Re: [time-nuts] Bulova crystal oscillator
Hi The real fun was building those ovens, at least for the “precision” versions: The thermostatic switches came in with a fairly loose tolerance on them. First step was to play with a bunch of water baths to sort them out. If you wanted something like a 0.5 C tolerance that would take a *long* time. Crystals got tested in a chamber for turn temperature and that data was recorded somewhere. In some cases it’s still written on the crystal holder. The two got matched up and run over temperature. Either the match worked or it didn’t. If it was off, they bumped up or down one bin on the switch. Final step if the spec required it was to fine tune the gain / set by moving a tab or screw in the vicinity of the switch. The tab or screw went to the outside of the enclosure. You “moved the cold” to change what was going on. Lots of fun, and lots of arguments about what to do on this or that unit. One weak point was the quality of the switch. The ones you could afford were bi-metal. As they wore out, the set point shifted a bit. Eventually the contacts welded shut with predictable results ….That might have been 40 years later. Bob > On Sep 7, 2017, at 11:42 AM, Magnus Danielson > wrote: > > Hi, > > I saw something very similar, and it had a bi-metal regulator. > Simple and effective for its time, but not very good if you care about better > performance, as bang-bang regulation of slow rate isn't as good as the same > crystal could do with a more linear regulation. Never the less, it's kind of > nice. > > Now, I wonder where that oven went, I'd love to get it running. :) > You always learn something. :) > > Cheers, > Magnus > > On 09/07/2017 05:30 PM, Bob kb8tq wrote: >> Hi >> The 115VAC power suggests that it dates back a ways. The 100KC frequency >> suggests >> the same thing. It could easily be a 100 KHz crystal in a simple thermostat >> controlled oven. >> In that case, the stability would not be anything super duper. >> Your guess of 0.001 Hz gives a 1x10^-8 sort of number. That’s probably a >> good guess for the >> set tolerance on the unit. Anything from there up to 1x10^-7 isn’t a bad >> guess for temperature >> stability. Again, it’s all guesswork. >> Bob >>> On Sep 6, 2017, at 10:26 PM, Glenn Little WB4UIV >>> wrote: >>> >>> I have a Bulova crystal oscillator, part number 1505869-1K, model number >>> AMO31HP-V-1, NSN 6N5840-797-7659. >>> The NSN tells me it is a little old and that it was a turn-in, probably >>> repairable at some higher level. >>> The frequency is marked 100.00 KHz. >>> The oscillator voltage is 30 V DC and the oven voltage is 115 VAC. >>> It has an octal plug on the bottom with the pins marked: >>> 1 - oven indicator >>> 2 - A.F.C. >>> 3 - heater power >>> 4 - +30 VDC >>> 5 - case ground >>> 6 - ground >>> 7 - heater return >>> 8 - 100 KC output. >>> >>> With the nameplate listing the frequency in KHz and the case listing the >>> frequency in Kc and the older NSN, it appears that this oscillator was made >>> for a longer period of time. >>> >>> The top has two adjustments, both with a screw cover. >>> One is freq adj and the other is output adj. >>> >>> Does anyone have any data on this oscillator? >>> What would I expect the accuracy to be? >>> The printed frequency implies, to me, that the accuracy is in the realm of >>> 0.001 Hertz at 100 KHz. >>> Did I miss something here? >>> The top also shows this to be a "Generator Reference Signal". >>> >>> Any insite appreciated. >>> >>> 73 >>> Glenn >>> WB4UIV >>> >>> -- >>> --- >>> Glenn LittleARRL Technical Specialist QCWA LM 28417 >>> Amateur Callsign: WB4UIVwb4...@arrl.netAMSAT LM 2178 >>> QTH: Goose Creek, SC USA (EM92xx) USSVI LM NRA LM SBE ARRL TAPR >>> "It is not the class of license that the Amateur holds but the class >>> of the Amateur that holds the license" >>> --- >>> >>> ___ >>> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com >>> To unsubscribe, go to >>> https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >>> and follow the instructions there. >> ___ >> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com >> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >> and follow the instructions there. > ___ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] Bulova crystal oscillator
