Hi The Nortel / Trimbles are still cheaper (and probably better) than anything you are likely to build from scratch.
Bob On Oct 12, 2013, at 11:54 AM, Chris Albertson <albertson.ch...@gmail.com> 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> 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 >> >> >> 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-bounces@**febo.com<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> wrote: >>> >>> On Fri, Oct 11, 2013 at 7:24 PM, Frank Hughes <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. >>>> ______________________________**_________________ >>>> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com 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 -- time-nuts@febo.com 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 -- time-nuts@febo.com >>> 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 -- time-nuts@febo.com >> 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 -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. _______________________________________________ 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.