"Amazon's drone delivery project
Prime Air
has unveiled a new prototype in a video featuring former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson.
According to the video, the drone could fly for up to 15 miles (24km) and deliver
a parcel within 30 minutes of the order being placed. There was no indication of
when it might be used by the retail giant. The firm was given permission to test
delivery drones in the US earlier this year. It also has drone delivery development
centers ..."
While perusing the December 2015 issue of
QST magazine, I happened across this advertisement
for Heathkit
build-it-yourself electronics projects. It has been a couple decades since Heathkit
ads have been seen. Hopefully, people will support Heathkit's effort to re-introduce
hobbyists to the fun and satisfaction of assembling, aligning, and operating everyday-useful
electronics projects. At this time it appears the sole new product offering is the
Explorer Jr: TRF AM Radio Receiver Kit. Whether or not a renaissance occurs is largely
dependent on how enthusiastically people support their business model
...
Join us for the 9th annual
Military Radar Summit! As the only event in the United States
that focuses exclusively on Military Radar, we again will bring together experts
and thought leaders responsible for advancing critical discussion on this narrow
and deep subject. Whether by land, sea, or air, military radar is used everywhere
and requires consistent reexamination to achieve maximum performance. Come ready
to learn and engage as this community works towards developing the next generation
of capabilities for this essential technology!
February 29 - March 2, 2016 Washington, D.C.
"Radio-frequency spectrum needed for the
operation of short-range high-resolution automotive radar has been allocated in
the 79 GHz frequency band. This decision was reached at the World Radiocommunication
Conference (WRC-15) meeting in Geneva which tool place
from 2 to 27 November. The allocation of the 79 GHz frequency band provides a globally
harmonized regulatory framework for automotive radar to prevent collisions, which
will improve vehicular safety and reduce traffic accidents. The allocation of the
frequency band for automotive radar responds to the call by
..."
everything-RF-Multiple-Vendor-Quotation-Feature-11-26-2015.htm" >
everything RF has launched a tool that makes it
easy for engineers to request quotations for custom products. Users can select a category,
enter their requirement and select the manufacturers from the list from who they
would like a quotation. They can then, enter their requirement. The inquiry will
be directed to the manufacturers who they select. This tool makes it easy to get
quotations on custom products from RF & Microwave manufacturer. Try it out now
at everything RF.
This week's engineering crossword puzzle features
the names of some of the
world's oldest electronics companies. Many of them began life
with a primary business focus other than electronics, then ended up being known
universally for their high tech products. If you're like me, until now you had no
idea that one of the world's leading cellular equipment makers originally was a
wood pulp mill, and another made playing cards. Clues with asterisks (*) are the
featured companies
...
Once transistorized computers made desktop-sized
systems a reality, the sure eventuality of
humans being replaced by their electronic equivalents became a
popular theme of media pundits. News reports and 'special features' on TV at the
same time scared citizens concerned for their jobs and assured them that by the
year 2000, humans wouldn't need to work anymore anyway because computers and robots
would be doing everything for them. The millennium crossover occurred a decade and
a half ago as 2015 draws to a close, and looking back it is true that computers
and robots have usurped a lot of what used to be done manually, but, as Mac presciently
predicts in this story
...
"The Architecture of Radio
is a data visualization, based on global open datasets of cell tower, Wi-Fi and
satellite locations. Based on your GPS location the app shows a 360 degree visualization
of signals around you. The dataset includes almost 7 million cell towers, 19 million
Wi-Fi routers and hundreds of satellites. A site specific version of the app includes
wired communication infrastructure embedded in the exhibition space. It's aim is
to provide a comprehensive window into the infosphere." Created by
Richard Vijgen. The Architecture
of Radio app is currently available for iOS! The Android version is set to follow
early 2016.
Cobham-Launches-Universal-Spring-Mount-Antenna-Range-2015-11-24-2015.htm" >
Cobham Antenna Systems, a market-leading antenna
solutions provider, is proud to announce the launch of a 'Universal' range of
spring-mount omni-directional antennas. A brochure covering
the full range is available on request. Cobham has designed and manufactured
spring mount antennas, for over 20 years, with a vast number of happy customers
and proven results in the field Cobham-Launches-Universal-Spring-Mount-Antenna-Range-2015-11-24-2015.htm"
...
"Step aside, Wi-Fi. Scientists have just
taken to the streets with a new wireless technology called
Li-Fi, and it's 100 times faster
than current speeds. Li-Fi transmits data using visible light communication, and
it's now being tested in offices and industrial environments in Tallinn, Estonia.
This new wireless system hit speeds of 224 Gbps in the lab, and has the potential
to revolutionize internet
..."
