Homepage Archive - November 2016 (page 1)

Tuesday

Bittele Reduces Customer Costs with Free Passive Parts Service

, a leading contract electronics manufacturer of PCB assembly services, announced today that it is introducing a Free Passive Parts Service for customers of its PCB Assembly Services. The customers of Bittele's PCB Assembly Services can benefit from the Free Parts Service in the following ways: Greater Cost Reductions: The total cost of assembly orders will be significantly reduced when parts are selected from Bittele's in-house inventory

Kennedy Model 826B and Majestic Models 50, 51, & 52 Radio Data Sheets

I don't usually read through all of the text included with these Radio Service Data Sheets, but I did see at the end of this one where instructions are given for increasing the sensitivity of the units. Capacitor value increases are made in the dynatron oscillator circuit, which is the beat frequency oscillator (BFO) in the received signal path. Why wouldn't that have been incorporated in the factory-built radio? My guess is that the tuning process would take more effort than a typical owner would be willing to tolerate. Kennedy Model 826B and Majestic Models 50, 51, and 52 superhet vacuum tube radios.

Russia Prepares to Block LinkedIn after Court Ruling

"LinkedIn, the social networking site for professionals that will soon be bought by Microsoft, is to be blocked in Russia after a local court ruled on Thursday that it had breached the country's data protection rules, a sign of growing tensions for American tech companies operating in the country. The case in the Moscow city courts arose at a time of debate in Washington over how the U.S. might retaliate for what American ..."

Osram's Laser Chip for Lidar Promises Super-Short Pulses in Small Package

"Those twirling banks of lasers you see atop experimental robocars cost plenty, wear fast, and suck power. The auto industry yearns to solve all those problems with a purely solid-state lidar set that designers can hide behind the grill of a car. Their wish will come true next year, according to Osram Opto Semiconductors. The company says test samples will be available ..."

Empower RF Systems Needs an RF Sales Account Manager

Empower RF Systems, a leading provider of high-power ultra-broadband radio frequency (RF) amplifiers, is seeking a qualified, dynamic, successful and driven RF Sales Account Manager to join the Sales Team at our Corporate Headquarters. Founded in 1999 and located in Inglewood, California, the company designs and manufactures solid-state, high-power RF amplifier systems and modules for commercial and military customers worldwide. Our key markets are Electronic Warfare, Communications, Radar, and Test & Measurement ...

Facebook Achieve 20 Gbps in Southern California P2P mm-Wave Trial

"Engineers at Facebook announced they were able to demonstrate a record data rate of nearly 20 Gbps over 13 km with millimeter wave (MMW) technology, a feat that was accomplished using a set of custom-built components. Using custom-built components is pretty standard for MMW experiments given that it's still early days for the technology. Facebook's team conducted their research in Southern California using only 105 watts of total direct current (DC) power consumption at the ..."

Monday

Ultra-Thin Substrate Integrates ESD Protection to Eliminate Zener Diodes

"TDK has developed a new ultra-thin ceramic substrate that integrates ESD protection within a multilayer structure to eliminate the need for discrete ESD components. CeraPad provides ESD protection up to 25 kV, more than three times higher than the standard 8 kV of state-of-the-art Zener diodes and also features a high thermal conductivity of 22 W/mK that is more than three times ..."

Radio Shack Advertisement, November 1953 QST

Against all odds, Radio Shack is still in operation today. They still sell a fairly broad selection of discrete components for circuit designers and for repair and modifications. Radio Shack is and has been for a couple decades the only hometown source for parts where you can walk in off the street to get what you need, rather than order it online. Even items like a dual-gang stereo volume control potentiometer, a 2-layer, 6-position rotary switch, and a DPDT PCB-mountable relay can be had. There are nowhere near as many as ...

Teledyne Microwave Solutions Intros Low Phase Noise, Low Cost YIG Synth

With a long heritage of innovations in YIG and low phase noise technologies, Teledyne Microwave Solutions has developed the first YIG-based synthesizer that substantially reduces the high cost of acquiring a high-quality, broadband low phase noise source. The new synthesizer simply plugs into a laptop or desktop and yields a fully functional synthesizer that delivers superior performance and ROI to the standard industry alternative, VCOs. Modular in design, these

Engineers Create Semiconductor-Free Microelectronics

"Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed what they say is the world's first semiconductor-free, optically-controlled microelectronic device, which could lead to faster electronics and more efficient solar panels. Semiconductors are at the heart of modern computing devices but are approaching the physical limits of what they can achieve using current materials. As a result, Moore's Law – which predicts that computing power should double every two years ..."

