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Homepage Archive - March 2023 (page 1)

See Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | of the March 2023 homepage archives.

Tuesday the 7th

Electronics-Themed Comics

Electronics-Themed Comics, May 1960 Radio-Electronics - RF CafeThree of the most popular topics for comics back in the day when these appeared in Radio-Electronics magazine were stereo system fanatics, the battle between television owners and servicemen, and the notion that electronics product sales people were a bunch of charlatans. The comic on page 98 is pretty funny, although it might be considered somewhat unacceptable by today's easily offended population. Seeing the telephone number with a two-letter prefix (e.g., Rick and Lucy Ricardo's MUrray Hill5-9975 meant their number was M[6]U[8]5-9975) reminded me of the webpage I found explaining the system. It mentions that many users opposed the elimination of the prefixes and going to all numbers, including two organized groups - the Anti-Digit Dialing League and the Committee of Ten Million to Oppose All-Number Calling. Coalitions of concerned citizens for every conceivable issue has been around for a long time...

2022 UK Engineering Salary Survey

2022 UK Engineering Salary Survey - RF Cafe£57k ($67k U.S.) was the average engineering salary in 2022. That is down from £58k the previous year. Factoring in inflation, the pay cut is even more pronounced. "Every year, The Engineer asks professionals from across the world of UK engineering how much they are earning, where in the UK they are based, what sector they work in and how they're feeling about both their jobs and the broader challenges facing industry... Little did our respondents know that a war in Europe, months of political chaos, a self-inflicted economic meltdown [COVID hoax - KRB] and a recession would swiftly put a dent in threat sense of optimism. With that in mind, we awaited the results of this year's installment with some trepidation..." The entire report goes in to greater detail.

Transmission Line Systems for FM & TV Receivers

Transmission Line Systems for FM & Television Home Receivers, February 1947 Radio News - RF CafeIt is amazing to me how many times I read an article, whether in a vintage magazine like this 1947 issue of Radio News, or a current edition of QST, how when discussing maximum power transfer from a source to a load, the author states merely that the load impedance must equal the source impedance. The fact of the matter is that the source and load impedances must be the complex conjugates of each other in order for maximum power transfer to occur. That is to say that if the source has a complex impedance of R + jX, then the load must have a complex impedance of R - jX (and vice versa) in order for maximum power transfer to occur. If the source and load are purely resistive, meaning there is no reactive component (X = 0) to the impedance, technically that does not render the complex conjugate rule void, merely not of consequence in that case since -j0 = j0...

Custom Kitting Simplifies Product Development, Saves $$$

Custom Kitting Simplifies Product Development, Saves Money - RF CafeElectronic components suppliers like Newark and Digi-Key can supply custom pre-packaged parts kits for prototyping and production. "Myriad components are necessary to produce electronic products and sourcing them separately can be time-consuming and complicated. Startups and small businesses can benefit from sourcing kits that include all components needed to complete a product. With so many components required to produce electronic products, sourcing each part can waste time and complicate the design process. In this second article in our series, we explore how developers can benefit from sourcing kits that include all of the components needed to complete a product -- from the design phase through to the prototype and low- to mid-volume production. Above all else is the economic advantage. Outsourcing the purchasing and packaging of components to a knowledgeable distributor simply saves money by eliminating the complexities of sourcing ..."

Inexpensive Wheatstone Bridge

Inexpensive Wheatstone Bridge, March 1972 Popular Electronics - RF CafeBefore the ready availability of inexpensive, accurate multimeters, obtaining a highly precise measurement of resistance required something like a Wheatstone bridge. According to Wikipedia, "The Wheatstone bridge was invented by Samuel Hunter Christie in 1833 and improved and popularized by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1843. One of the Wheatstone bridge's initial uses was for the purpose of soils analysis and comparison." This article from a 1972 issue of Popular Electronics magazine discusses the operation of the Wheatstone bridge and includes a construction project for anyone interested...

