[time-nuts] T-Bolt Temperature

[Arthur Dent]

>I have two Thunderbolts that I'm monitoring with 
>Lady Heather.  The temperature on the older unit 
>(MFG 2/26/2004) seems to track the 
>environment.  The newer one (MFG 11-24-2004) 
>shows 44.750000 °C and only changes in increments of exactly 1°.

All REV-E Thunderbolts with date codes after about mid-2004
used the DS1620 "E" chip and have this problem. Buyers have
been told and believe the REV-E units are somehow superior to 
previous revisions so they will ask a known problem unit. I think 
they have seen articles on the internet that show really old units 
with the noisy Piezo OXCO and somehow believe that only the 
REV-E Thunderbolt has the newer Trimble OXCO, which is not 
true. After about 2001 all REV-A through E Thunderbolts had the 
new Trimble OXCO. I doubt you could find any with the older 
Piezo OXCO now.

As far as I know there is only one U.S. seller of Thunderbolts on 
Ebay that replaces the DS1620 in these affected REV-E units 
with one that will display correctly with Lady Heather. I've heard 
several stories from buyers who have bought problem Thunderbolts 
from resellers, many of whom don't do any real testing to see their 
units work properly or are stable. Ask questions before you buy.

-Arthur