 Friday 21
 Just as the title of this installment of
Mac's Service Shop, "A Typical Day in the Shop," suggests, the story is a
recollection of the kinds of scenarios that would found in an ordinary shift in
an electronics service business in the mid 1950's. Vacuum tubes were the norm of
the day, as were discrete leaded components and a rat's nest of wires running
from solder lug to solder lug. Printed circuit boards were beginning to appear
in commercial products, but mostly existed in specialty defense and aerospace
applications. You might wonder how many different ways could there be for simple
circuits like biasing and heater element lighting, but some pretty imaginative
variations made their way into radios, television, record players, and tape
decks, and often times that made a serviceman's life heck. Such was the case
here as über-owner-technician Mac admonishes sidekick Barney for not taking
time...
 Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation (BNC)
is a leading manufacturer of precision electronic instrumentation for test,
measurement, and nuclear research. Founded in 1963, BNC initially developed
custom pulse generators. We became known for meeting the most stringent
requirements for high precision and stability, and for producing instruments of
unsurpassed reliability and performance. We continue to maintain a leadership
position as a developer of custom pulse, signal, light, and function generators.
Our designs incorporate the latest innovations in software and hardware
engineering, surface mount production, and automated testing procedures.
 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...
 "Researchers from Drexel University have
discovered a two-dimensional material that has the ability to block electromagnetic
interference. Drexel University The material comes from a two-dimensional family
known as
MXenes. These materials were first produced back in 2011 at Drexel University.
Since then, researchers have discovered remarkable properties in many of these two-dimensional
materials - and this new discovery could prove to be one of the most exciting yet.
The material is known as titanium carbonitride. This discovery breaks all the barriers
that existed in the electromagnetic shielding field. It not only reveals a shielding
material that works better than copper, but it also shows an exciting, new physics
emerging, as we see discrete two-dimensional materials interact with electromagnetic
radiation in a different way than bulk metals..."
 The old adage about a picture being worth
a thousand words is still true today, even in the Information Age in which we live.
A lot of people, especially those new to the field of electronics, struggle with
the
concept of decibels as applied to power and voltage (and to a lesser degree
current). A plethora of computer, browser, and phone app programs are available
to make individual, specific conversions, but what has been learned about the fundamental
relationship? A nomograph is still one of the best tools both for teaching and performing
conversions. This article that discusses properly matching impedances of amplification
stages includes a nice nomograph...
 EDN has published the results of their 2020
"Mind
of the Engineer" survey. It reflects changes in attitudes and workplace preferences
in this era of the Wuhan Virus (aka COVID-19). Many engineers - and other workers
- are discovering that they really like working remotely from home. Of course some
jobs require a physical presence at an office building, but a lot of engineers are
setting up labs in their homes where possible. "What's on the design engineer's
mind in 2020, the year pundits claim will change the workplace forever with the
option to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic? The electronic design arena
is already starting to witness the change, as corroborated in the latest 'Mind of
the Engineer' survey carried out by AspenCore, the parent company of EDN. For instance,
while most engineers prefer to conduct circuit design..."
 Innovative Power Products (IPP) has over
30 years of experience designing & manufacturing RF & microwave passive
components. Their high power, broadband couplers, combiners, resistors, baluns, terminations and attenuators
are fabricated using the latest materials and design tools available, resulting
in unrivaled product performance. Applications in military, medical, industrial
and commercial markets are serviced around the world. Please take a couple minutes
to visit their website and see how IPP can help you today.
Thursday 20
 If you have never read the story of
Lee de Forest's journey from initial experiments to finally achieving success
with his amplifying vacuum tube, the Audion, then you might want to take a few minutes
to look over this article. It was published in a 1947 issue of Radio-Craft
magazine as part of the 40th anniversary of the invention that changed the electronics
world. With so many other things which are nowadays very commonplace, we tend to
not think about or appreciate the ingenuity and effort that went into them. It is
one thing to make incremental improvements in an existing technology, but to conceive
of and created an entirely new realm of science is quite another. As with Albert
Einstein's relativity and Robert Goddard's liquid-fueled rockets, and the Wright
brothers' powered aeroplane...
 TotalTemp Technologies is expanding its offerings
to include more products such as custom
wide range temperature chambers. Featured here is the model C230 temperature
chamber with custom apertures on four sides and +325°C to −160°C temperature range.
It features time tested designs and the award winning synergy Nano temperature controller.
Meet your custom requirements in a better way than with off the shelf solutions.
Two year warranties and accessible knowledgeable support before and after the sale.
TotalTemp also offers a new product line of refrigerated custom thermal platforms
capable of -70°C without the need for expendable coolants...
