[time-nuts] Re 2.5 GHz 12 digit counter project

[Merv Thomas]

Hi All,

I bought the Dec 2012 magazine today and have casually looked thru the 
article.  Part 2 will come in the Jan 2013 edition.

Initial comments are:

It is thru-hole construction(understandably because many constructors do not 
have the ability to do surface mount)  Personally I would have liked surface 
mount.

Until I see the PCB layouts(they normally liaise with an Australian parts 
supplier who sells kits for Silicon Chip projects to provide the PCB's 
required)I will reserve my judgment on the quality of the layout and boards.

My only experience with Silicon Chips projects was their May/June 2009 6 
Digit GPS clock.  The PCB was not good quality and they originally supplied 
the programmed PIC with an error in it which prevented the clock from 
working correctly.  After pointing out the error and having a Ham friend 
change the program my unit and that of VK6UZ now works well aside from an 
annoying jitter/flutter on the readouts from time to time. I assume this may 
be as a result of the multiplexing.

Jim Rowe has done many articles/projects for this magazine and I'm sure he 
is a very competent person.  Hats off to him for the constant stream of 
projects and remember he has to make them workable by people who range from 
experts to almost idiots!!  I tend to be to the lower end - hi, hi.

Merv  VK6BMT