On 4/11/2017 12:31 AM, Andre wrote:
Has anyone else either built an atomic clock around a bare Rb lamp module "core" or attempted
Not a DIY project, but I was the RF designer on the HP 10816 rubidium standard, which never made it to product introduction (a half dozen working pilot run units were built in 1982). I would say this task is probably beyond the scope of a DIY project, at least for most time-nuts. The Rb lamp drive circuit (particularly getting the lamp to light up) is very challenging. The step recovery diode multiplier is very challenging. The photodetector and loop integrator is non trivial. The synthesizer is the one thing that is easy in 2017. The oven is also no simple thing to get low tempco. Unlike a crystal, you have a lot of heat being generated by the lamp, etc. The lamp needs to be at a different temperature than the other cells. You have to keep the tip off at the lowest temperature to keep the Rb in place and not "flood" the cell and block the light. Etc., etc. This is in the category of projects where if you were qualified to do it, your time is far too valuable to do it for the amount of money you would save. Rick N6RK _______________________________________________ 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.