[time-nuts] Re: HP Z3801A - Dead GPS Receiver - Oncore VP

[Bob kb8tq]

Hi

If a cell tower is running for 5 years without an upgrade, that’s doing pretty well.
Ten years is an eternity in this case. Even for core network stuff, the “expected 
lifetime” in the spec rarely makes it to 20 years and pretty much never goes past
that (in the spec.). Does the stuff last longer? In some cases it most certainly does.
Is the firmware still supported after X years? ….. hmmmm…. 

One way to “see” this is to take a look at the date codes on this gear as it shows
up on eBay. The 3801’s headed out into the field in the late 90’s and became a 
“thing” for Time Nuts to buy and poke at by the early 2000’s. 

How you factor in the delay between being pulled out of service in who knows 
where, auctioned off, shipped to China, parted out, parts resold, and listed on eBay is
unclear. I’d bet they go by slow boat heading over there …. 

Bob

> On Oct 12, 2021, at 12:27 PM, Hal Murray <halmurray+timenuts at sonic.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> kb8tq at n1k.org said:
>> I???ve run 3801???s for years and years without ever power cycling them. Other
>> than power supply failure, they never had a  problem. They did get detailed
>> monitoring pretty much all  the time.  
> 
> I was guessing that the reboot-every-few-months recipe was trying to dance 
> around the week number roll over issue.
> 
> Has anybody figured out where/when it writes whatever it needs so that it 
> comes up right on power up?
> 
> On the initial application (cell towers?), was there any expectation of 
> lifetime?  In particular were they expected to keep going over WNRO and/or was 
> there a difference between run over WNRO and spares sitting on the shelf 
> coming up after WNRO?
> 
> -- 
> These are my opinions.  I hate spam.
> 
> 
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