[time-nuts] Help needed with Tracor 308A Rubidium Frequency Standard

[cdelect at juno.com]

Heinz,

The relay you hear "clicking" is the relay that generates the HV start
pulse for the lamp. Once the lamp starts and is detected by the preamp
circuit the relay stops cycling.

You can pull the OMU and leave it connected up.

Pull the covers off the lamp end of the OMU and the metal rectangular
cover screwed onto the lamp module.

You will see a cylindrical HV pulse transformer.

Lay an insulated screwdriver touching the lamp module case so that it
comes very close to the HV stud of the TX.

You should see a spark every time the relay clicks. Forcing this spark
sometimes will sometimes start the lamp for you.

No spark troubleshoot the circuit that generates the pulse into the TX.

Cheers,

Corby