 Friday the 5th
 This
Engineering and Physics Theme crossword puzzle for February 7th contains
only words and clues related to engineering, mathematics, chemistry, physics,
and other technical words. As always, this crossword contains no names of
politicians, mountain ranges, exotic foods or plants, movie stars, or anything
of the sort unless it/he/she is related to this puzzle's technology theme
(e.g., Hedy Lamarr or the Bikini Atoll). The technically inclined cruciverbalists
amongst us will appreciate the effort. Enjoy!
 Although not specifically stated, some
of the technology reported in this August 1945 issue of Radio-Craft
magazine was not so long before classified technology developed during World
War II. The
Radiotype system of wireless teletype developed by General Electric was
an early attempt to provide a mobile means of sending and receiving hard copy
messages. It was a rather complex scheme that used a typewriter to drive a
tape punching apparatus, which was fed into a radio transmitter to send coded
tones (as opposed to CW pulses) for a receiver to then decipher and drive
an Electromatic typewriter. The demonstration used a police car to carry remote
equipment. In related news, RCA's wireless 488 word-per-minute (wpm) telegraph
multiplexer using time division multiplexing (TDM) Also featured was the FCC's
decision to move the commercial broadcast FM band from 54-88 MHz up to
88-106 MHz (now up to 108 MHz...
 Windfreak Technologies designs, manufactures,
tests and sells high value USB powered and controlled radio frequency products such
as RF signal generators, RF synthesizers, RF power detectors, mixers, up /
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facilities to government agencies. Worldwide customers include Europe, Australia,
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with your current project.
 "In 2020, a project between AMSAT-UK,
AMSAT-NL, and Swiss universities got under way with the aim of equipping two
Swiss satellites - for now under the CHESS name - with linear
amateur radio transponders. Linear transponders permit several CW or SSB
contacts to take place simultaneously within a prescribed passband. The satellites
also include features for classroom demonstrations and experiments. The CHESS
(Constellation of High Energy Swiss Satellites) project includes two satellites,
which will be built simultaneously and later launched as a constellation.
'The main science objective is to improve the understanding of the upper atmosphere
by in-situ measurements..."
 RF 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...
 When you think of "pirate
radio," most likely what comes to mind is a rogue, unlicensed transmitter
that is re-broadcasting copyrighted material, syndicated shows, etc., on radio
or television. Nowadays that would also include the Internet as a medium.
Did you know that, at least decades ago, the British government (and maybe
others) charged citizens a fee for listening to broadcasts on their household
radios? That's right, if you wanted to listen to the BBC, you would kindly
remit a fee of 10 shillings ($2.50 in U.S. dollars at the time) per year.
Otherwise, you were apt to have government inspectors descend upon you and
padlock your radio set - or collect the requisite 10 shillings on the spot.
After a growing number of suspected dishonest British subjects finally exceeded
the reasonable level of tolerance of the government, a clever scheme was devised
to trick evil citizens into divulging their nefarious crimes. Author Austen
Fox does a great job of telling the tale. The stunt would make a good candid
camera ploy for a good laugh today, but in the 1930s when radio waves were
mysterious and even feared...
 Anatech Electronics offers the industry's
largest portfolio of high-performance standard and customized
RF and microwave filters and filter-related products for military, commercial,
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Isolation between the bands is greater than 70 dB. Custom RF power directional
coupler designs can be designed and produced when a standard cannot be found...
 Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation (BNC)
is a leading manufacturer of precision electronic instrumentation for test,
measurement, and nuclear research. Founded in 1963, BNC initially developed
custom pulse generators. We became known for meeting the most stringent requirements
for high precision and stability, and for producing instruments of unsurpassed
reliability and performance. We continue to maintain a leadership position
as a developer of custom pulse, signal, light, and function generators. Our
designs incorporate the latest innovations in software and hardware engineering,
surface mount production, and automated testing procedures.
Thursday the 4th
 It has been a long time since I've
had a
citizens band (CB) radio in my car. Back in the 1970s when the CB craze
was at its peak, with songs like C.W. McCall's "Convoy"* topping Casey Kasem's
American Top 40 (AT40) charts, my high school compadres were all installing
23-channel CBs (standard at the time) in their cars and pickups. I joined
in with a Radio Shack unit (don't recall the model number). In those days
the FCC required operators to register and mail a check for a few bucks -
same with radio control (R/C) systems for model airplanes also operating in
the same 26-27 MHz radio band - in return for a "Citizens Radio Station
License" document to carry in your wallet. Most CB channels were spaced at
10 kHz, but the R/C frequencies were in−between some CB channels spaced
at 20 kHz. For instance, my 3-channel OS Digitron R/C system was at 27.195 MHz,
which resided between CB channels 19 (27.185 MHz) and 20 (27.205 MHz).
