Homepage Archive - January 2016 (page 2)

These archive pages are provided in order to make it easier for you to find items that you remember seeing on the RF Cafe homepage. Of course probably the easiest way to find anything on the website is to use the "Search RF Cafe" box at the top of every page. About RF Cafe.

Homepage Archive Pages

2024:  Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

2023:  Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

2022:  Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

2021:  Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

2020:  Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

2019:  Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

2018:  Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

2017:  Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

2016:  Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

2015:  Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

2014:  Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

2013:  Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

2012:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 (no archives before 2012)

See Page 1 of the January 2016 homepage archives.

 

RF Engineering Crossword Puzzle for January 31, 2016

RF Engineering Crossword Puzzle for January 31, 2016 - RF CafeTake a break and work this week's RF Engineering-themed crossword puzzle. All the words are pulled from a hand-built list of terms, names, and abbreviations that have only to do with science, mathematics, and engineering. If you want a crossword with names of movie stars and obscure countries, try the local newspaper.

Aaronia Intros 3D DF Antenna from 9 kHz to 40 GHz

Aaronia Intros 3D DF Antenna from 9 kHz to 40 GHz - RF CafeAvailable in different versions the IsoLOG 3D covers a frequency range of 9 kHz to 40 GHz. The array consists of a total number from 16 to 40 directional antennas with horizontal and vertical polarization. Additionally 8 to 16 special LF antennas can be added in order to cover a frequency range starting at 9 kHz. Overall, the antenna can be equipped with up to 64 independent antennas. The IsoLOG 3D achieves a high sector-resolution of 22.5° without mechanical rotation. The extremely fast ...

Early 20th Century Radio Technology Improves Internet Security

Early 20th Century Radio Technology Improves Internet Security - RF Cafe"Standard lasers are actually not useful for secure communication because they emit what is called 'classical' light. Data eavesdroppers could extract any data being carried via classical light without detection. In contrast, a quantum Internet would be based on 'quantum' light, in which a single unit of light -- a single photon -- cannot be measured without being destroyed. Therefore, an efficient source of ..."

Technology at Trial: Geek or Meek? - by IMS ExpertServices

Technology at Trial: Geek or Meek?, by IMS ExpertServices - RF CafeThis article by Annie Dike, writing for IMS ExpertServices, discusses how the use of technology might positively or negatively affect the jury, depending on the Annie Dike, IMS ExpertServices BullsEye Blog Writer - RF Cafedemographic represented. Her mention of the 'holey-shoed' lawyer trick, which I had not heard of, to appear humble and hopefully illicit the sympathy of jurors, might be as ineffective with Millennial type panel members as would pulling out an old-fashioned easel and paper to illustrate a concept. In a world of 3-D printed mock-ups of crime scene or patent infringement 'evidence,' legal teams must more than ever carefully ...

IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society Honors Ulrich Rohde, N1UL

IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society Honors Ulrich Rohde, N1UL - RF Cafe"Ulrich Rohde, N1UL, has been honored with the 2016 Microwave Application Award by the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society. He was credited with 'Significant contributions to the development of low-noise oscillators.' The Microwave Application Award recognizes an individual, or a team, for an outstanding application of microwave theory and techniques that have been put into practice within the past decade. Rohde will receive the award at the annual IEEE MTT-S International Microwave ..."

Tech Headlines for 1/29/2016

Graphene Foam to Unlock New Applications in Collaborative R&D Venture

Texting at Night Affects Teens' Sleep, Academic Performance (this took research?)

FCC May Overhaul Rules for TV Set-Top Boxes

Internet May Soon Carry Traffic at Speed of Light

Apple Warns iPhone Sales Set to Fall for 1st Time

Hams Turn out to Help as Massive Snowfall Stuns Several States 

Crystalline 'Antiferromagnet' May Improved Digital Memory

Crystalline 'Antiferromagnet' May Improved Digital Memory - RF Cafe"Smaller, faster, and more robust and energy efficient electronic devices could be developed, thanks to research into an entirely new form of digital memory. The new form of memory, known as antiferromagnetic spintronics, was recently unveiled in the journal Science, by an international team of researchers lead by Dr Peter Wadley at ..."

In the Field with the Signal Corps

In the Field with the Signal Corps, December 1942 QST - RF CafeDecember 1942 was just a year into America's 'official' involvement in World War II. Already, both wired and wireless communications had made major advances and were indisputably vital in both the logistical and strategic aspects of troop movement, supply chains, fighting battles, and evacuation of wounded personnel. It also played a large part in propaganda campaigns. This was all true for both Axis and Allied forces. Ham radio operators provided a huge boost to the Signal Corps because they came at least partially trained for the jobs. These dozen and a half photos from ...

