The "usual" way of getting a WWVB receiver chip is to buy a cheap WWVB
clock and rip out the chip and antenna. Some have external
chips/antenna connected via cable already.

A web page showing how to do this with a commonly available Sony WWVB
clock is at:

http://www.leapsecond.com/pages/sony-wwvb/

Tim.

Hello Tim,

The "usual" way of getting a WWVB receiver chip is to buy a cheap WWVB
clock and rip out the chip and antenna. Some have external
chips/antenna connected via cable already.

Agree. Many like the Sony even contain two crystals. These alone can
cost more than a whole clock.

But if it's a matter of pride you can build your own even without any
special chips. When I was a kid I built a receiver for DCF in Europe. No
crystals, only a few transistors and 741 opamps. It worked great, except
that I didn't have a PC or anything to decode the signal with. It was
just the detected pulses but these came through nice and clear. With
today's opamps you wouldn't even need any transistors to do it. A decent
quad can be had for 50c while I paid a whopping $3 for a single
re-labeled 741 of rather dubious quality level.

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

two crystals. These alone can cost more
than a whole clock.

Of the longwave radio frequencies used for time standards, 40kHz (JJY,
Japan), 77.5kHz (DCF, Germany) and 60 kHz (WWVB and MSF) crystals are
off-the-shelf items in the Digikey catalog at less than a dollar each.
I'm guessing their easy availability is because they are commonly used
in real receivers.

I've always noted with some curiosity that 77.503kHz, 60.002kHz, and
60.005kHz are off-the-shelf crystals too... used in a direct conversion
receiver for DCF/WWV to 3Hz, 2Hz, and 5Hz carrier-detect frequencies
maybe?

Tim.

I just noticed the availability of these crystals as I was thinking
about using a crystal in the front end to protect the receiver from
adjacent frequency qrm. Not sure if this can be done unless one has a
chip specially designed to take crystals (such as the Temic U4224B).

Regarding the off frequency crystals.... It might be possible that
these are rejects that didn't quite make the 60.000 kilohertx spec?

Thanks,

A


Of the longwave radio frequencies used for time standards, 40kHz (JJY,
Japan), 77.5kHz (DCF, Germany) and 60 kHz (WWVB and MSF) crystals are
off-the-shelf items in the Digikey catalog at less than a dollar each.
I'm guessing their easy availability is because they are commonly used
in real receivers.

I've always noted with some curiosity that 77.503kHz, 60.002kHz, and
60.005kHz are off-the-shelf crystals too... used in a direct conversion
receiver for DCF/WWV to 3Hz, 2Hz, and 5Hz carrier-detect frequencies
maybe?

"Tim Shoppa" wrote in message
oups.com...
Of the longwave radio frequencies used for time standards, 40kHz (JJY,
Japan), 77.5kHz (DCF, Germany) and 60 kHz (WWVB and MSF) crystals are
off-the-shelf items in the Digikey catalog at less than a dollar each.

Really...! Hmm... perhaps time to re-visit the "WWVB receiver using op-amps
and a small microcontroller" ida? One of the regular contributors to
Circuit Cellar Ink tried it a while back (4 years?), but wasn't successful.
A successful project would be worth a write-up in some hobbyist magazine (of
what's left... Nuts & Volts seems to be about it in the US...)

Anyone know which time service folks in Oz or the Kiwis use?

---Joel Kolstad

Joel Kolstad wrote:

Really...! Hmm... perhaps time to re-visit the "WWVB receiver using op-amps
and a small microcontroller" ida? One of the regular contributors to
Circuit Cellar Ink tried it a while back (4 years?), but wasn't successful.
A successful project would be worth a write-up in some hobbyist magazine (of
what's left... Nuts & Volts seems to be about it in the US...)

---Joel Kolstad


Take a look at Jim Thompson's early design. He's an IC designer who
hangs out on the sci.electronics.* newsgroups.
http://www.analog-innovations.com/SE...matic+Data.pdf

--
Former professional electron wrangler.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...
Take a look at Jim Thompson's early design. He's an IC designer who
hangs out on the sci.electronics.* newsgroups.

Yes, I've seen Jim's design before; it's quite impressive for 1974! For a
contemporary design, the idea is that you could get by with far fewer parts
(if not fewer transistors -- they're just buried in the ICs!).

---Joel

On Tue, 5 Apr 2005 11:57:38 -0700, "Joel Kolstad"
wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...
Take a look at Jim Thompson's early design. He's an IC designer who
hangs out on the sci.electronics.* newsgroups.

Yes, I've seen Jim's design before; it's quite impressive for 1974! For a
contemporary design, the idea is that you could get by with far fewer parts
(if not fewer transistors -- they're just buried in the ICs!).

---Joel


Particularly considering it was done BC (Before CAD

Maybe I should try it again, using off-the-shelf components ??

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Hello Tim,

Of the longwave radio frequencies used for time standards, 40kHz (JJY,
Japan), 77.5kHz (DCF, Germany) and 60 kHz (WWVB and MSF) crystals are
off-the-shelf items in the Digikey catalog at less than a dollar each.
I'm guessing their easy availability is because they are commonly used
in real receivers.

Yes, but if these crystals are the only thing you'd have to buy right
now that would easily become $10 with S&H. Or about half of what an
atomic clock is at the discounters and there the price includes a huge
display along with the receiver parts.

I've always noted with some curiosity that 77.503kHz, 60.002kHz, and
60.005kHz are off-the-shelf crystals too... used in a direct conversion
receiver for DCF/WWV to 3Hz, 2Hz, and 5Hz carrier-detect frequencies
maybe?

Strange. Maybe another resonance mode?

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

Joerg wrote:

I've always noted with some curiosity that 77.503kHz, 60.002kHz, and
60.005kHz are off-the-shelf crystals too... used in a direct conversion
receiver for DCF/WWV to 3Hz, 2Hz, and 5Hz carrier-detect frequencies
maybe?

Strange. Maybe another resonance mode?

Regards, Joerg


Maybe use them with the 60.000 KHz crystals to build a very narrow
crystal filter?

--
Former professional electron wrangler.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida