 Friday the 30th
Thursday the 29th
Wednesday the 28th
Tuesday the 27th
 This is one of the
few times I disagree with Hugo Gernsback. It's not that his conclusion about
economics being the reason for the
delay in producing promised newfangled radios after the end of World War II
is wrong. My problem is that he excuses the manufacturers who blamed delays on the
large amount of time and effort required to incorporate all the new technology
developed during the war. As Radio-Craft magazine reader C.G. Little wrote in
this August 1946 issue, companies were running advertisements a year before V−E
Day (May 8, 1945) promising to have all-new radios with wonderful new technology
developed from advances made in radio and radar during the defeat of Axis
forces. Japan surrendered on V−J Day (September 2, 1945). The fact is those
companies had a year to prepare, and the U.S. government was gradually
relinquishing control over production facilities as the War Powers Act
impositions faded. Nobody was taken by surprise. This was either a case of
government-backed propaganda, or false advertising by the manufacturers...
 An Electronics Weekly article entitled
"Modelling
Grid Effects of Electric Vehicle Charging in the Next Decade" references
Nature magazine study "Charging Infrastructure
Access and Operation to Reduce the Grid Impacts of Deep Electric Vehicle Adoption,"
which indicated high density areas with currently (no pun intended) stresses electric
supply grids will be problematic. It is a Captain Obvious announcement to anyone
following the existing issues like a couple weeks ago California telling EV owners
not to charge their cars because of the power shortage. It begins: "Researchers
at Stanford University have modelled over-night home charging of electric vehicles
and predict that it is not the correct strategy, for the Western US, at least. Stanford
EV charging model Simulation is based on a model, revealed in March, for charging
demand that can be applied to different human populations under different conditions.
In a demonstration..."
 For several years I
have been scanning and posting Radio Service Data Sheets like this one featuring
the
RCA Victor Model R-78 B1-Acoustic 12-Tube Superheterodyne floor console
radio in graphical format, and run OCR on them to separate the textual content
and make it searchable. There are still many people who restore and service
these vintage radios, and often it can be difficult or impossible to find
schematics and/or tuning information. I will keep a running list of all data
sheets to facilitate a search. The RCA Victor Model R-78 B1-Acoustic 12-Tube
photo was found on the RadioMuseum.org website...
 Brendon McHugh has an interesting article
on the Microwaves & RF website entitled, "Strengthen
SATCOM with SDR-Enhanced Phased-Array Antennas." It begins: "Many SATCOM apps
require constant communication between the satellite and ground station, which can
be difficult with conventional antennas. Phased-array technologies, coupled with
SDRs, provide the robust comm link necessary for proper operation. Satellite communication
(SATCOM) is one of the pillars of the modern world, with applications including
Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) navigation,
space research, telecommunications, internet access, weather monitoring, and law-enforcement
surveillance. Together with the satellite itself, ground stations are crucial to
the SATCOM industry. They transmit and receive data to and from the satellite, process
the information, and apply it to different purposes, depending on the application.
Therefore, it’s fundamental to ensure an efficient, reliable, and robust..."
 Included in this first of a series of the
"Simple
Mathematics for the Serviceman" articles that ran in Radio-Craft magazine is
another "cheat sheet" full of oft-used formulas. It begins with basic Ohm's law,
resistance, inductance, and capacitance, then builds from there. What was valid
in 1930 is still valid in 2022. See the October 1930 issue for the next installment
that includes yet another handy-dandy cheat sheet of formulas. A couple examples
are given...
 New 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
12,000 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. I also re-broadcast homepage items
on LinkedIn. If you need your company news to be seen, RF Cafe is the place
to be.
 Triad
RF Systems designs and manufactures RF power amplifiers and systems. Triad RF Systems
comprises three partners (hence 'Triad') with over
40 years of accumulated knowledge of what is required to design, manufacture, market,
sell and service RF/Microwave amplifiers and amplifier systems. PA, LNA, bi-directional,
and frequency translating amplifiers are available, in formats including tower mount,
benchtop, rack mount, and chassis mount. "We view Triad more as a technology partner
than a vendor for our line-of-sight communications product line." Please check to
see how they can help your project.