Supermoon of November 14, 2016

Here is my contribution to the science of astronomy for the recording of the November 14, 2016 'supermoon.' The photograph was actually taken at 8:45 pm EST, which technically was a few hours ahead of the formal full moon (8:52 am). Notice on the eastern edge you can see the outline of craters. Full moon photos are typically the least impressive because with the sun shining nearly straight down on the surface, there are no shadows cast by the ridges of the craters. Contrast is also at a minimum because the image is so bright - like trying to see something when the sun is staring you in the face. My photographic equipment was bare-bones minimal with ...

RF Cafe Crossword Puzzle for November 13

This week's RF Cafe Crossword Puzzle is another custom creation (they all are, actually) which contains only words and clues pertaining specifically to engineering, science, mechanics, physics, mathematics, chemistry, and other technical fields of study. If you want to exploit your knowledge of numbnut movie starts, world leaders, and remote villages in BFE, then try the New York Times. Cruciverbalist engineers, technicians, students, and all other techies types rejoice ...

Watch Supermoon Tonight

"The full moon of November 14, 2016 is not only the biggest, closest and brightest supermoon of this year. It's the closest supermoon since January 26, 1948. Should you watch for this full moon on the night of November 14? Sure, and, if you do, it'll be beautiful. But, for us in the Americas the moon is closer to full on the night of November 13. The moon turns precisely full on November 14, 2016 at 13:52 UTC. This full moon instant will happen in the morning hours ..."

Friday

Weak Atomic Bond Observed for 1st Time

"A Purdue University physicist has observed a butterfly Rydberg molecule, a weak pairing of two highly excitable atoms that he predicted would exist more than a decade ago. Rydberg molecules are formed when an electron is kicked far from an atom's nucleus. Chris Greene, Purdue's Albert Overhauser Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, along with his co-authors H. Sadeghpour and E. Hamilton, theorized in 2002 that such a molecule could attract and bind to another atom. 'For all ..."

Two Guys in Jetpacks Fly over a Massive Airliner in Dubai

This is a really cool video, but my first thought when seeing it was how now we have a new method of explosives delivery by dedicated suicide bombers. The turbine jet engines used by the jetpack guys are from the model airplane industry. If you haven't seen the radio controlled (R/C) jets in action, do a YouTube search and be amazed at the talent of what is out there. Anyway, the next time you're on a flight and have a window seat, you have a responsibility to keep a watch for a jetpack guy or gal on your wingtip ...

Saelig Intros 4-Pin Mil-Spec High Reliability Crystal Oscillators

 announces the EQXO-2000BM Mil-Spec High Reliability Crystal Oscillators - new 4-pin models which add to the recently launched range of Euroquartz military specification crystal oscillators designed for use in applications that require high reliability. The EQXO-2000BM's industry-standard '8-pin DIP oscillator' dimensions feature four active pins and a ruggedized three-point crystal mounting system. The new EQXO-2000BM series clock oscillators complement

A Coaxial Antenna for 10 Meters

"The construction used in the coaxial antenna at W9YVZ overcomes objections based on appearance - it is no more noticeable than an ordinary clothesline pole. It even serves as one when necessary!" That line from a 1953 article in QST magazine demonstrates how long Amateur radio operators have been battling neighbors for the right to erect an antenna - or antennas - on private property. Many community associations have codified rules prohibiting visible antennas of any sort, with the exception of the small satellite TV dishes. Fortunately for Hams, the U.S. House of Representatives just passed the "Amateur Radio Parity Act," which prevents HOAs from a carte ...

Veterans Day 2016: A Pittance of Time

This is my annual Veterans Day tribute. On November 11 (the 11th day of the 11th month), at 11:00 am (the 11th hour), we observe 2 minutes of silence in honor of countrymen who "gave the last full measure of devotion." A Pittance of Time is performed by Canadian citizen Terry Kelly. It was written after an experience he had on Veterans Day in 1999. Terry went blind at an early age. It is done in the finest Celtic tradition.

