[time-nuts] Frequency Counter Choice

[Didier Juges]

Just for reference, I have an HP5334 that is missing the entire display
assembly and it works just fine over GPIB. Try it, it would most likely
work.

Didier KO4BB

On Thu, Oct 22, 2020, 9:46 AM Mark Spencer <mark at alignedsolutions.com>
wrote:

> I am just curious how viable would it be to use a 531xx series counter
> with Timelab if the counter display has failed ?
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Mark Spencer
> mark at alignedsolutions.com
> 604 762 4099
>
> > On Oct 22, 2020, at 6:36 AM, Bob kb8tq <kb8tq at n1k.org> wrote:
> >
> > Hi
> >
> >> On Oct 22, 2020, at 7:50 AM, Giorgio Barinetti <giorgio at barinetti.it>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> As a newbie in the field, I've collected, by chance, some frequency
> standards.
> >>
> >> Now is the time to measure them, and see how they perform.
> >>
> >> I've inherited a 5371, but something tells me that is not the right
> instrument - and maybe is even faulty.
> >>
> >> So, I'm in the need to buy a counter to use togheter with TimeLab.
> >>
> >> Choices are many, but I'll try to avoid the "older" machines lile 5370
> or 5335. The 531xx series seems nice ( money apart )
> >> But again : which one between the 3 ? 53131, 53132 or 53181 ?
> >
> > 53181 = single channel 400 ps counter
> > 53131 = dual channel 400 ps counter
> > 53132 = dual channel 100 ps counter
> >
> > 5370 (when working) = dual channel 20 ps counter
> >
> > The gotcha is that none of them are good enough to properly measure 1
> > second ADEV on a good ( but still could be cheap ) OCXO. A mixer based
> > setup is a cheap way to get things done, even with a 5335.
> >
> > The 531xx counters all share a couple of issues:
> >
> > 1) The power supply was made by who knows who and their quality is not
> > the best. Good news is that the power supply out of a (cheap) 53181 will
> > swap over to revive an expensive 53132.
> >
> > 2) They have a fan, it plugs with dust. When that happens it gets hot
> inside
> > the cabinet. Things (like the power supply) die as a result.
> >
> > 3) They have a VFD display. It’s a nice one, but they do wear out.
> Replacing
> > them is problematic.
> >
> > 4) They have a fancy setup to add digits to a frequency measurement. It
> > can lead you astray. It also tends to go deaf right at 10 MHz. There are
> app
> > notes out there that explain the details.
> >
> > 5) With *any* counter, a good external reference is the way to go for
> “Time Nut”
> > grade measurements.
> >
> > None of that is to say they are a bad counter, far from it. I have a
> number
> > of them and have been using them here and at work for decades. The 532xx
> > counters are the latest and greatest. They are on eBay, but not cheap.
> >
> > Bob
> >
> >
> >
> >>
> >> Can somebody shed some light, and maybe help even to found a baseline
> for us beginners ?
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >> IZ2JGB
> >> Giorgio
> >>
> >> My NTP servers: (ntpd on FreeBSD - PPS in via Serial)
> >>
> >> HP/Symmetricom 55300A  https://www.ntppool.org/scores/93.41.196.243
> >>
> >> Efratom Rb/Xc GPSDO https://www.ntppool.org/scores/95.255.136.126
> >>
> >>
> >>
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> >
> >
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