[time-nuts] Thunderbolt temperature

Charles P. Steinmetz charles_steinmetz at lavabit.com
Mon Aug 27 15:07:35 UTC 2012


Michael wrote:

>I'm still not entirely sure this is a good idea though, seems like a 
>low-temp oven for the whole tbolt would be better if you want 
>thermal stability.

Precisely because it is not clear that holding the backplate of a 
Tbolt at a constant temperature is the best way to keep the interior 
of its crystal oven at the most constant temperature (which is the 
ultimate goal), I mounted mine on thermally insulating standoffs in a 
cast aluminum box with about 1" of clearance on all sides, and 
control the air temperature inside the cast box.

For another Tbolt mounted similarly, I control the surface 
temperature of the cast box, which seems to work equally well.

In both cases, I adjust the controller for whatever measured 
temperature produces a Tbolt internal temperature reading (via the 
Tbolt's DS1620) of about 45C -- safely above any ambient temperature 
to which the mounted units will be exposed, to avoid the need for 
active cooling (Peltier, etc.), but not excessively so, to keep the 
internal electronics as cool as is practicable.

Best regards,

Charles










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