Homepage Archive - October 2020 (page 5)

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Friday 30

Hughes Research and Development Laboratories

Hughes Research and Development Laboratories, October 1955 Radio & Television News - RF CafeWhen I saw this Hughes Research and Development Laboratories employment ad in a 1955 issue of Radio & Television News, I wasn't sure how to take it. The text of the ad makes no reference to the bar graph and the weird drawing. Note the "bottle" is actually a slide rule. The graph can be interpreted to indicate that the more education a person has, the less likely he is to have children. If the typical age of the respondent is in the twenties, then that might reflect how people still in school to earn a higher degree would not be having children. It might also show that people with higher degrees focus more on their careers than on having a family. If you extrapolate the graph backward, does it imply people with an Associate's degree might average 1.5 children, those with just a high school diploma have about 1.7 children, and high school dropouts average maybe 2.0 kids? You have to also assume that most of the people with higher degrees earned them prior to beginning work or else you would have to ask what the Ph.D. with 0.9 kids did...

Power Equivalent in the Electricity-Water Analogy

Power Equivalent in the Electricity-Water Analogy, Kirt's Cogitations #321 - RF CafeHave I mentioned that my YL, Melanie, decided she would earn her Amateur radio Technician license? After living in a household with a bilingual husband (English and Electronics) for nearly 38 years and having become fairly proficient at ETL (electronics as a third language*), Melanie decided to earn her Technician license. She has never delved into the technical aspects of electricity / electronics, but because of hearing me speak of it (too) often and having proof-read my writings and scanned and OCR'ed more than a thousand articles from vintage electronics magazines, her gray cells are permeated with the vocabulary, lingo, jargon, vernacular, slang, and argot of the realm. Being an expert test taker, she will undoubtedly pass the written test with flying colors. With much self-restraint, I have avoided offering my sage advice and knowledge during her studies of the ARRL's Ham Radio License Manual. The current edition is the 4th, being valid from 2018 through 2022. Melanie has asked for a little clarification on SWR, decibels and couple other minor topics, but otherwise has progressed...

Radio Telescopes Are Hollywood's Biggest Stars

Radio Telescopes Are Hollywood's Biggest Stars - RF Cafe"It's amazing how many iconic and forgotten radio telescopes pop-up in movies, TV shows, and documentaries. The human eye was our first space image detector. On a beautifully clear night at the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve in New Zealand with the Milky Way displayed above us, we can see about 5,000 stars. But to really see - that is, to detect and communicate into space - a radio telescope is needed. Such devices can receive radio waves from astronomical sources in the sky and are the main observing instrument used in radio astronomy. Whereas optical telescopes study the light wave portion of the spectrum, radio telescopes focus on the radio frequency portion of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum emitted by almost all astronomical objects..."

Carl & Jerry: Two Detectors

Carl & Jerry: Two Detectors, February 1955 Popular Electronics - RF CafeListen to the Podcast! Just in time for Halloween, John T. Frye's teenage sleuths Carl & Jerry unexpectedly recorded a late-night conversation between two men where they plot how to dispose of the "body" when death occurred as a result of prolonged choking. Employing their trademark technical prowess and scheming ability, the pair sets a trap for the perpetrators and dutifully summon the authorities as they complete their nefarious act of the night before. Halloween comes into play because the recordings were made for use in creating sound effects during the reading of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Cask of Amontillado." This story, which appeared in a 1955 issue of Popular Electronics magazine, is a little dark compared to a typical story...

RIGOL Vector Network Analyzer App Note

Rigol Vector Network Analyzer App Note - RF CafeRIGOL has published a downloadable app note entitled "Advanced Measurements with a Vector Network Analyzer." It begins: "In our wireless world the need of RF component testing is one of a key factors to bring a product to market. Devices are getting smaller and are containing more and more complex components. It is a must to have knowledge of complex impedance (or admittance) and reflection / transmission parameters to bring the most optimum functionality to the RF device. RF components like filters, resonators, etc. can be calculated according to capacitance and inductive values. Software simulators can take these values and help fine tune the design. But at the end of the day, the quality and performance needs to be measured..."

Bittele Launches Fast and Easy Online Ordering Service

Bittele Electronics Launches Fast and Easy Online Ordering Service - RF CafeBittele Electronics, a Toronto-based Turn-key PCB Assembly firm specializing in prototype and low-to-mid volume printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing and assembly, announced today the release of its Online Ordering Service featuring Live Chat and Zoom meeting support. This new, state-of-the-art tool allows customers to complete turnkey PCB assembly orders faster and with up to 25% price discounts. Bittele's Online Ordering Service enables a customer to complete all steps to complete a PCB Fabrication and Assembly order in under 20 minutes while qualifying for exclusive discounts that are automatically applied to the order. Once an online order is placed, it will be immediately processed and released to Bittele's production team...

