[geeks] DiY Stratum 1 server

[Lionel Peterson]

>From: Alois Hammer <aloishammer at casearmour.net>
>Date: 2008/03/17 Mon PM 03:38:10 CDT
>To: geeks at sunhelp.org
>Subject: [geeks] DiY Stratum 1 server

>I'm looking for resources on constructing a Stratum 1 time server.  I've
>done a fair amount of my own research, so I think I have a lot of the
>questions answered as to what's a feasible time source and so on.  As
>far as I can tell, my best bet is a cheap GPS receiver of some sort.  Of
>course, cheap is going to mean "does not work indoors," so I'm
>specifically looking at one of the cheap-n-cheerful Bluetooth GPS
>receivers that seem to proliferate just now.  I could at the very least
>put that next to a window, or even bolt it down somewhere outside.
>
>I have three questions:
>
>1) Is the additional overhead of Bluetooth and USB going to make such a
>device useless as a time source?

You are joking, right? What resolution are you loking for - time down to what seconds, 1/10? of second, 1/100th of a second?

>1a) Assuming the former, is there some other reasonably feasible way of
>getting GPS time sync?  Do I need to man up and run a bunch of serial
>cable outside?

Wired is (IMHO) better - I'd get a plastic outdoor box (not shielded - duh!), install the GPS antenna inside it and run a wire indoors.

>2) Could I be using something better that doesn't cost a small (or
>large) fortune?

Better than the resolution/accuracy of GPS? I don't think so - using GPS is orders of magnitude easier than managing your own time source (I have to believe).

I plan on making my own time server using GPS time service as well, haven't gotten too deep into the research yet, but it seems just about any consumer GPS reciever with a serial/USB connection should suffice...

Let us know what you come up with...

Lionel