Thursday

Lasers and Anti-Lasers Joined

"Scientists have, for the first time, achieved both lasing and anti-lasing in a single device. Their findings lay the groundwork for developing a new type of integrated device with the flexibility to operate as a laser, an amplifier, a modulator, and a detector. Schematics above show light input (green) entering opposite ends of a single device. When the phase of light input 1 is faster than that of input 2 (left panel), the gain medium dominates, resulting in coherent amplification ..."

Berkeley Nucleonics Intrs Customizable RF/Microwave Signal Generators

Berkeley Nucleonics (BNC), an RF/Microwave instrumentation manufacturer, releases a user-customize-able OEM signal generator platform for RF / Microwave systems requiring brand singularity or system integration. This OEM version platform leverages proven designs at 3 GHz, 6 GHz, 12 GHz, 20 GHz, and 26.5 GHz frequencies. The OEM product gives customization options to system integrators while maintaining the flagship performance that the company's standard commercial customers demand

Atom Assembler Makes Defect-Free Arrays

"Researchers at the Institut d'Optique Graduate School at the CNRS and Université Paris-Saclay in France have developed a new way to rearrange cold atoms one-by-one in fully ordered arrays. Their technique could be used to simulate quantum systems using neutral atoms held in 2D arrays of optical traps. Optical traps – or tweezers – work by trapping atoms, molecules or small transparent objects near the focus of a laser beam. The technique allows ..."

Northrop-Grumman to Cut RF and Microwave Interference

"RF and microwave experts at Northrop Grumman Corp. are trying to develop RF analog signal processing that performs unprecedented levels of in-band interference suppression as a way fundamentally to transform military RF systems. Officials of the U.S. DARPA in Arlington, Va. announced a potential $7.8 million contract on Friday to the Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems segment in Redondo Beach, Calif., for the Signal Processing at RF (SPAR) project. SPAR seeks to mitigate interfering signals of known and unknown characteristics using analog signal processing ..."

First Indian Radio Organization

The Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI) and the National Institute of Amateur Radio (NAIR) are two of India's largest amateur radio organizations today. This story from a 1949 edition of Radio & Television News reports on the first two such established groups in India, named the Amateur Radio Club of India (ARCI), and the Short-Wave League of India (SWLI). Neither appears to be in existence now. Interestingly, the SWLI group was set up for radio enthusiasts who were only listeners - not broadcasters - and were not necessarily licensed. QRZ India ...

Moving to Canada Now? Don't Count on It

I have always loved Canada - especially the northeastern maritime regions. If I didn't live in the U.S., I'd want to live there. I do not qualify to become a Canadian citizen, however, because I am self-employed and do not make enough money and/or have requisite assets. Legions of special snowflakes threatening to move to Canada will be shocked to learn that our neighbor to the north doesn't want them. Canada protects its borders and citizens with stringent residency laws (as does Mexico, BTW); you don't just cross the border and demand full benefits. Barbara Streisand and her multimillion$ would be welcomed with open arms, but the average American - not so much.

Wednesday

Expert Trial Testimony: Direct and Cross Examination

IMS ExpertServices has just published an excellent whitepaper titled "Expert Trial Testimony: Direct and Cross Examination." Its targeted audience is the person who is or might be tasked to perform in a courtroom as an expert witness. The paper begins with the question, 'You are smart. You are well-credentialed. But are you prepared to testify in a court of law?,' which applies to litigants whether performing as a defendant or as a plaintiff. If you find yourself the victim of a lawsuit, you must be prepared to endure the assaults of a skilled prosecution team. On the other hand, if you initiate an lawsuit you must be prepared to effectively make your case and defend your assertions ...

mm-Waves Travel >10 Kilometers in 5G Experiment

"A key 5G technology got an important test over the summer in an unlikely place. In August, a group of students from New York University packed up a van full of radio equipment and drove for ten hours to the rural town of Riner in southwest Virginia. Once there, they erected a transmitter on the front porch of the mountain home of their professor, Ted Rappaport, and pointed it out over patches of forest toward a blue-green horizon. Then, the students spent two long days ..."

Thanks Once Again to Electro-Photonics for Support!

Electro-Photonics LLC is a global supplier of RF & Microwave components. Our products include SMT hybrid and directional couplers, wire bondable passive components, filters, and very useful test boards for evaluating components (spiral inductors, single-layer capacitors). The Electro-Photonics team can support your small R&D design requirements with RF & Microwave test fixtures and save you valuable design and characterization time. Please take a moment to visit their website and see how your project might benefit ...

