See Page 1 |
2 | of the July 2025 homepage archives. Tuesday the 15th
 Here is an area of electronics that will
be foreign soil to most Gen-Xers and Millennials -
troubleshooting your malfunctioning radio, phone, television,
garage door opener, kitchen appliance, etc. Admittedly, most modern devices are
designed and priced to be replaced rather than repaired. Relatively cheap product
replacement and service plans keep them going for a year or three until they are
obsoleted by newer devices with whiz-bang additional features. However, there are
many of us still around who are born to tinker and are too cheap to bear the thought
of throwing something away before at least attempting to fix it. I have written
often about how many...
 "The low-cost, scalable technology enables
seamless integration of high-speed gallium nitride transistors onto a standard silicon
chip. Gallium nitride is an advanced semiconductor material that is expected to
play a key role in the next generation of high-speed communication systems and the
power electronics that support modern data centers. However, the widespread use
of gallium nitride (GaN) has been limited by its high cost to incorporate it into
standard electronic systems. To address these challenges, researchers from MIT and
collaborating institutions have developed a
new fabrication process that integrates high-performance GaN transistors..."
 At least 10 clues with an asterisk (*)
in this
technology-themed crossword puzzle are pulled from this past week's
(2/19 - 2/23) "Tech Industry Headlines" column on the RF Cafe homepage (see the
Headline Archives page for help). For the sake of all the avid cruciverbalists amongst
us, each week I create a new technology-themed crossword puzzle using only words
from my custom-created related to engineering, science, mathematics, chemistry,
physics, astronomy, etc. Enjoy...
 Light-emitting diodes (LED's) were still
relatively new to the scene of solid state electronics in 1969 when this article
was published in Electronics World Magazine. Two engineers from RCA Electronic
Components wrote to describe the state of the art in LED physics and features. The
pair's prediction that the LED would become "a light source that can be used for
indication and display wherever tungsten-filament, incandescent lamps are used"
did not yet have enough insight into the devices to know that four decades would
pass before their prediction would be realized. LED's have...
 Innovative Power Products has been designing
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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.
Monday the 14th
 Just yesterday I posted an article titled
"Understanding Your Triggered Sweep Scope," that appeared in the May 1973 issue
of Popular Electronics, so I figured this "Scope-Trace Quiz" would make a good compliment. It is from a 1965
issue of Popular Electronics. Driver circuits all include a sinewave source
in parallel with a series resistor and diode, connected to the vertical and horizontal
o-scope inputs. The resulting Lissajous waveforms resemble hands on a clock face
thanks to the diode. Shamefully, I only scored 70%, but in my own defense I'll say
I didn't take the time to draw them out on paper. Pay careful attention to the scope...
 "Advanced alien civilisations could discover
human life on Earth by picking up
technosignatures given off inadvertently by civilian and military radar, new
research shows. The study investigated how hidden electromagnetic leakage might
look to extraterrestrials up to 200 light-years away if they had advanced radio
telescopes like those on Earth. It also suggests this is how far humans would be
able to look to spot extraterrestrials who have evolved to use a similar level of
technology. Preliminary results revealed at the
Royal Astronomical
Society's National Astronomy Meeting 2025 in Durham show how aviation hubs such
as Heathrow, Gatwick and New York's JFK International Airport give off clues to
human existence..."
 Here is a unique type of article from a
1974 issue of Popular Electronics. Author Ralph Tenny presents a
poor-man's environmental test chamber constructed with a Styrofoam
picnic cooler, a dry ice sump, a heater, a thermocouple, and a bunch of input/output
ports for making electrical measurements. While working on my senior project at
college - an electronic remote weather station - I needed to verify functionality
up to 150°F and down to 0°F. Having the Torture Box would have been handy, but instead
I used the kitchen oven and freezer with the interconnect cable mashed between the
door gasket and frame. Unfortunately I don't have any...
 The transition from vacuum tubes to semiconductors,
and from black and white to color televisions was in full swing by 1973. Accompanying
the change in components was a re-thinking of the most effective and profitable
method of manufacturing and servicing the new equipment.
