@rwm 
Rob - right now, it is Mark
@homebrewed who is doing the real heavy lifting here. He has real test setup hardware, and is exploring what really happens with real signals. He has my complete respect and support. This valuable (to me) discussion is more about a final compact, affordable gadget assembly, trying for members tips, and looking ahead, so to be choosing something with minimum problems.
I am still a couple of weeks away from getting the parts out again. I am too far invested in this to let it go, and I am now believing it can work. On the way, I learned more than ever I would have believed about nuclear physics, and I have come right up against stuff which, though phenomenally accurate to even 10 decimal places, is still completely nonsensical, and difficult to accommodate..
That said, I don't really care if the science gurus are working fairy stories. If a practical fix works, and keeps it simple, I will usually go for it!
