[time-nuts] smallest rubidium

[Dr. David Kirkby]

On 05/23/11 02:20 PM, paul swed wrote:
> I believe thats because RB and CS have cavities that essentially establish
> the operating size, because they work at a given frequency.

That makes sense
You have to go
> to a different technology method to reduce its size, like the new
> Symmetricom CS oscillator. Still overall pretty darned amazing in size and
> power consumption. (Still waiting for the time-nuts offer of $100 each.
> Limited time offer call before midnight. Shipping and handling included)
> So at this time it would not be possible to equal the size or power of a
> typical TCXO these days. 1/4 dip stuff.
> Though we have given you answers you had not ever really stated what you
> needed to accomplish.
> Regards
> Paul
> WB8TSL

I've bought an amateur radio transceiver - Kenwood TS-940S. This has a 20 MHz 
crystal osciallator (not 10 as I stated before), but it was optionally available 
with a 20 MHz TCXO, called SO-1 which sat on a small (how small?) circuit board. 
But these TCXO's seem to be like rocking horse dung, so I wondered about putting 
my own TCXO on a board. Then the idea of perhaps using a rubidium hit me.

Some enterprising sole is selling on eBay a circuit board which replaces the 
SO-1, and has a 10 MHz reference input. But of course that means you need to 
rely on having the external reference. Having it built in would be nice, but I 
don't think there's enough room.

Perhaps an OCXO might be practical - better than a TCXO, but not as big as a 
rubidium.


Dave