[time-nuts] Maximizing Cs Tube Life

[Skip Withrow]

Hello Time-nuts, 

Just wondering what the group concensus might be concerning maximizing Cs 
tube life.  On one extreme, if a tube is not used at all it will lose its 
vacuum.  That is why Symmetricom instructs that stored tubes be powered for 
at least 30 minutes each 6 months.  At the other extreme is powering the 
tube 24/7 which depletes the Cs source. 

In the middle is the question of how long does it take to achieve 
satisfactory stability to use the unit to evaluate other devices 
(oscillators - xtal or Rb). 

I would like to maximize the tube life and only need to do evaluations 
periodically.  My first inclination is to fire up the cesium a week or so in 
advance of use and then shut it down until needed again. 

Just wondering what the time-nut collective experience might be? 

Regards,
Skip Withrow 


_______________________________________________
time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com
To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
and follow the instructions there.