[time-nuts] Test WWV timecube against Cesium, Rubidium, MASER or other precision time (UT-1) metrology

[Patrick Barthelow]

Hello Friends,

I am picking up locally a couple of vintage analog Radio Shack SW time cube
radios, 70s vintage, 3 switchable SW frequencies.  Two types, the one
pictured and a Radio Shack model also that has WWV and Weather channel VHF
frequencies.
I am interested in an accurate bench test to compare the analog shortwave
radios time reporting
hopefully UT-1 against other available references.  For accuracy, and
repeatability.   Could eventually add an SDR to the mix, too.
The 5,10,15 mhz radios obviously are subject to the WWV Ft Collins site,
propagation distance delays, somewhat calculable, and the vagaries of
Ionospheric propagation, and, propagation delays between the antenna and
the measured tap point to the seconds ticks of WWV.   I have some friends,
microwave professionals, who are also hams here in Auburn who may enjoy
doing a bench test, with published results, etc.  But wonder if anyone else
would be interested in borrowing a RS Timecube radio (and/or use an SDR)
and designing an accurate bench test against available modern standards?
We are talking probably HUGE  UT-1 errors compared to what this group plays
with, and that is OK but I think still a worthwhile test, especially if the
errors using available and cheap equipment are predictable, and repeatable.
https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?attachments/dscn1187-jpg.400844/

Another question:  Re precision frequency measurements of spacecraft
carriers at earth ground stations.  I have found a number of MASER labs,
willing to help measure a 70 cm UHF carrier of a satellite planned mission,
circling the moon.  Fun, and overkill yes .   But I would like to know if
the MASER extra 3 orders of magnitude precision frequency measurement (over
Rubidium, Cesium)  is useful, or utterly wasted in measuring a lunar
orbiting spacecraft frequency over as long a period as a month, in a coming
satellite mission?   Or, are Rubidium and Cesium and GPS disciplined
references  plenty accurate for accurate spacecraft orbit determinations?


Best, 73,   Pat Barthelow AA6EG
apol <apolloeme at gmail.com>loeme at gmail.com


*"The most exciting phrase to hear in Science, the one that heraldsnew
discoveries,  is not "Eureka, I have found it!"    but:*
"That's funny..."  ----Isaac Asimov