Monday the 26th
 I learned a new word in this issue of
Electronics World magazine's special report on
ceramic capacitors: "discoidal." It looked like a made-up word to describe something
that looks like a disc. Anyway, the July 1965 issue contained a collection of articles
on the various sorts of capacitors in use at the time. Other types of dielectrics
covered were tantalum, glass, plastic-film, mica, paper, and metallized-dielectric.
Ceramic and electrolytic capacitors were by far the most widely used capacitors
during the vacuum tube era since they were relatively inexpensive to manufacture
and could handle high voltages. Hobbyists who service and/or refurbish vintage electronic
equipment still need this information if for no other reason than to verify component
values based on color codes. It also helps to know how the electrical properties
vary over temperature, frequency, applied voltage, etc., when deciding which type
of modern capacitor will best serve as a suitable substitute...
 Sam Benzacar of Anatech Electronics, an RF
and microwave filter company, has published his August 2022 newsletter that features
his short op−ed entitled "It's
Official: DSRC is Dead," where he discusses how the 1999 era (Y2K era remember?)
"Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC)," which was allocated 75 MHz of spectrum
at 5.9 GHz for "intelligent transportation systems," is no more. "Cellular to Everything
(C-V2X)" is its replacement. Also reported is the introduction of C-Band-proof radar
altimeters, a THz development grant to NYU's Tandon School of Engineering, and HawkEye
360 developing RF-sensing capabilities for U.S. Army. As always, Sam demonstrates
a keen awareness of the industry for which his company, Anatech Electronics, services...
 There are still many old-timers and beginning
nostalgic collectors out there who nurse heirloom and otherwise procured vacuum
tube radios - like this
Admiral Model 7C63, Chassis 7C1 - back to health (operating condition) and/or
keep them in good health. The thumbnail to the left is an example from the RadioMuseum.org
website. While it is possible to purchase schematics, parts lists, and service instructions
from many different models, there are still some that have escaped the scanners
of those publishers. For those kindred spirits in search of such reference materials,
I happily scan, clean up as necessary, and post this collection (see complete list
at bottom of page). I have dozens more that will eventually be added over time,
so check back later or send me an e-mail if I have an issue (check the lists first,
please) of Radio News, Radio-Craft, etc., known to contain the
information you need...
 Any day now we'll see a headline about a
Stasi (aka
FBI) raid on Scott Adams' home at 6:00 in the morning to confiscate his cellphone.
Evidently it's not OK to poke fun at the "woke" agenda according to (as of now)
77 newspapers which cancelled the "Dilbert"
comic strip. Many newspapers have gone out of business or are on the verge of doing
so due to disappearing subscribers. People are sick of having one view forced at
them with no counterpoints. I'm sure Adams makes plenty of $$$ from other Dilbert-related
ventures, so he probably will not miss the revenue. A lot of people still subscribe
to newspapers mainly for comics and puzzles. This will just add to the "go woke
- go broke" phenomenon we're witnessing happening to politically correct businesses.
Go to Dilbert.com for all your Dilbert needs.
 Since its inception in 1934, the Federal
Communications Commission's (FCC) Enforcement Bureau has taken seriously its charter
to monitor and protect designated frequency bands against both intentional and unintentional
interference. Except for malicious attacks on legitimate operations, most instances
of interference are the result of utter ignorance or accidental broadcasting due
to inattention to detail (wrong frequency dialed in) or equipment malfunction. Standard
practice is to issue an immediate cease and desist order to the offending party,
and then go forward with prosecution if compliance does not follow. News stories
appear fairly often about
pirate broadcasters and idiots exacting revenge on someone else who allegedly
offended said idiot. The $500 fine levied on Mr. Winston in 1931 is the equivalent
of a $9,938.62 fine in 2022 (see BLS Inflation Calculator). That is a lot of money,
but it pales in comparison to the typical $25k and higher fines charged recently
to habitually errant Hams. Evidently, his case fell under the intentional interference
category...
