What is needed now is a easy to assemble DIY GPSDO. In the past people lost interest in such becuase you could buy a TB for $90. I'd think today now that we have $10 microcontroller boards that have USB connections and are self-programming we could make a GPSDO controller with justone of those boards and two cheap chips (plus a GPS and XO.)
On Sat, Oct 12, 2013 at 7:41 AM, Jim Sanford <[email protected]> wrote: > I looked into the Jackson Labs products. Prices range from nearly $400 to > almost $1300 for a dual-oven unit. > > Seemed reasonable, but higher than I'm willing to go at the moment. Maybe > down the road.... > > Had a Z3801 which worked for 10 years, then failed - experimenter who > bought it found the XO some 40 Hz off -- not correctible without invasive > repair. I think he gave up and kept it for parts. > > I bought one ot the TB clones off the e-place, and am not yet sure whether > it is good or not. It spends more time in RECOVERY mode than PHASE LOCKED, > and the VCO voltage takes large jumps every time the number of satellites > changes. Still scratching my head. > > Good luck! > Jim > [email protected] > > > On 10/12/2013 9:16 AM, Mark C. Stephens wrote: > >> As per Bob Camps Wisdom below, most of the thunderbolts and Z38XX have >> been well picked over, the remaining ones are usually poor in some way. >> The main problem seems to be unstable oscillators, invasive repair is >> required to meet specifications. >> >> --marki >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] >> [mailto:time-nuts-bounces@**febo.com<[email protected]>] >> On Behalf Of Bob Camp >> Sent: Saturday, 12 October 2013 10:52 PM >> To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement >> Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Trimble TB replacement options??? >> >> Hi >> >> All of these gizmos come on the market cheap when they are being scrapped >> out. Once that process is over for a generation of parts, the pieces climb. >> There are only a few working strategies: >> >> 1) Buy several when they first come out. >> 2) Pay the going rate many years later. >> 3) Switch to other gizmos with other cost / feature tradeoffs. >> >> In this case the likely tradeoff is to one of the Nortel / Trimble units >> or to one of the later HP boxes. The Nortel / Trimbles are in the sub $150 >> price range delivered. The later HP's are a bit more expensive. The Nortel >> / Trimble's come mainly from RDR Electronics on the e-place. The HP's come >> from the other side of the Pacific Ocean. >> >> One other option - before I'd pay $300 for a possibly broken TBolt (I've >> got a few of those), I'd do an email to find out what a brand new GPSDO >> (with warranty) from Jackson Labs would cost me. >> >> Bob >> >> On Oct 11, 2013, at 8:51 PM, Paul <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> On Fri, Oct 11, 2013 at 7:24 PM, Frank Hughes <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Does it seem like the Trimble Thunderbolt units are becoming scarce, >>>> and commanding prices accordingly? >>>> >>> The "inexpensive" used Thunderbolts predate my interest in GPSDOs so I >>> can't speak to relative prices but if your budget is ~ $300 they're >>> still readily available. The various 2PPS Trimble GPSTM boxes/boards >>> seem to occupy the < $200 Thunderbot-like niche and some work >>> (somewhat) with Lady Heather if you're fond of that program. >>> >>> Various Z38xx devices are also candidates if you just want an >>> inexpensive GPSDO in-a-box with 1 and 10M Hz (some with multiple >>> outputs) if you are willing to deal with it's-not-quite-a-Z3801 >>> behavior. >>> ______________________________**_________________ >>> time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe, go to >>> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/**mailman/listinfo/time-nuts<https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts> >>> and follow the instructions there. >>> >> ______________________________**_________________ >> time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe, go to >> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/**mailman/listinfo/time-nuts<https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts> >> and follow the instructions there. >> >> >> ______________________________**_________________ >> time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] >> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/** >> mailman/listinfo/time-nuts<https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts> >> and follow the instructions there. >> >> > ______________________________**_________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/** > mailman/listinfo/time-nuts<https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts> > and follow the instructions there. > -- Chris Albertson Redondo Beach, California _______________________________________________ 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.