Modularization was thought to be key to future success even though
production costs were slightly higher. Reliability improvements were already reducing
the need for service calls and highly trained technicians who could troubleshoot
failures down to the component level. Swapping out suspect modules with known-good
modules, in Mac's words, results in "a quickly trained module swapper who knows
only 'how' and not..."
Friday the 11th
 The
first thing I learned (or re-learned) in reading this article is that in 1967, "Hertz"
had only recently been assigned as the official unit of frequency. According to
Wikipedia, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) adopted it in in 1930,
but it wasn't until 1960 that it was adopted by the General Conference on Weights
and Measures (CGPM) (Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures). Hertz replace cycles
per second (cps). The next thing that happened was that I was reminded of how images
such as the op-art tracing of
antenna oscillation that are routinely generated today by sophisticated
software, required huge amounts of setup time and trials to yield just a single
useful and meaningful image using actual hardware...
 San Francisco Circuits has published a comprehensive
guide on the
8 most essential types of PCB vias, helping designers, engineers, and procurement
teams navigate the challenges of modern board manufacturing. This is a guide to
the 8 different via types. As electronic devices continue to shrink in size while
increasing in complexity, PCB vias play a critical role in enabling multi-layer
interconnections, high-speed signal integrity, and thermal performance. The 8 main
types of PCB vias each serves a specific function depending on the board's structure,
component density, and electrical requirements...
 This is Part 3 of a series of articles on
atomic radiation that appeared in Electronic World magazine
in 1969. It deals with measurement techniques and equipment. Shippingport Atomic
Power Station, the first full scale nuclear power plant in the U.S., went operational
in 1957. It marked the dawn of a new era of electric power generation that was filled
with grandiose predictions of limitless, non-polluting, dirt cheap power. Everything
was going to be powered by electricity - air heating and cooling, lighting, automobiles,
water heating. Atomic power was going to be a figurative and almost literal beating
of swords into ploughshares as the destructive energy...
• FCC
Power Shift Underway
• Global
Foundry Market Sees Milder Dip in 2025
• U.S.
Renegotiating Chips Act Awards
• Recalls Can Create a
Multitude of Legal Problems
• Why
ChatGPT's Essays Don't Fool the Experts - Yet
Thursday the 10th
 TGIF, as the saying goes. Here are a couple
new vintage
electronics-themed comics for your enjoyment as you wind down
the work week. They appeared in a 1944 issue of Radio-Craft magazine. My
favorite is the one with the lady in the vacuum cleaner repair shop. Look at her
request! Her husband must have put her up to it. The other comic is pretty good,
too. Having lived toward the end of the vacuum tube era, my appreciation of the
equipment is more for the nostalgic quality than memories of having to wait for
the tubes to warm up and re-tuning the radio and TV set at intervals while listening
and/or watching...
 "NASA has issued a formal request for information
from domestic and international companies on their capabilities to provide
satellite-based communication and navigation services near Earth. The effort
aims to transition space mission support from government-operated systems to commercial
satellite services. This call is part of the agency's broader Communications Services
Project, which seeks to develop partnerships with private industry to address the
needs of upcoming science and exploration missions. 'As part of NASA's Communications
Services Project, the agency is working with private industry to solve challenges
for future exploration,' said Kevin Coggins, deputy associate administrator of NASA's
SCaN Program..."
 A series of three articles appeared in 1973
issues of Popular Electronics that conducted a high-level review - or introduction
if you've never seen it before - of DC circuit analysis. In this first installment,
Professor Arthur Seidman, of the Pratt Institute, covers a variety of subjects starting
with
direct current (DC) circuit theory. Ideal current and voltage
sources, units and notations, Ohm's law, Kirchhoff's law, resistors, capacitor and
inductor charge and discharge curves, series and parallel circuits, power calculations,
conductance, and other good stuff is covered. There is even (gasp) a bit of calculus
presented...
 A decade after
tunnel diodes were first invented by Nobel Laureate Leo Esaki,
grand plans for the unique device never played out. Predictions included its use
for computer solid state memories to replace magnetic core arrays. Tunnel diodes
benefitted from the aura surrounding their exploitation of the quantum mechanical
tunneling phenomenon, which had a futuristic ring to it. Conventional diodes, having
a relatively wide depletion region, require the current carriers (electrons and
holes) to overcome a potential hill in traveling from the valence band to the conduction
band of energies. Since high doping levels are used in the tunnel diode, a narrow
depletion region is formed at the junction. This allows electrons...
Wednesday the 9th
 Amateur Extra-class teenagers Calvin Nolten
and Phineas Thorin embark on a mission to track down the source of spurious signals
in the 70 cm Ham band which threaten DX contesting on Field Day. The story
is
Saving Field Day, wherein, Calvin Nolten, a pint-sized shockwave of
teenage pandemonium, slammed open the front door of his home with a report that
could've been mistaken for a misfiring capacitor, the frame shuddering as if protesting
the assault. At fifteen, barely scraping five-and-a-half feet, Calvin was a bundle
of raw energy. His school backpack was a chaotic jumble of ham radio manuals, a
late-model Galaxy smartphone, and lunchtime leftovers. He stormed the kitchen, raided
the fridge for a quick snack, and before the light inside had a chance to go out,
Calvin was out the back door, bound for Phineas Thorin's basement "shack." Mrs.
Nolten, unperturbed by the familiar maelstrom, took solace in know that the chaos
meant her boy was home safe - and likely already plotting some radio mischief with
his partner in crime next door...
 Would you work a 44-hour week for $127? That's
$6,600/yr, or $2.89/hr for a highly skilled
electronics technician in 1969. According to the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics' Inflation Calculator, the equivalent pay in 2017 would be $45,703.89/yr,
or $19.98/hr. A quick look at the current pay rate for an E4 pay grade in the
USAF is $2,139/mo ($25,668/yr). That does not factor in free housing, meals, and
medical care (including for all dependents) - which has significant value. GlassDoor
reports the average salary for an electronics technician in 2017 was $42,390. That
amount is actually a bit lower than the 1969 average. Assuming the present...
 RIGOL Technologies proudly announces the
launch of its eighth-generation digital oscilloscope - the
DS80000 Series Real-Time Digital Oscilloscopes. Featuring up to 13 GHz analog
bandwidth and a 40 GSa/s sampling rate, this latest addition to RIGOL's portfolio
delivers powerful high-speed signal capture and analysis capabilities, providing
engineers worldwide with a reliable tool for fault isolation and validation in high-speed
designs. Outstanding Performance for Mid-to-High-Speed Signal Applications Engineered
with an "All-Channel High Performance" architecture, the DS80000 Series delivers
a comprehensive upgrade to key performance metrics: 13 GHz Analog Bandwidth + 40 GSa/s
Real-Time Sampling Rate...
 This
RF Electronics Basics quiz targets those of you who are newcomers to the world
of radio frequency (RF) electronics, but seasoned vets are welcome to give it a
go as well. People have reported using material from these quizzes as fodder
for interviewing potential candidates. All quizzes are multiple choice and answers
are provided...
 Well shazam, I found a radio service datasheet
that had been missed. This one for the
Sparton Selectronne Model 1068 brings the grand total to 220 that
have been scanned and posted here on RF Cafe. They appeared in various formats in
Radio-Craft, Radio News, and Radio & Television News
magazines. It was in the 1930s that pushbutton tuning appeared in most radio sets,
both tabletop and floor-sitting console models. Those mechanical pushbutton tuner
mechanisms were pretty impressive. The Selectronne also sported a popular visual
tuning indicator called the Viso-Glo tube. It was not a true cat's eye in that the
relative brightness of the tube's glow changed with the received station signal
strength...
 KR Electronics has been designing and manufacturing custom filters
for military and commercial radio, radar, medical, and communications since 1973.
