Friday 2
 Unlike those IQ tests conceived of and administered
by Ph.D. college professors with pulsating veins in their foreheads, this "Electronics
IQ Quiz," created by Popular Electronics quizmaster Robert Balin, is a true
measure of your real-world acumen. Here are a couple hints to assist quiz takers not
familiar with last century electronics. You need to have knowledge of the NTSC-mandated
broadcast television channel bandwidth for figure A, but you might be able to guess it
by process of elimination. For figure E, consider the bandwidth limits in terms of dB,
not MHz. Kinks in the characteristic curves of the tube alluded to in figure D betray
its number (extra hint: it's not a diode or a triode). Good luck ...
 An advertisement for Mini-Circuits' DIY
Vector Network
Analyzer Kit appeared in the October issue of Microwaves & RF magazine.
It is evidently the first of a planned series of University Projects. Billed as an attempt
to "Bridge the gap between textbook theory and real-world measurement," Project No. 1-UVNA-63
targets college laboratories as low-cost means of procuring a high performance vector
network analyzer (VNA) at a reasonable cost ($2,495.00). The frequency range is 100 MHz
to 6 GHz. Having the student build the 1-UVNA-63 provides a familiarity with a block
diagram level understanding of 2-port VNAs and gives hands-on experience with assembling
RF components. Included are filters, directional couplers, a transceiver PCB (made by
Vayyar) ...
 Before there were side-view neon numerical indicator
vacuum tubes there were top-view neon
numerical
indicator vacuum tubes. Nixie tubes and pixie tubes were featured in "Readouts and
Counter Tubes" in the October 1959 issue of Electronics World magazine. At the
time, most were top-view designs whose size was restricted by the diameter of the tube
(typically about 0.8"). Switching to a side-view format did not enable the overall width
to increase much, but the aspect ratio permitted taller displays with characters that
appear as normally seen (rather than being squashed in height). This advertisement in
a 1965 issue of Electronics magazine for numerical indicator tubes from Raytheon
were likely some of the first side-view models available from any manufacturer ...
 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
...
 If you need to make presentations, advice in the
free "Six Rules of
Effective Public Speaking" e-book might be helpful. Great speakers don't just speak
- they perform. Whatever type of speaking you do - in business, socially, or for personal
pleasure - you're performing. We all perform roles day in and day out, every day of our
lives. Public speaking is no different. To be effective in your speeches and presentations,
accept this strong relationship between performance and success. In fact, the more you
can connect with audiences rather than remaining in the comfort zone of your content,
the more successful you'll be. Here are the Six Rules of Effective Public Speaking that
will help you perform ...
 "Though it doesn't fit our typical image of icebergs,
experts say the common shape has a simple explanation. In a world besieged by climate
change-induced chaos and disruption, one satisfying image of order has emerged. It's
an iceberg, shared online by NASA last Wednesday, that appears to be in the shape of
a
perfect rectangle with smooth, even walls, and 90-degree angles.
The iceberg sits like a giant floating sheet cake near the east coast of the Antarctic
peninsula. NASA's IceBridge aircraft spotted the iceberg during a routine aerial survey ..."
 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
visit Nova Microwave today ...
Thursday 1
 Hello. My name is Kirt, and I'm a
vintage magazine and newspaper addict. This affliction has had a hold on me for two
decades now. Call it my middle age crisis. At sixty years old, there is no sign of abatement
in enthusiasm. Nearly every day I still find myself reading and commenting on articles
and advertisements from mid-last-century magazines, newspapers, and catalogs. Maybe I'm
hopeless and will never be able to kick the habit. I'm not alone, though, based on some
of the feedback received from RF Cafe visitors. For that reason and others, maybe, in
truth, I've grown comfortable with my addiction. While perusing a few vintage newspaper
editions from the World War II era looking for relevant stories, I ran across this
November 1, 1940 (exactly 78 years ago) special section in the Harrisburg Telegraph
titled, "Radio Industry Marks 20th Anniversary ...
 Download this free "219 Modern Job Search
Tips for 2019" e-book! This 50-page resource covers over 20 topics, including: •
Potential job search roadblocks • Characteristics of people who exude professionalism
• Ways to purse a professional education beyond the classroom • Essential components
of the modern job search • Interview prep tips from a world-class career coach • Powerful
networking tools and strategies to adopt now • Ways to foster effective job interview
conversations And much more! If you're searching for a new job to get a fresh start or
advance your career, this eBook is for you ...