Many Thanks to MPDevice for Continuing Support!

MPDevice - RF CafeMPDevice (MPD) has become a trustworthy and reliable company in the global RF market as a manufacturer of passive RF devices. Included are attenuators and terminations, coaxial connectors, adapters, and cable assemblies, DC blocks, surge arrestors, power combiner / dividers, and directional couplers. The Korean Telecommunication market is now entering into the era of hyperconnected society. With continuous enhancement in R&D capabilities and quality control, MPD will continue in an effort to become the No. 1 technologically innovative company with a focus on the emerging 5G marketplace.

Thursday 29

Hi-Fi Quiz

Hi-Fi Quiz, October 1955 Radio & Television News - RF CafeHere is a quick Hi−Fi Quiz for all you audiophiles out there. Although it appeared in a 1955 issue of Radio & Television News magazine, save for question #10 all of Q's and A's still apply to today's equipment. Even that one can be easily guessed. Q4 might seem a bit foreign, but think of the "groove" type as applying to 78, 45, or 33-1/3 rpm platters and you'll do OK. Question #7 could be a baffler (pun intended - you'll see how) were it not for one obviously invalid option that it takes an RF guy (or gal) to recognize its inanity. Good luck. BTW, I missed Q1, but should have known better.

Please Thank Res-Net Microwave for Their Long-Time Support!

Res-Net Microwave Components - RF CafeRes-Net Microwave has a complete line of precision RF & microwave components including attenuators, terminations, resistors, and diode detectors for commercial, military, and space applications. Products range from the small flange type to large 2,000 watt connectorized power attenuators and/or terminations at frequencies up to 26.5 GHz. In-house photo etch and laser trim capability. The company is a leader in development and production of the films required for these type of RF/microwave components. Please check out Res-Net Microwave's website to see how they can help with your current project.

Do You Have an Engineering Failure Resume?

Do You Have an Engineering Failure Resume? - RF Cafe"Failure is an integral part of the engineering experience. It is so common that it has become an expectation and even affectionately referred to as Murphy's Law: 'Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.' It has been stated that the great American inventor Thomas Edison was once asked by a reporter how it felt to fail 700 times in the creation of the light bulb. His response: 'I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.' Henry Petroski, the famous American engineer specializing in failure analysis, wrote the following in his book, To Engineer Is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design: 'I believe that the concept of failure..."

Bell Telephone Laboratories Cavity Magnetron Development

Bell Telephone Laboratories Cavity Magnetron Development, October 1945 Radio News - RF CafeDevelopment of the cavity magnetron during World War II helped change the destiny of Allied forces through using high frequency radar with enough power to detect distant targets while using frequencies which were out of the normal detection bands of Axis forces' receivers. Most equipment at the time could not operate efficiently (or at all) above a few hundred MHz. It was considered a top-level secret with great concern that the technology not fall into the hands of German and Japanese scientists. According to this early post-war advertisement in a 1945 issue of Radio News, Bell Labs was totally consumed by the development of magnetrons, and was relieved to finally be able to boast of its critical role now that the war was over...

Please Welcome RIGOL as RF Cafe's Newest Supporter!

RIGOL Technologies (electronics test equipment)RIGOL Technologies is transforming the Test and Measurement Industry. Our premium line of products includes digital and mixed signal oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, function / arbitrary waveform generators, programmable power supplies and loads, digital multimeters, data acquisition systems, and application software. Our test solutions combine uncompromised product performance, quality, and advanced product features; all delivered at extremely attractive price points. This combination provides our customers with unprecedented value for their investment, reduces their overall cost of test, and helps speed time to completion of their designs or projects.

Times Microwave Systems ½" Plenum RF Cable for DAS Networks

Times Microwave Systems ½" Plenum RF Cable for DAS Networks - RF CafeTimes Microwave Systems, a pioneering brand in innovative RF and microwave interconnect assemblies, cables and connector design, announces the addition of a new 1/2" plenum RF cable to its product line. The LPA-500 LLPL air-dielectric corrugated plenum cable is a low-loss, plenum listed (type CMP) coaxial cable. Available now, its design offers excellent intermodulation performance, and can be used as feedlines within buildings to support distributed antenna systems (DAS); public safety communications systems; RF backbone interconnects within plenum airspaces; and additional applications. The LPA-500 LLPL is an affordable option that provides the quality and performance for which Times is universally recognized. The new 1/2" plenum RF cable...