Some electronically savvy CBers would illegally modify their radios to include
operation on those in−between frequencies (e.g. Ch 19A at 27.195 MHz),
thereby creating a scenario where merely keying up the transmitter could "shoot
down" a model airplane if close enough...
Windfreak Technologies designs, manufactures,
tests and sells high value USB powered and controlled radio frequency products
such as RF signal generators, RF synthesizers, RF power detectors, mixers,
up / downconverters. Since the conception of WFT, we have introduced products
that have been purchased by a wide range of customers, from hobbyists to education
facilities to government agencies. Worldwide customers include Europe, Australia,
and Asia. Please contact Windfreak today to learn how they might help you
with your current project.
 "The Air Force is looking into flipping
the cost curve when it comes to defeating adversaries by focusing on electronic
or nonkinetic capabilities as opposed to missiles. 'In some aspects, an electron
is much cheaper than a very expensive missile,' Gen. Charles Brown, chief
of staff of the Air Force, said during a January 27 web event hosted by the
Association of Old Crows. 'We've got to think about the cost curve' and be
able to do both the kinetic and nonkinetic. Brown acknowledged that the Air
Force has been 'asleep at the wheel' for the last 25 to 30 years when it comes
to operations in the
electromagnetic spectrum. Sophisticated adversaries have noted the spectrum
is critical for U.S. forces and have sought high-tech methods to deny it..."
 We know, many times you want to just
buy your RF assemblies to plug in to your
Circular D38999 Connector or your VITA67 module. Well know ConductRF offers
multiple solutions for both styles of Multi-Port connector all available on
short lead times based on our on hand materials stock. D38999 integrates BMA,
SMPM & SMPS Connectors, also other #8, #12 & #16 Coax Contact solutions.
VITA67.1/2 uses SMPM solutions, but the new VITA67.3 also offers SMPS and
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exacting VSWR and Loss standards because, We know, Results Count!
 While recently watching the classic
film "The Longest Day," about the June 6, 1944 D-Day invasion, I paid
particular attention to the electronics being featured. During World War II,
means of communications were nowhere near as ubiquitous as they are today
with cellphones, the Internet, and readily affordable, high quality portable
Ham gear. Large, heavy radio, teletype, and radar gear made portable by equally
large and heavy batteries, often significantly hampered progress under fire.
As illustrated in the movie, relying on easily cut or blown up landlines caused
significant loss of strategic capability. Thousands of experienced
Amateur
Radio operators provided the Allied forces with out-of-the-gate communicators
and electronics technicians. Many had, prior to enlisting, donated some of
their equipment and components to the Department of War for use, ultimately,
in securing victory...
 Artech House today announced the publication
Introduction to LabVIEW FPGA for RF, Radar, and Electronic Warfare Applications
by Terry Stratoudakis. Real-time testing and simulation of open- and closed-loop
radio frequency (RF) systems for signal generation, signal analysis and digital
signal processing require deterministic, low-latency, high-throughput capabilities
afforded by user reconfigurable field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). This
comprehensive book introduces LabVIEW FPGA, provides best practices for multi-FPGA
solutions, and guidance for developing high-throughput, low-latency FPGA based
RF systems. It provides real-time testing and simulation of open- and closed-loop
RF systems for signal generation, signal analysis, and digital signal processing
that require deterministic, low-latency, high-throughput capabilities presented
by user reconfigurable FPGAs. Written by a recognized expert with a wealth
of real-world experience in the field...
 NorthEast RF's comprehensive
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A picture of the test configuration is included to help aligned axis. Our
selection of human head and hand phantoms are ideal for verification of body
worn devices. Turnaround time is usually 3-days.
Wednesday the 3rd
 Many times, especially after reading
an episode of "Mac's Radio Service Shop," I start thinking of how I would
have liked to have owned an electronics shop back in the golden age of radio
and, to a lesser extent, television. A person would have to be really sharp
with circuits and test equipment to be successful because every component
of every part of the assembly was discrete - no integrated circuits. You needed
to be able to troubleshoot and repair the power supply, RF, IF, and baseband
sections, video, audio, and demodulation - everything. You also needed to
be smart enough to keep yourself from getting killed by the high voltages
floating around in the chasses. What makes me think twice about wanting the
business is the subject of this installment, "Customer
Cussedness." Dealing with idiots would be harder to take than the worst
head-scratcher electronics problem. While at Westinghouse Oceanic Division
in Annapolis, Maryland, I had the privilege of knowing a fine fellow named
Wilson Roe...
 The Far Side, by Gary Larson
has always been my favorite weird-wit comic strip that often took shots at
scientists and mathematicians, and many have tried to replace it after it
ended in on January 1, 1995. "Loose Parts," drawn
by Dave Blazek, comes the closest IMHO. This one from February 11, 2020 is
a great example of the kind of material he comes up with. You can scroll through
other panels from the link.