Promote Your Company on RF Cafe

Sponsor RF Cafe for as Little as $40 per Month - RF CafeNew Scheme rotates all Banners in all locations on the page! RF Cafe typically receives 8,000-15,000 website visits each weekday. RF Cafe is a favorite of engineers, technicians, hobbyists, and students all over the world. With more than 16,000 pages in the Google search index, RF Cafe returns in favorable positions on many types of key searches, both for text and images. New content is added on a daily basis, which keeps the major search engines interested enough to spider it multiple times each day. Items added on the homepage often can be found in a Google search within a few hours of being posted. If you need your company news to be seen, RF Cafe is the place to be.

Many Thanks to ISOTEC for Continued Support!

ISOTEC Corporation - RF CafeSince 1996, ISOTEC has designed, developed and manufactured an extensive line of RF/microwave connectors, between-series adapters, RF components and filters for wireless service providers including non-magnetic connectors for quantum computing and MRI equipments etc. ISOTEC's product line includes low-PIM RF connectors components such as power dividers and directional couplers. Off-the-shelf and customized products up to 40 GHz and our low-PIM products can meet -160 dBc with 2 tones and 20 W test. Quick prototyping, advanced in-house testing and high-performance. Designs that are cost effective practical and repeatable.

Monday the 6th

News Briefs

News Briefs, April 1963 Radio-Electronics - RF CafeThe April 1963 edition of Radio-Electronics magazine had many notable items in its monthly News Briefs feature. Radio communications was rapidly replacing wired communications was a primary means of transferring information from point to point. A mere two decades earlier, troops on the battlefield were unrolling spools of wire over the ground sometimes for miles to facilitate phone systems at strategic locations. By the time this News Briefs appeared, international and intercontinental communications radio was the realm primarily of military, government, and amateur radio operators. A lack of understanding of the upper atmosphere's physical properties, with their constantly varying parameters based on solar activity, prevented a commitment to long distance wireless. The International Geophysical Year (IGY) effort in the late 1950's saw great leaps of knowledge which were being exploited at a rapid rate in order to reduce reliance on extreme undersea and overground communications cable. An explosive demand for TV programming was a big driver...

Many Thanks to Axiom Test Equipment for Continued Support!

Axiom Test Equipment - RF CafeAxiom Test Equipment allows you to rent or buy test equipment, repair test equipment, or sell or trade test equipment. They are committed to providing superior customer service and high quality electronic test equipment. Axiom offers customers several practical, efficient, and cost effective solutions for their projects' TE needs and is committed to providing superior customer service and high quality electronic test equipment. For anyone seeking a way to offload surplus or obsolete equipment, they offer a trade-in program or they will buy the equipment from you. Some vintage items are available fully calibrated. Please check out Axiom Test Equipment today - and don't miss the blog articles!

The Facsimile Receiver

Facsimile Receiver, January 1947 Radio News - RF CafeThe first facsimile (fax) machines for home use were receive only, and got their data not from the telephone line but from a commercial broadcast radio receiver. Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and Finch Telecommunications were two of the earliest entrants into the realm. As opposed to modern digital fax machines, these analog systems used a scanning raster light beam and a photodetector to read and encode the original document image, and then a complimentary scanning method on the receiving end literally burned the image into special thermal paper. The Radio Historian website has an excellent article covering the history of radio facsimile, and how its being was motivated by the newspaper industry fretting over market share being lost to commercial AM and FM radio...

Modelithics COMPLETE+3D Library for Ansys HFSS

Modelithics Releases COMPLETE+3D Library v23.0 for Ansys HFSS - RF CafeModelithics is pleased to announce the release of version 23.0 of the Modelithics COMPLETE+3D Library for use with Ansys HFSS. This library includes Modelithics extensive collection of nearly 400 highly scalable Microwave Global Models™ for capacitor, inductor, and resistor families from many popular vendors. Also included is Modelithics' collection of over 500 3D electromagnetic (EM) geometry models for inductors, capacitors, filters, packages, and connectors. With both circuit and 3D EM models, the Modelithics COMPLETE+3D Library together represent over 26,000 individual components. Version 23.0 adds new substrate-scalable Microwave Global Models for five ultra-broadband capacitors from KYOCERA-AVX. The models for the 550W103, 550Z104, and 550Z224 capacitors are validated to 110 GHz. Also included in version 23.0 are new 3D Brick Models™ for the same five capacitors. These 3D models are intended for full wave 3D electromagnetic (EM) simulations...

The Wavelength Factor - Part 3

The Wavelength Factor - Part III, August 1952 QST - RF CafePart 3 of this three-part "The Wavelength Factor" series is titled "Choice of Frequency Bands for Civil Defense and U.H.F." It appeared in the August 1952 issue of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) QST magazine. Part 1 (Influence of the Antenna of the Choice of Wavelength for Best Communication) debuted the series in the February edition and Part 2 (Propagation, Modulation, and Receivers) in the May edition. Author Yardley Beers provides a comprehensive review of transmitter and receiver powers, antenna gain, and system range that can be expected based on the presented equations...

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

/jobs.htm">Engineering Job Board - RF CafeRF Cafe's raison d'être is and always has been to provide useful, quality content for engineers, technicians, engineering managers, students, and hobbyists. Part of that mission is offering to post applicable /jobs.htm">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...

Please Thank IPP for Their Long-Time Support!

Innovative Power ProductsInnovative Power Products has been designing and manufacturing RF and Microwave passive components since 2005. We use the latest design tools available to build our baluns, 90-degree couplers, directional couplers, combiners/dividers, single-ended transformers, resistors, terminations, and custom products. Applications in military, medical, industrial, and commercial markets are serviced around the world. Products listed on the website link to detailed mechanical drawings, electrical specifications, and performance data. If you cannot find a product that meets your requirements on our website, contact us to speak with one of our experienced design engineers about your project.

Sunday the 5th

Electronics Theme Crossword for March 5th

Electronics Theme Crossword Puzzle for March 5th, 2023 - RF CafeThis week's crossword puzzle for March 5, 2023 sports an electronics theme. All RF Cafe crossword puzzles are custom made by me, Kirt Blattenberger, and have only words and clues related to RF, microwave, and mm-wave engineering, optics, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and other technical subjects. 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., Reginald Denny, Hedy Lamarr, or the Tunguska event in Siberia). The technically inclined cruciverbalists amongst us will appreciate the effort. Enjoy!

Thanks to TotalTemp Technologies for Continued Support!

TotalTemp Technologies - RF CafeTotalTemp Technologies has more than 40 years of combined experience providing thermal platforms. Thermal Platforms are available to provide temperatures between -100°C and +200°C for cryogenic cooling, recirculating & circulating coolers, temperature chambers and temperature controllers, thermal range safety controllers, space simulation chambers, hybrid benchtop chambers, custom systems and platforms. Manual and automated configurations for laboratory and production environments. Please contact TotalTemp Technologies today to learn how they can help your project.

Friday the 3rd

Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla, April 1963 Radio-Electronics - RF CafeThis brief biography of Nikola Tesla was printed in a 1963 issue of Radio-Electronics magazine. Tesla was considered an enigmatic and mysterious person. For someone deemed to be a loner and recluse, he sure managed to accomplish a lot for the world of science considering his humble beginnings in Yugoslavia as the son of a clergyman (a lot of Europe's great scientists were in church service to some capacity). Tesla emigrated to America in 1884 "with 4¢ in his pocket," which is the equivalent of about a buck and a half today - basically nothing. Maybe he also had money in his shoe or suitcase ;-) As was the case with many highly successful inventors, he fought many legal, publicity, and philosophical battles in his lifetime, the most famous of which was "The War of the Currents," where he, in legion with George Westinghouse, had his alternating current (AC) power distribution system pitted against none other than Thomas Edison who promoted a direct current (DC) distribution system - and won...

Axiom Blog: Electrical Safety Compliance Analyzers

Axiom Blog: Electrical Safety Compliance Analyzers Helps Make More Reliable Designs - RF CafeAxiom Test Equipment, Inc., an electronic test equipment rental and sales company has published a new blog post entitled "Electrical Safety Compliance Analyzers Helps Make More Reliable Designs" that covers how electrical safety compliance testing is a method of checking the safety of a new product as it enters its manufacturing phase. Requirements for the measurements change according to geographic region and pertinent electrical safety standards, calling for versatile test equipment capable of applying and measuring AC and DV voltages. Electrical safety compliance testing is conducted according to standards set by professional safety organizations, such as Underwriters Laboratories and the American National Standards Institute in the United States. Measurements for electrical safety compliance testing help find defects in a product as a result of poor designs or manufacturing errors. Electrical safety testing of an electric vehicle (EV), for example, ensures the safety of the vehicle's drivers and passengers with powerful lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, whether...

Visible-Light Lasers Shrink to Chip Scale

Visible-Light Lasers Shrink to Chip Scale - RF Cafe"Researchers in the US have created the first high-performance, tuneable and narrow-linewidth visible-light lasers that are small enough to fit on a photonic chip. Developed by a team at the Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science, the new lasers operate at wavelengths shorter than the red part of the electromagnetic spectrum and could be employed in technologies such as quantum optics, bioimaging and laser displays. 'Until now, lasers with performance similar to ones we have developed were benchtop-sized and expensive, which made them unsuitable for high impact technologies such as portable atomic clocks and AR/VR devices,' explains Mateus Corato Zanarella, a member of Michal Lipson's nanophotonics group..."

First Indian Radio Organization

First Indian Radio Organization, July 1949 Radio & Television News - RF CafeThe 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 magazine 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 and I cannot locate any information on them (other than this story). However, I got this from ChatGPT about ARCI. ChatGPT had nothing to say about SWLI. Interestingly, the SWLI group was set up for radio enthusiasts who were only listeners - not broadcasters - and were not necessarily licensed. QRZ India still operates as a licensed amateur radio operator database...

How Much Is a Trillion Dollars?

How Much Is a Trillion Dollars? - RF CafePoliticians casually throw around figures in the millions and billions of dollars as if it was pocket change. Trillion dollar figures now have joined the parlance in Congress. Government does not create any wealth on its own; it confiscates the wealth of citizens under the threat of incarceration. They are the purveyors of handouts to chosen groups as a solicitation for compensation, be it monetary, obligation or promise of favor. I call them dealers of OPM (Other People's Money - pronounced "opium"). As with the drug, addiction and dependency is almost guaranteed. How much money is involved? Consider this relative to March 3, 2023: A person born a million seconds ago would be about 12 days old. A person born a billion seconds ago would have been come into the world in 1991. A person born a trillion seconds ago would been born in the year 29666 BC, during the Upper Paleolithic period.

Analog Logic

Analog Logic, April 1972 Popular Electronics - RF CafeWhenever I read the April issue of any magazine, vintage or contemporary, lurking in my mind is whether it is an attempt at an April Fools "gotcha." The article title is usually the first clue that the author is trying to punk me at least provides a sporting chance. Take for instance this "Analog Logic" piece in the April 1972 edition of Popular Electronics. It could easily be a hoax, so I proceeded cautiously. It turns out to be completely legitimate. James Hannas provides a few examples of how analog circuits can be used to perform mathematical functions that are easily handled by logic circuits. Of course prior to the introduction of readily available, inexpensive digital integrated circuits only a few years earlier, all those mathematical functions were performed by analog circuits, so this was nothing new to most readers. If you have never researched the capabilities of both analog and mechanical computers, it would be worth your time; you will be amazed. One example that always impresses me is the electromechanical systems that pointed and stabilized the massive gun turrets on battleships during World War II...

Get Your Custom-Designed RF Cafe Gear!

