Author Topic: Looking for someone with 10Mhz frequency reference in Ireland  (Read 1087 times)

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Offline sahko123Topic starter

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This is probably a strange post but is there anyone in Ireland (preferably Kildare or Dublin area) with either a calibrated frequency counter or a 10Mhz reference? I want to calibrate my Agilent 53131a which I got for free and repaired the high stability timebase option on. My only "reference" is a Rigol DG812 with a questionable reference in it and even more questionable calibration.

My goal is to ultimately use the 53131a as my primary reference (since I don't need ultra high precision) and use it to calibrate other counters and function gens.
Asking for a friend
 

Online MasterT

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Re: Looking for someone with 10Mhz frequency reference in Ireland
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2021, 12:48:31 am »
Ublox Neo-6/7/8 GPS receiver
 

Offline fourfathom

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Re: Looking for someone with 10Mhz frequency reference in Ireland
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2021, 12:56:28 am »
Sorry, I'm too far away to help, but I'm guessing that you will eventually want to get a GPS Disciplined Oscillator to maintain your calibration.  Here's an inexpensive one that I use: http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=107&products_id=301

Or, get a cheap GPS unit that has a one-second pulse output (pps), and count that, tweaking your 53131 clock adjustment as needed:
https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-18x-LVC-Navigator-Unit/dp/B0016O3T7A
https://www.amazon.com/Oak-Pine-Navigation-Microcontroller-Compatible-microcontroller/dp/B07RPVYSG5

These GPS pps units won't be lab-grade solutions, but can be pretty good.
We'll search out every place a sick, twisted, solitary misfit might run to! -- I'll start with Radio Shack.
 

Offline bob91343

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Re: Looking for someone with 10Mhz frequency reference in Ireland
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2021, 02:16:34 am »
Can you receive WWV?  They operate 24/7 on several frequencies so you may be able to receive at least one.
 

Offline LaserSteve

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Re: Looking for someone with 10Mhz frequency reference in Ireland
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2021, 11:50:19 am »
The NSAI NML maintains a caesium beam tube atomic frequency/time standard along with various GPS-disciplined and free-running rubidium oscillators ensuring that calibrations performed by the NSAI NML have direct traceability to the SI second.

Steve
"What the devil kind of Engineer are thou, that canst not slay a hedgehog with your naked arse?"
 

Offline sahko123Topic starter

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Re: Looking for someone with 10Mhz frequency reference in Ireland
« Reply #5 on: April 23, 2021, 11:50:45 am »
Even if the WWV signals reached us i probably wont even be able to pick them up. But in terms of the GPS route i might go that way since i found some modules that even for 3 or 4 euros can do 1pps with 1ns accuracy so (i my lack of ability in maths is to be trusted) it may be able to do 10MHz down to 0.1Hz which is good enough for me if not ill just look at some other GPS solutions.
Asking for a friend
 

Offline sahko123Topic starter

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Re: Looking for someone with 10Mhz frequency reference in Ireland
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2021, 11:53:16 am »
I am looking to get this done as cheaply as possible so going straight to NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland for context) would probably be too expensive and quite overkill seeing as how im getting that close to the SI unit
Asking for a friend
 

Offline LaserSteve

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Re: Looking for someone with 10Mhz frequency reference in Ireland
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2021, 11:58:13 am »
You never know. The timing supervisor has a direct phone line.  Your a hobbyist right?  Tea time makes friends . Google says they take theirs from 13:00 to 14:00.



"What the devil kind of Engineer are thou, that canst not slay a hedgehog with your naked arse?"
 

Offline MikeK

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Re: Looking for someone with 10Mhz frequency reference in Ireland
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2021, 02:06:36 pm »
You might try to find amateur radio guys in your area.  One of them might have a frequency standard?
 

Offline sahko123Topic starter

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Re: Looking for someone with 10Mhz frequency reference in Ireland
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2021, 02:15:04 pm »
this is basically my way of finding them   :-+
Asking for a friend
 

Offline MikeK

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Re: Looking for someone with 10Mhz frequency reference in Ireland
« Reply #10 on: April 23, 2021, 06:36:25 pm »
There's an amateur radio club of Dublin, which is near you.
 


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