 3D.directory is the largest directory
of 3D Printing companies on Internet. We have listed 3D Printing, 3D Scanning
and 3D Design companies from around the world and made them searchable by
their location and capabilities. RF Cafe page:
3D Printers
and Fabrication
If you would like your company listed, please look through the
RF Cafe Vendor Pages topic
list and send me an e-mail with company name and contact information (city,
phone, URL), and a brief description (see pages for examples).
 "A new machine learning approach could
improve
radar performance in congested environments. Researchers from the U.S.
Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, now known as DEVCOM, Army Research
Laboratory and Virginia Tech developed an automatic way for radars to seamlessly
operate in congested and limited spectrum environments created by commercial
4G LTE and future 5G communications systems. 'Future implementations of this
algorithm into Army legacy and developmental radars will provide unprecedented
spectrum dominance for soldiers,' said Army researcher Dr. Anthony Martone.
'This will enable soldiers to use their radars for problems such as tracking
incoming targets..."
 Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation (BNC
- like the connector) will be conducting a free webinar on Thursday, February
25th, entitled "Quantum
Computing." To most people, including me, quantum computing is still a
mysterious technology. Its concepts of multiple simultaneous logic states
makes the fuzzy logic craze of the 1980s look sharply focused. Photos of quantum
computers built by IBM*, Microsoft, and Google look like science fiction chandeliers
where you expect to see the rejuvenated brains of Albert Einstein, Galileo
Galilei, or Isaac Newton soaking in a bubbling bath of formaldehyde with wires
sticking out of them. A short paper entitled, "Are You Ready for Quantum Computing"
can be accessed on the BNC website. Berkeley Nucleonics produces a number
of instrumentation items used by quantum computing researchers...
 Aluminum wire's role in electronics
and electrical service systems is an interesting case study. Early on, as
this 1948 Radio-Craft magazine article reports, aluminum was seen as a panacea
for harder to find copper sources and attendant price increases. Back in the
early 1970s when I first began working as an electrician while taking vocational
courses in high school, aluminum wire was being installed in low-end tract
homes, apartments, and townhouses in order to save a little money. Usually,
you needed to go one size up (12 ga. for 15 A circuits instead of
14 ga.), but the cost was still less. The National Electric Code (NEC)
permitted it at the time because it had not been in service long enough for
its cold flow nature to manifest itself through loosening connection interfaces
and eventual fires due to sparking under load. Brittleness after repeated
stressing also caused arcing and resulted in fires, as did corrosion brought
on by dissimilar metals...
 A
new report was recently released by the EMP Task Force on National and Homeland
Security entitled, "Russia:
EMP Threat - The Russian Federation's Military Doctrine, Plans, and
Capabilities for Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack." Despite the official-looking
organization name it is a private research group, but often outside-Washington
research informs on world events more completely with unfiltered data. We
know EMP events are capable of instantly crippling vital infrastructure by
inducing damaging currents and voltages in and onto, respectively, power supply
lines (and consequently the devices connected to them), as well as disconnected
devices (battery-powered items). This is not tinfoil hat conspiracy theory
like mind control via cell tower radiation and chemicals in the drinking water.
Lots of effort goes into war-gaming EMP scenarios by DHS, DoD, DoE, et al.
Having a vacuum tube radio and a vintage computer-free truck won't help you
for long with no electricity to charge batteries or to run gas pumps.
 Exodus Advanced Communications is
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with all designing and manufacturing of our HPA, MPA, and LNA products in-house.
Tuesday the 2nd
 Good
power supply design has always been key to good system function. As with
so many other topics in electronics, the basics of power supply design are
the same now as they were in 1945 when this article appeared in Radio-Craft
magazine. We now have transistors rather than vacuum tubes, but otherwise
issues of voltage regulation, current supply, ripple, and power dissipation
remain. Off-the-shelf power supplies have been and are available where engineers
have designed generic or special purpose units with a set of specifications
which a system designer uses to integrate them into their products. Many times,
though, it is necessary or preferred to have the power supply on the same
circuit board or in the same enclosure as the functional part of the product,
so it is up to the designer to do it all...
 Aegis Power Systems is a leading supplier
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specifications. Please visit Aegis Power Systems today.
 "The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
has released a plan to counter the increased threats posed by the proliferation
of
small drones commercially and by militaries. In a 36-page strategy released
on January 2021, strong emphasis has been placed on inter-agency cooperation
in the federal government to develop a baseline of knowledge, solutions, infrastructure,
and response to counter small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) threats. Small
drones have become increasingly affordable and portable with growing capabilities,
such as the ability to swarm and carry out cyberattacks, all of which could
be enhanced with the use of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems..."
