#190

[@AllanMeredith]

HI Tony Thank you very much for the information/explanation. I followed your instruction on my 2020 version BG7TBL GPSDO and now have GLONASS and Gallileo working as well! Brilliant.

[@TonyAlbus]

Welcome!.. great it worked for you too!.

[@davidv1289]

Thank you Tony for a really interesting video! Next time you have your GPSDO connected to the computer check out the "TP5" configuration menu. With it you can program the 1 PPS output to most any frequency you want from 48 MHz (the internal TCXO frequency) down to 1 Hz - with variable duty cycle. Just be aware that frequencies that are not even multiples of 2 will have what looks like phase jitter caused by the firmware/hardware frequency divider (i.e. 12 MHz looks stable, 10 MHz has "jitter")

[@TonyAlbus]

Thank you David!.. i will for sure try that... thats some nice info, thanks

[@andrewgeorgelang]

Hi Tony Greetings from Canada I recently just starting watch your videos, and really enjoy them Keep up the good work brother

[@TonyAlbus]

Thank you Andrew, and welcome, good to see also people from Canada are watching.

[@Ziknazoo]

I've been doing some experiments with my BG7TBL (which I've upgraded to have a UBLOX Neo-9 receiver.) Turning on additional GNSS satellite systems can add better *position* accuracy, but the 1 PPS clock output used to discipline the oscillator uses only ONE system - according to the manual. The system used can be chosen in U-center. Alternatively, one can set the time pulse time-base to "UTC time" which will automatically select a GNSS system to use. It does so preferentially though, with GPS being the first choice. So there isn't any accuracy gain there. There's another issue with setting it to UTC time though. More 1 PPS jitter: as much as 5 times more in practice! I can see this on the 1 PPS output pin on the UBLOX. Another unrelated observation: the 1 PPS output on the BG7TBL does not appear to come from the UBLOX 1 PPS output! If I inhibit the 1 PPS output on the UBLOX, the BG7TBL 1 PPS output still runs! The good news is the discipline does appear to use the UBLOX output though. The 1 PPS output appears to come from the FPGA, triggered by the data stream from the UBLOX! So, I think ever trying to correlate, with any degree of accuracy, the 1 PPS output and the 10 MHz output's phase relationship or jitter may yield disappointing results.

[@TonyAlbus]

thanks for you insights, very interesting.

[@CS-wv6my]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge, providing the zip file, and the very clear directions. The upgrade worked a treat! GPS + GLONASS + Galileo all active now! Dank je wel and 73!

[@TonyAlbus]

You are welcome, great it worked out for you!..

[@stevec5000]

What if the GPS unit is one of the smaller ones that doesn't have a serial output, can you still connect to the uBlox receiver inside it?

[@TonyAlbus]

Hi Steve, not all GPSDO use the Ublox , but most GPS receivers have serial output to send NMEA out. It is not always RS232, can be also RS422, Tsip or just TTL, for most are converters available, but first you need to find out what receiver you are dealing with and then start looking for internet information from there. I did this on video also for the Rapco GPSdo, that was also unknown for me. i filmed my process. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5OzXn6Ym7RnjcU

[@stevec5000]

@@TonyAlbus It turned out to be an ordinary Ublox Neo 7M and I was able to connect to Tx and Rx with a USB adapter. However at 19:00 into the video you lost me while using GNSS Config to add other satellites. On my screen everything there is blank so I checked the same boxes that you had but I still only get US GPS satellites. Do you have to be in Europe or somewhere to get the others like you have?

[@TonyAlbus]

@@stevec5000 The video has been a while ago, i read in the video description that people were able to do this with the 7M, but only 1 mode at the time. and for Gallileo you need to set the version to 4.10. so with 7M you need to chose if you want Gps OR Gallileo, you can not have both.

[@stevec5000]

@@TonyAlbus I don't know what you mean by setting the version to 4.10 but mine seems to be a counterfeit clone since I can't update the firmware either or even check it since the data is all blank. Another odd thing is that it will only work at 9600 baud and if I change it to any other speed it can't connect. It does work but will only connect to 6 satellites while my phone connects to about 27! Looks like it's going back to Amazon!

[@TonyAlbus]

@@stevec5000 For GPSdo it is normal t use ''only''6 , some after gps Fix even switch back to only 1 satelite .. becouse for contant time more satelites can create more destorsion for time accuracy. but i am not a time-nut. but 6 satelites is normal. i see in the comments that Neo7 is older can can somtimes just not do it yet. i think i had a Neo8 or 9... but i dont remember, it should be mentioned in the video. Most time-nuts say the device works best with just 1 gps standart.. so adding more will give you better position, but not better time.... and time is what we need for 10 MHz reference here. i came to understand after 3 years

[@materialsguy2002]

Just watched this video and immediately subscribed. Greetings from Canada!