KR Electronics' line of filters includes lowpass, highpass, bandpass, bandstop,
equalizer, duplexer, diplexer, and individually synthesized filters for special
applications - both commercial and military. State-of-the-art computer synthesis,
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All common connector types and package form factors are available. Update: KR Electronics
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high-quality component performance and reliability, ensuring the successful deployment
and operation of our clients' mission-critical solutions. Designed and manufactured
in the USA. Please visit NIC today to see how
we might be of assistance.
Tuesday the 8th
 Test your knowledge of the
country of origin of the inventors responsible for these ten inventions.
In some cases the inventor was born in another country but then emigrated to the
U.S. or another country before his/her invention or discovery. This is a pretty
tough quiz even for someone who has done a lot of reading on the history of technology.
Guessing the country of origin for the inventor of the voltaic pile might be easier
if you recall the guy's name (hint: his name is in the caption), and for the TV
antenna take note of the configuration of the elements (hint: there was nobody named
Log Periodic). I'm too embarrassed to divulge my score, but if you do better 50%
or better, you've beaten me...
 Those of us who have been making measurements
on electrical and electronics equipment for a long time are well aware of the need
to be certain that the ground (common) lead of a piece of test equipment - oscilloscope,
multimeter, or other instrument - is never connected to a point in the circuit that
is
above ground potential. Doing so can be dangerous and/or destructive. If the
test point is above ground potential, connecting the ground lead to it creates a
direct short to ground, which can destroy the device under test (DUT) or at least
cause the measured signal to be altered...
 Werbel Microwave began as a consulting firm,
specializing in RF components design, with the ability to rapidly spin low volume
prototypes, and has quickly grown into a major designer and manufacturer with volume
production capacities. Werbel is proud to announce its
WM4PD-0.6-7.4-S1 is a 4-way power splitter covering a continuous bandwidth of
600 MHz to 7.4 GHz in an enclosure measuring 3.48 x 3.23 x 0.55 inches.
The configuration is unique in that the input and output are on the same side, which
allows for front panel mounting in rack systems, and internally where space may
be limited. Especially useful for extended Wi-Fi 7.125 GHz Wi-Max testing...
 Someone sent me a link to a viral video
of a group of teenagers (aka "Millennials") attempting to use an old school
dial type telephone. Two things are notable. #1: They do not remove the handset
from the cradle prior to dialing. #2: One of them asks whether it is necessary to
let the dial spin all the way back to rest before dialing the next number. It's
really not their fault since except for in dusty old places like my house, finding
a dial phone is difficult. Many historians have commented that two innovations most
responsible for America's greatness in the last century were the interstate highway
system (for moving goods) and the telephone system. Bell Telephone Labs engineers
designed phones and all the equipment that connected them to be simple, highly functional,
robust, and to have...
 As mentioned often here on RF Cafe,
especially with an ever-increasing amount of devices and appliances with "no user
serviceable parts inside," the demand for electronics technicians is as great today
as it was decades ago. Associated equipment is significantly different now and a
lot more of it consists of swap-out modules and assemblies rather than performing
repairs in the field. However, there still exists a significant amount of
legacy electronics everywhere, and it all needs to be maintained
until upgrades are installed. There...
 Crane Aerospace & Electronics' products
and services are organized into six integrated solutions: Cabin Systems, Electrical
Power Solutions, Fluid Management Solutions, Landing Systems, Microwave Solutions,
and Sensing Components & Systems. Our Microwave Solution designs and manufactures
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RF, IF and millimeter-wave components, subsystems and systems for commercial
aviation, defense, and space including linear & log amplifiers, fixed &
variable attenuators, circulators & isolators, power combiners & dividers,
couplers, mixers, switches & matrices, oscillators & synthesizers.
Monday the 7th
 This is a great
electronics-themed comic from a February 1972 issue of Popular
Electronics. It encompasses the essence of the stereotypical salesman ruse,
especially in that era when people were sure that electronics repair services were
out to rip them off by selling unneeded services and replacement parts. Aspiring
TV technicians who couldn't grasp the technology moved on to working as mechanics
in a garage, poking tiny holes in brake lines to scare owners into paying for complete
braking system rebuilds. I usually like to post multiple comics on each page, but
at the moment only this one is available...
