Homepage Archive - October 2017 (page 3)

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. About RF Cafe.

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See Page 1 | 2 | 3 of the October 2017 homepage archives.

Tuesday 31

Carl & Jerry: How to Haunt a House

Carl & Jerry: How to Haunt a House, February 1956 Popular Electronics - RF CafeUnlike with the Mac's Service Shop episodes that typically were published in monthly issues that jived with the story setting, the Carl & Jerry plots did not necessarily correspond with the month in which they appeared. To wit, this "How to Haunt a House" story appeared in the February edition of Popular Electronics. I saved it for Halloween. As always, author John Frye mixes technical descriptions with the storyline to lend credibility to the teens' escapades. Modern teenagers might use slightly different methods and materials, but the end results are the came. Enjoy the adventure ...

Thin TV Display Panel

Thin TV Display Panel, January 1973 Popular Electronics - RF CafeAlthough not routinely referred to as plasma displays at the time, the "thin TV displays" reported in this 1973 article in Popular Electronics magazine was one of the first instances of commercially viable schemes. According to Wikipedia, Fujitsu introduced the first full-color plasma display panel (PDP) in 1992 - with a 21" screen - two decades after this device 80x212-pixel monochrome designed by Zenith. I remember seeing the 42" Fujitsu plasma TVs in Best Buy with a $10,000 price tag sometime in the mid 1990s, which jives with Fujitsu's stated plan of selling the first units at around ...

Adam Guha's Beautiful Vintage Crosley 03CB Console Radio

Crosley 03CB Floor Console Radio by Adam Guha - RF CafeA few days ago, Mr. Adam Guha sent me a short note along with a couple of photos of a vintage Crosley Model 03CB console radio that he refurbished for a friend. Note that unlike the Crosley 03CB that I refinished, Adam's still has the striped burl trim pattern on the chassis and dowels in front of the speaker - very nice! They appeared to be plastic decals because when I stripped the varnish off mine, they melted away. It would have been nice if it was actual wood veneer with that pattern. Said Adam: "I found your website upon searching to see who else had a Crosley 03CB and what issues they had with it. Very nice job on the cabinet on yours, it's tough to deal ...

Invisible Waves RF-ResQ Antenna Signal Processor Expands RF Spectrum

Invisible Waves RF-ResQ Antenna Signal Processor from Saelig Expands Usable RF Spectrum - RF CafeSaelig has introduced the Kaltman Invisible Waves RF-ResQ™ (Receiver Enhancement System) - an eight-channel antenna signal processor that can open up portions of unusable RF spectra, while substantially reducing channel interference. Working with industry standard antennas and with both analog and digital wireless microphones in the 470 MHz to 928 MHz range, this solution solves many of the RF congestion issues that plague the professional audio industry. Housed in a rugged 1U rackmount unit, the RF-ResQ is a standalone wireless microphone ...

2D Photonic Layer Stacked on Top of Silicon

2D Photonic Layer Stacked on Top of Silicon - RF Cafe"In their search for silicon-compatible photonic materials for the on-chip integration of optical communications, a group of researchers at MIT investigated MoTe2, a two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) yielding promising results. While III–V light sources grown on silicon through heteroepitaxy suffer from inherent lattice mismatch and surface defects (as well as requiring high process temperatures which may damage underlying CMOS circuitry), 2D MoTe2 layers can be directly adhered to a silicon substrate via van der Waals interactions. Publishing their ..."

Monday 30

Einstein's 1922 Note to Bellboy on Happiness Fetches $1.56M at Auction

Einstein's 1922 Note to a Bellboy on Happiness Fetches Record $1.56M at Auction - RF Cafe"This week, Albert Einstein's 'Theory of Happiness' fetched a record $1.56 million at a Jerusalem auction house. If you're thinking this is a misprint from an editor or an unreleased companion piece to the Theory of Relativity, you're wrong. It's actually no more than a couple of hand-written notes. The story behind why the note was written, however, is almost as interesting as the document itself. In 1922, a relatively young Albert Einstein was a guest at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. His star was definitely on the rise in this ..."

