[time-nuts] Did a member of time-nuts buy this?
EWKehren at aol.com
EWKehren at aol.com
Sun Dec 7 20:25:18 EST 2014
We are concentrating on FRK and M 100 but as I mentioned we have been
sidetracked by GPSDO work for the FE 5680A and FE 405B for the past 18 month. We
just got back to our RB's and today I did finish the GPSDO board for the
FRK and M 100. These are analog and have a place to insert in the future a
pressure sensor. We where working on it last year but had problems with the
digital sensor board. To do it right we have to monitor and record
barometric pressure and GPSDO behavior and decide how to compensate. It will be
analog sensor that will be part of the C field current. Will probably take a
year, it will be fine tuning.
Bert Kehren
In a message dated 12/7/2014 7:15:27 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
not.again at btinternet.com writes:
On Sat, 6 Dec 2014 11:47:10 -0500, you wrote:
>I am looking forward to long term data on the Lucent unit. GPSDO's are
>getting closer and closer to Cesium. Having worked for 18 month on two
GPSDO
>projects we find that the limiting factors are the Cesium Standards.
Working
>presently on a Cesium GPSDO. Short term OCXO, medium Rb and long term
>Cesium. With Cesium may be able to use 14 day filter. Will find out. If
we do
>not see an improvement we will most likely retire our Cesium units.
>Bert Kehren
Hi Bert,
Out of curiosity, what Rb are you using, and how does it respond to
air pressure changes?
Combining temp control, air pressure compensation and drift
compensation can give very good results with the right Rb.
Angus.
>
>In a message dated 12/6/2014 10:46:57 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
>kb8tq at n1k.org writes:
>
>Hi
>> On Dec 6, 2014, at 10:35 AM, Magnus Danielson
><magnus at rubidium.dyndns.org> wrote:
>>
>> Bob,
>>
>> On 12/06/2014 04:16 PM, Bob Camp wrote:
>>> Hi
>>>
>>>> On Dec 6, 2014, at 9:54 AM, Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd)
><drkirkby at kirkbymicrowave.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I see this cesium reference on eBay, where apparently someone
returned
>>>> it due to the fact it had a bad tube.
>>>>
>>>>
>http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Agilent-5061A-Cesium-Beam-Frequency-Standard-FOR
-PARTS-REPAIR-/141483787108
>>>>
>>>> I'm wondering if it was someone on this list. It is likely to be
>>>> practical to replace the tube?
>>>>
>>>
>>> New tubes for Cs standards are in the >$20K range. Getting a modern
one
>re-tubed with a high performance tube is > $32K.
>>>
>>> The stock of “new old stock” tubes is long gone. About the only
tubes
>you see are pulls from used gear. The question with them (as with any
Cs)
>is just how many years (or months) is left on the tube. You physically
move
>Cs from one end of the tube to the other when you operate the device. One
>you have exhausted the pre-loaded stock, the tube is dead. It’s also
coated
>all over the inside with surplus Cs. Since signal to noise ratio is very
>important, the drop in Cs at end of life and crud on the inside leads to
>degradation in the performance towards the end of the tube life. Even if
the
>tube works, it may (or may not) be useful in a given application.
>>>
>>> For many applications, GPSDO’s are the more useful device. Their
>performance rivals that of most of the older Cs standards. They are way
cheaper,
>and they don’t wear out. Indeed, if you have a 5071A with a high
>performance tube in it, a GPSDO is not going to match it’s performance. I’
ve
>replaced two tubes in one of those, so they are correct when they talk
about the
>projected life of the tube.
>>>
>>> The other subtle issue with Cs standards is shipping. If you are
going
>to do it “right” it’s a major pain. Sending one back for re-tube does
>require you to do all the formal shipping nuttiness. That may or may not
be an
>issue on the surplus market ….
>>
>> Well, there is one use-case for a cesium, which is the validation of
GPS
>receivers. Rubidiums do help to some degree. Comparing two GPS clocks
with
>their highly systematic sources, so you can't get useful differences
that
>way for the stability of the produced signal.
>
>Unless you are making a GPS receiver from scratch (which you might be),
>there is a certain “trust factor” that comes into using a GPS for
timing.
>Since you can’t play with the firmware, you trust that the guy who wrote
it
>did a good job.
>
>In making a GPSDO, yes on a commercial basis verification against
primary
>standards is likely to be required by this or that customer. In a
basement
>lab, I’m not so sure that’s true. Simply comparing things against an
>ensemble of “known good” designs (and cross checking the results) should
be
>good enough. If your design passes the performance of the ensemble,
building
>several of your design is likely to be cheaper than keeping a Cs running
long
> term. That’s even more true if you need a fully functional 5071A to do
the
> comparison. Let’s see .. new BMW or rebuild the 5071 … hmmm :)
>
>Bob
>
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Magnus
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