[@TonyAlbus]

Thank you! You will find a lot more about GPSDO and distribution.

[@cliffordfortescue3769]

Good morning Tony. Thank you for your clear instructions. It worked quite well for me as well. Cool!! So many new satellites showing up here in California, USA. Keep up the good work!

[@TonyAlbus]

Hi, thanks, that is great to hear! enjoy!

[@KeiLap-iy4kn]

Hi Tony, Thank you for your finding and sharing.

[@TonyAlbus]

Welcome, thanks for your comment.

[@bobkozlarekwa2sqq59]

Thanks for sharing this info. Just got mine, trying it today Best 73

[@TonyAlbus]

You are welcome! have fun, nice devices. 73

[@MonkeyUnit]

Tony, it appears you caught a satellite on camera. Watch the window at 7:10 in your video. You can even see the albedo change.

[@TonyAlbus]

Hi Keith, i think you are right, well spotted... Cool!!

[@SoddingaboutSi]

That was very interesting for me Tony. I have the BG7TBL and would love to try the same. Need to find a RS232 lead first. Your best video so far!

[@TonyAlbus]

Thank you Simon! hope you find your cable and make it work! let me know if you are stuck i try to help been playing a while now with the NMEA.

[@msfu9929]

Thanks for your explanation. Can you tell how to see the gpsdo when it is connected to a B210?

[@TonyAlbus]

Hello, what is a B210 ?

[@msfu9929]

@@TonyAlbus Hehe 😂 its an usrp. A SDR Radio

[@stevec5000]

The GPSDO I ordered came from Aliexpress today but it's rather disappointing. On the display it just says 10.000 Mhz GPSDO for a while then changes to say PPB -2.3 and PWM31077 but there are no instructions at all so I have no idea what that means. Pushing in the knob gets into a menu where I can select Contrast, Offset, PWM Set and Exit but that's all. It never displays the time like they show in some photos and there's no way to even tell if it's picking up any satellites or working at all! I opened it up and inside it has an Arduino Nano and NEO-6M module plugged into the main board with just it's 5 pins holding it. The main board also has a 10.000 Mhz OSCO on it and outputs on the back for 1PPM and 10 Mhz.. With the top off I can at least see the LED blinking on the NEO-6M so I guess it's working to some extent but they should have put the LED on the front.

[@TonyAlbus]

Some device can sure have an upgrade. good luck with your project

[@stevec5000]

@@TonyAlbus I removed the NEO-6M and connected it to the PC to see it work and it receives better than any of the others I've tried with 8 GPS satellites in green plus one called WAAS S135 that I've never seen before.

[@TonyAlbus]

@stevec5000 waas is sbas, satalite dgps

[@dalerobinsuk]

Hi Tony, great video, I found it very interesting. Can you recommend where to buy a BG7TBL or a certain seller? I'm torn between a version of the BG7TBL GPSDO or the Leo Bodnar Precision GPS Reference Clock (But this does not have a OCXO)

[@TonyAlbus]

Hello Dale, i think there are two camps :) Leo and BG7TBL.. i think Leo makes great stuff. but i found this out later.. i like the price for what you get at BG7TBL. i have the links in the description.

[@hanvanloenhout7045]

Thank you for the really interesting video, and included links Tony !

[@TonyAlbus]

You are welcome, thanks for leaving a comment

[@mikebloodworth9258]

Hi Tony, I recently purchased the GPSDO looking like your black one. I will play with the software now I located the later versions. The manual state the 10MHz output can be sine or square wave. Mine is set to Sine. Do you know how to change it with programming to square wave output ? Is there a PC program to configure these units?. Your video was an enlightening into configuring to multiple systems. I am yet to discover what mine was set to in 2023 :)

[@TonyAlbus]

Hi Mike, great buy, these GPSdo's are very flexible. i don't think it is switchable from sine to square. but you can change that by using a specific distribution amp, that does or square or sine. This video i explain the different types.: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqHLeYZmia9phbs

[@mikebloodworth9258]

@@TonyAlbus Hi Tony, they appear to advertise sine or Sq option and I was asked when I purchased mine. Looks like they still run v4.10 NMEA. GPS, SBAS, GALILEO, GLONASS all working together. Accuracy about 1 to 3m in location. Adding BeiDou 8 sats indicated dont work. Box ticked but when sent goes away. Also noted that in NMEA high precision mode doesn't hold in when sent either. System shows 3D/DGNSS. Noted all L1, E1 signals. No L5 or E5a it's either the GPS chip in the unit not the latest, software but definitely the antenna freq. My S10 Samsung mobile does the lot lol. Accuracy would be superb with L5 signals as 10x greater positional Accuracy.

