Welcome to the new FlexRadio Community! Please review the new Community Rules and other important new Community information on the Message Board.
If you are having a problem, please refer to the product documentation or check the Help Center for known solutions.
Need technical support from FlexRadio? It's as simple as Creating a HelpDesk ticket.

External GPSDO

Bill  /  VA3QB
Bill / VA3QB Member ✭✭
I'm thinking of adding an "External"  GPSDO to my 6500, will this unit on Ebay be acceptable?   Do I need anything else besides an antenna?      http://www.ebay.com/itm/181792660863?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT     

Also is there anyway to use this device to maintain my PC clock as well. I know there are programs that will update the PC clock but just curious. 

73
Bill
VA3QB

Answers

  • docdailey
    docdailey Member
    edited August 2017
    No, that is not a gpsdo, it is an add-on to a Thunderbolt GPSDO. They used to run about $500 on the Bay (haven't looked recently). Quite frankly you would be better off buying the optional GPSDO through flex. More integrated... With future integrated options.
  • docdailey
    docdailey Member
    edited July 2015
    Closer... I would get the thunderbolt of the flex GPSDO. Well proven and a wide fan and support base.
  • Bob K8RC
    Bob K8RC Member ✭✭✭
    edited July 2015
    The limiting factor of any disciplined oscillator is the phase noise generated which, if worse than the undisciplined internal oscillator, can actually degrade the performance of the radio. You will get what you pay for. The answer to your question on using an external GPSDO for your PC is that it would be of no benefit. The primary source of PC timekeeping inaccuracies is the interrupt struucture, not the reference oscillator. Use a time client (some operating systems have one built in) to correct the timekeeping.
  • kr4k
    kr4k Member ✭✭
    edited September 2017
    I use the Jackson-Labs Fury GPSDO for the 10 MHz reference for my 6700.
    http://www.jackson-labs.com/index.php/products/fury

    I normally use http://www.pool.ntp.org/en/ to set my PC time. I update the PC time every 4 hours.

    73/gus
  • WA2SQQ
    WA2SQQ Member ✭✭
    edited January 2017
    Cost?
  • docdailey
    docdailey Member
    edited July 2015
    The fury is excellent but, depending on options is anywhere from $1-2k. I have 2.
  • kr4k
    kr4k Member ✭✭
    edited September 2017
    When I purchased my two, a Fury desktop with Single Oven OCXO was $1,225.00 plus shipping. I use mine for other devices and other functions while also using it for the 6700.
  • Bill  /  VA3QB
    Bill / VA3QB Member ✭✭
    edited December 2016
    Yes  I saw that item....   Will it work ??
    Bill VA3QB
  • Bill  /  VA3QB
    Bill / VA3QB Member ✭✭
    edited December 2016
    My wallet is almost empty. And what I have left I'm saving for the Maestro !!   :-)

  • docdailey
    docdailey Member
    edited July 2015
    Yea
  • docdailey
    docdailey Member
    edited July 2015
    Better off buying the stock piece when you can afford it
  • docdailey
    docdailey Member
    edited July 2015
    Not well though
  • Jay Nation
    Jay Nation Member ✭✭
    edited May 2019
    Take a careful look at the Flexradio GPSDO board, you can see it in the installation instructions.
    It appeared to me when I was researching whether or not to buy the Flexradio GPSDO, that it was a Jackson Labs part. Although I never figured out which one.
    Maybe someone else knows which one.

    I went with the Flex GPSDO.

    73, Jay - No5j
  • Peter K1PGV
    Peter K1PGV Member ✭✭✭
    edited June 2020
    Well, well.... I ALSO have a Fury. Double oven. Love it (buy once, cry once). It also feeds an NTP server for my LAN and thereby acts as "house clock" for my systems. Peter K1PGV
  • Tim - W4TME
    Tim - W4TME Administrator, FlexRadio Employee admin
    edited December 2016
    It is custom made for us by JL
  • Jay Nation
    Jay Nation Member ✭✭
    edited August 2016
    I guess I'm not as blind as I think I am. I was prepared to have my guess shot down in flames.image 

    Max zoom on the PDF and the Windows magnifier at max renders a large blur. But I was pretty sure I was seeing a J, and a L. Googling  GPSDO J L got me to the Jackson Labs website. Where I saw their Trademark, Then I did a lot of stare and compare to try and ID the part from their Product line. then I noticed a mention of Custom OEM work being available and realized I was wasting time.

    73, Jay - NO5J
  • Simon Lewis
    Simon Lewis Member ✭✭
    edited August 2017
  • KY6LA_Howard
    KY6LA_Howard Member ✭✭✭
    edited July 2015
    There are NO PHASE NOISE SPECS "The limiting factor of any disciplined oscillator is the phase noise generated which, if worse than the undisciplined internal oscillator, can actually degrade the performance of the radio. You will get what you pay for. " Translating ENGINEERING TECh in HAM Adding such a device might just wipe out. Your ability to work weak ones and you would not know it unless you ran AB tests
  • Simon Lewis
    Simon Lewis Member ✭✭
    edited July 2015
    The guy said his pocket is empty ....can't have it all ways

    I run an ID Electronik, GPSDO, but I think they are 700 eu

    Why not email the guy and ask before hand ... id bet seeing its a canned ocxo that it wont be too bad .. its not a PLL

  • Simon Lewis
    Simon Lewis Member ✭✭
    edited July 2015
    Actually its a morion ocxo

    http://www.morion-us.com/catalog_pdf/MV89.pdf

    -150 @ 1 KHz

    No issue whatsoever
  • docdailey
    docdailey Member
    edited July 2015
    Recently tested... http://www.ke5fx.com/gpscomp.htm Result, good but some kind of small frequency error.
  • Simon Lewis
    Simon Lewis Member ✭✭
    edited July 2015
    2 Hz at 100 GHz ... yeah .. small!!! I'd be interested in how the 10 MHz reference is used by the 6000 hardware anyway ... if the 10 MHz is simply disciplining the internal osc it might not be too much of a worry about phase noise ... if the 10 MHz is being as more than a reference to discipline the osc then it might be more of a worry - the specs are well inside a decent oscillator - and extremely better than an yaesu / kenwood/ icom off the shelf radio!
  • Bill  /  VA3QB
    Bill / VA3QB Member ✭✭
    edited December 2016
    Interesting read Docdailey.  Simon I think the 2hz at 100 Ghz is insignificant in the grand scheme of things for our radio's.  Now phase noise could put a damper on it's use.  
    Found a similar unit complete with Power Supply and Antenna

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/10MHZ-OUTPUT-Square-WAVE-GPS-DISCiPLINED-CLOCK-GPSDO-with-Antenna-power-supp...


    73
    Bill
    VA3QB
  • Robert -- N5IKD
    Robert -- N5IKD Member ✭✭
    edited July 2015
    This Month's QEX has an article on building a Arduino-based substitute for a GPSDO (for hard-core experimenters only). It looks like a fun project.

Leave a Comment

Rich Text Editor. To edit a paragraph's style, hit tab to get to the paragraph menu. From there you will be able to pick one style. Nothing defaults to paragraph. An inline formatting menu will show up when you select text. Hit tab to get into that menu. Some elements, such as rich link embeds, images, loading indicators, and error messages may get inserted into the editor. You may navigate to these using the arrow keys inside of the editor and delete them with the delete or backspace key.