Hi, I saw something very similar, and it had a bi-metal regulator. Simple and effective for its time, but not very good if you care about better performance, as bang-bang regulation of slow rate isn't as good as the same crystal could do with a more linear regulation. Never the less, it's kind of nice. Now, I wonder where that oven went, I'd love to get it running. :) You always learn something. :) Cheers, Magnus On 09/07/2017 05:30 PM, Bob kb8tq wrote: Hi The 115VAC power suggests that it dates back a ways. The 100KC frequency suggests the same thing. It could easily be a 100 KHz crystal in a simple thermostat controlled oven. In that case, the stability would not be anything super duper. Your guess of 0.001 Hz gives a 1x10^-8 sort of number. That’s probably a good guess for the set tolerance on the unit. Anything from there up to 1x10^-7 isn’t a bad guess for temperature stability. Again, it’s all guesswork. Bob On Sep 6, 2017, at 10:26 PM, Glenn Little WB4UIV wrote: I have a Bulova crystal oscillator, part number 1505869-1K, model number AMO31HP-V-1, NSN 6N5840-797-7659. The NSN tells me it is a little old and that it was a turn-in, probably repairable at some higher level. The frequency is marked 100.00 KHz. The oscillator voltage is 30 V DC and the oven voltage is 115 VAC. It has an octal plug on the bottom with the pins marked: 1 - oven indicator 2 - A.F.C. 3 - heater power 4 - +30 VDC 5 - case ground 6 - ground 7 - heater return 8 - 100 KC output. With the nameplate listing the frequency in KHz and the case listing the frequency in Kc and the older NSN, it appears that this oscillator was made for a longer period of time. The top has two adjustments, both with a screw cover. One is freq adj and the other is output adj. Does anyone have any data on this oscillator? What would I expect the accuracy to be? The printed frequency implies, to me, that the accuracy is in the realm of 0.001 Hertz at 100 KHz. Did I miss something here? The top also shows this to be a "Generator Reference Signal". Any insite appreciated. 73 Glenn WB4UIV -- --- Glenn LittleARRL Technical Specialist QCWA LM 28417 Amateur Callsign: WB4UIVwb4...@arrl.netAMSAT LM 2178 QTH: Goose Creek, SC USA (EM92xx) USSVI LM NRA LM SBE ARRL TAPR "It is not the class of license that the Amateur holds but the class of the Amateur that holds the license" --- ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
Re: [time-nuts] Bulova crystal oscillator
Hi The 115VAC power suggests that it dates back a ways. The 100KC frequency suggests the same thing. It could easily be a 100 KHz crystal in a simple thermostat controlled oven. In that case, the stability would not be anything super duper. Your guess of 0.001 Hz gives a 1x10^-8 sort of number. That’s probably a good guess for the set tolerance on the unit. Anything from there up to 1x10^-7 isn’t a bad guess for temperature stability. Again, it’s all guesswork. Bob > On Sep 6, 2017, at 10:26 PM, Glenn Little WB4UIV > wrote: > > I have a Bulova crystal oscillator, part number 1505869-1K, model number > AMO31HP-V-1, NSN 6N5840-797-7659. > The NSN tells me it is a little old and that it was a turn-in, probably > repairable at some higher level. > The frequency is marked 100.00 KHz. > The oscillator voltage is 30 V DC and the oven voltage is 115 VAC. > It has an octal plug on the bottom with the pins marked: > 1 - oven indicator > 2 - A.F.C. > 3 - heater power > 4 - +30 VDC > 5 - case ground > 6 - ground > 7 - heater return > 8 - 100 KC output. > > With the nameplate listing the frequency in KHz and the case listing the > frequency in Kc and the older NSN, it appears that this oscillator was made > for a longer period of time. > > The top has two adjustments, both with a screw cover. > One is freq adj and the other is output adj. > > Does anyone have any data on this oscillator? > What would I expect the accuracy to be? > The printed frequency implies, to me, that the accuracy is in the realm of > 0.001 Hertz at 100 KHz. > Did I miss something here? > The top also shows this to be a "Generator Reference Signal". > > Any insite appreciated. > > 73 > Glenn > WB4UIV > > -- > --- > Glenn LittleARRL Technical Specialist QCWA LM 28417 > Amateur Callsign: WB4UIVwb4...@arrl.netAMSAT LM 2178 > QTH: Goose Creek, SC USA (EM92xx) USSVI LM NRA LM SBE ARRL TAPR > "It is not the class of license that the Amateur holds but the class > of the Amateur that holds the license" > --- > > ___ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. ___ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.