Anyone who watched the
WKRP in Cincinnati
sitcom back in the 1970s has to remember what was one of the funniest episodes ever.
Here is the 5 minutes that made Prime Time history. In this Thanksgiving episode,
station owner Arthur Carlson decided he would do a surprise good deed - that doubled
as a promotional stunt - and drop live turkeys from a helicopter for lucky shoppers
at the local shopping mall. Watch the disaster unfold as Les Nessman reports live,
and then hear Carlson's final comment that is still used or alluded to in many comic
routines
...
Thanksgiving
is a uniquely American holiday, being a day of thanks given for the blessings bestowed
upon our country's early settlers by God and the welcoming actions of Native American
tribesmen. Per the Smithsonian website, "Most Americans are familiar with the Pilgrim's
Thanksgiving Feast of 1621, but few realize that it was not the first festival of
its kind in North America. Long before Europeans set foot in the Americas, native
peoples sought to insure a good harvest with dances and rituals such as the Green
Corn Dance of the Cherokees. The first Thanksgiving service known to be held by
Europeans in North America occurred on May 27, 1578 in Newfoundland, although earlier
Church-type services were probably held by Spaniards in La Florida. However, for
British New England, some historians believe that the
..."
Included in this first of a series of the
'Simple Mathematics for the Serviceman' series that ran in Radio-Craft
is another 'cheat sheet' full of oft-used formulas. It begins with basic Ohm's law,
resistance, inductance, and capacitance, then builds from there. What was valid
in 1930 is still valid in 2015. See October 1930 for the
next installment that includes yet another handy-dandy cheat sheet
of formulas
...
"TV manufacturers could have a very good
holiday season, and the good times likely will continue through 2019. Sales of 4K
or
Ultra High Definition (UHD) TV
sets will exceed 330M units by the end of 2019... However, while the price of those
sets has fallen sharply and likely will continue to fall, a report released this
month by the Natural Resources Defense Council contended that new UHD models use
on average 30% more energy than their HD predecessors."
AGW warriors would be committing sacrilege by owning one
of these
...
December is traditionally the issue for magazines
to sum up accomplishments of the ending year and make predictions for the next year.
Radio-Craft was no exception, but in 1936 they went ten steps farther and
prognosticated a decade into the future - all the way to 1946! It is actually a
tongue-in-cheek reprint from Pathe News magazine. However, note the drawing
of 'professor teaches 2 million pupils,' where he is instructing via television
and the railroad company boss checking in on the conductors en route via
wireless teleconferencing. It might have seemed like a pipe dream
in 1936, but now it is commonplace. Not only do we now have live classroom broadcasts,
but millions of YouTube videos of instruction for performing
...
Cyber Monday is just four days away, so why
not use it as an excuse to buy yourself or significant other
(wife, husband, teenager, college student) an introductory
kit of components to join in on the
Arduino craze? Per the sales pitch: "13 circuits to explore
microcontroller basics. Covering LEDs, transistors, motors, integrated circuits,
pushbuttons, variable resistors, photo resistors, temperature sensors & relays.
Comes with an Arduino Uno (the latest Arduino) prototyping
bundle to make constructing your circuits and future projects easy. Printed copy
of the
Arduino Experimenter's Guide."
Scientists from the University of Basel in
Switzerland have demonstrated for the first time how electrons are transported from
a superconductor through a quantum dot into a metal with normal conductivity. This
transport process through a quantum dot had already been calculated theoretically
in the nineties, but scientists at the University of Basel have now succeeded in
proving the theory with measurements. Transport properties such as electrical conductivity
play
...
It looks like again in 2016 Melanie and I
will be without health insurance because of the prohibitive cost of the misnamed
Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). Not only will
we have no insurance, but we will be taxed at a rate of 2.5% of our Modified
Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI*) for
opting out. Our expected MAGI of about $60,000 amounts to $1,500 being added
to our standard income tax - which already includes paying the full amount of the
Social Security tax**. What follows is a brief synopsis
of our decision-making rationale. Bear in mind while reading that tens of thousands
of Americans are making similar decisions nowadays. Prior to 2014, we had
...
Notable Quote: Lawrence Krauss
"For most of us, the times when we go astray
are happily forgettable. In Einstein's case, even the mistakes are noteworthy."
- Lawrence M. Krauss, in
What Einstein Got Wrong, appearing in the September 2015 issue
of Scientific American.