Invisible Bullets: The Navy's Big Problem in Future War

Invisible Bullets: The Navy’s Big Problem in Future War - RF Cafe"In the brutal naval battles of the future, the first clash of arms will be a clash of electrons. If you don't win the invisible battle of the airwaves, you can't win the visible battle of missiles. Before warships can concentrate their fire on the enemy, they first must communicate with each other. Before they can fire at long range at all, they have to ..."

Marconi - Father of Radio?

Marconi - Father of Radio?, January 1939 Radio-Craft - RF CafeThis is a must-read article for all persons interested in the history of wireless communications. Seriously. Stop what you are doing and read it. I guarantee the vast majority have never heard of this challenge to the veracity of Mr. Guglielmo Marconi's bestowed title of "father of wireless telegraphy." Most of us are at least passingly familiar with challenges to Samuel Morse's, Thomas Edison's, and a few other notables' claims to being the first at a particular technical breakthrough, but herein, as penned by of Lieutenant-Commander Edward H. Loftin, is a first-hand account of multiple successful challenges by the U.S. Patent Office against ...

Nano-Coating Makes Coaxial Cables Lighter

Nano-Coating Makes Coaxial Cables Lighter - RF Cafe""Common coaxial cables could be made 50 percent lighter with a new nanotube-based outer conductor developed by Rice University scientists. The Rice lab of Professor Matteo Pasquali has developed a coating that could replace the tin-coated copper braid that transmits the signal and shields the cable from electromagnetic interference. The metal braid is the heaviest component in modern coaxial data cables. The research appears this month in ..."

Tech News for 1/28/2016

Car Navigation Systems Easy Prey for Hackers

High-Temperature Electronics Operate at 300°C

Underground Ring Lasers to Put General Relativity to the Test

Ultra-High-Speed Chip Could Make the Spectrum Feel Less Crowded

Memristor Variants and Models from Knowm

South Korea May Pick 4th Mobile Operator This Week

Smartphone Service Lets You Order Duplicate Keys by Taking a Photo

Smartphone Service Lets You Order Duplicate Keys by Taking a Photo - RF CafeWhat could possibly go wrong with this? "With the rise of social media, people have become more vigilant than ever about their private information. Nowadays everyone knows that you have to be careful where you put your address, phone number, or credit card info online, or else it might fall into the hands of the wrong people. And now it's time to add one more item to that list of private things to be careful about: your keys. The recently-started Japanese online service Aikagi Kojo ..."

Radar on the Great Lakes

Radar on the Great Lakes, February 1947 Radio News - RF CafeAn article title with both 'radar' and 'Great Lakes' in the title is sure to catch my attention, as did this. Author Norman Schorr reports on the state of the art of radar equipment and usage for the purpose of maritime navigation. Research and development, along with an ample surplus of components left over from World War II facilitated a rapid adaptation of radar to many venues. Included among its applications were airway and waterway navigation, rocket trajectory tracking, security systems, speed measurement, weather observation, and aerial mapping ...

RapidNFC Offers NFC Cable Ties for Easy Asset Tagging

RapidNFC Offers NFC Cable Ties for Easy Asset Tagging - RF CafeHere is a spiffy idea. "Bespoke NFC tag supplier and manufacturer RapidNFC has expanded its range to include NFC asset tags that are designed to make it easy to tag a wide range of assets from cables to shelving and machinery. 'If you have a scenario when you're in a warehouse or you need to asset tag machinery or something like that, sometimes putting a sticker or a PVC or ABS tag onto that isn't quite suitable,' Jack Sage told NFC World ..."

Z-Comm Intros Fixed Frequency 6,265 MHz PLL

Z-Communications Intros Fixed Frequency 6,265 MHz PLL - RF CafeZ-Communications, Inc. announces a new RoHS compliant Fixed Frequency Synthesizer model SFS6265A-LF in the C-band. The SFS6265A-LF is a low cost phase locked loop that operates at 6265 MHz with an external 100 MHz reference oscillator and features a typical phase noise of -89 and -90 dBc/Hz at the 1 kHz and 10 kHz offsets, respectively. The SFS6265A-LF is designed to deliver a typical output power of +3 dBm while operating off a VCO voltage supply of 5 Vdc and drawing 35 mA (typical) ...

Featured Book: EW 104

Featured Book: EW 104 - RF CafeThe fourth book in the bestselling Artech House series by David Adamy. Like its predecessors, EW 104 presents a series of highly informative and easy-to-comprehend tutorials, along with insightful introductory and connective material that helps you understand how each aspect fits together. This reference starts with a review of the generalities of legacy threats, from the technical point of view, with a focus on what makes the new threats more challenging. Readers are provided with details of threats in three major areas - Communications, Radars, and IR Threats. Market Engineers and managers responsible for designing or evaluating communications electronic warfare ...

