[time-nuts] Which Rubidium to Get?

[Bob Camp]

Hi

Efratom and Datum are the same company. The LPRO is a staple on the e-place. The other common alternatives are Frequency Electronics, Symmetricom, and Tecelek (that's not the right spelling ...).

I would stick with the LPRO since it's the cheapest of the bunch. They all perform pretty well. 

What you will need for any of them:

1) The connector to interface with them - it's often something odd
2) A good heat sink - they generate a lot of heat
3) Regulated power - 19 volts is perfect for the LPRO.

Wear out life is anywhere from 5 to 20 years depending on what you read. Best guess is that there's at least 5 years left on the LPRO's. 

Programable output is cute, but only if you need it. Most time nuts are after 10 MHz only.

So many choices ....

Bob


On Jul 21, 2010, at 11:18 PM, Brent Gordon wrote:

> I'm considering buying a rubidium standard, not that I really need one, just because I'm a Time Nut.  I have some questions on what to look for and what to watch out for.  I'll probably get one from either fluke.l or flyingbest on ePay.
> 
> I know that they wear out.  Is there any model I should look for or avoid?  I see both Efratoms and Datums; some of the auctions claim more lamp life left for the Datums.
> 
> I know that the mating connector for the rubidiums with an RF inside the d-sub connector are expensive.  Is it really needed or is the header connector good enough?
> 
> Some of them come with an output board (290295929282).  Does this get me anything other than a Type-N output and a mating connector for the RF d-sub?  Why is this one cheaper than just a rubidium?
> 
> A programmable frequency output, such as this one (eBay item 290301888238), might be useful.  Is it worthwhile or more trouble than it's worth?
> 
> Are there any gotchas I should be aware of?
> 
> Thanks,
> Brent
> 
> 
> 
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