Just in time for holidays for the Nixie tube
aficionado who appreciates a fine wooden chassis and 'authentic' vintage, heretofore
unused Nixies is Nuvitron's
Vintage Nixie Clock (clever name). Says them,
"With brand new, unused Nixie tubes that were rescued from exile in long abandoned
basements in Eastern Europe, the vintage Nixie tube clock imparts a warm glow from
within its beautiful, handmade, Art Deco enclosure. Each clock casing takes over
30 hours to create and a lifetime to admire. Make yourself appear cooler than you
actually are with this super cool Nixie tube clock." Now, if anyone is still trying
to figure out what to get me for Christmas ... (hat tip to
Electronics Weekly, where I learned of it)
e2v 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 fundamental defense programs ...
Pasternack-Waveguide-Mixers-Ka-Q-U-V-E-W-Bands-11-23-2015.htm" >
Pasternack, a leading provider of RF, microwave
and millimeter wave products, adds new millimeter wave (mm-wave) Pasternack-Waveguide-Mixers-Ka-Q-U-V-E-W-Bands-11-23-2015.htm" >waveguide
frequency mixers available in six down-conversion and six up-conversion models that
cover full Ka, Q, U, V, E, and W bands. Designs utilize high performance GaAs Schottky
Barrier Beam Lead Diodes in balanced configurations that require a +13 dBm LO drive
and display low levels of conversion loss Pasternack-Waveguide-Mixers-Ka-Q-U-V-E-W-Bands-11-23-2015.htm"
...
Before there was radio, it really didn't matter
much how much electromagnetic energy at any frequency was spewed into the air and
into electric wires as long as the amplitude was not great enough to physically
damage affected equipment. There was no need for an FCC or unintentional radiation
limit regulations. It was not long after radio came along that the presence of
electromagnetic interference (EMI) made itself painfully obvious
due to its presence on audio as static. Motor brush arcing, electrical atmospheric
phenomena (lightning, meteors), switching on and off of circuits, intermittent connections,
nearby radio spurious emissions, high voltage transformers, and in this case, neon
lighting were among
...
Thanks to everyone for the explosive growth
of RF Cafe's visitor and page view number in the last year! In 2015 the number of
website Visits has grown by about 10%, while the number of Page Views has grown
about 300%. That means visitors like you are now spending more time looking at multiple
pages once you arrive here. RF Cafe has more than 10,000 unique pages covering a
wide variety of engineering and science topics, most of which can be useful to all
levels of hobbyists, technicians, students, engineers, managers, and even people
with a casual interest in science. I always welcome your comments, suggestions,
and contributions. The RF Cafe Forum is available if you prefer that venue for participation
(registration not required).
anatech-product-update-11-23-2015.htm" >
Anatech has released three new anatech-product-update-11-23-2015.htm" >RF
/ microwave filter designs: a 902-928 MHz connectorized cavity bandpass filter model,
an 880-915 / 925-960 MHz cavity duplexer model for outdoor applications, and also
a 910-920 MHz connectorized cavity bandpass model. All can be ordered directly through
their AMCrf web store.
Alliance Test Equipment, located in Webster,
Massachusetts, is a leading source of quality used/reconditioned test & measurement
equipment.
Alliance Test sells
used & refurbished
test equipment, offering short-and long-term rentals. They also purchase your
excess test equipment in large or small lots, and do repair, maintenance and calibration.
Alliance Test offers products from many manufacturers available at prices discounted
up to 80% off manufacturer list price.
2.1 GHz (5.6-inch,
or 14 cm wavelength) radio waves were an almost totally unexplored realm
in 1930, with it and higher frequencies being the domain of theoretical research
laboratories. Signals generators capable of producing much more than a few hundred
megahertz were rare even in commercial applications. As reported here,
centimeter-length electromagnetic waves were "according to the
theories of Barkhausen and Kurz, [the] result of purely electronic vibrations, whose
frequency was determined only by the operative data of the tube and was not dependent
on any internal or external oscillation circuit." A half-wave receiving antenna
picked up the transmitted signal with a simple diode detector to enable, after a
couple
...
For 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!
"The median income of electrical and electronics
engineers increased 3% in 2014, the largest increase since 2008, according to the
IEEE-USA's annual salary survey. The total median pre-tax income of U.S.-based EEs
increased to $133,000 last year, up from $129,000 in 2013, according to the responses
of IEEE members who responded to the survey that indicated they were employed full
time in their primary area of technical expertise. Excluding overtime pay
..."
"You may be the expert in your field, but
if you fail to understand how the rules on admissibility of expert testimony may
affect your opinions and testimony, you jeopardize your role as an expert. If the
court excludes your testimony, all your hard work is for naught and you lose your
opportunity to be the expert in front of the jury." IMS ExpertServices is now offering
a new whitepaper,
What to Expect When You're an Expert. It is the first in
a series of whitepapers and presents strategies on how to conduct your expert witness
business with an eye toward the rules on admissibility of expert testimony throughout
the litigation process. The information IMS-ExpertServices-What-to-Expect-When-Youre-an-Expert-11-19-2015.htm"
...
