Adam wrote (via tvb):
I was thinking maybe something with an uncertainty of around 1e-9 or 1e-10. Are there simple quarts oscillators that are good enough for that or is more equipment necessary?
Adam, your original post seemed to state a goal of having a "small and lower level time lab." Is a precision oscillator all you were thinking of (this would be sufficient to keep other clocked instruments, receivers, transmitters, and what not close to on frequency), or do you also want to do precision comparisons between the oscillator's output and other time and frequency signals, or precision time interval measurements, or to characterize the stability of other frequency sources to that level of precision? In any of the latter cases, you also need precision counter/timers, and depending on the particular task you may need signal conditioners, mixers, filters, and other paraphernalia (some of which you may need to build yourself).
And as Tom pointed out, to be confident that your e-10 oscillator has not drifted beyond e-10, you will need some means of periodically comparing it to a better standard (which could be GPS or WWV, or a better local standard such as a cesium or hydrogen maser source). This will require some additional equipment (alternatively, you could send the oscillator away for calibration periodically).
So, even with the clarification you sent to Tom, it is hard to advise you because you still haven't said what you are hoping to be able to do with your time lab. I would venture to say that at a minimum, you will need a precision oscillator and a counter/timer with more than ten digits of resolution. The counter/timers that come to my mind for a value-based home lab are the HP5345A, HP5370A or B, and the SRS SR620. The 5345 is very capable but is often overlooked by time-nuts, and probably offers the best value available -- but you need to wait 1000 seconds to get its maximum resolution. (There are others, but these three are, IMO, the best suited to the tasks most often performed in home labs. For example, the HP 5334A would need one or two more digits to be maximally useful at the limits usually pursued by time-nuts.) Note that these older counters will require some maintenance and may require repairs from time to time.
Best regards, Charles _______________________________________________ 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.
