[time-nuts] C-Beam Usage

[Chuck Harris]

Up until I started working on my FTS4050, I would have said that they last
the same length of time whether you use them or not.  That certainly was the
usual experience with HP5060, 5061, 5062 units of yor.  However, seeing my
4050 show strong signs of activity in its 16 year old tube, which has just
spent the last 10 years untouched in storage, I am changing my tune.

With the FTS tubes, I think you can get away with just firing it up when you
need it.  These tubes seem to be so well sealed that I am not sure that there
is any benefit in firing them up to keep the vacuum pumped down.

-Chuck

Poul-Henning Kamp wrote:
> In message <6.1.2.0.2.20050113190428.02c22eb0 at mail.landmarcomm.com>, Had writes
> :
> 
>>Hi All,
>>
>>This question assumes the following:
>>
>>1. You are not doing "for money" cal work.
>>2.  There is a GPSDO and one or two Rb's running 24/7
>>3.  Your C-Beams are not nice new Agilent or Symmetricom's
>>
>>So the question:
>>
>>Do you run the C-Beam(s) 24/7 or only fire them up enough in advance of 
>>when you want to check other things?
> 
> 
> I only fire mine up when I need it.
>