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

Many Thanks to Bittele Electronics for Continued Support!

Bittele Electronics PCB Fabrication - RF CafeSince 2003, Bittele Electronics has consistently provided low-volume, electronic contract manufacturing (ECM) and turnkey PCB assembly services. It specializes in board level turnkey PCB assembly for design engineers needing low volume or prototype multi-layer printed circuit boards. Free Passive Components: Bittele Electronics is taking one further step in its commitment of offering the best service to clients of its PCB assembly business. Bittele is now offering common passive components to its clients FREE of Charge.

Thursday the 2nd

Sylvania Receiving Tubes w/Green Stamps

Sylvania Receiving Tubes w/Green Stamps, April 1963 Radio-Electronics - RF CafeBack in the early 1960's when this advertisement for Sylvania vacuum tubes appeared in Radio-Electronics magazine, a sure sign that pressures of competition was getting serious was when retailers offered S&H Green Stamps. Collecting stamps of all sorts were in vogue at the time because they could be redeemed for anything from a pencil and pen set to kitchen appliances and bicycles. My parents, who both were heavy smokers (and each died at age 51 from smoking-related diseases), collected stamps from Raleigh and Belair cigarettes. My grandfather, father, his brothers, and I collected postal stamps. Stamp collecting, except for rare varieties, is pretty much a dead hobby anymore. You can buy sheets of some new, unused U.S. postage stamps on eBay for less than face value, so that makes them a great deal for using on your snail mail (they are still good for postage)...

Ford Self-Driving Car Can Repossess Itself

Ford Self-Driving Car Can Repossess Itself - RF CafeThe Repo Man might soon be out of work if Ford has its way. "Titled 'Systems and Methods to Repossess a Vehicle,' the proposed system would be installed on any future vehicle that includes a data connection that would disable the 'functionality of one or more components of the vehicle,' which would include everything from the engine, the air conditioning, fuel system, and more. The prices for new vehicles have been steadily on the rise. These increased MSRPs can lead to higher monthly payments, which in some cases, lead to the vehicle being repossessed by the bank. With some customers unable to meet raised monthly payments, Ford's latest patent (US20230055958A1) could make the repossession process go a lot smoother by cutting the tow truck driver out of the equation. A patent filed by Ford to the United States Patent Office details a list of ways for the automaker to reclaim a vehicle from customers not making the payments, which includes an automated system that tells the vehicle to drive itself back to the dealership..."

YL News and Views

YL News and Views, April 1953 QST - RF CafeI wonder why today's editions of the ARRL's QST magazine does not have a column dedicated to the "YL" (Young Lady, or female in general) contingent of the amateur radio realm? Ham radio, as most - if not all - historically male-dominated hobbies has fairly significant outreach efforts to try attracting women into activities. My Model Aviation magazine has a monthly column written by a lady whose enthusiasm for model airplanes equals that of most males - and she's funny to boot! - but it is not dedicated to female modelers. If there is a girl or woman present at a competition, she is almost guaranteed to receive coverage in the form of a photograph and/or mention in an article. Any lack of other-than-male participation these days can only be attributed to a lesser degree of interest by other than males. Could there really be a difference between men and women (in general) after all?

Anatech Intros 3 Filter Models for Early March

Anatech Electronics Intros 3 Filter Models for Early March 2023 - RF CafeAnatech Electronics 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. Three new filter models have been introduced - a 2258.5 MHz cavity bandpass filter with a bandwidth of 6 MHz, a cavity bandpass filter with a center frequency of 2370 MHz with a 40 MHz bandwidth, and a 7140 MHz cavity bandpass filter with 45 MHz bandwidth. Custom RF power filter and directional couplers designs can be designed and produced with required connector types when a standard cannot be found, or the requirements are such that a custom approach is necessary...