 "U.S. Special Operations Command could order
up to $172M worth of
inflatable satellite communications terminals under a new five-year contract
with GATR Technologies, a subsidiary of Cubic Corp. By using an inflatable radome,
GATR Technologies' antennas are designed to be ultra-portable and easy to set up.
The smaller version can be set up in less than 20 minutes, while the larger can
be set up in less than 30 minutes. Consisting of five one-year ordering periods,
the indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract provides for the procurement
of 1.2-meter and 2.4-meter inflatable satellite communications terminals and related
equipment. The contract was issued as a Phase III Small Business Innovation Research
award by USSOCOM..."
 This "Carl and Jerry" episode entitled "Extracurricular
Education" is a bit far-fetched compared to the typical storyline, but it does
illustrate how when you are desperate to get out a distress signal, a little technical
knowledge and having a knack for improvisation can save the day. Back then there
were probably a lot more people sitting around their radios or TVs who might have
heard the SOS message and actually know what it was. I am no Morse code master,
but anytime I hear the familiar di-di-dit dah-dah-dah di-di-dit (··· --- ···) cadence
in a movie or anywhere else, my attention tunes into it like a mother recognizes
her baby's cry in a noisy room. Interestingly, seat belts are mentioned in this
1963 issue of Popular Electronics magazine. Ford began installing them in 1955 as
an option...
 ConductRF offers RF Engineers a large selection
of
Hi Flex cable for vector network analyzers (VNAs). We have standards for applications
at 18-40 GHz, 50 GHz & 70 GHz. Our torque resistant connector
heads and phase stable constructions ensure great performance for many tests to
come. Other key features include: 2.92 mm, 2.4 mm & 1.85 mm connector
options, low VSWR & insertion loss, low phase change with flexing, options available
swept right angle connectors. ConductRF VNA series provides customers with reliable
ruggedized solutions for Lab and Production Vector Network Analyzer testing. With
options for 18 GHz, 26.5 GHz, 40 GHz, 50 GHz, & 70 GHz,
these cables offer cost leading alternatives to original OEM VNA cable solutions...
 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.
 This
Analog & RF
Filter Basics Quiz targets those of you who are relative newcomers to the world
of radio frequency (RF) electronics, but seasoned vets are welcome to give it a
go as well. It addresses frequency response and physical construction. Images were
obtained from Anatech Electronics documents entitled "Guideline for Choosing RF
and Microwave Products" and "Understanding Filter Types and Their Characteristics."
API Technologies' "RF & Microwave Filters," is also referenced...
 Modelithics, is pleased to announce the release
of version 20.4 of the COMPLETE+3D Library for use with
Ansys HFSS. The library contains over 325 highly scalable Microwave Global Models™
for capacitor, inductor, and resistor families from many popular vendors, plus a
collection of nearly 300 Modelithics' 3D geometry models for inductors, capacitors,
filters, packages and connectors. Version 20.4 adds five new part value-, pad-,
and substrate scalable models and over seventy new full wave 3D electromagnetic
models. New scalable circuit models include a new model for Coilcraft's 0402DC inductor
series, Johanson's L-14C and L-14W inductor series, and Vishay's CRCW1206 resistor
series. New 3D EM models are available for Mini-Circuits' HFCN-740+, HFCN-880+,
and HFCN-2700+ filter series...
 "In novel materials known as
topological insulators, electricity or light can flow around corners and defects
with virtually no losses. All topological insulators produced so far are comprised
of an insulating bulk and perfectly conductive edges. Now scientists have found
- at least in theory - that fractal topological insulators could possibly be made
up only of edges, with no bulk at all. Topology is the branch of mathematics that
explores what aspects of shapes can survive deformation. For example, an object
shaped like a doughnut can get deformed into the shape of a mug, with the doughnut's
hole forming the hole in the cup's handle, but it could not get pushed or pulled
into a shape that lacked a hole..."
 While company branding and the user interface
have changed over the years since
AppCAD first appeared on the Hewlett Packard (HP) website, it is still as handy
a desktop tool as ever. The most recent incarnation was provided by Avago Technologies,
which bought Broadcom in 2015 and then adopted its name. You can now download a
free copy of AppCAD from the Broadcom website. Rather than do an extensive write-up
about all the calculation screens in AppCAD, I've posted a sampling of screen shots.
Amongst them are a Smith chart s-parameter plotter, a lumped element balun designer,
a microstrip calculator, a mixer spurious product calculator, and thermal dissipation
calculator...
 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. The AE4570-5080DB5468
passes the frequency bands of 4390-4750 MHz and 4900-5260 MHz. Insertion
loss within the pass bands is less that 1 dB and an isolation between the bands
of more than 70 dB. The duplexer can handle powers up to 50 watts and
can be fitted with either SMA, N type or a combination of both. The TCAS 1090 MHz
is a low profile SMT type Ceramic Band Pass Filter has a 1 dB BW of 10 MHz,
passing...
