[time-nuts] GPS and Rubidium frequency standards and noise question (newbie).

[Stan, W1LE]

Hello Chris,

You are on the right track.

I have had the Trimble Thunderbolts (3 each) for about 5 years now.
Just to be sure everything compares favorably....
I use Lady Heather PC software to monitor their performance (de KE5FX 
website)

Stay tuned to this reflector, lotsa interesting discussions.

For me, it all started when I needed better than 1 Hz accuracy to  monitor
the 137 KHz band for local experimental activity.

the 10 MHz from the GPS/DO was the external reference to the HP-3336B 
synthesizer
as a RF test signal to calibrate my RX (IC-706MK2 and a IC-703+) and PC 
soundcard.
Spectrum Lab PC software has a provision to calibrate the PC soundcard, 
for greater accuracy,
but you have to have a very accurate signal source.

Then there are the FMT-Nuts, frequency measuring contest nuts, who are 
getting better than 1 milliHz
frequency measurement accuracies on intercontinental (US) HF 
communications !!

I was also doing LORAN-C receiving and could achieve Cesium accuracy,
at least 2 orders of magnitude greater accuracy than a GPS/DO.
But US/Canadian  based LORAN went off the air, but it is still available 
in Europe.
I do not know where you are located, so maybe LORAN has potential for you.

AUSTRON made a variety of LORAN-C receivers, 2100F, 2100(R), 2000, etc
Stanford Research Systems (SRS) also made the FS-700
Because they are useless in the US, pricing on Ebay has dropped.

Stan, W1LE    Cape Cod   FN41sr



On 6/3/2012 2:19 PM, Chris Wilson wrote:
>
>
>
> 03/06/2012 19:09
>
> Thanks for the great replies! My immediate need is to check some used
> test equipment I have bought, a Racal dana 9908 counter and a Marconi
> 2019A signal generator. They don't agree with one another! I was going
> to get a Thunderbolt unit and PS, but my friend mentioning noise got
> me worried. I may have a play with some SDR gear and I know they can
> be locked to a standard i you have one. Longer term my aim is to have
> a play with microwaves, which is what this friend is into, and maybe
> he has a particular issue with noise with sort of multiplication he is
> using? The fact that a GPS reference can be always on and locked to a
> reference that someone else maintains, if I understand things correctly,
> if simplistically, appeals. I am happy to be guided though, and I
> suppose I could always get a different type later if the specific need
> arose, although I am not made of money ;)
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>