Mac's Service Shop: Philosophy of a Kit Manufacturer

Mac's Service Shop: Philosophy of a Kit Manufacturer, November 1972 Popular Electronics - RF CafeIf you are a seasoned reader of episodes of "Mac's Service Shop," you might have noticed that the stories almost always begin with either Mac or Barney commenting on the weather, which corresponds to the time of year in which the story was originally published. Note the reference to the "bleak, cold November morning" in this November edition of Popular Electronics. This time around, the boss and trusty employee discuss the value of electronics kits, Heathkits in particular. BTW, Heathkit is now making an impressive comeback into the kit realm with new designs. Manuals for some of the more popular vintage Heathkit projects are available again, which are a welcome thing ...

Space Graveyard on Earth is the Most Remote Place on the Planet

Space Graveyard on Earth is the Most Remote Place on the Planet - RF Cafe"When a spacecraft falls to earth, where does it end up? Most fallen large satellites, space stations, and other space objects end up in Point Nemo, an area miles off the southeast coast of New Zealand. It's also referred to as the most remote place on Earth. 'It's in the Pacific Ocean and is pretty much the farthest place from any human civilization you can find,' NASA reiterated. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) orbit closer to this spacecraft graveyard than any other object on earth. ISS orbits 250 miles above Earth. This graveyard ..."

Fairview Low-PIM Plenum-Rated Cable for Use in Wireless Infrastructure

Fairview Microwave Releases New Low-PIM Plenum-Rated Cable Assemblies for Use in Wireless Infrastructure - RF CafeFairview Microwave Inc., a supplier of on-demand microwave and RF components, has launched a new line of low-PIM, plenum-rated SPP-250-LLPL cable assemblies for use in wireless infrastructure. Typical applications include multi-carrier communication systems, indoor wireless systems, distributed antenna systems (DAS) and PIM testing. Fairview's 36 new low-PIM jumper cables feature a maximum PIM level of -155 dBc and are made with UL910 plenum-rated SPP-250-LLPL cable. The PIM levels ...

Sunday 29

Engineering Crossword Puzzle w/Weekly Headlines October 29, 2017

RF Cafe Engineering Crossword Puzzle w/Weekly Headlines October 29, 2017For the sake of avid cruciverbalists amongst us, each week I create a new technology-themed crossword puzzle using only words related to engineering, science, mathematics, chemistry, physics, astronomy, etc. At least 10 clues in this puzzle with an asterisk (*) are pulled from this past week's (10/23 - 10/27) "Tech Industry Headlines" column on the RF Cafe homepage (see the Headline Archives page for help). Enjoy ...

Friday 27

Ruggedized VNA Cables to Replace the Tired and Worn!

Ruggedized VNA Cables to Replace the Tired and Worn! 10/24/2017 - RF CafePrecision Ruggedized VNA Cables from ConductRF offer RF Engineers great alternatives to costly OEM cables that are now past their best days. We have many standards for applications at 18 GHz, 27 GHz and 40 GHz. Our torque resistant connector heads and phase stable constructions ensure great performance for many tests to come. ConductRF VNA series provides customers with reliable ruggedized solutions for lab and production VNA testing ...

Gamma Rays Will Reach Beyond the Limits of Light

Gamma Rays Will Reach Beyond the Limits of Light - RF Cafe"Researchers have discovered a new way to produce high energy photon beams. The new method makes it possible to produce these gamma rays in a highly efficient way, compared with today's technique. The obtained energy is a billion times higher than the energy of photons in visible light. These high intensity gamma rays significantly exceed all known limits, and pave the way towards new fundamental studies. 'When we exceed the limit of what is currently possible, we ..."

Crystal-Controlled FM Tuner Design

Crystal-Controlled FM Tuner Design, July 1972 Popular Electronics - RF CafePhased-locked loop (PLL) oscillator circuits are the standard implementation for tunable frequency sources these days, as opposed to LC tank circuits with either mechanical (variable capacitor and/or inductor) or electrical (varactor) control elements. Crystal oscillators have been around for many decades, nearly a century in fact, but it was not until the advent of PLL circuitry using solid state digital ICs that such stability and accuracy was available across a wide range of frequencies. As author Klaus Peter states, using a huge bank of fixed frequency crystals with selector switches, even when using double and triple conversion schemes, is totally impractical from physical implementation, production, and cost perspectives. These ...

Sr. RF Design Engineer Needed in Ohio by Genie Company

Sr. RF Engineer Needed in Ohio by Genie Door Company - RF CafeHere is a great opportunity to help design products that millions of people will use. The Sr. RF Design Engineer will play a central role in the development and design of important new products where RF performance is very important for our remote controls and connected products. You will be able to take pride in seeing your designs used by your friends, neighbors, and in seeing them on the shelves at home stores. This highly visible senior role will involve close collaboration with the rest of the new product development team to produce new sub-gigahertz (UHF) remote ...

