Precision Frequency Reference for Yaesu FT 817, 857, 897

[Steven Hess]

I just spotted this on the  Yahoo FY-817 mail reflector. 

Precision Frequency Reference for Yaesu FT 817, 857, 897

http://www.vk3hz.net/XRef/XRef_Home.html

Steven

--
____________
Apply appropriate technology. Use what works without prejudice.  
Steven L Hess ARS KC6KGE DM05gd22
Owner Flex-1500 and Flex-3000, FT-857D, FT-817ND, FT-450
openSUSE Linux 12.3 KDE
Known as FlameBait and The Sock Puppet of Doom.

[Steven Hess]

Looks like they have a board for the IC-706 and other rigs as well from the webpage. 

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[Glenn Elmore]

Yes, this showed up for FT8x7 radios on VKLogger last year and I think
has been available for a while for Yaesu. Now with versions for other
radios, it seems a useful way to get other transceivers referenced to an
external 10 MHz source. This design is DDS so there is actually some
frequency error in the signal generated because of the finite DDS word
size but the error is small and repeatable. Over the normal range of
these transceiver, 160m to 70 cm, this should be better than WSPR's
ability to report frequency. This design doesn't quite produce the
lowest phase noise, as shown by their measurements, but appears to be
just fine for almost any real world use case.

Although the pilot GPS10's we built have both the 10 MHz reference as
well as the (integer ratio) phaselock circuits built into one box, I'm
not currently planning on building any more and there have been no
takers for producing these commercially. So maybe with this newer
XRef-VS and a rubidium or GPSDO 10 MHz reference such as theHP GPSDO or
Trimble Thunderbolt , more stations will be getting on VHF and UHF WSPR.
I hope so!

Glenn n6gn

[Jwatrous]

This is the way I am disciplining my IC 901H on 432, but I forgot to turn the radio on today and am away until evening!

The install is easy and N6KOG also has one on his 910.

John K6 PZB
-----------

jwat...@sonic.net
707 360 5496
K6PZB

[Steven Hess]

How was shipping John?

[n3...@aol.com]

I have 2 of his units.

 

The XRef-VS for my Kenwood TS 2000 and a XRef-VT for my Kenwood TS-440.

 

Its about the size of a postage stamp and he sends it in a padded ~12X15" envelope?

 

He can do just about any frequency. The 440 required a 36 Mhz LO and he took a couple of days to get it ready.

 

I will probably get one for my FT-736 eventually.

 

Chris

[Leigh Rainbird]

I've also got one for my IC910, not installed yet as I'm still trying to find a suitable GPS unit.
Any recommendations ?
 
Was looking at a company called Jackson Labs in USA>
 
Leigh VK2KRR
 

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To: 2-mete...@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: {2 Meter WSPR} Precision Frequency Reference for Yaesu FT 817, 857, 897

From: n3...@aol.com
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2014 23:03:46 -0500

[n3...@aol.com]

I'm using the Trimble unit that comes out of a LMU discarded by AT&T in the states. They are called Thunderbolts by most people. Close but not a thunderbolt. Doesn't output NEMA data either.

I have had mine for several years as the reference for my X band. Now for my Kenwood radios too.

[Steven Hess]

I'd like to find one of the surplus telco units and power supply cheap

I never seem to stumble upon one though. 

[n3...@aol.com]

Well get to know your local AT&T wireless tech and or contractor. Ask them if they know of an old LMU laying around. Its a 2 RU white box with Andrew or Geometrix on it. It has been a while but I still see them in racks, propping doors open or being used by the vertically challenged to reach a little higher.

 

I got one several years a go and put the picture on the Time Nutz mailer. It sparked a lot of interest and then started seeing them pop up on EBAY for several hundred dollars. Once the word got out you could buy a pallet for scrap value and the EBAY priced dropped to $50 or so. Now all I see are the ones that made it to China and the price has gone back up. I just sold my last one to a SBMS member for his lab equipment.

 

The good news in a way, is that GSM phones, the technology that required these units, are being phased out. The unis that replaced the old Andrew/Geometrix units are being phased out too. They were much better unit over all but had a higher GPS failure rate. I had one of them too but sold it. It was a Japanese manufacture, half the size and ran off of 12 volts. I couldn't figure out how to talk to it and the manufacture wasn't any help. The guy I sold it to said he would get back to me when he figured it out. Nothing heard after 5 years or so.

 

I have a ham friend who is an AT&T tech in LA. He is keeping an eye out for me on both old and new units.

[Glenn Elmore]

I haven't priced eBay lately but a small group of us here were able to buy five Rb FE5680A standards for less than $50/ea. shipped.  I have one of them and of the other four I suspect that *maybe* one of them will get used.  Thus, if someone wants one of these for VHF+ WSPR, I think it might be arranged.

Prices have gone up since we bought ours but Ebay seems to be completing auctions of others as BuyItNow for $150-$200 including shipping.  I suspect they are still being pulled from cell sites at a pretty good rate. Mobile comms protocols and site hardware change at least every decade and the MTBF of these is something like 25 years, if I remember right. This keeps the surplus supply up.

Once set, these are perfectly fine for WSPR. K6PZB is presently using one and I use mine in place of the GPS disciplined Wenzel, from time to time.
I'm not interested in pursuing this only because someone wants a bargain but let me know if you would use one  and you plan to put it on VHF+ WSPR in  the Western US. 

Glenn n6gn