[time-nuts] Re: building a frequency counter.. use 1PPS, ,or 10 MHz reference from GPS?

[David Taylor]

On 23/06/2023 19:58, Tyler H via time-nuts wrote:
> Hello!
> 
> I'm building a frequency counter for some amateur radio microwave
> transverters to measure the local oscillators.
> 
> I am designing towards a capability of directly counting up to 100 MHz and
> up to 200 MHz with a prescaler.
> 
> For a time base, I'd like to use a 1PPS pulse from a GPS, but how accurate
> are they?   Should I just count a 10 MHz GPS reference and use that to
> generate a gate for the counter?
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Tyler
> KM3G

Tyler,

You might like to consider this counter:

   http://m0wgf.blogspot.com/2020/05/bg7tbl-fa-2-frequency-counter-review.html

This is a low-cost counter covering up to 6 GHz and could take your 10 MHz 
reference as an input.  I have one and it works very well, as good as the 
review one.

A point about the 10 MHz, many GPS modules can produce 10 MHz but it's not as 
clean a signal as they produce at 8 MHz.  A 1PPS pulse from cheap GPS units is 
stable to within tens of ns - so within 1 Hz at 10 MHz, perhaps?

Good luck with your project.

73,
David GM8ARV
-- 
SatSignal Software - Quality software for you
Web: https://www.satsignal.eu
Email: david-taylor at blueyonder.co.uk
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