Research Demonstrates Method to Alter Coherence of Light

Research Demonstrates Method to Alter Coherence of Light - RF Cafe"Brown University researchers have demonstrated for the first time a method of substantially changing the spatial coherence of light. In a paper published in the journal Science Advances, the researchers show that they can use surface plasmon polaritons - propagating electromagnetic waves confined at a metal-dielectric interface - to transform light from completely incoherent to almost fully coherent and vice versa. The ability to modulate coherence could be useful in a wide variety of ..."

Thursday 26

A Conformal Battery Takes Shape - Any Shape

A Conformal Battery Takes Shape - Any Shape - RF Cafe"Electronics design is often limited by the shape of the battery - a critical, but frequently uncompromising product component. A new kind of battery conforms to meet the specific shape of a given device. The battery, developed by the Columbus, Ohio-based technology R&D company Battelle, won the Consumer category award in this year's 'Create the Future' Design Contest. Steven Risser, Research Leader at Battelle, spoke with Tech Briefs about how the battery innovation could radically impact design as consumers ..."

Radio Service Data Sheets for Vintage Heterodyne Sets

Majestic 9-Tube Screen-Grid Superheterodyne, A.V.C. Model 290 Chassis, September 1932 Radio-Craft - RF CafeFor many years now I have been scanning and posting Radio Service Data Sheets like this one featuring the Clarion De Luxe Models AC-280 and 25-280, 12-tube superheterodyne radio receiver. 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. The Majestic Model 290 is a tabletop, vacuum tube, superheterodyne radio receiver of the popular 'tombstone' configuration. Grigsby-Grunow produced radios under the trade name of "Majestic."

What's Old Is New Again 

Wireless to Radio to Wireless - RF CafeI have noticed with my reading of the history of radio communications that in the early days - during Marconi's time - most people referred to radio as "wireless." A person would say he has a "wireless set" or "wireless receiver" in his home. Sometime around World War II the vernacular migrated to speaking of "radio." That lasted through the mid to late 1990s as the current "wireless" phenomenon took hold. Everything today is "wireless," even though you and I know that means a radio of some sort is involved. Even smartphones are a form of radio - but don't tell your typical Millennial that lest a safe space be breached.

USAF Eyes COTS Trusted Electronics Component Program

Air Force Eyes COTS Trusted Electronics Component Program - RF Cafe"U.S. Air Force researchers are kicking off a program to develop new trusted computing microelectronics technologies to enable broader use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronic components in military systems. Officials of the Air Force Research Laboratory have issued a presolicitation (FA8650-18-S-1201) for the Assured and Trusted Microelectronics Solutions (ATMS) ..."

Please Welcome San Francisco Circuits as a New Advertiser!

San Francisco Circuits (90x30)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 San Francisco Circuits PCBs - RF Cafeexpertise 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 ...

Wednesday 25

Does Age Discrimination in Tech Start at 40?

Does Age Discrimination in Tech Start at 40? - RF Cafe"Tech workers of all ages think older engineers are highly qualified, have good experience, and can share wisdom. But many older engineers are worried about losing their jobs as the tech workforce skews heavily towards Millennials. That's the conclusion of a survey of 1011 currently employed U.S. tech workers conducted by job site Indeed.com. The study had a number of startling - and some not so surprising - takeaways. First surprise: an 'old' tech worker is defined as over 40 ..."

British Radars for Pleasure Boats

British Radars for Pleasure Boats, July 1972 Popular Electronics - RF CafeYou probably know that it was Scottish engineer Robert Watson−Watt who pioneered the first successful radar systems. During World War II, America benefitted from improved magnetron designs from Great Britain to help build both ground-based air defense radars and, later in the war, airborne radars. This article from a 1972 issue of Popular Electronics reports on state-of-the-art marine radars from England for pleasure boats. In 1972, a radar with a 16-mile range was priced at around $2,000, which is equivalent to a little more than $11,000 in 2017 dollars. By comparison, you can now buy a compact microprocessor-controlled color marine radar ...

