New or Recalibrate. Bench top Freq. counter.

[Low_Boy]

This thread has been up recently but I need some opinions. My Fluke 1911A needs calibration. At $150.00 I am not sure if it is worth the money to have this done. I can but a new Instek GFC-8010H for about $175.00 or a B&K 1803D for about$187.00????????????

Any advice, Comments or opinions would be welcomed and appreciated.
Thankjs

 

[Tallman]

This thread has been up recently but I need some opinions. My Fluke 1911A needs calibration. At $150.00 I am not sure if it is worth the money to have this done. I can but a new Instek GFC-8010H for about $175.00 or a B&K 1803D for about$187.00????????????

Any advice, Comments or opinions would be welcomed and appreciated.
Thankjs

I bought one of the TXCO 10 mhz frequency standard calibrators and do my own calibrations.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-pcs-Used...690106&hash=item2aa15f8a3d:g:H2MAAOxyCTtTc3tm

 

[Low_Boy]

Tallman please explain what this TXCO calibrator is?
Thanks.

 

[Tallman]

Tallman please explain what this TXCO calibrator is?
Thanks.

It is a precision oscillator that puts out and exact frequency +/- a very small variance.
They are inexpensive and accurate. Most are under $20.00 and should be good enough for your use.
You apply power that is stated on the specification sheet and let it sit for 30 min. and you in most cases will be good to go. Ham radios, and GPS systems use them.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/10-MHz-Ful...038492&hash=item1c77614c6e:g:aCMAAOSw6DtYSqTM

I am assuming you have electronic soldering and assembly skills.

 

[Tallman]

This thread has been up recently but I need some opinions. My Fluke 1911A needs calibration. At $150.00 I am not sure if it is worth the money to have this done. I can but a new Instek GFC-8010H for about $175.00 or a B&K 1803D for about$187.00????????????

Any advice, Comments or opinions would be welcomed and appreciated.
Thankjs

Just out of curiosity, how do you know it needs calibration?

 

[Low_Boy]

Would there be instructions or some sort of a kit to know what I have to do with this, how to build it? I do have skills to put it together.

 

[Low_Boy]

Just out of curiosity, how do you know it needs calibration?

My alignments on Side Band used to be dead on now they're always a bit off.

 

[StrangeBrew]

Do you have a radio that can recieve 10mhz, if so you can give this a shot:

 

[loosecannon]

i would love to get some consensus on the "zero-beating to WWV" thing, as every time i see someone suggest this, someone else comes in with reasons why it won't be accurate.

I don't know enough about either side of the argument to weigh in, but i sure would like to know if there is an absolute right or wrong to it.

Tallman, thanks for that link!
I have been considering buying a trimble thunderbolt for the past few months, but just couldn't justify the cost.
not knowing which product to trust on ebay was keeping me from getting one of these babies.
happy to say i now have one on the way!

im guessing these things are looking for 12vdc?
LC

 

[kaos513]

This thread has been up recently but I need some opinions. My Fluke 1911A needs calibration. At $150.00 I am not sure if it is worth the money to have this done. I can but a new Instek GFC-8010H for about $175.00 or a B&K 1803D for about$187.00????????????

Any advice, Comments or opinions would be welcomed and appreciated.
Thankjs

ask your self this question , im a cb shop and compisate my fees to send my equipment to get aligned? if no then just bowrrow a good meter from a friend and compare it.

 

[Low_Boy]

I do have a radio that will do 10MHz. I will watch the video .Thanks.

 

[Tallman]

i would love to get some consensus on the "zero-beating to WWV" thing, as every time i see someone suggest this, someone else comes in with reasons why it won't be accurate.

I don't know enough about either side of the argument to weigh in, but i sure would like to know if there is an absolute right or wrong to it.

Tallman, thanks for that link!
I have been considering buying a trimble thunderbolt for the past few months, but just couldn't justify the cost.
not knowing which product to trust on ebay was keeping me from getting one of these babies.
happy to say i now have one on the way!

im guessing these things are looking for 12vdc?
LC

The Trimble units are 12 volt. Check your part numbers to be sure.

 

[Tallman]

i would love to get some consensus on the "zero-beating to WWV" thing, as every time i see someone suggest this, someone else comes in with reasons why it won't be accurate.

It is accurate. The problem I have with it is that signal is pretty noisy around here.

 

[nomadradio]

I lucked out with my old H-P counters. The internal clock signal that runs it is 10 MHz.

Only have to couple some stray RF from the counter's clock oscillator to the antenna of the radio listening to WWV. Zero beating the counter's clock to WWV's carrier works pretty well.

Found that the "External clock input" jack has enough of the 10 MHz RF leaking out of it to use a T-connector from the antenna to the Ext jack and to the radio's antenna input.

Got in the habit of doing it monthly. In the slow season.

Sooner or later one of them will get old enough that the trimmer cap no longer travels far enough to get it back on frequency.

Like a Tram D201A. Except you tend to find a half-dozen crystals like that in a Tram.

73

 

[Low_Boy]

So I watched the video StrangeBrew posted and the guy also said you can calibrate this from a signal generator set for 10 MHz. So I set my trusty 8640B to 10 MHz and hooked it to my counters probe. The counter showed 10MHz. Does this mean the counter is not out of calibration?