[time-nuts] My stubborn Z3801A

[Richard W. Solomon]

If you remove those "zero ohm" resistors, you need other jumpers 
to make it work as an RS-232.
When I did mine, I stuck in two strips of "headers" and used those 
HD jumpers to select RS-232 or RS-422.

Check out this site:

http://www.ad6a.com/Z3801A.html

73, Dick, W1KSZ


-----Original Message-----
>From: Robert Benward <rbenward at verizon.net>
>Sent: Jun 13, 2010 8:01 PM
>To: time-nuts <time-nuts at febo.com>
>Subject: [time-nuts] My stubborn Z3801A
>
>To All,
>
>An update to my Z3801A saga.
>
>Summary: As you know, I purchased this Z3801A at the Dayton Hamfest.  The 
>person who sold it to me said it was modified for RS-232.  I powered the 
>unit up and the only thing it ever did was go into the holdover mode.  Tried 
>hooking RS-232, but got no response.  Did some reading and found the little 
>green blinking light was a good thing, all the others indicated a failure in 
>ram, rom, etc.  Boot was good if all the front panel lights went on in 
>sequence.
>
>Update: Took the unit apart to do some serious trouble shooting.  Found the 
>signals (logic side) on the RS-232 did not go all the way to ground.  Subbed 
>in another RS-232 transceiver, still no luck.  Found another note on the 
>internet about removing the 5 little zero ohm resistors on the bottom to do 
>the RS-232 conversion.  Looked on the bottom and they were still there!!!  I 
>removed them and the signals now went all the way to ground and appeared to 
>be normal.  Tried various programs to link up (GPS.EXE, SatStat, RS-232 
>comm).  Saw the commands going in, and I did see a response from the Z3801A, 
>but the computer could not read the response.   Since I did see a response 
>from the Z3801A on the scope, I figured it was receiving commands.  I hooked 
>up an antenna and sent a survey command.  Apparently if the GPS is moved (I 
>don't know how much)  the Z3801A needs to do a survey otherwise it won't 
>lock.  I went shopping, and came back about 2 hours later, and low and 
>behold, a GPS LOCK!!!
>
>Still to go:  The RS-232 signals look fine going into the cable, +/-5V, any 
>ideas why the computer won't read it?  Am I missing something?  I tried two 
>different ports in case I screwed one up one of the ports, but no luck.
>
>Bob
>AC2AZ
>
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