Planned ALAN Radio Telescope Field of View at 1420 MHz at Walsall Astronomy Group, UK
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September 2026
I see some people give times as eg 1200Z what does the Z mean?
The Z means “Zulu time”, which is the military/aviation/radio term for UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). So: 1200Z = 12:00 UTC The letter Z comes from the time-zone designator for zero…
The Leo Bodnar LBE-1421 provides a 1 PPS output that can be used as a long-term GPS timing reference, while allowing the FE-5650A rubidium oscillator to provide the very stable short-term frequency, in a combined time source
You can use the 1 PPS as the long-term GPS timing reference, while allowing the FE-5650A rubidium oscillator to provide the very stable short-term frequency. Conceptually: The key point is…
Need to add heatsink to FE-5650A rubidium time standard
Hi Andy, I wanted to pass along an operational caution about the FE‑5650A that may not be obvious from normal bench testing. This particular rubidium unit dissipates a very large…
A PLL’s LOCK indication is often mistaken for proof of true synchronization, but in reality it only confirms that the loop is operating within its internal lock window.
A PLL’s LOCK indication is often mistaken for proof of true synchronization, but in reality it only confirms that the loop is operating within its internal lock window. A rubidium…
How does rubidium locking link to PLL?
Yes — rubidium locking and a PLL are closely related ideas, although the atomic-lock servo is not necessarily a conventional electronic PLL in the narrow sense. Think of it like…
What does it mean to be locked in my rubidium time source?
In your FE-5650A rubidium frequency standard, being “locked” means the electronics have successfully tuned the oscillator so that its frequency is being controlled by the rubidium atoms, rather than merely…
Understanding phase locked loops in systems (PLL)
The page above is describing one of the most useful ideas in electronics: a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL). The terminology makes it sound considerably more complicated than the basic idea. PLL…
A simple way to mount KrakenRF Discovery Hydrogen line feed onto a mesh dish such as the Nooelec 1.42GHz dish
Many manufacturers produce these devices which as cheap and easy to install.
How does wind chill not make an ordinary thermometer read a lower temperature than the actual air temperature?
Your instinct is understandable, but there is an important difference: wind chill does not make an ordinary thermometer read a lower temperature than the actual air temperature. It makes your…