[time-nuts] Measurement of Rubidiums

Jim Robbins jsrobbins at earthlink.net
Mon Jun 9 19:29:59 EDT 2008


Hi all,

    Well, I have good news and bad news.
  
    The good news is that I believe I now know why I was getting the strange readings on my Racal 1992 with the Thunderbolt GPS and/or the Starloc II and my Rubidiums.  Neither GPS receiver was able to lock onto enough satellites (if any).  The bad news is that that the failure to lock is due to the location of my home/antenna out in the woods with the HP GPS antenna up about 10 feet above the roof (i.e. 32 feet above ground).  I am surrounded by trees in a sort of "race track" shaped clearing, with the short axis closest woods being about 57 feet from the antenna (both East and West sides) and having a height above the antenna height of 38 to 48 feet.  The long axis woods is some 75 to 108 feet from the antenna and having a height above the antenna height of between 18 feet (South) and 48 feet (North)!  The long and the short of it is that the angle of view of the satellites is seriously blocked and varies from 35 degrees to about 7 degrees in the South!

    Sorry that my contribution to the group is to reveal that you probably can't use GPS if you live in a hole in the woods!  I've played with the geometry and I'd need a very tall tower to get the angles all down to 7 degrees or less.  I am discourged, to say the least.  Anyone got any other ideas besides going back to Loran?

Jim Robbins 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: time-nuts-request at febo.com 
  To: time-nuts at febo.com 
  Sent: Monday, June 09, 2008 12:00 PM
  Subject: time-nuts Digest, Vol 47, Issue 19


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  Today's Topics:

     1. pcb question (SAIDJACK at aol.com)
     2.  Thunderbolt (Hank)
     3. Re: Thunderbolt (John Ackermann N8UR)
     4. Re: Thunderbolt (Thomas Linbeck)
     5. Re: An interesting behavior with my Sulzer 2.5A...
        (Dennis Tillman)
     6. Re: An interesting behavior with my Sulzer 2.5A... (Chuck Harris)
     7. Thunderbolt Group Buy (Hank)
     8. Re: Thunderbolt Group Buy (John Ackermann N8UR)


  ----------------------------------------------------------------------

  Message: 1
  Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2008 14:35:12 EDT
  From: SAIDJACK at aol.com
  Subject: [time-nuts] pcb question
  To: normn3ykf at stny.rr.com, time-nuts at febo.com
  Message-ID: <c5f.33831558.357d8060 at aol.com>
  Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

  Hi Norm,
   
  yes, making small boards is fun and very relaxing. We have all sorts  of 
  thermometers, clocks, amps, dividers, etc around the house from the  days when I 
  had spare time on my hands.
   
  For the tweezers, I usually use the thinnest tips I can get, and bent ones  
  for easy access under the microscope. For example image "K" on the mouser  
  webpage are the type I prefer for work under the microscope:
   
     _http://www.mouser.com/catalog/634/2063.pdf_ 
  (http://www.mouser.com/catalog/634/2063.pdf) 
   
  Mine don't have the handle insulation though.
   
  It's important to get good quality tweezers so they don't bend easily and  so 
  they are not affected by the solder.
   
  I definitely prefer a tip that is much smaller than the part I am trying to  
  hold, otherwise it's hard to see what you are doing.
   
  One more comment: I used to have 15x microscope eyepieces on my Leica GZ6E  
  scope, but I found it is much easier to work with 10x Eyepieces.  Small things 
  like this make quite a difference.
   
  Hope this helps,
  bye,
  Said
   
   
  In a message dated 6/7/2008 23:42:55 Pacific Daylight Time,  
  normn3ykf at stny.rr.com writes:

  Said,
  Your explanation is very clear.
  One last question.
  What  kind of tweezers do you use? What size tip, and are the jaws  
  crosshatched?

  All of the ones that are on my bench have been  subjected to major abuse.

  This is a non starter without the proper hand  tools. Everything else 
  I've got.

  I'm a railroad engineer, not an  electrical one. This stuff is a great 
  way to relax.
  Thanks for your  time.
  Norm





  **************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with 
  Tyler Florence" on AOL Food.      
  (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4?&NCID=aolfod00030000000002)


  ------------------------------

  Message: 2
  Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2008 20:58:04 -0400
  From: "Hank" <weyster at cfl.rr.com>
  Subject: [time-nuts]  Thunderbolt
  To: <time-nuts at febo.com>
  Message-ID: <002401c8c9cb$dffe53f0$0301a8c0 at whe7d219f70f9a>
  Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

  Tom,
  It appears that the TAPR site has had a few problems.
  Can you give me an update on the purchase of the Thunderbolt units and the best way to go about it ?

  Thanks
  Hank
  KZ4HE

  ------------------------------

  Message: 3
  Date: Sun, 08 Jun 2008 21:09:33 -0400
  From: John Ackermann N8UR <jra at febo.com>
  Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt
  To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
  <time-nuts at febo.com>
  Message-ID: <484C82CD.8060001 at febo.com>
  Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

  The TAPR site is working fine (I just checked it), but the Thunderbolt
  order page is password protected.  If you're on the interest list from
  last year, you should have received an email from me earlier today with
  the login and ordering info.  If you weren't on the interest list, we
  will post ordering information to the time-nuts list in about two weeks.