 "Scientists have achieved a major breakthrough
by creating the world's first next-generation
betavoltaic cell. This advanced power source was made by directly connecting
a radioactive isotope electrode to a perovskite absorber layer, a cutting-edge material
known for its efficiency. Betavoltaic cells generate electricity by capturing beta
particles emitted during the natural radioactive decay. In theory, they can operate
for decades without maintenance. Beta particles also present excellent biological
safety advantages, as they cannot penetrate human skin. The newly developed technology
offers a stable, long-term power supply without the need for recharging, making
it a promising next-generation..."
 Until solid state electronics had supplanted
the majority of vacuum tube type televisions and radios,
portable tube testers were essential equipment to successful,
efficient troubleshooting and repair in businesses and people's homes. Yep, believe
it or not the stories told about doctors and electronics repairmen visiting homes
are not just fables. I remember as recently as the 1960s having our family doctor
make house calls when I or one of my fours sisters got sick. Both doctors and TV
servicemen ceased the practice at about the same time - probably the result of a
Brotherhood of Electronics Technicians and General Practitioners collective bargaining
agreement ;-) Many column inches of editorials, articles, comics, and letters to
the editor were devoted to the trials and tribulations of in-home servicemen and
the experiences...
 Finally, a concise, 1,000-word essay (a picture's
worth a thousand words, right?) that illustrates how a capacitor can block direct
current (DC), but pass alternating current (AC), has been published! Even the uninitiated
layman can now understand a principle that has stumped even electrical engineering
students for two centuries. What used to require a familiarity with Faraday's and
Ampere's laws, electric field and charge theory, and a mastery of calculus to fully
comprehend, is now within the grasp of the common man. It is no longer necessary
to use the water system equivalent (e.g., pressure=voltage, flow=current, diameter=resistance)
of a rubber diaphragm inside a pipe to get through to fledgling electric circuit
students. This ingenious drawing appeared on an online news site (no attribution).
 As with your school and college days where
once there was no longer any reason to memorize physical constants, conversion formulas,
and names of people, places, and things, much of the noggin's gray matter was repurposed
to remember topics of more immediate need. You can always look up what you have
forgotten. While studying for your Ham radio or FCC license, being able to be able
to quickly convert between wavelength and frequency is essential. Recalling on demand
frequency-wavelength pairs is a real time saver on a timed exam.
Even being able to perform the conversion on a calculator during the test takes
up valuable time that could be better used on other tasks. This handy-dandy chart
for converting...
Friday the 4th
 Quadrature modulation and demodulation is
as commonplace and unremarkable today as were Space Shuttle launches before NASA
cancelled the program in 2011 (eliminating America's ability to send astronauts
into space). However, before integrated circuit implementation was available, it
was a relatively rarely employed scheme. Yes, there were many applications using
analog quadrature systems, but use with digital communications requires closely
matched (amplitude and phase) pairs of mixers and power splitters / combiners, along
with close tracking over time and temperature. The "magic" of quadrature systems
is...
 Phosphorous: From Latin phosphorus "light-bringing,"
from Greek Phosphoros "morning star," literally "torchbearer," from phos "light,"
contraction of phaos "light, daylight" + phoros "bearer," from pherein "to carry."
Long before mankind had developed methods of bombarding phosphorous compounds with
electron beams to make them glow, 17th-century scientist Hennig Brand observed the
characteristic light emitting property of phosphorous when exposed to oxygen. No
doubt the Ancients noticed the naturally occurring glow of bioluminescent plants
and animals, and maybe even luminescent glow caused by the breaking open of phosphorous-containing
rocks. Radioactive decay in the vicinity of phosphorescent materials can also cause
a...
• 5 Trends Set to
Redefine Global Telecoms
• RAN
Sales Grow in U.S., Decline Globally
• U.S. Restricts
EDA
Software Sales to China
• FCC To
Close Robocaller Network Loophole
• NI Highlights Role of
AI in SDR Solutions for SIGINT
 Allegory is not an often seen style of prose
in the electronics writing world, and typically is not meant to be humorous; however,
there have been a few instances of it in the vintage electronics magazines I read.
