[time-nuts] Timing Distribution in Mountainous Terrain

[Stanley Reynolds]

On the crazy side another common view object is the lunar laser ranging 
retroreflector array. Has been improvements in cost of lasers and telescopes in 
the past 41 years and it doesn't appear to be headed for shutdown anytime soon.

Stanley




----- Original Message ----
From: Mark J. Blair <nf6x at nf6x.net>
To: Discussion of precise time and frequency measurement <time-nuts at febo.com>
Sent: Fri, September 10, 2010 11:49:49 AM
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Timing Distribution in Mountainous Terrain

I presume that there's a good reason for the selection of antenna sites which 
don't have LOS to each other. However, would it be possible to select additional 
sites at which to install repeaters to allow timing calibrations to be made 
between pairs of primary receiving sites? These repeaters could also provide 
backup communications so that a primary receiving site isn't necessarily taken 
out of action if its communication channel (wireline?) gets cut by a wandering 
backhoe. Each repeater site would be selected to have LOS to two or more primary 
receiving sites, or when that's not possible, to one primary receiving site and 
another repeater that can see a different site.

While multiplying the number of sites wouldn't be cheap (even considering that 
the repeater sites may host much less expensive equipment than the primary 
receiving sites, and may be able to operate without wireline communications or 
power lines to the sites), it might be cheaper than installing hydrogen masers 
and radio telescopes, designing custom aircraft and flying them overhead every 
20 minutes, etc.


-- 
Mark J. Blair, NF6X <nf6x at nf6x.net>
Web page: http://www.nf6x.net/
GnuPG public key available from my web page.





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