[Elecraft] Clock Accuracy

Bill VanAlstyne W5WVO w5wvo at cybermesa.net
Thu Jun 24 23:03:56 EDT 2010


Time accuracy is important to me as a personal matter. All the timepieces I 
depend on are calibration-linked -- my watch (WWVB), my computers (NTP), my 
cellphones, GPS, etc.... I also have a bunch of free-running clocks around 
the house, of course, but my watch is always accurate to within a few 
milliseconds, so that's what I look at when I want to know what time it is.

I think this is really a philosophical and indeed a somewhat emotional 
issue. The K3 is arguably the ultimate radio you can get right now, but it 
has this feature (the RTC) that admittedly doesn't do a very good job of, 
well, doing its job. Should anybody really care? No, probably not. Your 
computer clock is the one you really need to be dead-on accurate for ham 
radio purposes -- at least until such time as the K3 comes with built-in (no 
computer needed) WSJT modes (which, in conjunction with the P3, might 
actually be doable).

But I can also see the point of view that says: if you're going to go to the 
trouble of designing a RTC into a high-end radio, at least make it a 
high-end RTC, capable of keeping itself accurate using WWV, WWVH, WWVB, or 
some other method. Or else don't include it. In my opinion, an inaccurate 
RTC is simply worthless. It's a waste of CPU cycles. But the reality is, 
it's there, and making it accurate after the fact would not be trivial. IMO 
this is not a worthwile use of Elecraft's limited R&D resources.

Bill W5WVO


--------------------------------------------------
From: "Grant Youngman" <nq5t at tx.rr.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 8:22 PM
To: "Elecraft Email" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Clock Accuracy

> Couldn't agree more.  I can't imagine chopping my k3 to fiddle with the 
> accuracy of the clock.  It's mind bogglingly insane that anyone would even 
> consider doing that.  Not that I don't accept that insanity is rampant (or 
> at least that common sense is an old fashioned concept). For goodness 
> sake, people -- BUY A TIMEPIECE!
>
> Grant/NQ5T
>
>
> On Jun 24, 2010, at 7:05 PM, Craig D. Smith wrote:
>
>>
>> Here's how to get around it - ignore the clocks!  I don't even bother
>> setting them or changing for DST, etc.  The only two clocks I use in the
>> shack are the wall-mounted radio controlled clock and the 
>> computer/logging
>> clock which both adjust automatically and are plenty accurate for me  ;>)
>>
>>         73   Craig  AC0DS
>>
>>
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
> 



More information about the Elecraft mailing list