[time-nuts] Spectracom problems - was, "used Spectracom"...

Burt I. Weiner biwa at att.net
Thu Jan 17 17:02:42 UTC 2013


Paul,

I don't know if this will be of any help for your particular 
situation, but several years ago I had a problem where my Spectracom 
8170 would not lock.  I checked and found that I had good, clean 
signal at the input spigot and the voltage going to the antenna was 
clean and correct.  After being patient with him for plenty of time, 
I finally broke down and called Spectracom and reached someone in 
service.  What he said to me was:  "There's a board with 4 
electrolytics on it.  Change the electrolytics and he'll be 
fine."  (This is not the receiver board)  I did and my 8170 started 
working again.  In fact, he was locking up and staying locked better 
than he had in all his previous life with me.  A few years later, and 
for some reason that escapes me now, I shot-gunned the entire 
receiver with new, high quality electrolytics.  I do not use him as a 
frequency standard, only for a fancy-shmancy clock.

As far as how well he keeps time these days; he agrees with my two 
DATUM 9390-52054 receivers as best as my eyes jumping between the 
three of them can see.  By the way, speaking of my two 9390's, since 
I replaced the Caritronics switching power supply module inside with 
an external Cisco ADP-30RB, both are working fine and seem happy 
around 1E-12 and a DAC of about 29000.

Burt, K6OQK


>Burt
>I don't know what to say at all but the bpsk signal does a number to my
>8170. So all I can do is scratch my head. Lucky you.
>Regards
>Paul.
>
>On Wed, Jan 16, 2013 at 7:01 PM, Burt I. Weiner <biwa at att.net> wrote:
>
> > Paul,
> >
> > I just went out to my shoppe and looked.  Mine is locked and has been for
> > most of the day, with two green lights.  Some time ago I added a meter to
> > the front panel that I connected to one of the test points.  It's currently
> > fairly steady except for the normal dips in carrier strength.  About this
> > time of day it usually starts to go nuts because of the Diurnal shift.  I'm
> > in Glendale, CA, just north of Downtown Los Angeles.  My WWVB antenna is a
> > ferrite rod type in a PVC tube.  It's been laying by the side of the house
> > on the ground for over 15 years.  That's where I've always gotten the
> > cleanest signal - found that out when we re-roofed the house.
> >
> > Burt, K6OQK
> >

Burt I. Weiner Associates
Broadcast Technical Services
Glendale, California  U.S.A.
biwa at att.net
www.biwa.cc
K6OQK 





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