 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.
Tuesday 18
 Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) communications have
been used by amateur radio operators for a few decades now, made possible by more
capable transmitters and receivers as well as digital encoding which facilitates
operation closer to the noise floor. EME is regarded largely as a novelty branch
of Ham radio since relatively few people are set up to exploit it. In 1946, the
U.S. Army Signal Corps created "Project Diana," named for the Roman moon goddess
Diana, as an experimental exercise to bounce radar signals off the Moon and receive
the reflected signals. It was the first attempt at radar astronomy and was the first
time a terrestrial radio signal was bounced off another celestial body. Once artificial
satellites were orbiting in the late 1950's, Hams and other entities were encouraged
to detect and track orbits and signal transmission properties - including frequency
and power - to aid government engineers and scientists in determining stability
(electrical and mechanical), speed, rotation, altitude, path, atmospheric and cosmological
noise sources, and other parameters...
 LadyBug Technologies' line of power sensors
is now supported in Copper Mountain Technologies S2VNA software. Starting with
S2VNA SW v.20.3.1, LadyBug power sensors LB4xx, LB5xx, and LB59xx can be used
for power calibration. LadyBug True RMS Average Power Sensors deliver reliable,
accurate, power measurements for CW, Pulse, and modulated signals. These diode-based
sensors feature a wide dynamic range and a great VSWR. The optional external triggering
input feature can be used without any external components. Recorder and Trigger
outputs are also available. LadyBug's patented NoZero NoCal technology makes these
sensors ideal for calibration systems, automated test stations and other embedded
applications...
 "The first European satellite that is capable
of being completely repurposed after launch and developed within an ESA Partnership
Project - Quantum - has concluded its radio-frequency tests at a specialized facility
in Toulouse (France). Quantum is the first ever
software-defined satellite, preparing the way for the next generation of telecommunication
satellites that can be reprogrammed in orbit. It offers unprecedented in-orbit reconfigurability
in coverage, frequency and power, which allows for complete mission rehauls including
changes in orbital position. Engineers involved in the Quantum Partnership Project
from manufacturer Airbus, operator Eutelsat and ESA (European Space Agency) have
developed new working practices that have enabled them to keep working during the
coronavirus pandemic. This ensures that the satellite will be fully ready to launch
later in the year..."
 Here is Part 1 of a three-part article on
attenuator pad and impedance matching articles that appeared in Radio-Craft
magazine. Although the focus is on audio frequencies, the principles apply in general.
It is interesting to read about wavelengths expressed in units of miles versus feet
and meters like we are used to seeing for radio frequencies. Keep in mind that most
of the decibel formulas used here are for voltage and not for power. As a reminder,
the decibel representation of a ratio is always 10 * log10 (x). If
you have a voltage ratio of V1/V2 = 0.5, then 10 * log10 (0.5) = -3.01 dB.
If you have a power ratio of P1/P2 = 0.5, then 10 * log10 (0.5) = -3.01 dB.
Does that mean that -3.01 dB of voltage attenuation is the same as 3.01 dB
of power attenuation? Confusingly, no...
 Exodus Advanced Communications' model
AMP2070C is designed for broadband EMI/RFI, laboratory, communications and EW
applications. Class A/AB linear design for all modulations & industry standards.
Covers 700 MHz – 6.0 GHz, produces 100 W Minimum, 50 W P1dB,
with a minimum 50 dB Gain. Excellent gain flatness, optional monitoring parameters
for forward/reflected power, voltage, current and temperature sensing for superb
reliability and ruggedness. Integrated in our compact 3U chassis weighing <25 kg.
Suitable for CW, pulse and all single channel modulation standards. Built-in protection
circuits...
 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. "Printed Circuit Fabrication &
Assembly with No Limit on Technology or Quantity."
Monday 17
 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...
 For some reason the "too clever by half"
saying (but not in an insulting way) comes to mind when reading this article about
color TV from a 1951 issue of Radio & Television News magazine. The
color television industry was still searching for an acceptable standard broadcast
format when this was written, and the electromechanical contraption was not considered
too elaborate considering the original color TV schemes were all a conglomeration
of whirling colored wheels, light sources, and photodetectors coupled with accommodating
timing and intensity signals. Because there was not agreement on what the final
commercial broadcast signal format would look like, there was not a lot of motivation
for test equipment makers to invest time and money into providing gear for research
and development laboratories. Do you remember the ads for the screen that installed
on the front of a TV set to convert black and white (B&W) to color...