 RF
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 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 take a few moments to visit the
everythingRF website to see how they can assist
you with your project. everythingRF is a product discovery platform for RF and microwave
products and services. They currently have 267,269 products from more than 1397
companies across 314 categories in their database and enable engineers to search
for them using their customized parametric search tool. Amplifiers, test equipment,
power couplers and dividers, coaxial connectors, waveguide, antennas, filters, mixers,
power supplies, and everything else. Please visit everythingRF today to see how
they can help you.
Sunday the 25th
 This custom made
Electrical Engineering theme crossword puzzle for September 25th is provided
compliments of RF Cafe. It's a big one with more than 240 words - good for
a long flight. 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 puzzle 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 or the Tunguska event in
Siberia). The technically inclined cruciverbalists amongst us will appreciate the
effort. Enjoy!
 This 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...
 The
Wireless Telecom Group,
comprised of Boonton, CommAgility, Holzworth, and Noisecom, is a global designer
and manufacturer of advanced RF and microwave components, modules, systems, and
instruments. Serving the wireless, telecommunication, satellite, military, aerospace,
semiconductor and medical industries, Wireless Telecom Group products enable innovation
across a wide range of traditional and emerging wireless technologies. A unique
set of high-performance products including peak power meters, signal generators,
phase noise analyzers, signal processing modules, 5G and LTE PHY/stack software,
noise sources, and programmable noise generators.
Friday the 23rd
 TGIF. Even with being self-employed, I still
am always glad when Friday gets here. Aside from some morning work posting content
for my AirplanesAndRockets.com hobby website, Saturday is my only day completely
off from RFCafe.com business. Anyway, a good way to wind down the week is with some
good old-fashioned humor. These couple
electronics-themed comics from a 1959 issue of Radio-Electronics magazine
are literally old-fashioned. The comic on page 52 is actually a tongue-in -cheek
criticism aimed at the housewife who must have make a remark about how easy television
servicing probably is. However, the technician's response is really not such a bad
high-level check of the health of the vacuum tubes. Heater elements burning out
was a fairly common cause of a tube being bad. Of course nobody would want to go
through and feel all the tubes' temperatures because those suckers can get hot enough
to burn...
 Note that while Zenith Electronics (now
owned by LG) has only been around 40 years,
Zenith has
been manufacturing TVs in the U.S. since 1939. Per the IEEE Spectrum article
- "Why the last major U.S. television set maker, Zenith, finally gave up. Driven
finally into unprofitability in its traditional market by ever stiffer competition
from abroad, harmed rather than helped by a decade of economizing cutbacks in research
and development, Zenith Electronics
Corp. - the sole surviving U.S. manufacturer of television receivers - reportedly
plans to call it quits in the business it helped to create and nourish through some
40 years of innovation. Indeed, nothing so neatly reflects the company's present
situation as its latest and arguably its second greatest innovation: a flat shadow
mask for a flat-faced cathode ray tube hailed everywhere as a major breakthrough.
Announced in 1986, the Flat Tension Mask, as it is called, increases the brightness
of the cathode ray tube by up to 80%, its contrast ratio by up to 70%, and its resolution
by up to 15% over current tube designs, which use a curved face plate and curved
shadow mask..."
 Copper Mountain technologies' new R140B
1-Port 14 GHz Analyzer is an enhanced version of its predecessor - the
R140 reflectometer - featuring faster measurement speeds, wider IFBW, and an improved
dynamic range. The R140B incorporates a new housing design similar to CMT's R60,
taking advantage of enhanced heat exchange characteristics and a sturdy USB shroud.