The Radio Beginner

The Radio Beginner, March 1936 Radio-Craft - RF CafeI spent a lot of time searching - to no avail - on Google Images for a photo of "The Radio Beginner" photo mosaic (see below) that, per this 1936 Radio-Craft magazine article, used to be on display in the RCA License Laboratory in New York. Author Washburne points out that, as with all areas of pursuit, be they technical, artistic, or literary, everyone is at some point a "beginner." Each person progresses at a different pace, and some not at all. It is hard to think of Thomas Edison, Guglielmo Marconi, Alexander Graham Bell, or Lee de Forest as a beginner, but indeed they were early on. In 1936, just about everyone was a beginner in the field of radio communications compared to the current the state of the art...

RF & Electronics Symbols for Office™

RF & Electronics Schematic & Block Diagram Symbols for Office™ r2 - RF CafeIt was a lot of work, but I finally finished a version of the "RF & Electronics Schematic & Block Diagram Symbols" that works well with Microsoft Office™ programs Word™, Excel™, and Power Point™. This is an equivalent of the extensive set of amplifier, mixer, filter, switch, connector, waveguide, digital, analog, antenna, and other commonly used symbols for system block diagrams and schematics created for Visio™. Each of the 1,000 or so symbols was exported individually from Visio in the EMF file format, then imported into Word on a Drawing Canvas. The EMF format allows an image to be scaled up or down without becoming pixelated, so all the shapes can be resized in a document and still look good. The imported symbols can also be UnGrouped into their original constituent parts for editing. Check them out!

Thanks Again for Windfreak Technologies' Continued Support!

Windfreak TechnologiesWindfreak 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.

Wednesday the 1st

Electronics-Themed Comics

Electronics-Themed Comics, January 1960 Radio-Electronics - RF CafeThe January 1960 issue of Radio-Electronics magazine had only two comics in it. There are usually at least three, and sometimes as many as five or six. In the days when electronic products were actually serviceable by skilled technicians, lots of comics and even skits on TV and in movies poked fun at the often love-hate relationship between customers and repair shops. It is the same sort of thing as you might have today in relation to your garage mechanic. The page 52 comic reflects the extreme level of competition that existed in the consumer electronics market in the day. Combined with pressures to undercut prices of the shop across town or down the street, manufacturers were requiring their authorized dealers to provide and support warranties for which the sellers had to absorb the cost. That broke the financial backs of a lot of retailers when a particular line of new radios or TV's ended up being lemons...

Vacuum Tube Radio Schematic from Dexter's Corner Shop

Vacuum Tube Radio Schematic Dexter's Corner Shop (Etsy) - RF CafeMr. Peter K., owner of Dexter's Corner Shop on Etsy, wrote to ask permission to use the schematic he saw my Buick Sonomatic Auto Radio webpage with the Data Service Sheet from the January 1947 issue of Radio News magazine. He uses vintage line drawings to create really nice framable images that would look great in a workshop, den, office cubicle, meeting room, clubhouse, or other venues where such reminders of from whence our hobbies and professions came are appreciated. I appreciate his bothering to ask before using it, since there are many instances of people using my work without credit. In this case, it is not my original creation, but I did scan and enhance the image from a purchased copy of the magazine. Peter further manipulates the schematic to render it in sepia tone. He provides the files in a variety of sizes, then you print and frame it. The cost is a very reasonable $1.94 - barley worth the time required to process the order, but as a Ham, he does it as a service. BTW, I really like the "Caps Lock" poster!

Please Welcome Temwell as an RF Cafe Supporter!

Temwell (filters) - RF CafeTemwell is a manufacturer of 5G wireless communications filters for aerospace, satellite communication, AIoT, 5G networking, IoV, drone, mining transmission, IoT, medical, military, laboratory, transportation, energy, broadcasting (CATV), and etc. An RF helical bandpass specialist since 1994, we have posted >5,000 completed spec sheets online for all kinds of RF filters including helical, cavity, LC, and SMD. Standard highpass, lowpass, bandpass, and bandstop, as well as duplexer/diplexer, multiplexer. Also RF combiners, splitters, power dividers, attenuators, circulators, couplers, PA, LNA, and obsolete coil & inductor solutions.