 Are you old enough to remember when in order to
make a measurement on a circuit board it was necessary to physically connect an oscilloscope
probe to a trace or component lead? "Wait," you say, "What are you talking about? You
still do have to physically connect a probe." Right you are, but 50 years from now your
progeny will be asking that question, just as today I ask you do you remember when in
order to get a "screen shot" of an o−scope or spectrum analyzer display it was
necessary to
connect a camera to the front of the CRT? Some instruments had an(a) output port(s)
for driving a pen plotter, but getting a plotter set up and calibrated was often more
work and frustration than hanging a camera on the front. Most of the cameras used Polaroid
film packs to enable "instant" pictures ...
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
visit Nova Microwave today ...
 Anatech Electronics, Inc. offers the industry's largest portfolio
of high-performance standard and customized RF and microwave filters and filter-related
products for military, commercial, aerospace and defense, and industrial applications
up to 40 GHz. Anatech has introduced three new filter designs: a combination 12-20 MHz
bandstop / notch filter with SMA connectors, a 8.5-18 GHz highpass filter with N-type
connectors, and a surface mount 4,450 MHz ceramic bandpass filter. Custom RF filters
designs are used when a standard cannot be found, or the requirements are such that a
custom approach is necessary ...
 everything RF is now offering
website development services! Get a new website or upgrade your existing
website - All for only $99/month (can go up to $299/month based on the number
of products). There is no design or development charge, nor is there a lock-in or contract.
There is a simple monthly cost which includes everything - design, development, hosting,
backups, data porting and anything else. You do not need to hire an agency and spend
thousands of dollars to create a website ...
 "New product is believed to be the first commercially
available
5G modeling tool since the finalization of the new 5G radio standard
in June. A new simulation tool from MathWorks promises to speed development, prototyping,
and testing of 5G cellular networking systems. The new 5G Toolbox, an add-on to the company's
well-known MATLAB simulation environment, is aimed at 5G system architects, as well as
engineers who are developing the digital, RF, and antenna systems for 5G. "It gives engineers
a way to understand the underlying technology in the 5G standard very quickly," Ken Karnofsky,
senior strategist for signal processing applications at MathWorks ..."
Wednesday 31
 "Xeledop" is the Word of the Day for October
31; use it often. Xeledop is an acronym for "transmitting elementary dipole with optional
polarity." Nope, I've never heard of it, either. The
Xeledop (probably pronounced "zeh'-le-dop") is an air-towed transmitter that flies
a pre-planned path around the ground-based antenna under test (AUT) whose radiation pattern
is being measured. The circular power level plot at the bottom of the page shows the
results of an actual test flight. In this application, a high frequency (HF, 3-30 MHz)
transmitter is towed behind an airplane like target drone while it broadcasts signals
at eight distinct frequencies toward the AUT, while the downstream receiver records power
levels. The pilot flies on the surface of an imaginary hemisphere to maintain a constant
radius from the antenna. Ground equipment tracks the aircraft azimuth and slant range
is calculated using aircraft altimeter data and measured elevation angles ...
 Microwaves & RF is publishing its
2018 Salary & Career Survey results in installments, with the
first part dealing with job satisfaction in August. Part two - this one - focuses on
education. "The main question for this section of the survey asked: "How are engineers
maintaining their education?” According to the results, white papers are the leading
source - 73.8% of respondents take advantage of them. This should come as no surprise
given the amount of white papers circulating out there, and the fact that, for the most
part, they're easily accessible. Magazines are the second-leading source, with 72.2%
saying that they read magazines to sustain their education. Websites, webinars ..."
 In Part 2 of "A Selected History of Receiver Innovations over the Last 100 Years,"
author Brad Brannon discusses superheterodyne circuits and multiple conversion stages.
"One key point early radio pioneers like de Forest and Armstrong understood was that
their successes were determined by a solid, reliable detector. In the early days, this
was largely the wireless operator, whose technical and auditory skills made it possible.
However, as the industry grew, other aspects became important, such as including linearity
and bandwidth. In 1912, to address these issues, de Forest figured out regeneration and
how a receiver could benefit from this technique. At nearly the same time, Armstrong
made similar discoveries, and he noted that if energy was coupled from the plate circuit
back into the screen tuner, significant amplification occurred as the amplifier response
peaked prior to free oscillation ..."
 Reactel has
become one of the industry leaders in the design and manufacture of
RF and microwave filters, diplexers,
and sub-assemblies. Through a continuous process of research and development, they have
established a full line of filters of all types - lowpass, highpass, bandpass, bandstop,
diplexer, and more. They offer the generally known tubular, LC, cavity, and waveguide
designs, as well as state of the art high performance suspended substrate models. Established
in 1979. Please contact Reactel today to see how they might help your project ...