 TotalTemp Technologies has added
hot-only models to the product line of wide range thermal platforms for solder
processes and testing. 300 °C and 400 °C models have great pricing, safety
and the same flexibility of hot/cold models. Conductive aluminum surface is superior
to radiant heat models in speed and control accuracy. The compact, full-featured
HSD14 heat-only thermal platform provides a heated surface area of 14 sq.in.
and the HSD14 heat-only thermal platform provides a heated surface area of 144 sq.in.
Our Watlow EZ-ZONE PM temperature controller is a programmable thermal platform
interface with large, easy to read characters with fail-safe and limit setting capability...
 "To enable data transmission speeds that
surpass the 5th Generation (5G) standards for telecommunications, scientists from
anyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Osaka University
in Japan have built a new chip using a concept called
photonic topological insulators. Published recently in Nature Photonics, the
researchers showed that their chip can transmit terahertz (THz) waves resulting
in a data rate of 11 Gigabits per second (Gbit/s), which is capable of supporting
real-time streaming of 4K high-definition video, and exceeds the hitherto theoretical
limit of 10 Gbit/s for 5G wireless communications. THz waves are part of the electromagnetic
spectrum, in between infrared light waves and microwaves, and have been touted as
the next frontier of high-speed wireless communications..."
 Early investigations into
RF signal atmospheric "ducting" was reported in this 1956-era article in Popular
Electronics. Ducting effects were first noticed during World War II when Nazi
broadcasts from occupied Paris were received occasionally in London. Scientists
discovered that a small change in the humidity of the air near the surface has the
effect of trapping radio waves, a trapping process dubbed "ducting." These waves
are conducted as if they were inside of a metallic waveguide. Research by the U.S.
Army Signal Corps determined a sudden temperature rise at around 50 to 200 feet
above the surface appears to have the strongest effect...
 RF Cafe visitor Brad Baker, now retired,
sent me this paper entitled, "Tunable Constant
Q Band-Pass Filter Design Using q and k Values," which he wrote about work he
did waaaaay back in the last century before computer simulation and optimization
was available on every desktop. Says Brad, "Attached is a filter design I did in
'86. I got a job working for a small land mobile radio company as an RF engineer
and my first assignment was to design a tunable band-pass filter that tuned from
29 MHz to 59 MHz. I had been out of school for about two years at this point.
I had quite a bit of design experience during my co-op semesters doing some RF and
baseband filters, IF / analog / baseband amplifiers but nothing like this. I can
tell you I was sweating it a little bit."
 Alliance Test Equipment sells
used / refurbished test
equipment and offers short- and long-term rentals. They also offer repair, maintenance
and calibration. Prices discounted up to 80% off list price. Agilent/HP, Tektronix,
Anritsu, Fluke, R&S and other major brands. A global organization with ability
to source hard to find equipment through our network of suppliers. Alliance Test
will purchase your excess test equipment in large or small lots. Please visit Allied
Test Equipment today to see how they can help your project.
Sunday 16
 August 16th's custom
Electrical Engineering themed crossword puzzle contains only only words (1,000s
of them) from my custom-created lexicon related to engineering, science, mathematics,
chemistry, physics, astronomy, etc. You will never find among the words names of
politicians, mountain ranges, exotic foods or plants, movie stars, or anything of
the sort. You might, however, find someone or something in the otherwise excluded
list directly related to this puzzle's technology theme, such as Hedy Lamarr or
the Bikini Atoll, respectively. The technically inclined cruciverbalists amongst
us will appreciate the effort.
Friday 14
 Frequent RF Cafe visitor who goes by the
moniker "Unknown Engineer" sent me a hyperlink to a PDF file on Amazon's CloudFront*
content delivery network (CDN - basically a file server) that contains no fewer
than 17 amazing radar and vacuum tube related line
drawings
published by Varian Associates' TWT Division, Palo Alto Tube Division, Solid
State Division, Eastern Tube Division, Western Tube Division, Solid State West Division.
These highly detailed and busy drawings were done around 1975 by British illustrator/artist
C.E.B. Bernard; a search for his works did not reveal much. The events shown are
fictitious, as are the accompanying hand-printed stories. Some of the puns are pretty
clever, but are somewhat dated for today's readers. To wit, the name Memamadun Ptolemy,
which for the uninitiated is an allusion to the movie "Blues in the Night," where
the actual words are "My momma done 'tol me..." (get it?). Another worthy mention
is, "Tube V or not Tube V, that is the question," an obvious play on Shakespeare's
"To be or not to be, that is the question" line by Prince Hamlet. If you recognize
those, you'll find other familiar takeoffs as well...