High-Efficiency Wireless Power Transfer System Proposed

High-Efficiency Wireless Power Transfer System Proposed - RF Cafe"Currently, commercial wireless power transfer is limited mainly to charging pads for phones: instead of plugging your phone directly into the wall, simply place it on top of a wireless charging pad. In the future, the same concept could be extended to much larger distances and higher transfer efficiencies, enabling entire rooms and even buildings to serve as wireless charging zones for phones, computers, and other electronic devices. Although wireless power transfer (WPT) was famously ..."

Vintage Radio Schematics and Parts Lists

Bendix Models 636A, C, D Schematic & Parts List, February 1947 Radio News - RF CafeAs mentioned many times in the past, I post these online for the benefit of hobbyists looking for information to assist in repairing or restoring vintage communication equipment. Here are the Bendix Models 636A, C, D, ECA Model 108, and Zenith Models 5D011-5D027 schematics and parts lists as featured in the February 1947 issue of Radio-Craft magazine.

Tech Headlines for 1/27/2016

Internet Addiction Among Students Leading to Family Conflicts

Glass-Based Shield Protects Space Electronics from UV Rays

Flexible and Transparent Pressure Sensor

Mini Metal Blanket Foils Lithium Battery Freeze

Marvin Minsky, Pioneer in AI, Dies at 88

Mysterious Behavior of Quantum Liquid Elucidated

U.S. Navy's New Motto: "Run, Hide, or Fight" (pathetic leadership)

FCC Ready to Move Public Files Online

FCC Ready to Move Public Files Online - RF Cafe"This Thursday, the FCC is voting on extending online local public file requirements to radio. As you may recall, several years ago, television stations were required to convert over to an FCC web-based local public file for most local public file materials. So, what does all of this mean for you? The FCC is proposing to do the same for radio. Like TV, the FCC's radio proposal is to require an upload only of documents that are not already in the Commission's own database ..."

IEEE COMSOC Tech Focus: Millimeter Wave

IEEE COMSOC Tech Focus: Millimeter Wave - RF CafeKeysight Technologies is proud to be working with IEEE Communications Society to share complimentary access to a few of the most popular topical research papers each month. This month, our focus is on Millimeter-Wave. We hope you find this content useful as we strive to provide the information, design and test solutions that enable your next insight. Get complimentary access to 4 papers: Millimeter-Wave Beam Forming as an Enabling Technology for 5G Cellular ...

Revolution in the Pythagoras' Theorem?

Revolution in the Pythagoras' Theorem? - RF Cafe"The Pythagoras theorem has changed. Better yet, our understanding of it has changed – from two to three dimensions. For the past 2,500 years, the Pythagoras' theorem, arguably the most well known theorem in the world, has greatly helped mankind to evolve. Its useful right angles are everywhere, whether it is a building, a table, a graph with axes, or the atomic structure of a crystal. It is universally applicable, but still it is exclusively bound to two ..."

Metamaterial-Enabled Antennas to

Improve Satellite Communications

Metamaterial-Enabled Antennas to Improve Satellite Communications - RF Cafe"Penn State engineers have used a tunable, lightweight metamaterial to build an antenna system that could improve satellite communications. Previously, metamaterials and small antennas have both been considered to be limited by their narrow operating bandwidths. However, the researchers found that by tuning a metamaterial and an antenna in tandem, they were able to create a small antenna that can operate at lower frequencies. To make it work, they used modern digital radios ..."

A New Pocket Radio

A New Pocket Radio, January 1955 Radio & Television News - RF CafeNot surprisingly, there is a website dedicated to only the Regency TR-1 transistor radio and its history from development through retail sales. As reported in this January 1955 issue of Radio and Television News, The TR-1 was the world's first commercially available, fully transistorized portable radio. A complete schematic and functional description is provided. It used four germanium transistors and operated on a 22-1/2 volt battery, which provided about twenty hours of listening pleasure. The unit weighed eleven ounces and cost $49.95 ...

Notable Quote: Hitoshi Murayama

Notable Quote, Hitoshi Murayama, UC, Berkeley - RF Cafe"It's an incredible success, and we physicists can boast about it." - Hitoshi Murayama, theoretical physicist at the University of California, Berkeley, in the October 2015 issue of Discover magazine, regarding "Pretty much everything is explained by the Standard Model" of quantum physics. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is considered to be the complex machine ever built. It's prime motivation for being built was to find the Higgs boson, which is responsible for the Higgs field that is thought to give mass to particles by virtue of how they interact with it ...