USAF Research Lab Tests High Power EM, EW & Cyber Weapons

USAF Research Lab Tests High Power EM, EW & Cyber Weapons - RF Cafe"Air Force officials at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. are working with microwave experts from companies including Raytheon and Booz Allen Hamilton to conduct experiments with high power electromagnetic (HPEM) technology. The work offers the potential to enhance missile defense and electronic warfare capabilities. 'AFRL will innovate the technology for future warfighter needs,' said Erin Pettyjohn, Deputy Division Chief of the High Power Electromagnetics Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate ..."

Telegartner Listing Added to Coax Cable and Connector Pages

Telegartner Added to Coax Cable & Connector Vendor Pages - RF CafeTelegartner Inc. has been added to the Coaxial Connectors & Adapters and Coaxial Cables vendor page listings. Per their website: "From the bell wire to the fibre optic cable." Since the company was set up in 1945, Telegärtner has seen steady growth and has continually expanded its range in response to market demands. Now one of the top addresses for coaxial connectors, network components, high-precision turned parts, plastic injection mouldings, industrial electronics and cable assembly ...

Webinar Today: RF Co-Site Interference Simulation

Webinar: RF Co-Site Interference Simulation in Complex Electromagnetic Environments - RF Cafe

Wednesday, October 24, 1 hour beginning at 11:00 am EST. In this "RF Co-Site Interference Simulation in Complex Electromagnetic Environments" webinar presented Patrick DeRoy - RF Cafeby Patrick DeRoy, we will demonstrate how a 3D full-wave simulation can be used to analyze the antenna to antenna coupling for an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). The coupling data will then be used to estimate possible RF interference using the CST Studio Suite Interference Task ...

VNA Calibration Set for TVAC and Multiport Production Testing

Rohde & Schwarz: ZN-Z32/33 Vector Network Analyzer Calibration Solution for TVAC and Multiport Production Testing - RF CafeRohde & Schwarz presents new vector network analyzer calibration equipment: the R&S ZN-Z32 and R&S ZN-Z33 inline calibration units. These calibration units are ideal for satellite component testing in thermal vacuum chambers (TVAC) and for multiport component testing on production lines. Unlike conventional automatic network analyzer calibration units, the new R&S ZN-Z32/33 inline calibration units from Rohde & Schwarz are permanently connected to the test setup ...

Tuesday 24

New Ham Bands Spring to Life

New Ham Bands Spring to Life - RF Cafe"Amateur Radio's two newest bands came to life on Friday the 13th. Both 630 meters (472-479 kHz) and 2200 meters (135.7-137.8 kHz) bands now are available to radio amateurs who have notified the Utilities Technology Council (UTC) of their intention to operate and did not hear anything back during the ensuing 30 days. 'Many of us filed notices with the Utilities Technology Council on September 15, the day the notification procedure was announced,' said Fritz Raab, W1FR, who coordinated the ARRL WD2XSH 630-Meter Experiment ..."

Electro-Photonics Intros 1.7 - 6 GHz SMT Hybrid Coupler

Electro-Photonics Intros 1.7 - 6 GHz SMT Hybrid Coupler - RF CafeElectro-Photonics LLC, a market leader in RF and Microwave components has released a new broadband surface mount (SMT) hybrid coupler: Q3XB-4000R. Our new Q3XB-4000R, 90° hybrid coupler operates from 1.7-6 GHz, dissipates 85 W, and offers excellent coupling flatness and isolation for the most critical applications. This coupler has a very small package of .560 x .200 inches (14.22 mm x 5.08 mm). The Q3XB-4000R is manufactured in the USA, and is RoHS compliant ...

Short 80- Through 10-Meter Band Ham Antenna

Short 80- Through 10-Meter Band Ham Antenna, April 1973 Popular Electronics - RF CafeThe April 1973 issue of Popular Electronics concentrated on antennas for everything from citizens band (CB) radios to televisions and amateur radio. This article covers a compact, multi-band Ham antenna with a minimal level of skill and components required. Construction tips are given. It includes the popular 10-, 15-, 20-, 40-, and 80-meter bands. Standing wave ratio (SWR) plots are shown for all four bands ...

Many Thanks to Reactel for Their Long-Time Support!

Reactel Filters - RF CafeSince it was established in 1979, Reactel has become one of the industry leaders in the design and manufacture of RF and Microwave filters, diplexers, and sub-assemblies. Through a continuous process of research and development, we have established a full line of filters of all types. They offer the generally known tubular, LC, cavity, and waveguide designs, as well as state of the art high performance suspended substrate models. Please contact Reactel today to see how they might help your project ...

