Frequency Counter for Calibrating K3S
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Frequency Counter for Calibrating K3S
 
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I am considering buying a frequency counter to calibrate my K3S. I see that Amazon has several for <$100. Has anyone had any experience with these? Are they just a waste of money?
Thanks, John WA1EAZ |
Re: Frequency Counter for Calibrating K3S
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What? I didn’t know that Elecraft offered frequency counters. Or, do you mean something like the XG2, a signal source for testing rigs?
73, phil, K7PEH > On Feb 11, 2017, at 9:39 AM, stengrevics <[hidden email]> wrote: > > I am considering buying a frequency counter to calibrate my K3S. I see that > Amazon has several for <$100. Has anyone had any experience with these? > Are they just a waste of money? > > Thanks, > > John > WA1EAZ > > > > -- > View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Frequency-Counter-for-Calibrating-K3S-tp7626660.html > Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [hidden email] ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
Re: Frequency Counter for Calibrating K3S
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In reply to this post by stengrevics
Frequency counters will also need to be calibrated. I have been
quite happy using WWV with my K3, and you can't beat the price. 73 Bill AE6JV On 2/11/17 at 9:39 AM, [hidden email] (stengrevics) wrote: >I am considering buying a frequency counter to calibrate my K3S. I see that >Amazon has several for <$100. Has anyone had any experience >with these? Are they just a waste of money? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Frantz | If you want total security, go to prison. There you're 408-356-8506 | fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only www.pwpconsult.com | thing lacking is freedom. - Dwight D. Eisenhower ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
Re: Frequency Counter for Calibrating K3S
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In reply to this post by stengrevics
I think you would do much better getting something like a used Racal-Dana 1992 or the like of of ebay with the crystal oven. From: stengrevics <[hidden email]> To: [hidden email] Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2017 12:39 PM Subject: [Elecraft] Frequency Counter for Calibrating K3S I am considering buying a frequency counter to calibrate my K3S. I see that Amazon has several for <$100. Has anyone had any experience with these? Are they just a waste of money? Thanks, John WA1EAZ -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Frequency-Counter-for-Calibrating-K3S-tp7626660.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
Re: Frequency Counter for Calibrating K3S
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In reply to this post by stengrevics
John,
You do not need a frequency counter to calibrate the K3S, use Method 2 with WWV, it is just as accurate. Actually it is likely more accurate than you would get with a <$100 frequency counter, unless you calibrate the frequency counter beforehand. I suspect any frequency counter costing less than $100 is either inaccurate or limited to audio frequencies. 73, Don W3FPR On 2/11/2017 12:39 PM, stengrevics wrote: > I am considering buying a frequency counter to calibrate my K3S. I see that > Amazon has several for <$100. Has anyone had any experience with these? > Are they just a waste of money? > > Thanks, > > John > WA1EAZ > > > > -- > View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Frequency-Counter-for-Calibrating-K3S-tp7626660.html > Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [hidden email] > Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
Re: Frequency Counter for Calibrating K3S
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Thanks all for the comments.
I think I will stick with WWV. John’ WA1EAZ > On Feb 11, 2017, at 1:17 PM, Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]> wrote: > > John, > > You do not need a frequency counter to calibrate the K3S, use Method 2 with WWV, it is just as accurate. > Actually it is likely more accurate than you would get with a <$100 frequency counter, unless you calibrate the frequency counter beforehand. I suspect any frequency counter costing less than $100 is either inaccurate or limited to audio frequencies. > > 73, > Don W3FPR > > On 2/11/2017 12:39 PM, stengrevics wrote: >> I am considering buying a frequency counter to calibrate my K3S. I see that >> Amazon has several for <$100. Has anyone had any experience with these? >> Are they just a waste of money? >> >> Thanks, >> >> John >> WA1EAZ >> >> >> >> -- >> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Frequency-Counter-for-Calibrating-K3S-tp7626660.html >> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:[hidden email] >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> Message delivered to [hidden email] >> ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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In reply to this post by Bill Frantz
If you end up still wanting to get a frequency counter and want to spend a