When you need a solution now, MPT provides
the engineering, program management, and technology needed with expertise that meets
your price and schedule requirements. They
deliver on promises so you remain on schedule
and on budget. Digital Receivers - front end with amplification,
filtering, down conversion. Phased Arrays - L-Band through Ka-Band.
Solid
State Power Amplifiers (SSPA). Transmit/Receiver (T/R) Modules.
Down Converters - integrated assemblies. Please visit MPT's
website today to see what they have to offer.
The name
Ernst Frederick Werner Alexanderson (1878-1975) might not seem
overly familiar to you, but he is credited with designing the first high frequency
alternator for transmitting longwave audio modulation over long distances. His device
preceded the spark and arc type transmitters that infamously spewed harmonics and
noise all over the spectrum and were therefore a great nuisance when broadcast at
high power levels. It was a relatively (for the time) narrowband scheme that permitted
more stations to be co-located in a given service area. He went on the develop one
of the first successful television projectors as well. Read a short biography on
Mr. Alexanderson in the "Men Who
...
NASA (and its predecessor
NACA), and private and public operators have been monitoring solar events
in the optical realm for many decades while attempting to correlate terrestrial
phenomena with it. Auroral light displays in the extreme polar regions have long
been known to be caused by solar flare and coronal mass ejections (CME). With the
advent of radio, the electrical nature of the upper atmosphere became evident when
static (AM) and long range propagation affected long range communications. Extreme
CME activity eventually was associated with behavior of the electrical power grid;
indeed, massive blackouts
...
Keysight-Designing-X-band-PA-SMT-Plastic-Packaged-GaN-Transistors-11-18-2015.htm" >
Designing X-Band PAs Using SMT Plastic Packaged GaN Transistors,
a free Webinar by Keysight Technologies and Microwave Journal. The use of over-molded
SMT plastic packaging greatly simplifies handling and assembly and reduces unit
cost. However, as operating frequencies and RF output power increase, so do the
challenges of using SMT packaging. This webcast describes the design of PAs at X-band
using plastic packaged SMT GaN transistors. The design approach is illustrated with
a detailed description of the design, layout, EM simulation Keysight-Designing-X-band-PA-SMT-Plastic-Packaged-GaN-Transistors-11-18-2015.htm"
...
Randy Herrell bears the distinction of being
the first former USAF air traffic control operator to be added in the Radar Shop
list. Everyone else was a radar maintenance technician. Randy wrote regarding an
issue during his service at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base on the MPN-13 radar
system back in the 1970s, so it seems fitting to include him. Please welcome Randy
into the fold ...
Saelig Debuts PicoSource PG900 Series Differential
Pulse Generators
Saelig-Debuts-PicoSource-PG900-Series-Differential-Pulse-Generators-11-18-2015.htm" >
Saelig Company announces the availability of
PicoSource PG900 Series Differential Pulse Generators - high-speed,
low-cost, fast-transition instruments that can test transmission paths with a fast
pulse, instantly simulating a wide-spectrum signal. These generators are ideal for
high-speed broadband measurements such as time-domain reflectometry, semiconductor
testing, gigabit port testing, and radar systems. The PicoSource PG900 Series Pulse
Generators are capable of creating
...
By the early 1930s, commercial broadcast stations
were still working out what would be the best combination of channel bandwidth and
spacing to enable a maximum number of adjacent transmissions while achieving sufficient
selectivity to enable acceptable reception. 5 kHz was deemed reasonable to
reproduce the human voice as well as musical instruments... A debate within the
engineering community existed then regarding the usefulness of and need for upper
and lower sidebands. The Stenode's success was dependent upon being able to design
a receiver circuit with the
...
Centric RF
is a company offering from stock various RF and Microwave coaxial components, including
Attenuators, Adapters, Cable Assemblies, Terminations, Power Dividers, and more.
They believe in offering high performance parts from stock at a reasonable cost.
Their parts operate in the frequency ranges of 0-110 GHz, and at power levels
from 0.5-500 watts. "Order today, ship today!" BTW, the proprietor of Centric RF
is the former owner of a major RF component distributor company who decided to do
it all over again from the ground up, so you'll be in good hands.
Radio Receiver Technology: Principles, Architectures
and Applications, by Ralf Rudersdorfer, covers the principles, architectures,
applications, specifications and characterizations of radio receivers In this book,
the author introduces the reader to the basic principles and theories of present-day
communications receiver technology. The first section of the book presents realization
concepts at the system level, taking into consideration the various types of users.