It will feature a new connector assembly, which includes four different port connector
options (N male, female; 3.5 mm male, female). The new connector assembly enables
flexible configuration while maintaining a small form factor suited for laboratory,
field, or production environment applications. "With built-in differential measurement
capabilities, this product will enhance the design and production of next-generation
HDMI and USB cables for consumer goods and high bandwidth data...
 I have often said that some of the most
capable and enthusiastic engineers and technicians - and even managers - I have
worked with in my 30-something year electronics career have been amateur radio operators.
They are the rare few who are able to combine a hobby passion with a profession
that pays for the hobby... kind of like the airline pilot who flies model airplanes
or the druggie who works at a pharmacy. Oh, wait, scratch that last example. Here
we see a video from Chevrolet where two engineers, one of them a Ham, took up the
challenge to replace the AM/FM whip antenna originally planned for the 2011 Camaro
convertible with a
blended, inconspicuous
antenna. Leaked photos of the prototype car showed the whip, which caused Camaro
aficionados to descend upon Chevy requesting its removal. The flexible, folding
rear window prevented an embedded solution as is the norm for many cars. The ultimate
solution? Embed the antenna in the spoiler. Given the retro nature of the Camaro,
the hew and cry against the whip antenna is a bit surprising. I had a '69 Camaro
SS and a '74 Camaro SS, and of course both had whip antennas. Kirt Blattenberger
(circa 1977) 1969 Camaro SS w/350 cu.in. LT−1 engine (Wikipedia says production
began in 1970, but actually late 1969) Bracket Racing Trophy from Capitol Raceway
According to the video, the two engineers spent 10 months rushing to get the antenna
into the spoiler prior to rollout. So, how much did the change likely cost...
 Quantic PMI, a leading supplier of custom,
high-reliability MIC/MMIC components and subsystems for applications in space,
military, communications, commercial and consumer electronics systems for more than
three decades, introduced six new products this month in their extensive line of
RF and microwave components. Included are a bi-directional switched bit attenuator
operating from 400 to 1400 MHz, an RF Limiter that operates over 1.0 to 2.0 GHz,
a low noise amplifier with a frequency range of 8 to 12 GHz, a reflective, SP2T
switch that operates over 2 to 18 GHz, a SP2T Reflective Pin Diode Switch with a
frequency range of DC to 18.0 GHz. Contact Quantic PMI today for more information...
 Hogarth is a comic character invented by
the
Echophone Radio Company. Their bespectacled Army grunt was one of the first
technology nerd types who always managed to appear with pretty girls. His caricature
evolved quickly over the two or three year run of the advertisements. Most Echophone
Radio ads I have seen either feature Hogarth and his woman/women or Hogarth and
a demanding sergeant. This full-page advertisement appeared in the August 1945 edition
of Radio-Craft magazine. A search on the name "Hogarth" does not give any clue as
to the reason for choosing it. For what it's worth, here is the Ancestry.com data
on Hogarth. Echophone radios can still be found on eBay for fairly low prices -
often less than the shipping cost...
 With more than 1000
custom-built symbols, this has got to be the most comprehensive set of
Visio Symbols available for RF, analog, and digital system and schematic drawings!
Every object has been built to fit proportionally on the provided A-, B- and C-size
drawing page templates (or can use your own). Symbols are provided for equipment
racks and test equipment, system block diagrams, conceptual drawings, and schematics.
Unlike previous versions, these are NOT Stencils, but instead are all contained
on tabbed pages within a single Visio document. That puts everything in front of
you in its full glory. Just copy and paste what you need on your drawing. The file
format is XML so everything plays nicely with Visio 2013 and later...
 LadyBug Technologies was founded in 2004
by two microwave engineers with a passion for quality microwave test instrumentation.
Our employees offer many years experience in the design and manufacture of the worlds
best vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, power meters and associated components.