[@TonyAlbus]

@@mikebloodworth9258 Some say only using 1 standard, gives a less good position, but gives a better time accuracy ... something that needs testing.. interesting point

[@mikebloodworth9258]

@@TonyAlbus know anyone with a cesium standard 2 to 3 parts in 10 to 14th error to test if 1, 2 or 3 standards give better time accuracy. I'm running 3 standards and get up to the equiv of 0.4Hz error at 10GHz if Readout multiplied by 1000. Can I trust the Readout on the GPSDO? Also if using 1 standard I wonder if time standard more accurate running GPS L1 and L5 which the current GPSDO won't do.

[@TonyAlbus]

@@mikebloodworth9258 Hi Mike, i am not a time-nut. for me it works.

[@huawatuam4965]

What GPSDO with Display and OCXO would you recommend buying right now?

[@TonyAlbus]

Hi, i would still go for these, they work great for me.. i have the links in the description of the video.

[@Steven_Bennett_YT]

I had the following email from the designer fyi: hello: can you used u-center to see the gps module type,if is ublox-7,can not change ,if is U8, CAN CHANGE TO GAL OR GLANASS.. THANKS BG7TBL

[@TonyAlbus]

Thanks!.. nice info!.

[@rickb.6068]

Thanks for the video and files. I just did this with my new BG7TBL with no display and it worked great.

[@TonyAlbus]

Welcome and thank for feedback! allway good to know it was helpful

[@bobkozlarekwa2sqq59]

Tony I just installed u-center 23.3. I have the the same GPSDO you have. I'm using a USB to Serial cable. I believe that there must be some setting to tell the software how its connected to BG7TBL. Right now, U-Center software is not reading the data. Any suggestions?

[@TonyAlbus]

Hi Bob, check in de device manager of windows what COM port your USB to Serial is, use that port in Ucenter to connect. i have a few videos about USB to serial, there you see how the device manager works and how to see your port.

[@soldeurmadi5229]

hello can i install and activate gps on a hackrf one?

[@TonyAlbus]

I do not have an Hackrf1 and i am not sure it has GPS inside.

[@soldeurmadi5229]

@@TonyAlbus ok i see And usrp ?

[@TonyAlbus]

@@soldeurmadi5229 If it has GPS it will be in the specifications... maybe somehow you can connect a external GPS if it has bot internal . i have never tried it.

[@soldeurmadi5229]

@@TonyAlbus ok i see And Do you know how I can create a BTS?

[@rrb6544]

Tony, I have a question: recently I get my gpsdo and my eight-port distribution amplifier, and manage to put both boards in a single box. But the voltage regulator in the amp board always is quite hot, and makes the whole box quite hot as well. When the gpsdo’s was the only board in the box, it gets no temperature at all. So maybe I must undo the unit’s mix for safe ocxo operation? You think that higher temperatures affects the ocxo or the gps chip?

[@TonyAlbus]

Hi RRB, i dont remember my amps getting hot..but i use then on 12v not 13.8 .. really 12. Also i use them in there own box. maybe they heat them selfs to each other. it will reduce the lifespan of electronics to run it hot.

[@rrb6544]

@@TonyAlbus For prevention I return each board to it's own box. I don't want to cook 200 € for save few space in my bench :D

[@TonyAlbus]

@@rrb6544 Good choice, but i like your idea for sure. nice try!.

[@rrb6544]

@@TonyAlbus probably you saw and knew it, but in this modular cases, you can slide one board down and one up, and their front panels fit perfectly, but in this case, two heat source together in a sealed room... better not :D but maybe this 'trick' will be useful for future projects

[@TonyAlbus]

@@rrb6544 Yes indeed, ... i like when people try stuff... sometimes it works sometimes not.. thanks for sharing, and like you said, for an other project could work great!

[@Guns_N_Gears]

Hi Tony, I watched a video where 2 units were combined with a GPS specific hub with DC block. To add, a commenter suggested that a satellite hub with DC block could be used. This way, 2 receivers can be used with one antenna. Would it be possible to use 2 stand-alone receivers and 2 antennas separately and just combine the outputs with diodes to block from feedback, or would an imbalance at the same frequency take place?? BTW the GPS hub I found was expensive.......$275 USD 😳 Great video👍👍

[@TonyAlbus]

Hi, You can use 2 receivers with two antenna's but you need a very special device to combine the both 10 MHz signals.. maybe even with a 3th non GPS reference and then to compair which GPS is the most stable. but i am not that much into time nut-tery at that level.

[@zopilotesky]

Great info! Thanks for sharing.

[@TonyAlbus]

Glad it was helpful! , Thank you

[@Stephen_Heathcote]

Excellent. Very interesting and informative :)

[@TonyAlbus]

Thank you Stephen.!

[@wovada]

Тони, привет!

[@TonyAlbus]

Privet!

[@sammin5764]

🎖🎖🎖🎖🎖

[@TonyAlbus]

👍🙏🙏