[TenTec] Some Observations on Orion Stability/Calibration

[Eric Scace K3NA]

   If folks are particularly interested in frequency accuracy, a recent issue of "QEX" discussed how to setup a GPS-slaved time &
frequency standard.  A readily available surplus unit (used in the cellular telephone industry) was featured in the article.  The
unit provides a high-accuracy 10 MHz signal and time-of-day.  These have been advertised in "QST" and "QEX" for about $265 over the
last year or so.  Achieving a stable and accurate local standard based on this little rack-mount box would be much easier than
WWV-based solutions.

   A very ambitious person would devise a system for slaving the Orion TCXO to an external 10 MHz standard.

   I have used double-oven 10 MHz local standards (also retired from the telecommunication industry) whose accuracy was tracked
against WWVB at 60 kHz with a chart recorder.  This approach is accurate enough to observe the daily aging rate of the crystal
(after a few days of measurements).  A WWVB-based calibration mechanism would also be quite accurate, but it does require a recorder
and more time.  The GPS-slaved system is much faster, which is why it is in common use today.

-- Eric K3NA