The management team has additional experience in optical power testing, military
radar and a variety of programming environments including LabVIEW, VEE and other
languages often used in programmatic systems. Extensive experience in a broad spectrum
of demanding measurement applications. You can be assured that our Power Sensors
are designed, built, tested and calibrated without compromise.
Thursday the 22nd
 Call me a skeptic, but somehow I doubt the
accuracy of the "Radiation
Curve Representing All VHF Channels" presented in this Rear-Guard antenna ad.
It appeared in the December 1954 issue of Radio & Television News magazine.
Truth in advertising laws were probably not as strictly enforced as they are today.
The main lobe utterly dominates the response, with barely any power in the side
and back lobes. Even a well-designed, narrow-band parabolic dish is fortunate to
have such a near-perfect directional pattern. Aside from that, I wonder how many
people today "get" the picture of the kid with a pillow strapped to his behind and
understand the relationship to "Rear-Guard?" Back in the day, kids sometimes experienced
marshal punishment in the form of a hand or a wooden paddle to the body area normally
sat upon. It was known as a spanking. I know from personal experience that the threat
of receiving such punishment often served as sufficient deterrence from committing
certain naughty acts...
 ConductRF is continually innovating and
developing new and improved solutions for RF Interconnect needs. See the latest
TESTeCON RF Test
Cables for labs. ConductRF makes production and test coax cable assemblies for
amplitude and phased matched VNA applications as well as standard & precision
RF connectors. Over 1,000 solutions for low PIM in-building to choose from in the
iBwave component library. They also provide custom coax solutions for applications
where some standard just won't do. A partnership with Newark assures fast, reliable
access. Please visit ConductRF today to see how they can help your project!
 Almost certainly the earliest observed evidence
of the existence of an ionosphere as part of the Earth's atmosphere is aurora activity.
Alley Oop, B.C., and friends had no idea that the wavering colors were the
result of high energy, charged particles from our sun interacting at altitude with
the Earth's magnetic field. This article from a 1935 issue of Short Wave Craft
magazine gives a nice introduction to what was known of the ionosphere at the time,
which wasn't a whole lot since no in situ measurements had yet been made via sounding
balloon or rocket. All that was known was inferred from the behavior of radio waves
as they were affected by the charged space. It wasn't until 1926 that Scottish physicist
Robert Watson-Watt coined the term "ionosphere."
Although not mentioned here, it was amateur radio operators who first discovered
the ability of the ionosphere to reflect and bend short wave radio waves to enable
round-the-world communications. Ironically - or perhaps expectedly - the U.S. Congress
in 1912 passed the Radio Act of 1912 that restricted amateur radio operation to
frequencies above 1.5 MHz (a wavelength of 200 meters or less). Shortly thereafter,
the FCC reclaimed much of the spectrum for itself...
 "Few fields invite as much unbridled hype
as quantum computing. Most people's understanding of quantum physics extends to
the fact that it is unpredictable, powerful, and almost existentially strange. A
few years ago, I provided an update on the state of quantum computing and looked
at both the positive and negative claims across the industry. And just like back
in 2019, I remain enthusiastically optimistic today. Even though the hype is real
and has outpaced the actual results, much has been accomplished over the past few
years. First, let's address the hype. Over the past five years, there has been undeniable
hype around quantum computing
- hype around approaches, timelines, applications, and more. As far back as 2017,
vendors were claiming the commercialization of the technology was just a couple
of years away - like the announcement of a 5,000 qubit system by 2020 (which didn't
happen). There was even what I'd call anti-hype, with some questioning if quantum
computers would materialize at all..."
 This Radio Service Data Sheet is for the
Crosley Model 425 (Travo) 4-Tube Portable AC/DC Superheterodyne radio which
appeared in the March 1936 edition of Radio-Craft magazine. No example
of this 1935-era Crosley Model 425 could be found in searches, but interestingly,
the term "Travo" returns a Model 166 by that name and the same year of manufacture.
I post this schematic and functional description of the manufacturers' publications
for the benefit of hobbyists and archivists who might be searching for such information,
either in a effort to restore a radio to working condition, or to collect archival
information...
