[time-nuts] oscillator aging

[Jeffrey Pawlan]

On Tue, 2 Oct 2007, Rick Karlquist wrote:
> No oscillators are in the non aging category.

Very true!


For fun and education, perhaps someone local to me in San Jose would like to
test the aging of a HP precision oscillator standard that has been powered
almost continuously for a half century!  It is a 107BR 5MHz standard which
contains a wonderful crystal that HP used to make themselves. The only time it
has been unplugged was while transporting it from Eimac a couple of decades ago.
I have had it on a ups power system ever since. I have not tweaked the tuning in
years nor checked its frequency recently as I am using a disciplined Austron
standard with a loran-c receiver for my lab. The meter on the HP107 panel says
it is still putting out the right amount of RF power. No repairs in 50 years;
that is reliability.


Regards,


Jeffrey Pawlan