 "Japanese
electronics firms' real strength is their engineers, characterized by creativity,
ingenuity and an awesome willingness to work long and hard." That statement by editor
Lewis Young is the key point in this article that appeared in a 1965 issue of Electronics
magazine. That Japanese technology companies were deemed to be only about five years
behind the U.S. was a real wake-up call to America and the European countries. Both Europe
and Japan had been very diligent about rebuilding and modernizing techniques and infrastructure
since the destruction caused by World War II. A few stories about Japan's post-war
efforts report on how the government left most of the responsibility (aka financing)
up to universities and private companies. Industry in some of the more ...
 Empower RF Systems is a global leader in power
amplifier solutions. Empower RF Systems is an established and technologically superior
supplier of high power solid state RF & microwave amplifiers. Our offerings include
modules, intelligent rack-mount amplifiers, and multi-function RF Power Amplifier solutions
to 6 GHz in broadband and band specific designs. Output power combinations range
from tens of watts to multi-kilowatts. Unprecedented size, weight and power reduction
of our amplifiers is superior to anything in the market at similar frequencies and power
levels ...
 Just in time for Halloween... "Resurrecting the
dead, mind control, radiation gone wrong, and man-eating robots, we've rounded up 10
of history's creepiest true tales of
science and engineering gone wrong. Some of your favorite horror
movies have nothing on the real thing. History is full of plenty of true-to-life tales
of mad science. Whether it was malicious or unintentional, the effect is the same and
the stories here are certified nightmare fuel. From experiments gone wrong to misguided
inventions and occult rituals, you won't believe some of the things that have happened
in the name of science ..."
Tuesday 30
 Phase noise measurements quantify the short term
stability of a frequency source. That is because phase and frequency are mathematically
related by a differential function [ω(t) = dΦ(t)/dt] so they are directly connected.
Phase noise also includes amplitude instability due to atomic scale effects like FM flicker
noise (1/f3), white noise (1/f2), PM flicker noise (1/f), and possibly
even voltage supply noise (typically discrete spurs). When the frequency source is used
as a local oscillator in a frequency converter (up- or down-), the amount of instability
(jitter) is modulated onto the transmitter or received signal. While not usually a major
concern in analog systems, in high speed digital communication systems phase noise can
degrade the ability of the receiver to correctly determine the difference between a "1"
and a"0." That is because ...
 How do you analyze antenna polarization? Rick
Gentile provides an answer in his Microwaves & RF magazine article titled,
"Algorithms to Antenna: Modeling Polarization in Radar and Wireless Systems."
Says Rick, "In this blog, I describe polarization and explore ways you can analyze the
polarized field as well as model the signal transmission between polarized antennas and
targets. From Maxwell's equations, the electromagnetic (EM) field generated by an antenna
is orthogonal to the propagation direction in the far field. The field can be decomposed
into two orthogonal components. The most common representations of these components are
either horizontal and vertical (H, V) sets or left and right circular (L, R) sets ..."
 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's website to see how they can help with your current project ...
 If you have read as many vintage electronics magazines
as I have, one thing that is obvious is how many of the same issues that plagued the
field since the middle of the last century are still with us today - only in a much worse
way by now.
Government meddling, regulation and taxation are amongst the top offenders. Both
the electric power industry and the communications industry have been hit hard, and huge
costs to consumers is the result. Itemized bills from the utility companies do not give
the full picture of what a large percentage of your monthly premiums go to feed the government
beast. You might see some line items for taxes, surcharges, contributions and user fees,
but those being paid for you by the providers (i.e., absorbed in the base charge) are
hidden. One of the more recent, highly publicized example ...
 The Custom MMIC company has an article in
Microwave Product Digest magazine titled "Addressing Phase Noise in Direct Downconverters and Radar Systems with
New LPNA MMICs." It provides a quick review of the nature of phase noise. "Phase
noise is becoming an increasingly critical factor needing to be addressed in sophisticated
radar and communication systems. This is because it is the key parameter defining both
target acquisition in radars and spectral integrity in communication systems. There are
many papers detailing the mathematical derivation of phase noise, but few mention the
reason for its importance or what can be done to lessen its effects ..."
 Anatech Electronics (AEI) manufactures and supplies
RF and microwave
filters for military and commercial communication systems, providing standard LP,
HP, BP, BS, notch, diplexer, and custom RF filters, and RF products. Standard RF filter
and cable assembly products are published in our website database for ease of procurement.
Custom RF filters designs are used when a standard cannot be found, or the requirements
dictate a custom approach. Please visit Anatech today to see how they can help your project
succeed ...
