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Today in Science History -
 John T. Frye's monthly "Mac's
Radio Service Shop" techno-drama, written in story form - was usually an incognito
lesson on circuit functionality or troubleshooting, how to deal with customers,
industry regulations and news, or an introduction to new components and equipment.
As the "Unusual New Equipment" title suggests, this time Mac described a few new
items added to the service shop to aid in their work. Often when reading one of
the episodes, I do a Google search on specific components or equipment mentioned
in the article. He describes a special-purpose CRT (Sylvania's new 5AXP4 Television
Receiver Check Tube) that could be used universally for troubleshooting in place
of a wide variety of installed picture tubes. I found one for sale on eBay for $39.95.
There is not much you cannot find on eBay if you watch long enough ...
 ConductRF offers an extensive line of
RF and mixed signal cable harnesses and assemblies with custom configurations,
lengths and markings. Thousands of combinations of coaxial, power, and digital and
analog signal connectors available. Flexible phase-stable, low-loss, phase-matching,
high power, and other options per your requirements. Broad insert connector solution
choices including BMA, SMPM, for cable sizes #8, #12 & #16 Custom marking and
ruggedization enhancements capability. Contact ConductRF today and let us help your
project ...
 Not very long ago I mentioned
Jean
Shepherd (original assignee of W9QWN and later K2ORS call signs) as being one
of my favorite old-time radio broadcasters (1960s-1970s). Jean was famous for recounting
stories of his own life and for reporting news of the time in a way that could hold
you in rapt attention from beginning to end. His humor, wit, and command of the
English language was acknowledged by his contemporaries. If you listen to enough
of his broadcasts you will notice the frequent mention of electronics and his experiences
as a licensed amateur radio operator beginning at a tender young age. Just recently
I listened to him recount his first day in high school when a SNAFU in the computer-generated
(must have been a UNIVAC) class schedule mistakenly had him reporting to the girls'
swimming pool ...
 Rohde & Schwarz USA (R&S USA) has
published an application note titled, "Group
Delay Measurements with Signal and Spectrum Analyzers." The available bandwidth
of RF channels are often limited by the bandpass characteristic of filters, amplifiers
and mixers. Detecting amplitude flatness and phase distortion is crucial in characterizing
the quality of a transmission channel. The amplitude flatness within the used bandwidth
may have an influence on the signal quality. Knowledge about phase distortion is
essential to maintain low bit error rates in data transmissions and VNAs (Vector
Network Analyzer) commonly perform amplitude flatness and phase distortion measurements.
Phase distortions in a transmission channel are determined using group delay measurements,
they must be as low as possible to maintain good signal quality ...
 "A team of scientists has discovered the
first robust example of a
new
type of magnet - one that holds promise for enhancing the performance of data
storage technologies. This 'singlet-based' magnet differs from conventional magnets,
in which small magnetic constituents align with one another to create a strong magnetic
field. By contrast, the newly uncovered singlet-based magnet has fields that pop
in and out of existence, resulting in an unstable force - but also one that potentially
has more flexibility than conventional counterparts. 'There's a great deal of research
these days into the use of magnets and magnetism to improve data storage technologies,'
explains Andrew ..."
 Since 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 ...
 Having recently struggled a little with re-stringing
the dial cord on a vintage Realistic (Radio Shack) Patrolman−50 Radio, it really
became apparent why the
Sams Photofact Folders were of such value to electronics servicemen. Unlike
the tangled mess of dial cord shown in the ad, I had the advantage of being able
to carefully open the chassis and photograph the routing and wrapping of the broken
dial cord around pulleys and shafts. Even so, a lack of experience required some
trial and error to get the tensioning correct. No doubt many unqualified radio owners
attempted to fix their own broken dial cords prior to breaking down and committing
to spending a few bucks to have a pro do it correctly. The tight quarters in my
portable radio had me using tweezers to do some of the routing ...
 On March 6, 2019, at 11 a.m. ET, NI AWR software
will be featured in an upcoming webinar titled, "GaN Electrothermal Modeling for 5G MMIC Power Amplifier Designs."