  John
  ----
  Hank said the following on 06/08/2008 08:58 PM:
  > Tom,
  > It appears that the TAPR site has had a few problems.
  > Can you give me an update on the purchase of the Thunderbolt units and the best way to go about it ?
  > 
  > Thanks
  > Hank
  > KZ4HE
  > _______________________________________________
  > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts at febo.com
  > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
  > and follow the instructions there.
  > 
  > 




  ------------------------------

  Message: 4
  Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2008 20:36:20 -0500
  From: "Thomas Linbeck" <tlinbeck at sbcglobal.net>
  Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt
  To: "'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement'"
  <time-nuts at febo.com>
  Message-ID: <00d901c8c9d1$385dfa50$4501a8c0 at DJXTKX61>
  Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

  Thank you, Gentlemen.
  I appreciate your reply.
  73's
  Tom / K4TEU

  -----Original Message-----
  From: time-nuts-bounces at febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com] On
  Behalf Of John Ackermann N8UR
  Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2008 8:10 PM
  To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
  Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt

  The TAPR site is working fine (I just checked it), but the Thunderbolt
  order page is password protected.  If you're on the interest list from
  last year, you should have received an email from me earlier today with
  the login and ordering info.  If you weren't on the interest list, we
  will post ordering information to the time-nuts list in about two weeks.

  John
  ----
  Hank said the following on 06/08/2008 08:58 PM:
  > Tom,
  > It appears that the TAPR site has had a few problems.
  > Can you give me an update on the purchase of the Thunderbolt units and the
  best way to go about it ?
  > 
  > Thanks
  > Hank
  > KZ4HE
  > _______________________________________________
  > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts at febo.com
  > To unsubscribe, go to
  https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
  > and follow the instructions there.
  > 
  > 


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  ------------------------------

  Message: 5
  Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2008 18:48:34 -0700
  From: "Dennis Tillman" <dennis at ridesoft.com>
  Subject: Re: [time-nuts] An interesting behavior with my Sulzer
  2.5A...
  To: "'Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement'"
  <time-nuts at febo.com>
  Message-ID: <000001c8c9d2$ed9a80e0$0700a8c0 at butters>
  Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

  That sounds like normal crystal aging. See
  <http://www.ieee-uffc.org/freqcontrol/quartz/vig/vigaging.htm>

  -----Original Message-----
  From: time-nuts-bounces at febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com] On
  Behalf Of Chuck Harris
  Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 11:21 AM
  To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
  Subject: [time-nuts] An interesting behavior with my Sulzer 2.5A...


  Hi Gang!

  Being the season of thunderstorms and protracted power outages; As my UPS
  quit before the power restored, I am reminded of a behavior that I have
  always found curious:

  When the power fails on my Sulzer 2.5A, for more than a few minutes, the
  frequency takes a quick hop lower a few parts in E9.  I then get to spend a
  couple of days bringing it back on frequency, and find that for the next
  several month it begins a very slow climb up in frequency back to where it
  was after the short interruption in power.

  Any ideas on what is happening?

  -Chuck Harris

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  time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts at febo.com
  To unsubscribe, go to
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  ------------------------------

  Message: 6
  Date: Sun, 08 Jun 2008 22:42:34 -0400
  From: Chuck Harris <cfharris at erols.com>
  Subject: Re: [time-nuts] An interesting behavior with my Sulzer
  2.5A...
  To: dennis at ridesoft.com, Discussion of precise time and frequency
  measurement <time-nuts at febo.com>
  Message-ID: <484C989A.1010505 at erols.com>
  Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

  Hi Dennis,

  Thanks for the info.  It sure looks exactly like what happens when
  a power failure exceeds my UPS's capacity.

  I guess I need a bigger battery.

  -Chuck Harris

  Dennis Tillman wrote:
  > That sounds like normal crystal aging. See
  > <http://www.ieee-uffc.org/freqcontrol/quartz/vig/vigaging.htm>
  > 
  > -----Original Message-----
  > From: time-nuts-bounces at febo.com [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com] On
  > Behalf Of Chuck Harris
  > Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 11:21 AM
  > To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
  > Subject: [time-nuts] An interesting behavior with my Sulzer 2.5A...
  > 
  > 
  > Hi Gang!
  > 
  > Being the season of thunderstorms and protracted power outages; As my UPS
  > quit before the power restored, I am reminded of a behavior that I have
  > always found curious:



  ------------------------------

  Message: 7
  Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2008 11:35:48 -0400
  From: "Hank" <weyster at cfl.rr.com>
  Subject: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt Group Buy
  To: <time-nuts at febo.com>
  Message-ID: <003001c8ca46$7e3d57d0$0301a8c0 at whe7d219f70f9a>
  Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

  I'm also a new member.  Could someone let me know how to get on the list to purchase a Trimble Thunderbolt ?

  Thanks
  Hank
  KZ4HE

  ------------------------------

  Message: 8
  Date: Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:46:07 -0400
  From: John Ackermann N8UR <jra at febo.com>
  Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Thunderbolt Group Buy
  To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement
  <time-nuts at febo.com>
  Message-ID: <484D503F.9020300 at febo.com>
  Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

  There will be a notice published to the time-nuts list in a couple of 
  weeks offering list subscribers an opportunity (while supplies last) to 
  buy Tbolts.

  John
  ----

  Hank wrote:
  > I'm also a new member.  Could someone let me know how to get on the list to purchase a Trimble Thunderbolt ?
  > 
  > Thanks
  > Hank
  > KZ4HE
  > _______________________________________________
  > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts at febo.com
  > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts
  > and follow the instructions there.
  > 
  > 




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