[time-nuts] Re: Trimble Netrs How do you open it up?

[Bob kb8tq]

Hi

A bit of NetRS flash card trivia:

The original cards that came with these had a Trimble part number sticker
on them with something like P/N 51212-00 on it. In some cases it’s just
a white label card that has no manufacturer ID at all ( so it doesn’t even 
say Trimble …). In other cases it’s a sticker that has obviously gone on 
a “generic” card made by somebody. Those stickers typically do say 
Trimble on them. 

Some units went through Unavco and have their preferred cards in them. 
They got replaced at some point in their life. Might have been 2010 could
have been much later. Those cards are typically marked with hand written
date and version numbers per the “how to” pdf.

There is no advantage at all to the 1GB setup vs the 512 MB other than 
onboard survey recording. There is plenty of room on the 512 for the normal
logs. ( Ok, a 1GB has more sectors to swap so with good wear leveling it 
*might* last longer …). Functionally in a TimeNut environment you pull the
data off via serial or ethernet and store it on a hard drive somewhere. Even
with the 1GB card, there really isn’t enough room to be “TimeNut Useful”. 

Given the age of these beasts, it is unlikely that a high(er) speed card will do
any good. The interface on the board probably has some very basic speed
capabilities. ( Yes, the re-flash on your PC might take 15 minutes with a 
faster card vs 26 minutes ….). 

If you get old enough cards from the very bottom of your “goodie pile” you 
could turn up some that may not be very robust cycle wise. The originals should
have been “Industrial Grade” versions. Anything you buy new these days should
be plenty good for this application. I see no reason to get exotic cards as
replacements. 

Bob

 

> On Mar 19, 2022, at 6:25 PM, paul swed <paulswedb at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Bob
> Thanks just didn't use a bit more of a hit. Everything pops loose. I took a quick look inside and nothing at all obvious as an issue. In reassembling the unit the back assembly micro-ide connector is delicate. Not a real problem but is easy to get mis-aligned.
> When booting up the system does blink the lEDs but not the gps satellite or Frequency LED. The frequency LED will be easy to check.
> Regards
> Paul
> 
> On Sat, Mar 19, 2022 at 4:55 PM Bob kb8tq <kb8tq at n1k.org <mailto:kb8tq at n1k.org>> wrote:
> Hi
> 
> Quick way to take apart a NetRS:
> 
> 1) Pull out all the screws from the front panel ( the one with the LED’s on it).
> 
> 2) Pull the screws from the mounting bracket (if it’s still there). All are T10 Torx. 
> 
> 3) Reverse the Torx driver and use it as a small hammer. Tap the “ears” on 
> the front panel. You don’t need to go crazy. It will pop off. 
> 
> The D connector on the front panel is normally attached with ribbon cable. 
> There is no need to unscrew it. If anything, unscrewing it is a bad idea since
> doing so would allow the sub-cabe to the front panel to flex / break. 
> 
> Next use a pair of needle nose pliers to unbend the latching strap that holds
> the flash card in place. It’s directly above the place the ribbon cable from the 
> front panel comes into the main assembly. 
> 
> Now you can unplug the flash card and replace it. 
> 
> On normal power up, with only power applied ( nothing else attached ). The 
> front panel LED’s go through a series of flash flash flash stuff. Eventually they
> calm down and you just get a green light showing you which power input you
> are connected to.
> 
> Normal drill is to just leave the back panel in place. Unless something is broke,
> there is no reason to pull it. 
> 
> Fun !!
> 
> Bob
> 
> > On Mar 19, 2022, at 4:04 PM, paul swed <paulswedb at gmail.com <mailto:paulswedb at gmail.com>> wrote:
> > 
> > OK have figured the main and standby power out. They work fine.
> > I want to check the internals of the receiver for any damage.
> > Have removed the front and back torx screws and front DE9 locking nuts.
> > But it refuses to let loose. Am I fighting a rubber grommet? Maybe I do
> > need to take all of the back N and BNC connector nuts off. This thing feels
> > very tough to open and do not want to damage it.
> > 
> > Also all of the almanacs and such are totally 0. That could have easily
> > happened when I was doing a factory reset. Especially since the data zero
> > is almost exactly the same as a factory reset.
> > Thanks
> > Paul
> > WB8TSL
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