TRAK Launches New Website

"Smiths Microwave Subsystems has announced that TRAK Microwave has launched a new, redesigned website. Featured on the site are several new products, including integrated synthesizer / upconverters; an X-band, true surface mount circulator; a ruggedized tactical GPS time and frequency system; and a GaN powered block upconverter. The site's refreshed look has been designed for a more comprehensive user experience. It allows ..."

Tiny Graphene Radios Could Lead to Ultrafast Wireless Communication

"For wireless communication, we're all stuck on the same traffic-clogged highway - it's a section of the electromagnetic spectrum known as radio waves. Advancements have made the highway more efficient, but bandwidth issues persist as wireless devices proliferate and the demand for data grows. Researchers are speculating that the solution to this problem might be the use of the terahertz band. Josep Jornet, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Buffalo ..."

World's 1st K-Band Capable Digital-to-Analog Converter

"This ground breaking DAC provides an analog bandwidth extending beyond 7 GHz facilitating multi-band, direct digital synthesis up to K-band (26.5 GHz). A flexible 4:1 or 2:1 input multiplexer enables guaranteed sampling rates up to 6 GSps with the capability to operate at 7 GSps. The EV12DS460 is equipped with four output operating modes (NRZ, RTZ, NRTZ & RF) and includes an option for program pulse shaping, making it proficient at handling the most specific of RF applications ..."

Tuesday

Identifying Salvaged Transformers

Here is an interesting article that was probably much needed in its day (1956) when many hobbyists were building and repairing their own electronic equipment. Being able to measure and identify unknown transformer winding parameters is key to both troubleshooting and determining whether a particular transformer is applicable for your need. Even professional repair shops often scavenged transformers from scrapped chassis for use in equipment brought in for service. The process can be extended to multiple winding transformers. Now you, too, can confidently tackle the unknown transformer and determine its ...

Verizon Backs Google's Proposal to Modify 70-80 GHz Band for 5G

"Verizon and Google don't always see eye-to-eye when it comes to the millimeter wave bands. For example, Verizon would rather not see sharing models like the one for 3.5 GHz adopted for millimeter wave bands, while Google would like to see sharing considered for, say, the 24 GHz band. But when it comes to the 70-80 GHz bands, Verizon says Google's got the right idea. Namely, Google argues that the FCC should retain the existing light licensing framework that is working well today for the 70/80 GHz bands, rather ..."

EW Defense Moves Closer to Reality

"Reliable radar jamming and resistance to hostile electronic warfare (EW) will soon be standard, thanks to a program funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. DARPA has awarded BAE Systems a $13.3 million contract modification for Phase 3 of the Adaptive Radar Countermeasures (ARC) project, which develops technologies that enable airborne EW systems to counter new, unknown and adaptive radars in real time in the field. Current EW systems struggle because they rely on a database of known ..."

The Other Things Tesla Discovered & Invented

"Steve Taranovich, editor of EE Times' Planet Analog website, presents a slideshow illustrating the less well-known work of the polymath Nikola Tesla. Nikola Tesla is very well known for the development of the Tesla Coil concept (c1890), AC motor (c1883), Rotating magnetic field (c1882), Radio (c1897). But how about his not-so-well-known discoveries? The following are ten I have gathered from the NY Times archives and IEEE XPlore. The following slide-show images and discussion will be, no doubt, controversial. I fully expect many of my readers to refute ..."

Printed Transistors Can Function for Years Battery-Free

"Energy harvesting is not just becoming an attractive option for wearable technology, but also for the electronic components that comprise wearable and other devices themselves. Some of the latest research in this area comes out of Cambridge University, where engineers have developed a new design for transistors that draws energy from its environment and could be the foundation for devices that can function for months or years without a battery. The transistor generates energy from a small leakage of electrical current ..."

Please Thank Res-Net Microwave for Helping Deliver RF Cafe 

Res-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. Please check out Res-Net Microwave today ...

Monday

"Mr. Volt" Rotary Cellphone

"If you yearn for the days of rotary phones, help is on the way. A YouTuber and hardware maker known as Mr. Volt has combined the past and the present to make a fully functioning 'rotary cell phone.' His prototype has the iconic dial on the front and offers six basic functions: it can make calls, store one phone number, text, tune into the radio, display system settings and go to sleep. There is also a bright red cancel switch, a memory function for saving numbers, an OLED display ..."