Robot Solves Rubik's Cube in 1.047 Seconds

Robot Solves Rubik's Cube in 1.047 Seconds - RF Cafe"Software engineers Jay Flatland and Paul Rose built the Rubik's cube-solving machine In a YouTube video the robot unscrambles the cube in just 1.047 seconds. The Guinness World Record for fastest time to solve a Rubik's cube is held by a robot that solved the puzzle in 2.39 seconds in November Flatland and Rose's machine uses the Kociemba Rubik's cube solving algorithm to solve ..."

Tech News for 1/26/2016

Rehab Camp for Internet-Addicted Teenagers

Ham Radio Operators Have Been Design Engineering Innovators

Qualcomm, TDK Prep $3B RF Joint Venture

Norway Consults on Fresh Radio Spectrum Auction

Consolidation Paces Quickens in Cyber Defense Market

Facebook's Friend Finder Found Unlawful by Germany's Highest Court

Coupling to Flat Lines

Coupling to Flat Lines, August 1947 QST - RF CafeAn ample supply of surplus coaxial cable after the end of World War II provided an inexpensive and easy to use form of transmission line. Not having to worry about cable routing and unintentional radiation makes transitions through walls, running along metal surfaces, and routing high power transmission lines near habitable areas a no-brainer. Issues like power handling, bend radius, and higher attenuation need more attention during the installation design phase, but that pales in comparison to coaxial cable's advantages. Author Byron Goodman addresses some of the issues Hams accustomed to using flat transmission lines ...

Prime with 20 Million-Plus Digits Found

Prime with 20 Million-Plus Digits Found - RF Cafe"The largest-ever prime number has been discovered in Central Missouri - and oh, what a number it is: 274,207,281 - 1. The record number, nicknamed M74207281, has more than 20 million digits. That's nearly 5 million digits longer than the previous record. If you printed each digit 1 mm wide, the number would stretch for more than a half marathon's 13.2 miles. So how can a number be 'discovered?' It happens when a human notices ..."

Erie Resistor Corporation Advertisement

Erie Resistor Corporation Advertisement, January 1952 Radio & Television News - RF CafeWhen I first saw an Erie Resistor Corporation advertisement in the December 1958 issue of Popular Electronics, I decided to research its history here in Erie, Pennsylvania, where I live. Click on that hyperlink if you are interested in what I discovered. This advertisement appeared in the January 1952 issue of Radio & Television News, so I figured I'd post it as well ...

Advanced Test Equipment Rentals Fluke 1736 Power Loggers

Advanced Test Equipment Rentals Now Rents Fluke 1736 Power Loggers - RF CafeAdvanced Test Equipment Rentals (ATEC) now rents Fluke 1736 power loggers for data collection of power, voltage, current, harmonics and other power quality values. ATEC - a leading rental company of test and measurement equipment for a variety of industries including power, energy, and utility - has added the Fluke 1736 to an extensive inventory of rental equipment. The Fluke 1736 is the latest in a line of Fluke power loggers. This three-phase power ...

Tech Headlines for 1/25/2016

Woman Strangled with Mobile Phone Charger Cable

Google 'Paid Apple $1B in 2014 to Keep Search on iPhone'

Weaving a New Story for COFS and MOFs

Semiconductor R&D Growth Slows in 2015

Nitrogen Supercharges Supercapacitors

China's Chip Jackpot Teases

Rise in Space Junk Could Provoke Armed Conflict

Rise in Space Junk Could Provoke Armed Conflict - RF Cafe"Fragments of spent rockets and other debris orbiting the Earth pose 'special political danger' of damage to satellites being misconstrued as attack. The steady rise in space junk that is floating around the planet could provoke a political row and even armed conflict, according to scientists, who warn that even tiny pieces of debris have enough energy to damage or destroy military satellites. Researchers said fragments of spent rockets and ..."

Radio & Radar Crossword Puzzle for January 24, 2016

Radio & Radar Crossword Puzzle for January 24, 2016 - RF CafeFor the sake of avid cruciverbalists amongst us, each week I create a new crossword puzzle that has a theme related to engineering, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and other technical words. You will never be asked the name of a movie star unless he/she was involved in a technical endeavor (e.g., Hedy Lamar). Enjoy!

Tech Headlines for 1/24/2016

Are You Suffering from 'Smartphone Pinky'?

