Very tempting. I just ordered 100 and 1000MHz VCXOs from Fox
Electronics, with the intent of locking them to my GPSDO. I think, in
perusing various lists, I did see some 10 MHz devices at relatively
affordable prices. (Somebody on this list pointed me to Fox, don't
remember who.)
A DIY GPSDO would be WONDERFUL! Already have a couple of Jupiter GPS
boards with 1pps output....
Jim
On 10/12/2013 11:54 AM, Chris Albertson wrote:
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 <wb4...@wb4gcs.org
<mailto:wb4...@wb4gcs.org>> 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
wb4...@amsat.org <mailto:wb4...@amsat.org>
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: time-nuts-boun...@febo.com
<mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com>
[mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com
<mailto:time-nuts-boun...@febo.com>] 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 <tic-...@bodosom.net
<mailto:tic-...@bodosom.net>> wrote:
On Fri, Oct 11, 2013 at 7:24 PM, Frank Hughes
<hp_cisco...@yahoo.com <mailto:hp_cisco...@yahoo.com>> 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.
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--
Chris Albertson
Redondo Beach, California
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