what additional harm can I do... Any waym the assembly seems to have an HP part number of 1979a

[time-nuts] HP-3336A Manual

2007-07-16 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I perused the pdf manual and came up more confused than when I started... My problem seems to be in the Option 005 high precision attenuator (as I can best tell). There is an aluminum box between the circuit board and the front

[time-nuts] HP-3336A Level Generator Question

2007-07-10 Thread Tom Clifton
); SAEximRunCond expanded to false Errors-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] The UPS man just delivered a care package from my latest ebay purchase!!! I fired it up and found the front panel displayed properly, but no output on the 75ohm BNC connector, but the rear panel 21-60mhz aux works fine as mesured by

[time-nuts] HP-5328A Manuals / Schematics

2007-05-27 Thread Tom Clifton
I'm wanting to work on the divider chain to incease the gate time from 10 seconds up to something much longer forr increased resolution. Are these on-line somewhere? Tom in St. Louis Choose the right

[time-nuts] Lucent RFTG-M-XO reference question

2007-05-21 Thread Tom Clifton
Before I go and spend $150 on eBay for one - I would like to know if they can be used as a stand-alone GPS desciplined oscillator without the 10mhz input from the rubidium unit. Also - has anybody found a manual on-line for one of these guys? 73 - Tom in St. Louis There was an older posting