DARPA Ups Funding For Autonomous Electronic Warfare Work

"DARPA is taking another step toward building autonomous electronic warfare systems with a small contract award to BAE Systems. Artificial intelligence and autonomy loom large in the Pentagon these days. And electronic warfare, much more quietly, dominates a great deal of thinking across the services these days after we've watched how the Russians operate against Ukraine and ..."

Nazis Are Warned to Shun Foreign Radio

This 1939 news bit from Nazi Germany overlords illustrates the results of well-meaning citizens voluntarily surrendering their personal freedoms and right to self defense. Nazi Party, by the way, derives from National Socialist German Workers' Party. The 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees we, the American people, a right to free speech, and by extension, a right to listen to whatever someone else opts to say (excluding, of course, overt and specific threats of harm). Many generations have enjoyed that and a specific list of other freedoms, but the passage of time has seen a dilution of those freedoms due ...

Many Thanks to Nova Microwave for Their Long-Time Support! 

Nova Microwave is a leader in technically differentiated electronic and radio frequency Ferrite Circulators and Isolators that connect, protect and control critical commercial and military wireless telecommunications systems. Our staff is dedicated to research and development of standard and custom design quality Ferrite Circulators and Isolators from 380 MHz to 26.5 GHz. Please check out Nova Microwave now to learn if they can help your project ...

Modified Nanodiamonds Hold Promise for Quantum Computing

"Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a technique for creating NV-doped single-crystal nanodiamonds that could serve as components in quantum computing technologies. These NV (nitrogen vacancy) doped nanodiamonds, which are four to eight nanometers wide, could also find use in single-photon sensors and nontoxic, fluorescent biomarkers. Computers currently use binary logic ..."

Wireless Engineering Crossword Puzzle for November 6

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 ...

Friday

2016 Microwaves & RF Annual Salary & Career Report

Microwave & RF magazine recently published the results of their 2016 Annual Salary & Career Report. The opening subtitle says, "Although concerns and challenges exist, the RF/ microwave industry is continuing to provide stable salaries along with high job satisfaction." Supposedly 90% of respondents are OK with their current situation. That's good for employers wanting to keep existing talent, but not so good for employers looking for new talent. If the assessment is accurate, the situation makes for an engineering seller's market (god job hunting) where you can name your price either where you are (a raise) or where you want to be. You will need to log in to download the full 9-page PDF document ...

The Wireless Spectrum Conundrum

Lou Frenzel: The spectrum shortage has service providers, government agencies, and even wireless designers scrambling to come up with workable solutions. "Spectrum is everything when it comes to choosing or designing wireless equipment. Knowledge of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum is essential for all engineers working with wireless equipment and systems. It affects what you can transmit as well as how and ..."

General Electric Advertisement

By 1953, General Electric had already been in business for 75 years, according to this full-page advertisement that ran in the American Radio Relay League's (ARRL) QST magazine. It highlights a few key electronics-related accomplishments by the company since its founder, Thomas Edison, in 1883 built the first electronic tube as the result of a discovery that came to be termed the "Edison effect" ...

SemiGen Intros Fast Switching 100 MHz to 30 GHz Limiter Diodes

SemiGen, an ISO and ITAR registered RF/Microwave assembly, automated PCB manufacturing, and RF Supply Center, has added a series of new limiter diodes to its expanding product offerings, SLP7100 series. The SLP7100  are processed with a high-resistivity epitaxial wafer (epi) that has thin intrinsic layers. These devices are 2 to 20 microns thick and can be gold doped to achieve specific performance goals. The SLP7100 limiter diodes are used in passive or active limiter designs in 

Thanks to Centric RF for Ongoing Support of RF Cafe!

Centric RF is 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." Centric RF parts operate in the frequency ranges of 0-110 GHz, and at power levels from 0.5-500 watts. Please visit Centric RF's website today to see whether they can be of use on your project ...

Xiaomi Testing Phones in the U.S. Ahead of Potential Launch

"Xiaomi may be preparing to elbow its way into the U.S. smartphone market. Finally. The Chinese smartphone gear vendor produced a special version of its Mi 5 handset earlier this year for testing on U.S. networks, Global Vice President Hugo Barra told Engadget, and it has developed a version of its Mi Note 2 for field testing. 'That's again just another small step in the right direction or in the direction of being able to launch full-on products (in the U.S.),' he said. Xiaomi enjoyed a meteoric rise in 2013 thanks ..."

