[time-nuts] Thunderbolt monitor

[Mark Amos]

Bill,

I'm one of those casual users - though I'm getting close to graduating to Rb (time-nuttiness is habit 
forming...)

I've built a couple of the Shera GPSDOs and have added on some handy little features (I drive a 2 line LCD 
display, and format the output into a UTC/Local clock and buffered 10MHZ output to use as an external clock for 
an HP 5328 and my FlexRadio master oscillator.)  I recently got a surplus Thunderbolt and use a TAPR 
distribution amp to buffer the 10Mhz signal and it seems to drive all this stuff quite well too.  It's nice to 
have a couple of these, as you say, and it's fun to watch two of them driving an X-Y scope (if you enjoy things 
like watching paint dry, sundial's ticking off the hours, grass growing, etc.) 

I found the project to be fun and educational.  I did all the software development in PIC assembler and made a 
couple of changes to Shera's code.  (There seems to be fewer of the "my micro is better than yours" religious 
wars on this list than some others.)  FYI, Brooks Shera is also a very helpful fellow and seemed pleasant in 
the email exchanges we had.  

I drive a couple of cheap, but good-looking clocks who's motors I hacked to use the output from a 1PPS output 
(buffered and divided into +/- signals to replace the clock circuitry).  It's fun to invite people to listen to 
the clocks ticking in synchrony - all run from different types of precision clocks (GPSDO, WWV, etc.) 

This list seems to have more high-end folks on it and that might be why your suggestion didn't get a more 
positive response.  Also, every time someone mentions Shera, there seem to be plenty of "there are lots better 
ways to do it" folks offering tons of interesting ideas.  As far as I know, none of these have ever been turned 
into into a great PCB project (as with the Shera design.)  If you're game, and can actually integrate some of 
the "I know a much better way" suggestions, you should have a fun and ultimately very useful project!

In any case, good luck on your design.  I'm sure you'll continue to get some great advice from this group.

Mark
"An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody 
sees it." -- Mohandas Gandhi