[time-nuts] Mini-time lab cost and maintenance

[Tom Van Baak]

Adam,

A well-aged quartz oscillator will hold 1e-9 for many days, or even weeks.

But your 1e-10'ish requirement is more easily met by using a cheap surplus Rubidium oscillator (< $100 on eBay) or by using a GPSDO (< $200 on eBay). Depending on how you're using the frequency reference you might get by with just a Rubidium oscillator and a $20 to $40 GPS/1PPS source (e.g., https://www.adafruit.com/products/746) with monthly or yearly checks of frequency drift.

/tvb

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Adam Blakney 
To: Tom Van Baak 
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2015 10:34 AM
Subject: Re: Mini-time lab cost and maintenance

I was thinking maybe something with an uncertainty of around 1e-9 or 1e-10. Are there simple quarts oscillators that are good enough for that or is more equipment necessary?

Thank you,
Adam

On Apr 6, 2015, at 1:24 PM, Tom Van Baak <tvb at LeapSecond.com> wrote:

Adam,

Please be more specific. Where in the spectrum between sundial and atomic clock are you interested in?

/tvb

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Adam Blakney" <akblakney at gmail.com>
To: <time-nuts at febo.com>
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2015 9:30 AM
Subject: [time-nuts] Mini-time lab cost and maintenance


>I was wondering how expensive it would be to have even a small and lower
> level time lab. What are some less expensive models of machinery i would
> need, and how much maintenance is required?
> 
> Thanks, Adam