 With more than 1000
custom-built stencils, this has got to be the most comprehensive set of
Visio Stencils available for RF, analog, and digital system and schematic
drawings! Every stencil symbol has been built to fit proportionally on the included
A-, B-, and C-size drawing page templates (or use your own page if preferred). Components
are provided for system block diagrams, conceptual drawings, schematics, test equipment,
racks (EIA 19", ETSI 21"), and more. Test equipment and racks are built at a 1:1
scale so that measurements can be made directly using Visio built-in dimensioning
objects. Page templates are provided with a preset scale (changeable) for a good
presentation that can incorporate all provided symbols...
 KR Electronics designs and manufactures
high quality filters for both the commercial and military markets. KR Electronics'
line of filters
includes lowpass, highpass, bandpass, bandstop and individually synthesized filters
for special applications - both commercial and military. State of the art computer
synthesis, analysis and test methods are used to meet the most challenging specifications.
All common connector types and package form factors are available. Please visit
their website today to see how they might be of assistance. Products are designed
and manufactured in the USA.
|
 If you are from a family of electronics
hobbyists and/or professionals, then there is a good chance your grandfather and
possibly even your father kept a handy-dandy list of common
circuit design formulas handy. The list here Part 2 includes all the
formulas on this page, which dealt primarily with vacuum tubes, the schematics
for which were presented in Part 1 of the series. There was not an "app for
that" back in those days. Prior to a smartphone in every pocket, notes were
pinned to a lab wall or kept in a hand-written notebook...
 Altum RF, a
supplier of high-performance RF to millimeter-wave semiconductor solutions for
next generation markets and applications, announces a new grant and
collaboration with Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), the largest
applied technology research institution in Taiwan, and TMY Technology Inc.
(TMYTEK), a leading mmWave solution provider targeting the 5G/B5G and SATCOM
markets. Altum RF, ITRI and TMYTEK will collaborate on an
Antenna and Semiconductor Integrated Modules (AIMS) project for satellite
communications systems. The grant comes from the Eureka Globalstars Taiwan
framework. The project began in August 2022 and is slated to continue for two
years. The purpose of the AIMS project is to develop a millimeter-wave
antenna-in-package (AiP) module for phased array Ka-band satellite communication
systems. Developing this module will make satellite communication systems...
 Designing, building, and tuning low
frequency filters is much easier for the person without a professional grade
suite of software, fabrication, and test equipment than is RF / microwave
frequency filters. Most of my design and integration work has been with system
level transmit and receive racks for radar and satellite earth station
installations, and typically for prototyping and/or very low quantity
production. Accordingly, I often used connectorized components cascaded together
where each functional block was predefined and tested. I would be handed a
system input/output document that specified parameters for gain, phase noise,
intercept points, noise figure, group delay, bandwidth(s), power levels,
switching and settling times, current consumption, volume, weight, cost
constraints, etc. That explains why my software offerings like RF & Electronics
Symbols for Visio and RF Cascade Workbook all deal with system level design...
 3D printing of antenna and waveguide
components has been advancing rapidly in the past few years. Early research used
plastic that was then coated with a conductive substance. Once 3D printing using
a metallic filament was developed to the point that the structure could
withstand heat cycling, vibration, and shock associated with aerospace
environments, the creation of complex, compound shapes never deemed possible
with traditional machining became reality. Using proprietary additive
manufacturing techniques developed in-house, virtually any form of waveguide
and/or antenna can now be fabricated by companies like Swissto12, based in Switzerland. As can be
seen in the included images from the Swissto12 website, the surfaces are not
perfectly smooth...
Loring AFB (/pictures folder)°
Building implosion
Magnetic Variation
New 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
12,000 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. I also re-broadcast homepage items
on LinkedIn. If you need your company news to be seen, RF Cafe is the place
to be.
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...