 "The life-givers of
integrated circuits and quantum devices in silicon are small structures made
from patches of foreign atoms called dopants. The dopant structures provide charge
carriers that flow through the components of the circuit, giving the components
their ability to function. These days the dopant structures are only a few atoms
across and so need to be made in precise locations within a circuit and have very
well-defined electrical properties. At present manufacturers find it hard to tell
in a non-destructive way whether they have made their devices according to these
strict requirements. A new imaging paradigm promises to change all that. The imaging
mode called broadband electric force microscopy..."
 When I think back at the
engineering labs
from my days in school, I wonder how much things have really changed from then until
now. It is hard to believe that freshman and sophomore labs are not still consumed
with radial lead resistors, inductors, and capacitors, solderless breadboards, and
a variety of light bulbs, motors, transformers, relays, and rheostats. By the time
you move into the junior year, labs have gotten a bit more intense with microprocessor
controls (mine used an 8088 CPU with machine language programming for the serial
port), some high voltage apparati[sic], digital logic circuits, and a chance to
lay out/fabricate/populate a PCB. On-hand test equipment consists of 2nd or 3rd
generation oscilloscopes, signal generators, and power supplies. I did a search
for photos of labs from back in the early to mid 1900s to see if much had changed
from then until the time I was in college...
 On July 28, 2020, Apple was granted patent
number US10727570 entitled "Electronic
devices having antennas that radiate through a display." Abstract: "An electronic
device may be provided with a display and a phased array antenna that transmits
radio-frequency signals at frequencies greater than 10 GHz. The display may
include a conductive layer that is used to form pixel circuitry and/or touch sensor
electrodes. A filter may be formed from conductive structures within the conductive
layer. The conductive structures may include an array of conductive patches separated
by slots or may include conductive paths that define an array of slots. The filter
may include an additional array of conductive patches stacked under the array of
conductive patches to allow the slots to be narrower than would be resolvable to
the unaided human eye. The periodicity of the conductive structures and the slots
in the filter may be selected to tune...
 RF Superstore launched in 2017, marking
the return of Murray Pasternack, founder of Pasternack Enterprises, to the RF and
microwave Industry. Pasternack fundamentally changed the way RF components were
sold. Partner Jason Wright manages day-to-day operations, while working closely
with Mr. Pasternack to develop RF Superstore into a world class RF and
microwave component
supplier. RF coaxial connectors & adapters, coaxial cable & cable assemblies,
surge protectors, attenuators. Items added daily. Free shipping on orders over $25.
We're leading the way again!
Thursday 13
 Heathkit's claim to fame was that it was
able to offer user-assembled kits of high quality electronic products at a price
lower than what equivalent factory assembled equivalents would cost. While that
is probably generally the case, it is difficult to gauge what the relative quality
really is. Some of the kits were easy to assemble for even people with little experience,
but a good portion of them required familiarity with soldering and how electronics
were put together. The instructions provided were very thorough, complete with photos
and drawings of how each step should look. In fact, according to a 1972 installment
of Mac's Service Shop entitled "Philosophy of a Kit Manufacturer," every Heathkit
kit instruction booklet goes through a rigorous cycle of writing, testing, and rewriting
before being released for production...
 Axiom Test Equipment, an electronic test
equipment rental and sales company has published a new blog post entitled "Practical
Solutions for Measuring Phase Noise" that examines phase noise, what it is,
why too much noise and frequency instability can be a problem in testing, and how
to find the right method and equipment for measuring it. Phase noise can often be
measured directly using different measurement approaches such as residual and cross-correlation
techniques, which are explored more in-depth in the blog. Most importantly, the
blog explains what specifications to look for in a spectrum or signal analyzer to
ensure the best fit for the job. A few equipment examples are given as guides...
 Universum, a self-proclaimed "global employer
branding leader" that conducts research studies on career expectations,' surveyed
52,000 engineering students between October 2019 and April 2020 on their preferred
places of employment. They were asked who is your preferred employer upon graduation.
Design News created a slideshow of the results showing their
top 50 dream employers. Numbero uno is Tesla, a U.S. e-car maker, whose stock
just approved a
5:1 split after skyrocketing in value after its related (by ownership) sky rocket
(SpaceX - the #2 choice) business recently
succeeded in launching and returning two American astronauts to the ISS. #3 was
Lockheed Martin. Google only rated #4, Apple #7, Microsoft #8, . Lego - the plastic
block people, came in at #31. The USAF was #39. General Dynamics completed the list
at #50. If the list had gone to #51, RF Cafe would probably have been there.
 "Scientists said they had discovered a way
to
detect space debris even in daylight hours, potentially helping satellites to
avoid the ever-growing cloud of junk orbiting the planet. Defunct rockets, satellites
and spacecraft parts continue to orbit Earth after they are discarded. The estimated
500,000 objects circling the globe range in size from a single screw to an entire
rocket fuel tank. Travelling at thousands of miles an hour, they pose a huge and
rising collision risk to satellites. Using lasers, it is possible to detect the
debris from the ground..."
