Hi In a Cs beam tube, you start with a bucket of metal at one end of the tube. You shoot it towards the other end of the tube. When you have shot it all, the tube stops working. That's a "well defined wear-out" or "use-up" mechanism.
The comparison they are making is to a Cs beam tube. Bob -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Bob Smither Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 11:56 AM To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement Subject: [time-nuts] Confused about Rubidium oscillators Do Rb oscillators wear out? I have found: "There are no "wear-out" or "use-up" mechanisms in a Datum Efratom Rubidium oscillator." -- Datum - Note About Rubidium Oscillators and "Atomic Vapor Oscillators have no wear out mechanism." -- FEI - Precison Oscillator Overview, 2007, p19. But also: "Unlike a quartz crystal oscillator which has no clearly-defined "wear out" period and, if well-designed, can actually improve as time goes on, a Rubidium reference has a definite lifetime associated with its lamp: As the unit operates, the Rubidium within the lamp is gradually consumed and eventually, too little vapor is available for the atomic resonance to be detected and the unit fails." -- http://www.ka7oei.com/10meg_rubidium1.html and The page at: http://www.oscilent.com/esupport/TechSupport/ReviewPapers/IntroQuartz/vigcom p.htm also mentions a wear out mechanism. and "These OCXOs maintain performance characteristics comparable to Rubidium oscillators without their high cost and inherent wear out," -- http://www.microwavejournal.com/articles/2301-an-ocxo-with-rubidium-oscillat or-performance Finally I found: "Problems with rubidium cell wear-out have been solved and manufacturers now offer essentially unlimited warranties against cell failure." --http://www.endruntechnologies.com/frequency-standard-oscillators.htm so maybe both points of view are correct? I recall seeing something about rejuvenating Rb oscillators on this list, so I suspect Clint is correct. Whose right? As a time-nut, do you leave your Rb oscillators on 24/7? Thanks, -- Bob Smither, PhD Circuit Concepts, Inc. ========================================================================= "Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms [of government] those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny." --Thomas Jefferson ========================================================================= [email protected] http://www.C-C-I.Com 281-331-2744(office) -4616(fax) _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
