I modded a 30-year-old GPS Time Server (Telstra should've)

Timing is everything.

More about Telstra's GNSS timing-related outage:

- https://hackaday.com/2026/08/27/australias-nationwide-phone-outage-was-an-embarrassing-failure/
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-02/telstra-outage-review-findings-known-network-issues-not-priority/107106588

Some of the projects I built, contributed to, or used:

- Jimmy Paputto GNSS HAT: https://github.com/jimmypaputto/gnsshat
- Densitron LCD: https://github.com/geerlingguy/densitron-lcd
- Time-Pi Fan Control: https://github.com/geerlingguy/time-pi/tree/master/fan-control
- Time-Pi Chrony Dashboard: https://github.com/geerlingguy/time-pi/tree/master/chrony-dashboard
- TrueTime Pi Mounting Bracket: https://www.printables.com/model/1832259-truetime-pi-mounting-bracket
- Right-angle HDMI and USB-C Adapter: https://deskpi.com/products/deskpi-kl-p24-raspberry-pi-adapter-board

And here's the EEVBlog forum thread on the TrueTime XL-AK: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/symmetricom-truetime-xl-dc-gpsdo/msg6292664/#msg6292664

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/geerlingguy
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2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GeerlingEngineering
3rd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Level2Jeff

Contents:

00:00 - A ticking Time bomb
01:33 - Two big problems
04:11 - The plan
04:45 - Teardown
06:49 - A Pi and a GNSS HAT
08:51 - Old batteries
10:56 - A closer look at the HAT
13:40 - Hacking the Densitron LCD
14:51 - Designing a mounting bracket
16:54 - dupont too tall
18:24 - Retro PLA and almost forgot the LED
19:38 - Learning a new old skill
21:25 - Wire wrapping
22:09 - As excited as I'll ever be
22:52 - Three more projects in four more days