Featured is a 0.15 micrometer (μm) gallium nitride (GaN) process for 5G monolithic
microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) power amplifiers (PAs). Presented by Eric Leclerc,
field marketing manager at United Monolithic Semiconductors (UMS), the webinar examines
the characterization of a short gate-length process for millimeter wave (mmWave)
applications up to 40 GHz. The models developed by UMS are being organized
into a process design kit (PDK) for the NI AWR Design Environment platform, specifically
Microwave Office circuit design software, for release later this year. The resulting
PDK will support the development of MMICs targeting mmWave telecommunications ...
 My mother loved
Norman Rockwell
paintings for their ability to get to the heart of Americana. She was an avid
collector of books on Rockwell and decorated plates for display - as avid as one
can be on my newspaper classified ad manager father's feeble salary, anyway. I,
too, have a great appreciation for Rockwell's great talent to choose his subject
matter and models and to, when fitting, include a nearly photographic level of detail
within. The Saturday Evening Post magazine featured many of his works spanning from
1916 until 1971 - from the middle of World War I and on through World War II,
Korea, and Vietnam. Summer, spring, fall, and winter; Christmas, Easter, Veteran's
Day, President's Day, Mother's Day, New Year's, and other annual events; experiences
of love, happiness, joy, surprise, sadness, and a host of other emotions ...
 Saelig Company announces the compact
ThinkRF D2030 RF Downconverter, engineered to work seamlessly with existing
spectrum analysis equipment by down-converting RF signals from the 27-30 GHz
frequency bands down to an intermediate frequency (IF) of 3.55 GHz or 5.6 GHz.
The D2030 RF Downconverter works with existing test equipment, RF signal detectors,
and interfaces, minimizing user training requirements, and enabling these products
to offer 5G analysis capabilities. This RF downconverter features 10 MHz input
and output clock references for multi-unit synchronization. As 5G mobile and wireless
communication technologies continue to draw on wider bandwidths and higher frequencies,
users can run multiple D2030 ...
 "SatixFy UK Limited introduced the world’s
first ESMA (Electronically Steered Multi-Beam Array) Ku-band 256 element
array antenna at this week's SmallSat Symposium 2019 in Mountain View, CA. Utilizing
the company's fully digital beam forming technology, the new antenna array is being
demonstrated working in an Antenna Micro Test Range to show multi-beam capabilities,
antenna patterns and other performance parameters. The ESMA antenna can serve both
as a stand-alone IoT terminal or a building block for a larger sized antenna and
is currently available in 11-12 GHz receive and 13.75-14.5 GHz transmit frequencies.
SatixFy is in the final stages of developing a complete terminal with an integrated
SatixFy modem ..."
 Windfreak Technologies designs, manufactures,
tests and sells high value USB powered and controlled radio frequency products such
as RF signal generators, RF synthesizers, RF power detectors, mixers, up / downconverters.
Since the conception of WFT, we have introduced products that have been purchased
by a wide range of customers, from hobbyists to education facilities to government
agencies. Worldwide customers include Europe, Australia, and Asia. Please contact
Windfreak today to learn how they might help you with your current project
...
 'Stratovision'
sounds about as serious as 'Wonkavision,' but unlike the candy maker's fictional
machine that transported chocolate bars across the room, Stratovision was in fact
a serious proposal. It was an early form of satellite television. Since orbiting
communications satellites would not be practical for another decade, Westinghouse
devised a system in 1945 using aircraft flying at high altitude to relay television
signals. Engineers calculated that 14 airplanes circling at 25,000 feet could provide
coverage to 78% of the country. By 1950 they had a working system, but needless
to say (because nobody has ever heard of it... except you, now), the concept ultimately
did not pan out. It was not because the system failed to work as designed, but because
there was not enough demand ...
