[Premium-Rx] Frequency Standards

[J. Forster]

I have some considerable experience with Rb standards and adjusting them to
national standards.  IMO, 60 KHz is the hard way to do it, unless you have a
very good signal. In addition to prop problems (there are diurnal shifts in the
path length) synchronization takes a long time. I have both Fluke and HP
receivers.  In fact, you can use a scope on the signals from the radios to
evaluate ionospheric stability or 'seeing'.

A better choice is Loran C.  Austron makes a very nice receiver which reads
directly in frequency offset. They also sell a 'disciplined oscillator' which is
poor, IMO, since it makes stepwise changes.

If you are thinking about GPS, make sure you get a modern, multichannel one,
loaded with smarts. My FTS with Rb is a pain in the butt to use.

Now I use a battery backed up pair of quarts standards, the Austron Loran
receiver, and a Tracor frequency comparator. Unless I am lazy for a while and
don't trim things, the standards are within 1 part in 10 E 10.

-John