Carl & Jerry: Bosco Has His Day

Carl & Jerry: Bosco Has His Day, August 1956 Popular Electronics - RF CafeThese Carl & Jerry adventure tales are the adventures of two teenage neighbors who share an interest in Ham radio and electronics in general. They have a reputation as amateur detectives - and sometimes pranksters. Carl Anderson and Jerry Bishop are the creation of John T. Frye, who published monthly episodes in Popular Electronics magazine. Mr. Frye is also the author of the Mac's Radio Service Shop series of instructional stories that ran in Radio & Television News magazine. This adventure, whose title surely is a takeoff on the old adage that says, "every dog has his day," is quite a digression from the typical storyline in that the boys actually engage in a bit of deceit in order to save face based on a bet made on how their dog (a mutt) could beat the other guy's dog (full-breed bird dog) at finding a scented decoy. A homebrew transmitter and receiver is involved in keeping with the overarching Carl & Jerry theme, but in the end the boys never disclose their "secret" to the challenger after defeating him - and letting him eat his hat...

Electronic Metadevices Break Ultra-Fast Communications Barriers

Electronic Metadevices Break Ultra-Fast Communications Barriers - RF Cafe"EPFL researchers have come up with a new approach to electronics that involves engineering metastructures at the sub-wavelength scale. It could launch the next generation of ultra-fast devices for exchanging massive amounts of data, with applications in 6G communications and beyond. Until now, the ability to make electronic devices faster has come down to a simple principle: scaling down transistors and other components. But this approach is reaching its limit, as the benefits of shrinking are counterbalanced by detrimental effects like resistance and decreased output power. Elison Matioli of the Power and Wide-band-gap Electronics Research Lab (POWERlab) in EPFL's School of Engineering explains that further miniaturization is therefore not a viable solution to better electronics performance. 'New papers come out describing smaller and smaller devices, but in the case of materials made from gallium nitride, the best devices in terms of frequency were already published a few years back..."

The How and Why of Frequency Modulation

An Engineer Analyzes the How and Why of Frequency Modulation, July 1941 Radio-Craft - RF CafeHere is the first of a two-part article on frequency modulation (FM). FM was a very welcome option for entertainment radio listeners who had grown weary of static mixed in with their music and syndicated adventure, drama, and comic programs like The Green Hornet, Lights Out, and The Life of Riley, respectively. Amplitude modulation (AM) is susceptible to all sorts of interference from car ignition systems, arcing in electric motors, light switches being turned on and off, lightning, and a host of other sources. A commercial radio with good noise and adjacent channel rejection was relatively expensive. Permanent magnet speakers did not become a standard feature for first few decades of radio (see my 1941 vintage Crosley radio speaker for an example), so the speaker coils themselves ended up carrying a lot of the same static biases that the sound signals contained. Combine far-away transmitters because of wide spacing between broadcasting facilities with poor receiver sensitivity and the opportunities for interference was large. FM solved most of the problem both because it inherently was immune to amplitude modulation from noise...

RF Cascade Workbook

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

Thanks to Anritsu for Their Support!

Anritsu (electronics test equipment) - RF CafeAnritsu has been a global provider of innovative communications test and measurement solutions for more than 120 years. Anritsu manufactures a full line of innovative components and accessories for RF and Microwave Test and Measurement Equipment including attenuators & terminations; coaxial cables, connectors & adapters; o-scopes; power meters & sensors; signal generators; antenna, signal, spectrum, & vector network analyzers (VNAs); calibration kits; Bluetooth & WLAN testers; PIM testers; amplifiers; power dividers; antennas. "We've Got You Covered."

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Exodus Advanced Communications Best in Class RF Amplifier SSPAs - RF Cafe
Axiom Test Equipment - RF Cafe

everythingRF RF & Microwave Parts Database (h1)

LadyBug RF Power Sensors