 "European scientists have discovered that thousands
of materials - including
bismuth - have the potential to replace silicon in advanced electronic
and computing applications. Scientists are constantly searching for new materials called
topological insulators, due to their unique ability to insulate on the inside but conduct
electrical current on their surface. This property allows an electrical current to theoretically
flow without resistance and respond in unconventional ways to electric and magnetic fields.
Recently, a team of researchers made an unexpected discovery in this field that proves
that the widely used material ..."
Monday 29
 San Francisco Circuits, a leading provider of printed
circuit board fabrication and assembly, has published an application note titled, "How
to Improve PCB Design for Bluetooth Circuit Boards." Their experience in assisting
customers in successful layouts for substrates operating in the RF frequency realm. How
to Improve PCB Design for Bluetooth Circuit Boards Bluetooth Circuit Board Design Guidelines
Printed circuit boards with Bluetooth technology can be problematic with interference,
lost data and poor signal integrity if certain precautions aren't taken. We'll outline
many rules and guidelines to consider when choosing Bluetooth technology for a given
application and, more specifically, designing it into a circuit board. A variety of applications
utilize Bluetooth, including: Beacons used in shopping malls ...
 An RF Cafe visitor - I'll call him Mr. X -
is privy to and has a vested interest in GPS-related issues. He sent me a link to this
"The GPS Week Number Rollover Problem" article last Friday which is
posted on the Spirent Blog website. Did you know that the original GPS had a 10-bit date
code that lasts for just 1,024 weeks (19.7 years)? Those of us who were around for the
big Y2K
scare remember this scenario (we're "survivors" in modern psychopathic lingo). Per author
Guy Buesnel, "Some GPS receivers may malfunction on or after 6 April, 2019, due to the
GPS Week Rollover. Here's what that means and how to check if a receiver is vulnerable.
If your vehicles or equipment rely on GPS receivers, now is the time to check if they're
affected by the GPS Week Number Rollover issue ..."
 Skyworks Solutions, an innovator of high performance
analog semiconductors connecting people, places and things, is excited to share that
several of Skyworks' innovative solutions have received top honors from
Mobile Breakthrough. Mobile Breakthrough recognizes the world's best mobile and wireless
companies, products and people based on selections from an independent panel of experts
within the wireless industry. It is an honor to have been selected from amongst over
2,200 nominations for developing leading-edge technology. Skyworks' family of advanced
GNSS low-noise amplifier front-end modules, which were named "GPS-based Solutions of
the Year," provide global manufacturers with a compact, turnkey connectivity ...
 1965 was the beginning of America's involvement
in Vietnam. A mere decade had passed since the end of the Korean War (or "conflict" if
you prefer), and the Department of Defense had not done much to modernize the military
since then. Unlike with World War II when U.S. factories were turning out military
aircraft, ships, and ground vehicles ahead of formal involvement, Congress was not interested
in making headlines with news of war machines. The "Washington
Newsletter" feature of this October 1965 issue of Electronics magazine reported
on, among other military-related items, the U.S. Air Force's plans to phase out the venerated
B-52 Stratofortress bomber by sometime in the 1970s. Here it is half a century later
and the B-52 ...
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's website to see how they can help with your current project ...
 "U.S. Army researchers are surveying industry for
companies able to design a secure small, lightweight wireless communications module to
tie together
wearable electronics on the individual infantry warfighter without
eavesdropping or interference from the enemy. Officials of the Army Contracting Command
at Fort Belvoir, Va., issued a source-sought notice on Tuesday (W909MY-19-R-0002) for
the Secure Intra-Soldier Wireless Module with Reduced Size and Power (ICW Chipset) project.
Intra-soldier wireless (ICW) technology seeks to link pieces of the infantry warfighter's
kit, such as wearable computers, radios, and electro-optical rifle sights ..."
Sunday 28
 SF Circuits' specialty is in the complex, advanced
technology of
PCB fabrication and assembly, producing high quality multi-layered
PCBs from elaborate layouts. With them, you receive unparalleled technical expertise
at competitive prices as well as the most progressive solutions available. Their customers
request PCB production that is outside the capabilities of normal circuit board providers.
Please take a moment to visit San Francisco Circuits today ...
Friday 26
 Robert Radford's (not to be confused with Robert
Redford) "Electromaze
Puzzle" is a unique - and weird - sort of word puzzle that first appeared in this
February 1966 issue of Popular Electronics magazine. Some people have been confused
about the strategy, believing that all the white spaces needed to be filled in. They
do not. Just because a letter might have an empty square adjacent to it does not imply
that another letter must fill it. Also, read the instruction carefully, especially the
part about the last letter of one word being the first letter of another word. You will
probably want to print out the maze grid and find an old guy who should still have a
pencil stowed away somewhere you can borrow to use for filling in the boxes ...
|
|
|