Thursday

A Few Great RF & Microwave Engineering Articles for November 2016

October must have been really busy because I totally missed posting a list of good magazine articles for the month. At the top of the list is Alejandro Buritica (NI) discussing the IEEE's recently announced 802.11ax WiFi standard, which is projected to provide data speeds of up to 10 Gbps in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz ISM bands. There is also a pretty good article on capacitor ESR ...

- 802.11ax – High Efficiency Wireless

- Low-Voltage Tests Uncover Low-

   Temperature IC Problems

- Measuring Phase Noise

   with Baluns

- Digital Oscilloscopes: When Things

   Go Wrong   <more>

LEDs Come in Rainbow Colours

"OMC says it can now produce a rainbow of LED backlight colours, including magentas and blue-greens. OMC LEDs OMC LEDs Previously the only way to achieve non-standard LED colours was to use RGB colour mixing, which involves three times as many chips, complex wiring and requires drive circuitry to control the relative channel levels. OMC's Active Reflector Technology uses photon wavelength up-conversion to produce colours and pastel shades. The first ..."

SAGE - Whirlwind Defense Quarterback Goes into Operation

The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system was designed and built to monitor the flights of both intercontinental ballistic missiles and hostile aircraft - if they were ever to occur, which, thankfully, they did not. Nuclear bombs were of particular interest since they could be launched not just from the USSR, which was the only other nuclear power in 1956, but also from offshore aircraft carriers and submarines. This was the beginning of the era when school kids participated in practice drills of getting under their desks in the event of an attack. I remember ...

Transition from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Leads to Depressions

"A recently published study documents that the number of people who are diagnosed with depression at psychiatric hospitals in Denmark increases immediately after the transition from daylight saving time to standard time. More specifically, the number of depression diagnoses during the month after the transition from daylight saving time is approximately eight per cent higher than expected based on the development in the number of diagnoses up to the ..."

Empower RF Systems Intros 10 kW COTS  L BAND Radar Transmitter HPA

Empower RF is announcing wide availability of their field proven Model 2185 high power pulsed amplifier operating from 960 to 1215 MHz at 10 kW Peak and duty cycles from 0.1% to 5%. This compact and versatile radar transmitting amplifier, with flexible operating modes, makes an ideal fit for radar component testing, advanced research, and system development. Because of its superior SWaP, it is also well suited for mobile EW and threat simulator applications. Tactical Transmit applications include distance measuring equipment (DME)

Singapore Internet Speeds in Greensboro, North Carolina

This is amazing. Yesterday, ran the Ookla Internet Speed Test a couple times just to make sure the measurement wasn't a fluke. This morning I ran it again with the same incredible results - download speeds north of 250 Mbps and upload speeds of 20+ Mbps! Web pages load seemingly instantly - even with advertisements - and when I publish an RF Cafe webpage, it uploads as quickly as if I was saving the file to my local hard drive. Internet Nirvana has been reached. Online Shangri-La is here in Greensboro compliments of Time Warner Cable. Who would ...

Wednesday

Radio Service Data Sheets for Tabletop and Console Models

An RF Cafe website visitor wrote to ask that a Radio Data Service Sheet be posted, so I scanned and posted them for both radios in the January 1930 issue of Radio-Craft magazine. One is the Bremer-Tully Model 7-70 and 7-71 and the other is the Steinite 50-A and 102-A. Photos of each were found on the RadioMuseum.org website. The Bremer-Tully is a simple tabletop model and the Steinite is a fancy console (floor) model.

Gamma Ray Camera Views Ultra-High Energy Electrons in Plasma

"Researchers at General Atomics have invented a new kind of gamma ray camera that can image beams of energetic electrons inside ultra-hot fusion plasma. The device is used in ongoing global research that is developing fusion into a new clean energy source. Turning fusion fuel into extractable energy requires it to be hotter than the center of the sun, hence in the plasma state. If the shutdown phase of operation is not controlled well, released magnetic energy can ..."

CTIA Wants More Study on Satellite Impact on 5G

"In meetings with the FCC staff last week, it's clear that CTIA remains concerned about the potential for interference from satellite operations into terrestrial mobile use in the spectrum bands above 24 GHz – the so-called millimeter bands that are a crucial part of wireless carriers' plans for 5G. During the meeting, CTIA highlighted recent measurements that show a potential for harmful interference from satellite operations to terrestrial mobile services ..."

