[time-nuts] Broadband synthesizer

Tom Manning af4ug at bellsouth.net
Wed Jul 13 16:03:18 UTC 2011


Hello Will
    I have enjoyed reading your e-mails and the info about the various 
generators.  Have you considered using one of the PTS series of generators? 
Wavetek and several others also had their version such as the wavetek 5120A 
which covers from .1Hz to 160Mhz with the output variable.  These 
instruments require no counters but the output is not fixed but variable. 
The PTS models were identical to the Wavetek models.  73 de Tom Manning, 
AF4UG
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Will Matney" <xformer at citynet.net>
To: <time-nuts at febo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 8:30 AM
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Broadband synthesizer


> Bill,
>
> Well, if the frequency you want is below 10 MHz, then the counter/readout
> on a HP 3335, as Paul mentioned, will reach the 100 millihertz range, as
> it's readout is 8 digits, I think. That is anything from say 9.99 MHz and
> below, the resolution will go up from there, but to be honest, I can't
> remember using mine this way. The problem is, even though the 3335 is a
> level sine generator, it's signal is not quite as clean as the 8640B,
> though it may be clean enough, as I've never used mine for this. Here, the
> 8640B falls out over the range of its counter, as I think it may be only 7
> digits, without looking, and I think it might not count that low, or no
> lower than 1 Hz, as I can't remember.
>
> Really, about the only way you can get that much resolution, over 10 MHz,
> is use an external counter with a high resolution display, and there's not
> that many out there, unless using one like an EIP 538B microwave counter,
> and that's for counting up to 26.5 GHz. They have them that will go up to
> around 12 digits in resolution, like this one, but some of them are 
> limited
> in the lowest frequency they'll count, and if I recall, the 538B models
> lower limit is around 10 Hz, so no hertz or millihertz.
>
> There's limits on other counters too, in their low count, but with all the
> different manufacturers and models, I couldn't begin to tell you which 
> ones
> they are. I've never used anything over eight digits of resolution, here,
> so others on here may know more about which to use, if you end up having 
> to
> use one. The problem is, these high res counters cost out the ying yang.
>
> What you need is a clean signal for this, since you're thinking about
> mixing signals, and you might ought to look for something fixed, that will
> produce it in say an OCXO, and use an easily fixed frequency that you 
> don't
> need to see the millihertz range to use, say a simple 5 to 10 MHz, that's
> just been calibrated to be on the money. The problem is, the smaller, low
> cost, RF generators that will cover this, aren't clean at all, and the
> resolution of their internal counter is only around 6 digits at most. 
> Also,
> if you don't want to lay out a pile of cash, you can rent these for a
> month, off a dealer, having plenty of time to do the test. However, some
> may want as much for reat as you could buy a working used one for.
>
> On the generator or synthesizer you get, say one of the models I listed
> earlier, or the HP 3335, a decent one will still run you around $300.00
> plus, now that a lot of the government surplus has dried up. A few years
> back, these could be bought at around $75 to $100 each, and even some of
> the EIP counters.
>
> Best,
>
> Will
>
> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>
> On 7/13/2011 at 7:38 AM Bill Dailey wrote:
>
>>Thanks for the input.  I think i am asking for too much in one package
> (looking toward future projects).  How about 1.8Mhz to 15Mhz.... To meet
> the needs of the primary project (fmt).  I would prefer to not have to 
> also
> use a counter.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Doc
>>KX0O
>>
>>Sent from my iPad
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