[Elecraft] VFO calibration

[Ed Tanton]

I thought only rubidium standards needed the wwvb-comparison calibration 
run??? Meaning I thought cesium standards were 'stand-alone'? Truth is... 
I've never understood why either one needs calibrating. I've had it 
explained to me twice why rubidium does, and cesium doesn't, but it didn't 
much 'stick' either time, being over my head by a good bit-and to tell the 
truth, OK... if I do HAVE to calibrate my rubidium standard against WWVB... 
then THAT's what I wanted to know about, so-o-o THAT's-more or less-what I 
have in my head (+/-), and in my notes (absolutely.) I picked rubidium 
instead of cesium cuz the cesium 'tubes' eventually burn out (so to 
speak-literally: losing their capacity to produce ionized cesium gas [I 
think it is]), requiring replacement.

All sort of moot anyway if the new methodology is via satellite. I have one 
of the as-new surplus Bell System rubidium standards and a Tracor 900-S 
WWVB rcvr w/chart recorder... but have never set it all up. One of those 
round-tuits. And now you can get those surplus satellite units for $249 
that'll match cesium for accuracy.

I SUSPCT the time readout in my Garmin StreetPilot (the B&W one-not that 
nice 3rd [4th?] generation talking unit) is pretty close to spot-on, if you 
could extract the data... since it uses as many as 12 satellites 
simultaneously. When I have set my watch to it, and come inside, and 
checked the cpu time (I use SWATCH to keep it synched) it has always been 
right there. Not very scientific, but probably a valid anecdotal account.


73 Ed Tanton N4XY <n4xy@earthlink.net>

Ed Tanton N4XY
189 Pioneer Trail
Marietta, GA 30068-3466

website: http://www.n4xy.com

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