 One very satisfying aspect of 'rolling your
own'
audio frequency coils (aka chokes, aka inductors), is how well the simple inductance
equations match measured end results. Unless you really manage to mangle the job,
if you use the right equation and are reasonably careful to observe wire size, spacing
(including insulation), and core diameter, you will be amazed at how close practice
matches theory. Although strictly speaking audio frequencies run from a few Hertz
up to maybe 15 kHz for people with really good hearing. My experience is that
similar success can be had even into the low MHz realm with just a little tuning
required. It's not until you get into the realm of self-resonance that everything
starts falling apart with basic equations...
 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. The P/N AE1200-1400DB5450
passes DC-1200 MHz and 1400-3000 MHz with a crossover insertion loss of
5 dB at 1300 MHz crossover frequency at 1300 MHz and in band insertion
loss of less than 1 dB. The AE2310B11640 passes the LTE band of 2305-2315 MHz
with an in-band insertion loss of less than 1 dB. The 2305-2315 MHz bandpass
filter exhibit a very sharp transition to the rejection band with a power handling
of 20 W...
Reactel has become one of the industry leaders in the design and manufacture
of RF and microwave filters,
diplexers, and sub-assemblies. They offer the generally known tubular, LC, cavity,
and waveguide designs, as well as state of the art high performance suspended substrate
models. Through a continuous process of research and development, they have established
a full line of filters of filters of all types - lowpass, highpass, bandpass, bandstop,
diplexer, and more. Established in 1979. Please contact Reactel today to see how
they might help your project.
Wednesday 12
 This "Electronic
Crossword" appeared in the September 1958 issue of Radio & TV News magazine.
Its creator, John Gill, designed specialty theme crossword puzzles for many other
editions of Radio & TV News and Electronics World (see the big list at the bottom
of the page). He considered this crossword to be a "fooler" because he claims
to include many "unusual definitions and a number of obscure words which you will
have to work around if your vocabulary of 'exotic words' is rusty." It really doesn't
seem so difficult to me, and anyone used to working my custom RF Cafe Crosswords
will have no problem with it.
 To meet the challenging requirements of cellular
LTE and 5G NR infrastructure applications, Skyworks has released the
SKY67183−396LF and SKY67189−396LF low noise amplifiers (LNAs). These LNAs feature
ultra low-noise figure, exceptional linearity, and operate over a wide range of
frequencies. To reduce PCB board space, these devices are housed in an ultra-compact
2 x 2 mm plastic surface mount package. The SKY67183−396LF and SKY67189−396LF are
ideal for 2G/3G/4G/5G TDD and FDD infrastructure applications, including small cell,
massive MIMO, and macro base stations...
 "After completing a countdown dress rehearsal,
Astra is gearing up for its first orbital launch attempt this week from Kodiak Island,
Alaska, but company officials said it will likely take multiple test flights before
the new
small satellite launcher successfully reaches orbit. Astra's small satellite
delivery vehicle was set for liftoff from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska
during a two-hour window opening at 10 p.m. EDT Sunday, or 6 p.m. local time in
Alaska. In social media updates, Astra said it fueled the small satellite launcher
with liquid propellants Sunday. But officials said out-of-limits upper level winds
and a boat in restricted waters offshore of the launch site..."
 When someone with the first name of "True"
writes an article about transmission line feeds for short-wave antennas, you should
probably take note. This very topic has been covered in detail many times since
the use of impedance-matched transmission lines have been in use (more than a century),
but since there are always people new to the concept, it is good to keep introducing
the topic on a regular basis."Transmission-Line
Feed for Short-Wave Antennas" appeared in a 1932 issue of QST magazine.
Even in this era of prefabricated everything, it still often comes down to winding
coils and adjusting cable lengths to get optimal impedance matches between transceivers
and antennas.
 I
have extolled the virtues of Aerospace & Defense Technology magazine
many times for its variety of extremely interesting articles on a wide range of
topics. The August issue has a story on the
element Vanadium (atomic number
23) and the critical role it
plays as an alloy component of metals. At concentrations of less then 0.1%, vanadium
can nearly double the strength of steel and aluminum, as well as increasing resistance
to corrosion. It is also used as a catalyst (sometimes a substitution for nickel
and platinum), in electronics components, and in ceramics. Use of vanadium is considered
"green" because most of it is obtained from byproducts of other industrial processes
like ash from coal burning. Vanadium is the earth's 22nd most abundant element and
is found everywhere, but as you might suspect China provides 61% of the supply while
the U.S. does a mere 3% (Russia makes 14%). Fortunately, part of the Dept. of Interior's
2018 charter was to include vanadium on its list of critical commodities and must
act to significantly increase domestic production rather than be dependent on foreign
sources. It's long past time.