Many Thanks to Withwave for Continued Support!

Withwave RF & Microwave Components - RF CafeWithwave manufactures an extensive line of metrology quality coaxial test cable assemblies, connectors (wave-, end-, vertical-launch, board edge, panel mount), calibration kits (SOLT), a fully automated 4-port vector network analyzer (VNA) calibrator, between- and in-series connector adaptors, attenuators, terminations, DC blocks, torque wrenches, test probes & probe positioner. Special test fixtures for calibration and multicoax cable assemblies. Frequency ranges from DC through 110 GHz. Please contact Withwave today to see how they can help your project succeed.

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Engineering Themed Crossword Puzzle for November 1st

Engineering Themed Crossword Puzzle for November 1st, 2020 - RF CafeNovember 1st's custom Engineering Technology themed crossword puzzle contains only only words from my custom-created lexicon related to engineering, science, mathematics, chemistry, physics, astronomy, etc. (1,000s of them). You will never find among the words names of politicians, mountain ranges, exotic foods or plants, movie stars, or anything of the sort. You might, however, find someone or something in the otherwise excluded list directly related to this puzzle's technology theme, such as Hedy Lamarr or the Bikini Atoll, respectively. The technically inclined cruciverbalists amongst us will appreciate the effort.

 

 

 

Radio-Electronics October 1953 Circuit Symbol Stamp p126

 

autodidacts

 

 

Heathkit 1982 Christmas Catalog

Heathkit Christmas 1982 Catalog - RF Cafe

 

 Electronics-Themed Comics June 1951 Radio-Electronics  

Engineering Job Opening

Promote Your Company on RF Cafe for as Little as $40/mo.

Sponsor RF Cafe for as Little as $40 per Month - RF CafeRF Cafe typically receives 8,000-15,000 website visits each weekday and about half that on weekends. RF Cafe is a favorite of engineers, technicians, hobbyists, and students all over the world. With more than 13,000 pages in the Google search index, RF Cafe returns in favorable positions on many types of key searches, both for text and images. New content is added on a daily basis, which keeps the major search engines interested enough to spider it multiple times each day. Items added on the homepage often can be found in a Google search within a few hours of being posted. If you need your company news to be seen, RF Cafe is the place to be. Advertising begins at $40/month.

RF Cascade Workbook 2018

RF Cascade Workbook 2018 Is Available Now! - RF CafeRF Cascade Workbook 2018 is the next phase in the evolution of RF Cafe's long-running series, RF Cascade Workbook. Chances are you have never used a spreadsheet quite like this. It is a full-featured RF system cascade parameter and frequency planner that includes filters and mixers for a mere $45. Built in MS Excel, using RF Cascade Workbook 2018 is a cinch and the format is entirely customizable. It is significantly easier and faster than using a multi-thousand dollar simulator when a high level system analysis is all that is needed. An intro video takes you through the main features...

RF & Electronics Symbols for Visio

RF Electronics Wireless Analog Block Diagrams Symbols Shapes for Visio - RF CafeWith more than 1000 custom-built symbols, this has got to be the most comprehensive set of Visio Symbols available for RF, analog, and digital system and schematic drawings! Every object has been built to fit proportionally on the provided A-, B- and C-size drawing page templates (or can use your own). Symbols are provided for equipment racks and test equipment, system block diagrams, conceptual drawings, and schematics. Unlike previous versions, these are NOT Stencils, but instead are all contained on tabbed pages within a single Visio document. That puts everything in front of you in its full glory. Just copy and paste what you need on your drawing. The file format is XML so everything plays nicely with Visio 2013 and later...

Get Your Custom-Designed RF Cafe Gear!

Custom-Designed RF-Themed Cups, T-Shirts, Mouse Pads, Clocks (Cafe Press) - RF CafeThis assortment of custom-designed themes by RF Cafe includes T-Shirts, Mouse Pads, Clocks, Tote Bags, Coffee Mugs and Steins, Purses, Sweatshirts, and Baseball Caps. Choose from amazingly clever "We Are the World's Matchmakers" Smith chart design or the "Engineer's Troubleshooting Flow Chart." My "Matchmaker's" design has been ripped off by other people and used on their products, so please be sure to purchase only official RF Cafe gear. My markup is only a paltry 50¢ per item - Cafe Press gets the rest of your purchase price. These would make excellent gifts for husbands, wives, kids, significant others, and for handing out at company events or as rewards for excellent service. It's a great way to help support RF Cafe. Thanks...