Congressman Intercedes with FCC Chairman on Amateur Radio Interference Concerns

Pentagon Eyes Laser-Armed Drones to Shoot Down Ballistic Missiles

Google to Pay the UK $185M in Back Taxes

Antenova Announces Two New Flexible GNSS Antennas

Antenova Announces Two New Flexible GNSS Antennas - RF CafeAntenova Ltd, manufacturer of antennas and RF antenna modules for M2M and the Internet of Things, is adding two new positioning antennas, Bentoni and Asper, to its range of flexible FPC antennas. Bentoni is a positioning antenna for all of the global public satellite constellations: GPS, GLONASS, Beidou and GALILEO. It is designed to be used in trackers, portable devices, network components, and wearable electronics. Asper is a dual antenna ...

Why Work in Defence?

Why Work in Defense? - RF Cafe"Defence, which brings in one of the widest ranges of engineering disciplines of any sector, offers graduates a host of opportunities at the cutting edge of technology. The UK defence sector sits at the cutting edge of technology and needs high-calibre engineers from a myriad of disciplines to help uphold operations in-theatre (that's military speak for on the battlefield) manufacture and maintain new and existing platforms, and design the weapons for tomorrow's battlespace ..."

Tech Companies Use Materials Mined Illegally by Children in Africa

Tech Companies Use Materials Mined Illegally by Children in Africa - RF CafeMost people know this, but chose to conveniently 'forget' when buying and using their handy electronic devices. OWS protestor types are among the most hypocritical (see The Real Price of Gold). "Illegal child labor runs rampant at mines in the Republic of Congo, where a key ingredient used in rechargeable batteries is often found in popular electronics made by Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp., HP Inc. and Samsung Electronics, according to a recent report by Amnesty International. The allegations are just the latest to showcase unfair labor ...

Electronics-Themed Comics

Electronics-Themed Comics January 1950 Radio & Television News - RF CafeHere, for your Friday, end-of-the-work-week enjoyment, are a half dozen electronics-themed comics that appeared in the January 1950 edition of Radio & Television News. When is the last time you saw a comic in a technical magazine? I particularly like the one with the 'green worm' displaying on the television. There is a list of other comics at the bottom of the page ...

Quantum Knots Are Real

Quantum Knots Are Real - RF Cafe"The very first experimental observations of knots in quantum matter have just been reported. The scientists created knotted solitary waves, or knot solitons, in the quantum-mechanical field describing a gas of superfluid atoms, also known as a Bose--Einstein condensate. Visualization of the structure of the created quantum knot. Each colorful band represents a set of nearby directions of the quantum field that is knotted ..."

Fast Way of Electron Orbit Simulation in Complex Magnetic Fields

Fast Way of Electron Orbit Simulation in Complex Magnetic Fields - RF Cafe"The design of advanced synchrotron radiation sources requires precise algorithms for the simulation of electron trajectories in complex magnetic fields. However, multi-parameter studies can be very time consuming. Now, a team has developed a new algorithm which significantly reduces the computation time. In a storage ring like BESSY II electrons circulate nearly with ..."

Tech Headlines for 1/22/2016

Bismuth-Based Nanoribbons Show 'Topological' Transport

Semi-Polar GaN on Sapphire Long-Wavelength LEDs

U.S. Military Bases Not Accepting Driver's Licenses from 5 States as ID

U.S. New Poll: Germany #1, Canada #2, UK #3, US #4, Sweden #5

Apple Stock Near Freak-out Level

China, Russia Plan Floating Nuclear Power Plants (Trojan horse?)

RF Application Engineer Needed by e2v

RF Application Engineer Needed by e2v - RF Cafee2v is looking for an RF Applications Engineer that will support high performance RF IC products and Broad Band Data Converters. This position will provide application support for RF switches, mixers, PLLs, DSA, and prescalers in challenging environments for defense an space systems. High speed data converters with industry leading performance will also be a key focus. The position will also require the candidate to take the lead role in assessing and understanding Aerospace and Defense Electronics customers' system requirements and provide guidance to the R&D teams to develop successful semiconductor products. This position provides a unique opportunity to support current and new cutting edge technology that supports some of our nation's ...

Anatech Intros 2 Highpass and 1 Lowpass Filter Designs

Anatech Electronics Product Update for January 19, 2016 - RF CafeAnatech Electronics, Inc. offers the industry's largest portfolio of high-performance standard and customized RF and microwave filters and filter-related products for military, commercial, aerospace and defense, and industrial applications up to 40 GHz. Anatech has introduced 3 new filter designs: a 136 MHz highpass filter, a 200 MHz highpass filter, and a 3500 MHz lowpass filter. Custom design are available ...