Details of the circuitry are described providing the reader with an understanding
of fully digitized radio receivers, offering an insight into the state-of-the-art.
The remaining sections address radio
...
KR Electronics has been providing innovative
filter solutions for over 40 Years. KR Electronics designs and manufactures high
quality filters for the commercial, medical, communications, radar, navigation,
PTC, and military markets. KR Electronics manufactures all filter types and individually
synthesizes filters for special applications. Contact them today (732-636-1900)
with your custom filter requirements, or select from a catalog of standard designs.
ISO 9001:2008 certified ...
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics'
Inflation Calculator, this Crosley 'Fortyfive' tabletop radio
that cost $45 in 1932 would cost $781.22 in today's dollars. That's a lot of
money for a radio. "The Crosley Fortyfive is the last word in radio design
and performance. The beautiful front panel is finished in Adam brown. A pleasing
two-tone effect is accomplished by an overlay of stump walnut veneer which decorates
the front panel. Fluted
..."
"A new kind of vector network analyzer, driven
by a femtosecond laser, offers low cost, high resolution, and 'incredibly broad...bandwidth.'
Researchers at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
(PTB, the German national standards institute in Braunschweig) have used
lasers to improve on a widely used and extremely precise instrument for
measuring signal strength and phase in electronic components. The new laser-driven terahertz vector network analyzer (VNA) could offer
broader frequency coverage and higher resolution at a lower cost
..."
Notable Tech Quote
"Sometimes
someone would stand behind the airplane and start whistling through the tailpipe
like the engine was starting and you'd scramble out of there real quick!" -
John Borry, a plane captain and jet mechanic with VF-13 aboard Shangri
La, who didn't like crawling down the Vought F-8 Crusader engine intake
(October 2015 Air & Space magazine).
WINMOR Technical Sales is a premier electronic
sales representative firm specializing in the sales and marketing of components
and engineered electronic solutions to the Southeast and Chesapeake geographies.
Offerings include RF connectors, cable assemblies, and power amplifiers; flex circuits;
cable ferrites; membrane switches and keypads; PCBs & PCB Assembly. They have
been added to my Manufacturer's Reps and
Distributors
pages.
We're a company offering from stock various
RF and Microwave coaxial components, including attenuators, adapters, cable assemblies,
terminations, power dividers, and more. We believe in offering high performance
parts from stock at a reasonable cost. Our parts operate in the frequency ranges
of 0-110 GHz, and at power levels from 0.5-500 watts. Order today, ship today!
Currently we're looking for vendors to partner with us. If interested please email
expressing an interest to
sales@centricrf.com.
"Researchers from RMIT University in Melbourne
have helped crack the code to ultra-secure telecommunications of the future in an
international research project that could also expedite the advent of
quantum computing. A team co-led by RMIT MicroNano Research
Facility Director Professor David Moss has added a new twist to create photon pairs
that fit on a tiny computer chip. The breakthrough, published in Nature Communications,
heralds the next-generation of integrated quantum optical technology, being
..."
By pure coincidence, after posting the article
on audio system filters and volume controls, Melanie sent me this piece by EDN's
Martin Rowe about a
vintage stereo shop in Newton, Mass., called West Suburban Electronics.
A discussion ensues by readers about stereos; maybe you'll want to join in. I like
the quote by owner Boris Smolyar: "At home [as a teenager], my father would tell
me to turn the music down. Today, it's my teenage daughter who tells me to turn
the music down." I could not find a website for them. BTW, I still on a daily basis
use the
Reader's Digest Model 800-XR AM/FM Radio + 8-Track Tape Player
that I bought in highschool.
Here is Part 1 of a two-part article on
attenuator pad and impedance matching articles that appeared in
Radio-Craft magazine. Although the focus is on audio frequencies, the principles
apply in general. It is interesting to read about wavelengths expressed in units
of miles versus feet and meters like we are used to seeing for radio frequencies.
Keep in mind that most of the decibel formulas used here are for voltage and not
for power.
Part II appeared in the May 1932 issue of Radio-Craft
...
Saelig Company, Inc. is a New York State corporation
operating as a Sales and Marketing Agent and Distributor for more than 100 manufacturers
from all over the world. Founded in 1988 by Alan Lowne, Saelig has earned a growing
reputation for having notable products not found elsewhere. "Saelig" is an Olde
English word which means "happy, prosperous, blessed." We sell and support a wide
range of electronic control and instrumentation equipment and components to customers
ranging from Fortune 500 industrial users, military, educational institutions and
hospitals to individual end-users ...