One of the most famous examples of allegory is a story by Paul Bunyan titled "Pilgrim's
Progress." "She Wore a Red Germanium," by Leta Foster Ide, is a more contemporary
form of allegory that RF Cafe visitors will appreciate. Mike R. Fonic (microphonic)
is the lead character in the story who complains to his doctor, "I'm off my feed.
Got no capacity. Fact is, I'm in a breakdown." Mike's wife's Aunt Enna (antenna)
is no help, evidently. Come to think of it, the author's name, Leta Foster Ide...
Thursday the 3rd
 Since I am currently planning a loudspeaker
configuration to replace the original speaker in my 1941 Crosley 03CB floor model
AM / shortwave radio set, this article made for a good refresh on
audio frequency crossover networks. A very nice set of design
charts is provided. Of course today there is no need to design and build your own
since commercial units are very good and cost less than what I could build myself.
Many moons ago while serving in the USAF at Robins AFB, Georgia, I did actually
build my own crossover circuit for use in custom speaker cabinets I built in the
base woodshop. The speaker that came in the Crosley has a 12" cone, which is still
in good condition, but it uses an electromagnetic voice coil rather than a permanent
magnet like modern speakers use...
 Hidden away on page 134 of a 1959 issue
of Electronics World, at the end of a Mac's Service Shop-like
electronics shop docudrama (Another Day in the Shop) is this handy tip
on how to fabricate a make-shift
thermal wire stripper from a soldering gun or a soldering iron. The
beauty of thermal strippers over mechanical strippers is that they do not nick the
underlying metal wire. Heated elements melt the insulation and then a blunt edge
is used to slide the insulation off the end of the wire. Another advantage is that
you can strip a wide range of wire gauges and insulation types without needing to
adjust the jaws or change to a different hole location - although a proper temperature
setting is required to avoid a gloppy, stringy mess...
 Anatech Electronics offers the industry's
largest portfolio of high-performance standard and customized RF and microwave filters
and filter-related products for military, commercial, aerospace and defense, and
industrial applications up to 40 GHz. Three new filter models have been added
to the product line in July, including a 1200-3000 MHz highpass filter, a 118-137
MHz user-tunable VHF filter, and a 1215.6-1239.6 MHz / 1563.42-1587.42 MHz
GPS L1/L2 cavity duplexer filter. Custom RF power filter and directional couplers
designs can be designed and produced with required connector...
 You've heard of the World's Fairs, the most
familiar probably being the 1933 Chicago World's Fair where the theme was "A Century
of Progress." World's Fairs have been held in various cities worldwide since the
late 1790s. In 1929, the World's Fair was held in the United Kingdom, but the "Radio World's Fair," which began its annual run in 1924
(click on stamps thumbnail), was held in New York
City. Surprisingly little exists on the Internet about the events. It was more of
a trade show to introduce new products than it was a fair, as can be seen from the
photos. Radios with decorative wooden cabinets were becoming popular as the number
of commercial broadcast stations was growing rapidly. Remote control in the day
meant a handheld unit with a cable attached to the main system. Crosley introduced
its first gendered radio model - the Monotrad...
Wednesday the 2nd
 Sprague Electric engineer Benedict Rosen,
discusses how the characteristics of a circuit in need of protection against RF
interference needs to be considered when selecting filter components. He points
out that attempting to hang a shunt
feedthrough capacitor on the input and/or output of a low impedance
(e.g., 50 Ω) RF circuit could make the situation worse, depending on whether
the circuit is strongly capacitive or inductive in its out-of-band region. Sprague
was a major manufacturer of all sorts of capacitors qualified for use in military
and aerospace systems, so they put a lot of effort into characterizing device parameters
over a wide range of voltage, current, power, temperature, mechanical, and frequency
environments...