NASA's Van Allen Probes Revolutionize View of Radiation Belts 

NASA’s Van Allen Probes Revolutionize View of Radiation Belts - RF Cafe"About 600 miles from Earth's surface is the first of two donut-shaped electron swarms, known as the Van Allen Belts, or the radiation belts. Understanding the shape and size of the belts, which can shrink and swell in response to incoming radiation from the sun, is crucial for protecting our technology in space. The harsh radiation isn't good for satellites' health, so scientists wish to know just which orbits could be jeopardized in different situations. Since the 1950s, when scientists first began forming a picture of these rings of energetic ..."

Mac's Radio Service Shop: The Worm Turns - and Squirms

Mac's Radio Service Shop: The Worm Turns - And Squirms, January 1953 Radio & Television News - RF CafeThis episode of "Mac's Radio Service Shop" goes down a drastically different path than most, at least until the very end where a completely unrelated anecdote about interference with a remote garage door opener is told by Mac. Although the exact issues chanted by electronics technician cum repairman Barney Gallagher regarding many manufacturers' penchant for designing and selling unserviceable equipment is dated, the principle remains the same. We have all wished a designer had to service the product he/she has designed and sold to us ...

Pasternack Rackmount Variable Gain RF Amplifier for 100 MHz - 18 GHz

Pasternack Introduces a New Rackmount Variable Gain RF Amplifier with Performance from 100 MHz to 18 GHz - RF CafePasternack, a leading provider of RF, microwave and millimeter wave products, introduces a brand new rackmount variable gain RF amplifier with performance from 100 MHz to 18 GHz. This 19-inch rack mounted RF amplifier is designed for lab use and various test and measurement applications. Normally this type of test equipment commands long lead-times for delivery often exceeding several months; however, Pasternack has made this product available from stock for immediate shipment ... 

Tech News for 1/21/2016 

China Mobile Surges Past 300M 4G Customer Milestone

Yahoo Staffers Fear 20-25% Workforce Layoff

Philippines to Launch Its 1st Satellite in April

UK Government's Migration Bill Will Hit Manufacturing (egad! welfare class might have to work)

Can Wikipedia Live Forever?

The Forgotten Pieces of AM Revitalization 

New 8-Prong "Glass-Metal" Tube

Just Announced - A New 8-Prong "Glass-Metal" Tube (754), August 1935 Radio-Craft - RF CafeIf this Radio-Craft article article is accurate, it was sometime around 1935 that the 8-pin glass-encased vacuum tube base came into existence. The glass-metal designation refers to these being glass enclosed equivalents to otherwise metal encased vacuum tubes. Evidently, the relatively new (and expensive) line of metal tubes sported 8-pin bases so these glass tube designs had to conform in order to be suitable substitutes ... 

X-COM Enhances Capabilities of Spectro-X Signal Analysis Software 

X-COM Enhances Capabilities of Spectro-X Signal Analysis Software - RF CafeX-COM Systems, LLC, a subsidiary of Bird Technologies, today introduced the latest version of its Windows-based Spectro-X signal analysis software that adds new features to tools for developing and testing radar, ELINT, SIGINT, ECM, ESM, commercial and military communications systems. The latest version of the software makes it easier to quickly find signals of interest and pinpoint them in time, enhanced broader pulse signal analysis and waveform search capability, and filtering of export ... 

U.S.A. Calling

U.S.A. Calling, December 1942 QST - RF CafeAlthough the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was a complete surprise and shock to the nation, that fact that the United States would eventually be drawn officially into World War II was well known. The amateur radio community had begun talking about the potential impact on radio communications hobbyists earlier in the year, as evidenced by articles printed in QST and other magazines. Within a couple weeks of Congress declaring war, all unauthorized transmissions from Ham stations were terminated in order to prevent both intentionally and unintentionally conveyance of information that could proves useful by the enemy. Along with being a patriotic bunch that were eager to help defeat Axis powers, they also ...

Plasmons Call the Tune in New Graphene-Based THz Laser

Plasmons Call the Tune in New Graphene-Based THz Laser - RF Cafe"A new type of semiconductor laser has been created using the unique electronic properties of graphene. Designed in the UK by researchers at the University of Manchester, the prototype operates in the terahertz band and can be easily tuned to output radiation at specific wavelengths. The team says that its research could lead to the development of compact devices for a variety of different applications, from security scanning to medical ..."

Z-Communications Intros 4345-4355 MHz VCO

Z-Communications Intros 4345 to 4355 MHz VCO - RF CafeZ-Communications, Inc. announces a new RoHS compliant VCO (Voltage-Controlled Oscillator) model SMV4350A-LF in the C-band. The SMV4350A-LF operates from 4345 to 4355 MHz within a tuning voltage range of 1 to 4 Vdc. This low cost VCO features phase noise performance of -110 dBc/Hz @ 100 kHz offset and covers the frequency range with an average sensitivity of 50 MHz/V. The SMV4350A-LF is designed to deliver -0.5 ±2.5 dBm of output power into a 50 Ω load while operating over the industrial temperature range of ...