Post Your Engineer & Technician Job Openings on RF Cafe for Free

Engineering Job Board - RF CafeRF Cafe's raison d'être is and always has been to provide useful, quality content for engineers, technicians, engineering managers, students, and hobbyists. Part of that mission is offering to post applicable job openings. HR department employees and/or managers of hiring companies are welcome to submit opportunities for posting at no charge. 3rd party recruiters and temp agencies are not included so as to assure a high quality of listings. Please read through the easy procedure to benefit from RF Cafe's high quality visitors...

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How Dangerous Are Burning Electric Vehicles?

How Dangerous Are Burning Electric Vehicles? - RF Cafe"The dangers of lithium-ion batteries, like those used in smartphones and electric vehicles (EVs), catching fire or exploding has been well-publicized. But the true impact of an EV battery catching fire and the dangers that could result aren't known on a wide scale, which remains a question mark as they become more widely adopted. To find out, researchers in Switzerland set EV batteries on fire in a series of experiments to test the potential for damage and disaster in the case of EVs catching fire in parking structures or a tunnel. What they discovered is that while in some cases, electric vehicle battery fires are no more dangerous than other types of car fires, the smoke and soot they give off contains toxic metal oxide "

Boron Nitride Could Be Next "Thing" in Electronics Insulation

Boron Nitride Next Thing in Electronics Insulation - RF Cafe"Electronics engineers continually look for better insulating materials to use in their projects. Finding the right ones leads to a longer product lifespan, along with improved performance and reduced heat during use. Over the last several years, researchers have achieved particularly promising results while using boron nitride to insulate electronics. Boron nitride is a synthetic ceramic material available in solid and powder forms. Since it has a similar microstructure to graphite, some people refer to it as 'white graphite.' Unlike graphite, boron nitride performs well as an electronics insulator with a higher oxidation temperature than that material. Scientists are working hard to test and verify boron nitride's usefulness as an electronics insulator..."

3D-Printed Molecular Ferroelectric Metamaterials

3D-Printed Molecular Ferroelectric Metamaterials - RF Cafe"A research team led by University of Buffalo has developed a new 3D-printed molecular ferroelectric metamaterial. The advancement has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science and is a step toward making these extraordinary lab-created materials more affordable and adaptable to countless multifunctional technologies. It could benefit everything from acoustic blankets for aircraft soundproofing to shock absorbers and elastic cloaks that shield sensitive electronic systems from external mechanical disturbances. A metamaterial is any material engineered to have a property that is not found in naturally occurring materials. Ferroelectricity relates to crystalline substances that have spontaneous electric polarization that's reversible by an electric field..."

Liquid Lasers Challenge Fiber Lasers in Future High-Energy Weapons

Liquid Lasers Challenge Fiber Lasers in Future High-Energy Weapons - RF Cafe"Despite a lot of progress in recent years, practical laser weapons that can shoot down planes or missiles are still a ways off. But a new liquid laser may be bringing that day closer. Much of the effort in recent years has focused on high-power fiber lasers. These lasers usually specially doped coils of optical fibers to amplify a laser beam, and were in originally developed for industrial cutting and welding. Initially, fiber laser were dark horses in the Pentagon's effort to develop electrically powered solid-state laser weapons that began two decades ago. However, by 2013 the Navy was testing a 30-kilowatt fiber laser on a ship. Since then, their ability to deliver high-energy beams of excellent optical quality has earned fiber lasers the leading role in the current field trials of laser weapons in the 50- to 100-kilowatt class. But now aerospace giant Boeing has teamed with General Atomics..."

Can 2D Liquid Metal Semiconductors Forestall Moore's Law Demise?

Can 2D Semiconductors Using Liquid Metals Forestall Moore's Law Demise? - RF Cafe"As the semiconductor industry witnesses the winding down of the expectation that the number of transistors that can be shoehorned into silicon microchips will double every couple of years, researchers are coming up with new ways to keep the effect of Moore's Law rolling along. One such method with exciting prospects employs liquid metals to produce two-dimensional semiconducting materials with atomic-scale thickness. This enables the creation of a transistor channel between source and drain that is almost an order of magnitude thinner than those employed in silicon transistors. In addition, they possess intriguing properties such as a variety of band gaps and carrier concentrations, as well as unique transducing properties. “The two-dimensional confinement of free charge-carriers..."

Students Design Custom Satellites

Students Design Custom Satellites - RF Cafe"Engineering students at the University of Cincinnati are building tiny custom CubeSat satellites to test the radiation shielding properties of carbon fiber material and take high-resolution photos of the Great Lakes from space. LEOPARDsat-1 will record how much radiation from space seeps through different thicknesses of carbon-polyethylene samples. HABsat1 relies on an internal flywheel system in which motor-driven spinning flywheels can orient a satellite on three axes..."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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