[time-nuts] Old Frequency Electronics standard and synthesizer

John Ackermann N8UR jra at febo.com
Sun Sep 11 20:12:01 UTC 2011


Years ago I found an interesting box at a hamfest.  It's from Frequency 
Electronics and is labeled as a model FE-6018A Precision Frequency 
Synthesizer.

It has an FE-10A 5 MHz frequency standard, and several internal 
filter/mixer/other stuff modules.  In addition to a 5 MHz output, it has 
the following:  5 kHz square wave, 5 kHz sine wave, 50 MHz, 100 MHz and 
100.05 MHz.  (Except that the panel is labeled "KC" and "MC"; a date 
stamp indicates that this unit might have been built in 1969.)

At the time I didn't find any documentation for it, and a Google search 
today didn't turn up much either (even the FE-10A seems undocumented, 
though I'm sure I've seen others).  I wonder if anyone here has heard of 
this beast or knows what it was used for?

Also, its power input is a DC connector that's similar to, but I don't 
think matches, the DC connector HP uses on the 5061 etc.  The unit came 
with a clearly after-market 18V power supply with the proper connector. 
  I've never been sure, though, whether 18V is the correct operating 
voltage.

The only clue on the exterior of the box is that the label showing 
proper readings for the meter on the FE-10A module indicates that 17 
volts is proper -- but I don't know if that's being monitored at the 
back panel or at some other point.  With the 18V supply hooked up, the 
meter is reading in the lower part of the orange "normal" range.

Does 18V seem like a sane supply voltage for a piece of gear like this, 
or is it more likely to be 24 volts?

Thanks for any info; I have the thing warming up now (on its 18V supply) 
and hope to get some idea of how well it works; I had it running 20 
years ago but probably not since then.

John



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