Antenna Physics: An Introduction: Delve Deeper into Antenna Theory

Antenna Physics: An Introduction - RF CafeAntenna Physics: An Introduction is written to bridge the gap between basic theory and graduate-level engineering texts. Robert J. Zavrel, Jr, W7SX, well-known author and professional antenna engineer, explains many of the underlying principles of antennas and antenna physics and introduces the mathematics behind these principles. Radio amateurs are familiar with antennas and use them every day to communicate on the air. We know how long to make a dipole or vertical antenna for a particular frequency, but do we know how the antenna really works? Note that this is not a book of "how-to" projects, but rather a theoretical and mathematical approach to the topic ...

Tech Headlines for 1/20/2016

Intel Metamaterials Breakthrough for EMI Field Shunt

Startup Develops Room-Temp Metallic "Velcro" Glue

UK Teams up to Bridge LED Green Gap with 3C GaN

Baby Boomers Slow to Sell Businesses as Retirement Looms

Sensors Slip into Brain, Dissolve When Job Is Done (sounds like the perfect crime)

Many Young People Fear Losing Their Jobs to Robots

These Engineering Salaries Will Surprise You

These Engineering Salaries Will Surprise You - RF CafeCompiled by Rob Spiegel, Senior Editor, Design News - "Here is the 2016 data on the best engineering schools by mid-career pay. This year's list is quite different from the 2015 list -- you'll find some unusual schools producing high-earning grads. Engineering schools in general usually win top marks in PayScale's annual College Salary Report. Engineering graduates get a head start by leaving school with a specific, applicable set of in-demand skills ..."

VidaRF Introduces Low IMD SMD Circulators & Isolators

VidaRF Introduces Low IMD SMD Circulators & Isolators - RF CafeVidaRF offers high performance "SMD" Circulators and Isolators with LOW IMD. This rugged design uses a screwed in cover and machined housing. Units are fully tested to perform vibration, thermal shock and moisture making suitable for base station and other infrastructural environments ...

Resistor Trial by Test

Resistor Trial by Test, February 1954 Radio & Television News - RF CafeThe cover of this month's Radio & Television News magazine is part of the issue's story on performance testing of resistors. The author was an engineer for International Resistance Company (IRC), which is still in business as part of TT Electronics. The massive ovens were used for load-life testing to certify resistor products for both military and commercial uses. When required, humidity enclosures subjected resistors to increased levels to test for insulation breakdown at high voltage. As the article observes, since a 10-cent resistor can take down a multi-thousand system, it is important to guarantee every component's integrity ...

RF & Microwave Engineering Articles for January 18, 2016

RF & Microwave Engineering Articles for January 18, 2016 - RF CafeThe first article in the list, "Basic Rules for Anechoic Chamber Design, Part One: RF Absorber Approximations," will be of interest to anyone thinking about implementing a test area for electromagnetic field testing, whether for measuring EMI or measuring radiation patterns. If you like reading about 'squegging' in oscillators, then you won't want to miss "Chasing Wild Ghosts." Enjoy ...

Basic Rules for Anechoic Chamber

   Design, Vince R.

Statistical Pulse Measurements

   Using USB Power Sensors, Orwill H.

Chasing Wild Ghosts, Glen C.

Pulse Compression Radar System

   Analysis, Herbert S.  <more>

Notable Tech Quote

Albert Einstein - RF Cafe"I would have been sorry for the Dear Lord because the theory is correct." - Albert Einstein, in response to a student's question regarding what he would have thought if the observations of astronomers did not agree with general relativity's prediction. This was part of a story in the October 2015 issue of Smithsonian magazine. 2015 marked the 100-year anniversary of Einstein's public presentation of his theory of general relativity.

Tech News for 1/19/2016

Japanese Company Makes World's 1st Washable Smartphone

Annihilating Nanoscale Defects

Self-Organised Photoresist Boosts Lithography

In Taiwan, Survivor Mentality Stymies Tech Innovation

First All-Antiferromagnetic Memory Device

Researchers May Have Licked Flaming Lithium-Ion Battery Problem

NI AWR Software Featured in IEEE Radio & Wireless Week 2016 Activities

NI AWR Software Featured in IEEE Radio & Wireless Week 2016 Activities - RF CafeNI announces its slate of activities at IEEE Radio & Wireless Week 2016 (RWW2016), being held in Austin from January 25 to 27. Featured in NI booth #308 will be the latest V12 release of NI AWR Design Environment™, inclusive of Microwave Office for circuit design, Visual System Simulator™ (VSS) for system design, and AXIEM and Analyst™ electromagnetic simulators. In addition, NI AWR software will be showcased in several other events, including a technical presentation and hands-on workshop ...