 Manufacturing
of all our products continues to operate at full capacity as part of the "Essential
Business" community. Professional high frequency
TSA89 series of RF test cables with performance to 40 GHz. Precision connector
choices include; SMA, Type-N, 3.5mm, 2.92mm, & 2.4mm. Key features: High-frequency
point to point cable, light weight rugged double-shielded, flexible cable, low loss <0.68 dB/ft
@ 40 GHz, low VSWR < 1.35:1 (Typical < 1.25:1), RF leakage >−100 dB
to 18 GHz, temperature rated from -55ºC to 125ºC. 100% factory VSWR and insertion
loss tested. Cables are in stock and available immediately from Digi−Key. Made in
the USA.
 Electro-Photonics is a global supplier of
RF & Microwave components.
Their products include SMT hybrid and directional couplers, wire bondable passive
components, mounting tabs, filters, transmission lines, and very useful test boards
for evaluating components (spiral inductors, single-layer capacitors). The Electro-Photonics
team can support your small R&D design requirements with RF & Microwave
test fixtures and save you valuable design and characterization time. Please take
a moment to visit Electro-Photonics' website and see how your project might benefit.
Tuesday 11
 The word prefix "para" can mean "above and
beyond" or "resembling" or "abnormal or incorrect." Ward Products probably preferred
first two be inferred by potential customers when naming their
PARA−CON television antenna, although it actually is a shortening of "parabolic."
The "con" part is a shortening of "conical." After reading the text of this full-page
advertisement from a 1951 issue of Radio & Television News magazine, I'm inclined
to assign the third prefix meaning of "para" to it. Then, add in the "con" part
where "con" can take on either the noun form meaning of "disadvantage" or the verb
form definition of "to trick or defraud," and you get what this antenna truly represented
in terms of achieving superior performance. At best the PARA−CON exhibited the characteristics
of a phased pseudo-[bi]conical antenna. The allusion to a parabolic antenna...
 "Sensing devices have a range of industrial
uses - from carrying out ground surveys to monitoring volcanoes - and scientists
are developing ways to improve their sensitivity with quantum technologies that
are based on cold atoms. Machines using quantum technology are, however, bulky and
difficult to transport, making current designs unsuitable for most industrial uses.
According to Birmingham University, the researchers have used a new approach that
will enable
quantum sensors to shrink to a fraction of their current size. The research
was conducted by an international team led by Birmingham University and SUSTech
in China in collaboration with Paderborn University in Germany. Their results are
published in Science Advances..."
 Not everyone who visits websites like RF
Cafe is a seasoned electronics veteran. While I and most likely you, too, can do
series and parallel circuit analysis (and series/parallel for that matter, possibly
using Fourier or La Place transforms for reactive AC circuits) in our sleep,
many are recently getting into the wonderful world of electronics who are just coming
of age or have suddenly at a later point in life developed a passion for the craft.
Accordingly, this article from Radio News magazine provides yet another
tutorial on the fundamentals of series and parallel circuit analysis. Only resistors
and basic Ohms law are covered...
 Withwave's Precision
1.0 mm to 1.0 mm Adapter Series are designed based on precision microwave
interconnection technologies. Configurations include 1.0 mm (F) to 1.0 mm (F),
1.0 mm (M) to 1.0 mm (F), and 1.0 mm (M) to 1.0 mm (M).
These Adapters are manufactured to precise microwave specifications and constructed
with male and female gender on both side. The precision microwave connector interfaces
ensure an excellent microwave performance up to 110 GHz. Features: Frequency
range = DC to 110 GHz, VSWR (max) = 1.30:1, Body = stainless steel (passivated)...
 Aegis Power Systems is a leading supplier
of AC-DC and DC-DC power supplies
for custom and special applications. Aegis has been designing and building highly
reliable custom power supplies since 1995. They offer a complete line of switch
mode power supplies and power converters for a variety of markets including defense,
industrial, aircraft, VME, and telecom. Supports military, aircraft, EV, telecom,
and embedded computing applications. Design and manufacture of custom power supply
solutions to meet each customer's exacting specifications. Please visit Aegis Power
Systems today.
Monday 10
 Here are a couple more
tech-themed comics from a vintage electronics magazine (Popular Electronics).