Bidding is Now Open for the 12th Annual ARRL On-Line Auction!

Bidding is Now Open for the 12th Annual ARRL On-Line Auction! - RF Cafe"The 12th Annual ARRL On-Line Auction is on, with more than 250 items up for bid this year. The list includes QST Product Review gear - already ARRL Lab tested - as well as vintage books, previously owned gear, and one-of-a-kinds. The ARRL Lab team also has contributed four of the very popular 'mystery boxes.' Some of the premier Product Review items up for bid include the FlexRadio Systems FLEX-6500 SDR transceiver and updated SmartSDR software for Windows, Elecraft KX2 HF QRP transceiver, Kenwood ..."

Monday 23

Saelig Intros EMCView PC Software for EMC Pre-compliance Testing TekBox

Saelig Introduces EMCView PC Software For EMC Pre-compliance Testing TekBox - RF CafeSaelig announces the availability of the TekBox EMCView Pre-compliance Testing Software. This PC-compatible software simplifies the process of EMC pre-compliance testing of radiated and conducted emissions. EMCView complements an emissions test setup of a spectrum analyzer, an LISN (Line Impedance Stabilization Networks) and an EMI-quiet TEM Cell. Built-in amplitude correction provides the correction and conversion coefficients for cables, amplifiers, attenuators, LISNs, TEM cells, antennas, RF ...

How We Measure Noise

How We Measure Noise, January 1973 Popular Electronics - RF CafeThis article on noise measurement is not about electrical noise, but rather on audible noise. It appeared in a 1973 edition of Popular Electronics magazine during an era when hi-fi stereo equipment was becoming a big deal. Author Carl Alsen, an engineer at General Radio, reviews methods of sound level measurement and presents values for some familiar sources. Radio manufacturers had/have a vested interest in background noise that affects the satisfaction of their customers. Ambient noise in all realms has been a rapidly growing problem in terms of information transmission and reception ...

Many Thanks to Windfreak Technologies for Supporting RF Cafe

Windfreak TechnologiesWindfreak Technologies designs, manufactures, SynthNV: 34 MHz – 4.4 GHz RF Signal Generator w/ Power Detectortests and sells high value USB powered and controlled radio frequency products such as RF signal generators, RF synthesizers, RF power detectors, mixers, up/downconverters. Worldwide customers include Europe, Australia, SynthUSBII: 34 MHz – 4.4 GHz Low Cost RF Signal Generatorand Asia. Please contact Windfreak today to learn how they might help you with your current project ...

Sr. RF Design Engineer Needed in Texas by Genie Company

Sr. RF Engineer Needed in Texas by Genie Door Company - RF CafeHere is a great opportunity to help design products that millions of people will use. The Sr. RF Design Engineer will play a central role in the development and design of important new products where RF performance is very important for our remote controls and connected products. You will be able to take pride in seeing your designs used by your friends, neighbors, and in seeing them on the shelves at home stores. This highly visible senior role will involve close collaboration with the rest of the new product development team to produce new sub-gigahertz (UHF) remote ...

Linx Intros the HumPRC Series Remote Control Transceiver Solution

Linx Technologies Intros the HumPRC Series Remote Control Transceiver Solution - RF CafeThe HumPRCTM Series by Linx Technologies is a complete wireless remote control system. It supports both 8-button remote control and mixed remote control/data networks. In addition to modules, a finished remote (including plastics) is available which can be quickly modified for a customized solution. No programming is required, making it the easiest solution to implement. The HumPRCTM supports long-range operation at 868 MHz and 900 MHz for multi-region operation ...

Sunday 22

Engineering Crossword Puzzle w/Weekly Headlines October 22

RF Cafe Engineering Crossword Puzzle w/Weekly Headlines October 22, 2017For the sake of avid cruciverbalists amongst us, each week I create a new technology-themed crossword puzzle using only words related to engineering, science, mathematics, chemistry, physics, astronomy, etc. At least 10 clues in this puzzle with an asterisk (*) are pulled from this past week's (10/16 - 10/20) "Tech Industry Headlines" column on the RF Cafe homepage (see the Headline Archives page for help).  cruciverbalist: [noun]  cruci- ("cross") +‎ verbal ("words") +‎ -ist ("agent, person") -- A person who constructs crosswords ...