Optical Illusion Leaves Balls Rolling Uphill

Optical Illusion Leaves Balls Rolling Uphill"A professor in mathematics, Kokichi Sugihara, from Meiji University in Tokyo has created an optical illusion that seems to defy gravity. In his demonstration, there seems to be four planks that are connected to a central point, which seems to be at a higher level compared to the other sides of the planks as shown ..."

X-Microwave™ Block-Level Prototyping System

X-Microwave™ Block-Level Prototyping System - RF CafeIn case you don't already know, a grown-up's version of the much-ballyhooed littleBits electronics building block system is available. Instead of assembling snap-together functional blocks for making LEDs flash or robotic carts, X-Microwave's system provides a relatively simple and inexpensive venue for designing and building RF and microwave circuits based on a selection of component blocks for frequencies ranging from hundreds of kHz to tens of GHz. As you can see in the X-Microwave video, functional blocks are screwed to a base plate with optimized interconnects providing low-VSWR, low-loss interfaces between blocks. Package sides, isolation compartment walls, and lids complete the system package with coaxial connectors at the I/O ports ...

Wafer-Level SiP Yields 5x Footprint Reduction

Wafer-Level SiP Yields 5X Footprint Reduction - RF Cafe"Portuguese OSATS company Nanium S. A. has pushed its wafer-level packaging expertise to 3D SiPs, under a new packaging technology dubbed WLSiP / WL3D for 3D Wafer-Level System-in-Package. The new packaging technology was initiated from a specific customer requirement to move from a SMD-populated printed circuit board to a more compact SiP. Integrating more than 40 different components ..."

PMI Introduces a 6.100 GHz | 14.125 GHz Diplexer

Planar Monolithic Industries (PMI) Intros a 6.100 GHz | 14.125 GHz Diplexer - RF CafePMI Model No. DP-5700M-6500M-CD-SFF is a diplexer with a low passband of 5700 to 6500 MHz and high passband of 13750 to 14500 MHz. This unit offers SMA female connectors, power handling of 20 Watts, channel to channel isolation of >70 dB and passband insertion loss of <1 dB ...

Rick Roderick, K5UR, Elected as ARRL's 16th President

Rick Roderick, K5UR, Elected as ARRL's 16th President - RF Cafe"The ARRL Board of Directors has elected ARRL First Vice President Rick Roderick, K5UR, of Little Rock, Arkansas, as the League's next president. The Board took the action as it convened for its 2016 Annual Meeting in Windsor, Connecticut. Roderick, 63, will officially assume office for a 2 year term at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting, which wraps up on January 16. He will become ARRL's 16th president, succeeding Kay Craigie, N3KN, of Blacksburg, Virginia, who is completing her third term as the League's president. The Board also ..."

Tech Headlines for 1/18/2016

5G Hurdles Gauged at DesignCon

Middle East Stock Crash £27B off as Tehran Enters Oil War

Standing Desks May Help Students Improve Grades

Profitability Concerns Spark a Rethink Among Global Telcos in Africa (rest of the world pays for most of it)

U.S. Military Wants a Photon Detector

Nanodevice, Build Thyself

Tech News for 1/17/2016

IEEE Society: Data Science, 5G, Virtual Reality Among Top Tech Trends in 2016

Consumers Feel Perils of Connectivity

Is Space-Time Like a Rainbow?

Woman Sues Twitter for Helping ISIS Spread Globally

RF Cafe Crossword Puzzle

RF Cafe Crossword Puzzle for January 17, 2016 - RF CafeYou've no doubt heard the old admonition that too much of a good thing can be bad. Ignore that warning when working this week's RRF Cafe Crossword Puzzle. Coming or going, forward or backward, there is no such thing as too much of this theme. As always, only engineering and science words are used throughout. !yojnE

Reliance Controls 3006HDK Transfer Switch Kit Installation

Reliance Controls 3006HDK Transfer Switch Kit Installation - Airplanes and RocketsA couple weeks ago, Erie, Pennsylvania experienced a major wind storm with lots of rain. Living just a mile from the shores of Lake Erie means that we typically get the worst of the winds. The street we live on has overhead power distribution, telephone, and Internet lines, so they are more vulnerable than underground buried lines. During the aforementioned storm, a very tall pine tree in the yard right on the corner where the main feeder branches to our road snapped about halfway up and pulled the lines right out of their connections on the mains as it fell. To make a long (45 hours to be exact) story short, our entire street was without power for nearly two days. That is an unacceptable situation when you run your business from home, as I do ...