War Assets Administration Advertisement

After World War II had been won, the War Assets Administration made good on the government's promise to reward citizens for performing their patriotic civil duty whereby they participated in the collection of recyclable material made of plastic, glass, rubber, metal, and cloth. Magazines and newspapers had frequent coverage of bottle, metal, and tire drives showing children pulling Radio Flyer wagons loaded to overflowing with such items gathered from trash piles and soliciting neighborhood residents for anything that could be spared. "Use it up, Wear it out ...

World's Most Precise Clock Set for Commercial Countdown

"The world's most precise clock has been fine-tuned to boost radar and GPS capabilities. The Cryogenic Sapphire Oscillator, or Sapphire Clock, has been enhanced by researchers from the University of Adelaide in South Australia to achieve near attosecond capability. The oscillator is 10-1000 times more stable than competing technology and allows users to take ultra-high precision measurements to improve the performance of electronic systems. Increased ..."

Saelig Economical 9 GHz Microwave / Gigabit Passive Test Probes

Saelig Company announces the availability of PicoConnect™ 900 Series Microwave / Gigabit Passive Test Probes, providing cost-effective testing of broadband signals or data streams up to 9 GHz or 18 Gb/s, including USB 2 & 3, HDMI 1 & 2, Ethernet, PCIe, SATA and LVDS standards. Representing a price-performance breakthrough, these new high-performance test probes have less than 0.4 pF tip capacitance and a ground-referred loading of 220 to 910 ohms. They are less invasive than the majority of existing

Tuesday

Photonics Dawning As Communications for Evolving NASA Missions

"A largely unrecognized field called photonics may provide solutions to some of NASA's most pressing challenges in future spaceflight. Photonics explores the many applications of generating, detecting and manipulating photons, or particles of light that, among other things, make up laser beams. On this day in 1983, the General Conference of Weights and Measures adopted the accepted value for the speed of light, an important photonics milestone. Oct. 21, 2016, was a Day of Photonics, a biennial event to raise awareness of photonics ..."

Thanks Much to Bittele for Their Long-Time Support

In business since 2003, Bittele Electronics has established itself as a Turn-Key PCB assembly services provider for prototype and low volume electronic contract manufacturing. Our head office in Toronto, Canada, and sales office in San Jose, California, supports our production facilities in China, allowing us to offer our customers low-cost, One-stop PCB Assembly Services, including PCB fabrication, parts procurement and printed circuit board assembly. Our customers are primarily in the United States and Canada ...

Record Broken for Laser-Electron Interaction

"Researchers have converted the energy of an electron beam into a pulse of coherent light with an efficiency of 30% – much higher than the 10% efficiency of most free-electron lasers. While their demonstration produces only infrared light, the method could lead to efficient, high-power lasers operating over a range of wavelengths, including X-ray. Such X-ray sources could be used to etch circuits on semiconductor chips faster and more efficiently. Using facilities at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in the U.S. ..."

If Diamonds Are Forever, Your Data Could Be, Too

"If you wear a diamond on your finger, it likely has flaws, even if you can't see them. Don't blame your partners for your flawed engagement rings, thank them. You could be flaunting the future of data storage on your digits. A paper published Wednesday in Science Advances shows how diamonds can be harnessed to store data for the long term. Right now, a tiny diamond - about half as long as a grain of rice and thinner than a sheet of paper - can hold a hundred times more information than a DVD ..."

What About Tech Writing?

If you have never written an article for publication, or written a technical manual for a piece of equipment, or maybe created a test procedure document for an assembly line, then it is hard to appreciate the skill needed to assimilate information into a concise, easy-to-follow missive that an audience of a targeted skill level will find useful. Deciding what information is needed and what will cause confusion due to redundancy or misinterpretation, including not just written content but illustrations and/or photographs, can cause much consternation during the creative ...

Triad RF Systems Intros 30 - 2500 MHz Broadband SSPA

The TA1003 30-2500 MHz, 10 W Broadband SSPA is well suited for general purpose lab use, jamming, and any other applications that require broadband frequency coverage. It includes internal DC-DC conversion circuitry to allow for operation from 9-36 VDC in. This class AB GaN module is designed for both military and commercial applications. It is capable of supporting any signal type and modulation format, including but not limited to 3-4G telecom, WLAN, OFDM, DVB, and CW/AM/FM. The latest device