few bucks, I would keep your eyes peeled for a good deal on an HP 5385A or something similar on fleaBay, don't mess with the sub $100 cheap ones. Then get a 10mhz GPSDO reference like the Leo Bodnar GPSDO <http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=234>... setup a simple GPS antenna outside your shack and then finalize the setup with the K3EXREF. Then distribute the 10mhz signal from the GPSDO to your Frequency Counter and your K3. You then end up with a lab grade accurate frequency counter and you never need to worry about the K3 accuracy ever again. Then run out and get a frequency generator because you spent several hundred bucks on the above setup and because the XG3 is just to practical and simple... look for an HP 8656B or something similar and use your GPSDO as a reference for that. Oh and then you might want to get an HP power meter like a E4418A and sensors to check the accuracy of the frequency generator. (sensors at $150-$400 a pop) :) Oh, and then if you have a PPS output from your GPSDO you can setup your own Raspberry PI or Odroid Stratum 1 NTPD server and have a NTP clock reference that is accurate into the potentially nano second range to sync your PC clocks against. (all just because you can ... lol!) Of course, I agree with the other posts... it's crazy simple to zero beat with WWV and or switch back and forth between the CW side bands to zero your REFCAL setting on the K3. And it's free too. ;) But some of us like buying and tinkering with this stuff. I'm guilty as accused. Max NG7M On Sat, Feb 11, 2017 at 12:25 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire <[hidden email]> wrote: > Some people seem to have a lot of trouble detecting "zero beat" but once > the > technique is learned, it's easy to calibrate the K3/K3S to within 0.2 Hz of > WWV's carrier (one beat every 5 seconds). One could get closer depending > upon your patience. > > It's useful to wait until WWV transmits a steady carrier with no tone, > otherwise it's easy to accidentally zero beat one of the sidebands produced > by the tone so you end up off by the frequency of the tone. > > The K3 makes a great tunable frequency meter. Nowadays I use the K3 > (calibrated against WWV) to check the calibration of the counter's master > oscillator. > > 73, Ron AC7AC > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Elecraft [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Bill > Frantz > Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2017 10:01 AM > To: stengrevics > Cc: [hidden email] > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Frequency Counter for Calibrating K3S > > Frequency counters will also need to be calibrated. I have been quite happy > using WWV with my K3, and you can't beat the price. > > 73 Bill AE6JV > > On 2/11/17 at 9:39 AM, [hidden email] (stengrevics) wrote: > > >I am considering buying a frequency counter to calibrate my K3S. I see > >that Amazon has several for <$100. Has anyone had any experience with > >these? Are they just a waste of money? > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [hidden email] > -- M. George ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
Re: Frequency Counter for Calibrating K3S
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In reply to this post by stengrevics
You can also use CHU for frequency standard calibration check depending on propagation.
3330.000, 7850.000, and 14670.000kHz 73, Mike AC5P On Saturday, February 11, 2017 12:20 PM, John Stengrevics <[hidden email]> wrote: Thanks all for the comments. I think I will stick with WWV. John’ WA1EAZ > On Feb 11, 2017, at 1:17 PM, Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]> wrote: > > John, > > You do not need a frequency counter to calibrate the K3S, use Method 2 with WWV, it is just as accurate. > Actually it is likely more accurate than you would get with a <$100 frequency counter, unless you calibrate the frequency counter beforehand. I suspect any frequency counter costing less than $100 is either inaccurate or limited to audio frequencies. > > 73, > Don W3FPR > > On 2/11/2017 12:39 PM, stengrevics wrote: >> I am considering buying a frequency counter to calibrate my K3S. I see that >> Amazon has several for <$100. Has anyone had any experience with these? >> Are they just a waste of money? >> >> Thanks, >> >> John >> WA1EAZ >> >> >> >> -- >> View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Frequency-Counter-for-Calibrating-K3S-tp7626660.html >> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:[hidden email] >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html >> Message delivered to [hidden email] >> ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
Re: Frequency Counter for Calibrating K3S
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In reply to this post by stengrevics
It is my opinion that the K3s rates the use of a proper quality
frequency counter. I bought a used, "lab grade" counter with an OXCO, and supply it with an external GPSDO signal. Is it required? No, not really.... I initially calibrated the K3s with one of the government time beacons... not the simplest procedure that is often mentioned, but requiring a few iterations... Pretty confident that it was accurate to within 1-2 Hz... Careful... calibration and precision can become quite addictive... :) 73, ______________________ Clay Autery, KY5G MONTAC Enterprises (318) 518-1389 On 2/11/2017 11:39 AM, stengrevics wrote: > I am considering buying a frequency counter to calibrate my K3S. I see that > Amazon has several for <$100. Has anyone had any experience with these? > Are they just a waste of money? > > Thanks, > > John > WA1EAZ ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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