 Monostable multivibrator, one-shot multivibrator,
monocycle multivibrator - it's a matter of semantics, although
the circuit designer doesn't necessarily think so. The distinction, evidently, is
that this monocycle multivibrator uses a positive-going pulse as a trigger and the
output in its rest (stable) state is a digital "0" (low). A mere 2 mA of current
flows since all the unijunction transistors (UJTs) are turned off. A UJT, to refresh
your memory, is not used as a linear amplifier because of its regenerative, negative
resistance operating region that causes it to effectively lock into a fully on or
fully off conduction state until an external stimulus causes...
 "Forecasts are mostly just guessing plus
math" -
Dilbert, 12/1/2017. It was part of a dialog with the Pointy-Haired
Boss who compelled Dilbert to prepare a financial report for him...
 Windfreak Technologies designs, manufactures,
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Since the conception of WFT, we have introduced products that have been purchased
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 The manned space program has unarguably
provided mankind with many new and innovative tools, medicines, electronics, materials,
physics, materials, appliances, and mathematics. Known officially as "spinoffs,"
products include items like the portable heart defibrillator unit, the portable
vacuum cleaner, freeze-drying food processors, powdered lubricants, memory foam,
quartz clocks and battery-powered tools. Many
NASA inventions have not found an application in your basement
or garage, however, because their purpose is too specialized. Take, for instance,
the ZeRT, or Zero Reaction Tool. It is basically a torque wrench that is operated
by one hand by squeezing. As the name implies, the ZeRT removes the consequence
of Newton's third law motion...
Tuesday the 1st
 I was first introduced to the concept of
receiver noise figure at the start of my engineering career in
1989 at General Electric AESD in Utica, NY. During my four years in the U.S. Air
Force working on airport surveillance and precision approach radars, I do not recall
having ever heard the term noise figure or noise temperature. We did signal to noise
and signal sensitivity measurements as part of the normal maintenance, but the terms
never arose. Ditto for my courses at the UVM. We never did cascade parameter calculations
for noise figure, intercept points, compression points, etc. That is primarily the
realm of practicing...
 A team at the University of Bristol developed
SLCFETs, a breakthrough transistor structure that leverages a latch effect in
GaN materials to enhance speed and power, advancing the future of 6G. Self-driving
cars that eliminate traffic jams, receiving a healthcare diagnosis instantly without
leaving your home, or feeling the touch of loved ones across the continent may sound
like science fiction. However, new research led by the University of Bristol and
published in the journal Nature Electronics could bring these possibilities closer
to reality, thanks to a groundbreaking breakthrough in semiconductor technology...
 Being the birthday of Dr. Robert W.
Wilson, there is no better occasion to post this article about the "sugar-scoop" antenna used by the two Bell Telephone Labs engineers
(the other being Dr. Arno A. Penzias) who serendipitously discovered the cosmic
microwave background radiation (CMBR) believed to be a signature of "The Big Bang."
The pair were investigating an unexplained hiss in the background of the very low
noise receiver attached to the antenna. That microwave energy was constant and came
from all areas of the sky, regardless of where the antenna was pointed. They eventually
deduced that the signature was consistent with...
 ConductRF is continually innovating and
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 To some extent, I agree with the readers
of Radio-Craft magazine who wrote to editor Hugo Gernsback complaining
about the lack of opportunity available to radio servicemen returning from the battlefield
at the end of World War II. As noted in this editorial entitled, "Radio
Industry Unfair?," many are people who sold or took leave from their established
electronics service and/or stores in answer to their country's call to go abroad
to fight for the free world. However, Radio-Craft was, throughout 1945,
filled with advertisements by electronics manufacturers promising jobs and opportunities
and anticipated demand for representation by service shops and sales outlets. Evidently,
it did not turn out to be so, at least to the degree predicted. Gernsback does have
a good point, though, that if the letters submitted to him are an indication of
the quality...
These archive pages are provided in order to make it easier for you to find items
that you remember seeing on the RF Cafe homepage. Of course probably the easiest
way to find anything on the website is to use the "Search
RF Cafe" box at the top of every page. Some quoted items have been shortened
to save space. About RF Cafe.
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- Christmas-themed
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