 EMC Directory is the largest directory
of EMC / EMI Testing companies on Internet. We have listed the leading EMC
/ EMI companies from around the world and made them searchable by their location
and capabilities - emission testing, immunity testing, CE/FCC marking certification
etc. RF Cafe page: EMC
/ EMI / RFI Manufacturers & Services
If you would like your company listed, please look through the
RF Cafe Vendor Pages topic
list and send me an e-mail with company name and contact information (city,
phone, URL), and a brief description (see pages for examples).
 You've heard of
"Litz" wire, right? It's the twisted bundle of multiple enamel or otherwise
coated wire used for making couplers, antennas, and at frequencies up to about
a couple MHz. Congratulations, but did you know the full name for it is "Litzendraht?"
Neither did I until after reading this article. Litzendraht does not derive
from the surname of a fellow named Otto or Wolfgang Litzendraht, but is the
German word meaning "braided wire" or "woven wire." Litzen by itself means
braided or stranded. So, technically if you call it Litzendraht wire, you
are being redundant since it is the same as saying woven wire wire. That might
save you some embarrassment one day if you happen to be working around a German
techie. Litzendraht is used in order to exploit the skin effect at high frequencies
where the majority of the current is conducted on the wire's surface. Using
multiple insulated wires enables greater current carrying capability...
 Artech House today announced the publication
of
EW 105: Space Electronic Warfare by David L. Adamy. The fifth book in
the bestselling Artech House EW 100 series explores electronic warfare (EW)
in space. Practical problems – including intercept and jamming of hostile
signals transmitted from the Earth's surface and the vulnerability of satellite
links to attack from the Earth's surface are discussed. Spherical trigonometry
is covered to provide the background necessary to understand the scope of
satellite problems. Orbit mechanics, specifically the way the Earth and its
satellites revolve around one another, is also explained. The basics of radio
propagation and how it applies to communications Electronic Warfare are demonstrated,
as well as the special considerations that apply to radio transmission to
and from an Earth satellite. Satellite links and link vulnerability are discussed.
New Release Price: $96
 LadyBug Technologies was founded in
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Monday the 1st
 Here is an interesting photo montage
of many ground-breaking events in the
history of radiotelephony, which appeared in a 1939 issue of Radio
News magazine. A mere 35 years had passed since Guglielmo Giovanni Maria
Marconi sent and received his first wireless signal in the attic of his house.
The equipment might seem crude compared to today's technology - and it is
- but it is miraculous considering both the electrical and mechanical ingenuity
that went into producing it. Engineers, scientists, technicians, manufacturing
specialists, and managers from (primarily) the U.S. and Europe combined their
collective genius and determination to advance the state of the art at a blinding
pace. Many of you have seen some of these pictures before. An identification
key to each is provided...
 "PCBONLINE, a custom advanced circuit
board manufacturer, has recently published an AutoDesk Eagle tutorial. The
step-by-step guide demonstrates
how to create a PCB using the software. First, it explains the program
control panel, the schematic window, and the board window. Then the tutorial
tells how to create a new project, add parts, add connections between parts,
name and label the nets, provide parts with value, check the electrical rules,
and route the board. If you're new to PCB design or use AutoDesk Eagle, this
comprehensive guide should be beneficial. When you're done with PCB creation,
you can have circuit boards made by PCBONLINE, which checks your Gerber and
BOM carefully and provides free tech support..."
 I like a good clean joke as much as
the next guy, and Design News has a good collection of them in its
"Engineering Humor for the Ages" slideshow, but this "Types of People" totally
misses the mark. The traditional form states, "There are 10 kinds of people
in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't." It appears
the writer is the latter type of person. Take a look and see what I mean.
The "Engineering Units" section includes some really good ones I have not
seen before, but this seems wrong "1000 aches: 1 megahurtz" (should be
"1 kilohurtz"). The entire presentation begins
here. Here is
my favorite. Need more? There are scores of
engineering and science humor pages here on RF Cafe.
 It's hard for most people alive today
to imagine a time when
vacuum tubes were the only means of amplification and rectification available.
The discovery and application of semiconductors as replacements was a huge
step forward for all but the highest power applications like megawatt power
amplifiers. Equally hard to imagine is having to design circuits without the
aide of computers - or at least a digital calculator. Parameter tables and
slide rules were de rigueur for the day. Power supplies in the hundreds of
volts were commonplace and printed circuit boards were a platform of the future.
Point-to-point wiring ruled the day. Other than for special cases like traveling
wave tubes (TWTs) and microwave magnetrons, there are not many engineers left
that design tubes. As with a lot of the vintage methods and equipment, it
is amateur hobbyists who keep the art of tube circuits alive. The Internet
is full of projects and articles on tube design...
 Exodus Advanced Communications' broadband
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 MPDevice (MPD) has become a trustworthy
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