The one from page 101 reminds me again about how different the world of retail sales
is today compared to just two short decades ago. Prior to the advent of online marketing
and sales, you either walked into a brick and mortar (a term rarely heard before
the Internet era) type store and walked out with your purchased product, or you
thumbed through a catalog and placed an order either by mail or telephone. Most
people opted to pay for a postage stamp rather than pay the long distance phone
charge (a term rarely heard today). Free overnight or 2-day shipping from many e-stores
makes online shopping nearly as instantaneous as walking into a store. People under
20 years old have never known much different, but some old-timers still find the
paradigm change strange. The way things are going...
Exodus Advanced Communications
Intros X-Band High Power Pulse Amplifier
 Exodus Advanced Communications' model
Exodus AMP5055P-SSC Pulse Amp (9.6-9.9 GHz, 150 W pulse) is IP67 rated
and fully qualified for outdoor applications. Designed for Pulse/Radars in the harshest
of environmental conditions up to a 20% duty cycle. The unit provides outstanding
Pulse fidelity, excellent band flatness, all in a compact lightweight package with
the highest reliability. Other frequency ranges & power levels available. Features:
Outdoor waterproof packaged high power SSPA, class AB Pulse, GaN design, designed
for high power X-band pulse applications, built-in control, monitoring, and protection
circuits, high reliability and ruggedness...
 Since this is a presidential election year,
I figured it would be a good time to post a tongue-in-cheek- story that appeared
in the November 1952 issue of QST magazine about a fictional American president
J. Willoughby Winkelspoof. The ARRL always has been and still is apolitical,
so don't take seriously anything you read here. If you are an astute follower of
politics, you might pick up on the nuances woven into the story, and might even
marvel on how much the political landscape has changed in the half century since
Pres. Winkelspoof graced the Oval Office. Incidentally, the 1952 presidential election
was between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson. You might wonder how many
U.S. presidents were/are Amateur Radio operators. Answer...
Innovative Power Products (IPP) has over
30 years of experience designing & manufacturing RF & microwave passive
components. Their high power, broadband couplers, combiners, resistors, baluns, terminations and attenuators
are fabricated using the latest materials and design tools available, resulting
in unrivaled product performance. Applications in military, medical, industrial
and commercial markets are serviced around the world. Please take a couple minutes
to visit their website and see how IPP can help you today.
 Frequent visitor and contributor Joe B.
sent me a link to a page entitled, "40 Hilarious
Ads For Technology From The Past That Look Insanely Expensive Now." It fits
in well with the theme of RF Cafe so you might enjoy being reminded of (if you're
old like me) or seeing for the first time (if you're not old like me) what people
were paying for technology which was bleeding edge then and is toy-quality now.
No kidding. Pick any microprocessor-driven toy from a shelf at Walmart and it will
have nearly as much memory and processing power. One example is a 10 MByte
hard drive costing $3,398 in 1981, which is the equivalent of $10,069 ($1k/MByte)
in 2020 money per the BLS
Inflation Calculator. These kinds of themes can be found all over the Internet,
and as usual, the same set of examples are repeated on those pages. Do an image
search on "10
mbyte hard drive ad" and you'll see what I mean.
 Teledyne Aerospace & Defense Electronics
UK (TADE UK) announced the latest business unit addition to its brand portfolio,
Teledyne Energetics
UK, headquartered in Lincoln, England. Visit the home page of the company's new
website here. The new website gives an overview of the Energetics UK systems, subsystems,
and component offerings, which are ITAR-free and designed and manufactured exclusively
in the UK. The website promotes the company's extensive heritage in all major deployment
theatres including aerospace, land, surface maritime, subsea ASW and LEO launch.
Teledyne Energetics UK designs and develops solutions for the safety, arming, and
initiation technology sector, in particular military energetic devices...
 NorthEast RF's comprehensive
antenna testing
services include linear | circular polarized antenna measurements and OTA cellular
device pre-compliance. Up to 18" diameter and <10 kg weight. Antennas can be
rapidly evaluated and optimized using our fast near field spherical system. Test
results supplied in data file with pattern viewer software. A picture of the test
configuration is included to help aligned axis. Our selection of human head and
hand phantoms are ideal for verification of body worn devices. Turnaround time is
usually 3-days.
Sunday 9
 August 9th's custom
Amateur
Radio crossword puzzle contains many words particular to Amateur Radio (labeled
with an asterisk *). Each week for two decades I have created a new technology-themed
crossword puzzle using only words (1,000s of them) from my custom-created lexicon
related to engineering, science, mathematics, chemistry, physics, astronomy, etc.
You will never find among the words names of politicians, mountain ranges, exotic
foods or plants, movie stars, or anything of the sort. You might, however, find
someone or something in the otherwise excluded list directly related to this puzzle's
technology theme, such as Hedy Lamarr or the Bikini Atoll, respectively. Avid cruciverbalists
amongst us...
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