 Modelithics® has released version 19.0
of the
COMPLETE Library for Keysight Advanced Design System. Version 19.0 is compatible
with the latest ADS release, ADS 2019, and adds 52 new models for passive and active
components from multiple leading vendors. The Modelithics COMPLETE Library™ is a
collection of highly accurate scalable simulation models for many passive component
families and active devices. Advanced model features include substrate scaling,
pad scaling and part value scaling for LCR component series, and bias-dependence
and temperature effects for active devices. All models are validated with precision
broadband measurements and come with a detailed model datasheet ...
 While not a second-hand store junkie, I
do like to occasionally make the rounds of the local Salvation Army, Goodwill, and
other independent shops to see what kind of relics are donated. Since eBay, Etsy,
and their kind have gained immensely in popularity, it is getting harder to find
anything useful other than clothes and kitchen wares. A few months ago Goodwill
had a 1910s vintage
cabinet -style Edison disc phonograph (as opposed to wax cylinder) that was
in very good condition, complete with a handful of styli and a couple old records.
The original finish over smooth mahogany and burl veneers had only a few scratches
and could easily be polished to look practically new. The metal hardware could have
stood a fresh coat of black paint due to nearly a century of oxidation. Even the
original nomenclature plate looked factory-new, and a clearly legible paper plaque ...
 Z-Communications announces a new RoHS compliant
fixed frequency phase locked loop model
SFS9280C-LF operating in the X-band. The SFS9280C-LF is a plug and play PLO
allowing for quick integration and designed to produce a fixed signal at 9280 MHz
when utilized with an external 10 MHz reference oscillator. This simple to
use PLO features a typical phase noise of -80 dBc/Hz, -100 dBc/Hz, and
-120 dBc/Hz at the 1 kHz, 10 kHz and 100 kHz offsets, respectively.
The SFS9280C-LF is designed to deliver an output power of 0۬±3 dBm while operating
off a VCO voltage supply of 5 Vdc and drawing 90 mA and a phase locked
loop voltage of 3 Vdc while drawing 11 mA. This unmatched product features
a typical harmonic suppression of -30 dBc and spurious suppression of -65 dB ...
 "When it comes to realizing low-power electronic
devices, spintronics looks promising. However, to generate a suitable
spin current, you need a relatively large magnet. An alternative
method that uses a special type of molecule has been proposed, but the big question
is: does it work? Researchers have constructed a theoretical model which describes
how to put this new method to the test. When it comes to realizing low-power electronic
devices, spintronics looks promising. Spin is a quantum-mechanical property of electrons
that can best be imagined as electrons spinning around their own axis, causing them
to behave like small compass needles. A current of electron spins could be used
in electronic devices. However, to generate a suitable spin current ..."
 SF Circuits' specialty is in the complex,
advanced technology of
PCB fabrication and assembly, producing high quality multi-layered
PCBs from elaborate layouts. With them, you receive unparalleled technical expertise
at competitive prices as well as the most progressive solutions available. Their
customers request PCB production that is outside the capabilities of normal circuit
board providers. Please take a moment to visit San Francisco Circuits today ...
 According to this full-page advertisement
in the June 1955 issue of Radio & Television News magazine, Bell Telephone
Laboratories was responsible for designing and fielding "waveguide
pipe," aka flexible circular waveguides. According to other historical sources,
both George Southworth of Bell Telephone Laboratories and Wilmer Barrow of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) independently and simultaneously developed circular
waveguide, but the early devices were rigid pipe rather than being fabricated from
tightly wrapped, insulated wire that permitted it to be bent rather than requiring
separate corner and offset pieces. Insertion loss and VSWR is typically not as good
as with rigid waveguide, but the ease of installation in many situations justifies
the poorer electrical performance. Bell Telephone Laboratories was responsible ...
 HAM RADIO 2019 and the 70th Lake Constance
Convention, both organized by the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC), Germany’s
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member-society, will take Friday, June
21, until Sunday, June 23, in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance. "We very much hope
that, again, many representatives of the IARU member-societies will be able to attend
HAM RADIO," said DARC Secretary for International Affairs Thomas Wrede, DF2OO. An
informal meeting for representatives of IARU member-societies will take place on
June 21. Youth days and a ham rally will take place on Friday and Saturday ...
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