With more than 1000
custom-built stencils, this has got to be the most comprehensive set of
Visio Stencils available for RF, analog, and digital system and schematic
drawings! Every stencil symbol has been built to fit proportionally on the included
A-, B-, and C-size drawing page templates (or use your own page if preferred). Components
are provided for system block diagrams, conceptual drawings, schematics, test equipment,
racks (EIA 19", ETSI 21"), and more. Test equipment and racks are built at a 1:1
scale so that measurements can be made directly using Visio built-in dimensioning
objects. Page templates are provided with a preset scale (changeable) for a good
presentation that can incorporate all provided symbols...
 It 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!
With more than 1000
custom-built symbols, this has got to be the most comprehensive set of
Visio Symbols available for RF, analog, and digital system and schematic drawings!
Every object has been built to fit proportionally on the provided A-, B- and C-size
drawing page templates (or can use your own). Symbols are provided for equipment
racks and test equipment, system block diagrams, conceptual drawings, and schematics.
Unlike previous versions, these are NOT Stencils, but instead are all contained
on tabbed pages within a single Visio document. That puts everything in front of
you in its full glory. Just copy and paste what you need on your drawing. The file
format is XML so everything plays nicely with Visio 2013 and later...
This 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...
RF
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 "The Department of Defense (DOD) seeks innovative
and creative solutions to complex, classified challenges, but the DOD is currently
only able to access a limited pool of companies cleared to work on them. Companies
must have a facility clearance and their employees must hold security clearances
to do classified work. But for a company to have a facility clearance, it must have
a contract requiring classified work to justify the clearance. This current model
results in a cyclical pattern that precludes the injection of new companies and
ideas into the classified DOD research and development ecosystem. DARPA announced
the Bringing Classified Innovation
to Defense and Government Systems (BRIDGES) program, which aims to tap into
innovation from companies that traditionally do not work with the DOD on classified
research and development efforts. BRIDGES will connect innovators directly to the
challenging problems that exist in the classified realm so they can help develop
solutions. 'There's a large U.S. innovation talent base at small companies across
our country that we currently aren't able to tap into for solutions to classified
technology challenges..."
 "For more than a decade, [Museum
of Consumer Electronics] in Solothurn, Switzerland, has been a place where history
buffs can explore and learn about the development and growth of computer and consumer
electronics in Switzerland and the rest of the world. On display are computers,
calculators, floppy disks, phonographs, radios, video game consoles, and related
objects. Thanks to a new four-year partnership between the museum and the IEEE Switzerland
Section, IEEE members may visit the facility for free. They also can donate their
time to help create exhibits; translate pamphlets, display cards, and other written
media; and present science, technology, engineering, and math workshops..."
 "Keeping IoT applications across the world
connected is a challenge, yet imperative. The term 'ubiquitous
coverage' is often thrown around in the supply chain and logistics industry
- and for a good reason. Breaks in the chain of visibility leave logistics vulnerable,
especially as businesses scramble to keep up with the introduction of new technologies
and services. This is why the challenge lies in finding a universal solution that
connects IoT applications all over the world, providing a continuous view no matter
where assets are. The first step to improving the deployment of IoT applications
is to understand the common obstacles within the industry, like internal operations.
Supply chain and logistics have long struggled to streamline internal processes
to monitor the flow of goods and services from supplier to customer. And supply
chain demands have only exacerbated this challenge..."
 "The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) has contracted Raytheon to further refine the space-based precision navigation
system WAAS (Wide-Area
Augmentation System). Specifically, Raytheon Intelligence & Space will modernise
the system, in terms of system security, network architecture and adding dual frequency
service. WAAS was developed by the Federal Aviation Administration to augment GPS
services by increasing its accuracy and availability. The satellite-based augmentation
system (SBAS), which provides GPS corrections for critical navigation for aircraft,
first responders and other government agencies, helps ensure - for example - that
pilots can land safely in difficult environments and weather..."
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