Log Periodic V Antenna

In his June 1963 Radio-Electronics magazine article, Edward Finkel introduces the Log Periodic V (LPV) antenna, a breakthrough in VHF TV reception, overcoming the narrow-band limitations of traditional Yagi designs by employing log-periodic scaling (τ = 0.9, σ = 0.085) to achieve uniform gain (8 dB low-band, 11.5 dB high-band), constant impedance (~1.2 VSWR), and a 35 dB front-to-back ratio across 54-216 MHz. Developed by University of Illinois researchers and JFD Electronics, the LPV uses "active cells" where resonance shifts smoothly with frequency, leverages third-harmonic resonance for high-band channels (7-13), and enhances directionality via forward-V elements and a phase-reversed feeder harness to cancel rear/side signals (Figs. 5-7). Reinforced...

Superconductor, Metal, Semiconductor, Insulator

"RIKEN scientists have discovered how to manipulate molybdenum disulfide into acting as a superconductor, metal, semiconductor, or insulator using a specialized transistor technique.. By inserting potassium ions and adjusting conditions, they could trigger dramatic changes in the material’s electronic state - unexpectedly even turning it into a superconductor or insulator. This new level of control over a single 2D material could unlock exciting breakthroughs in next-gen electronics and superconductivity research. A team of physicists at RIKEN has developed a transistor-based technique that allows a single-layered material to take on a wide range of electronic behaviors, functioning as a superconductor, metal, semiconductor, or insulator..."

Senseless Orbiting

Hugo Gernsback, publisher of Radio-Electronics magazine, penned this 1962 article critiquing the U.S. for lagging behind the Soviets in manned spaceflight, noting their superior orbital achievements (130.5 orbits vs. America's 12). He argues that prolonged Earth-orbiting tests are unnecessary, as weightlessness and space sickness - predicted decades earlier - are now proven manageable. Gernsback traces U.S. delays to the government's historical neglect of rocketry pioneer Robert H. Goddard, whose early 20th-century work could have secured American leadership. Instead of mimicking Soviet Earth orbits, he urges immediate focus on the Moon, prioritizing an unmanned electronic...

CMT White Paper: External Triggering the VNA

Copper Mountain Technologies' Brian Walker, has published a new white paper entitled "Hardware Triggering a Vector Network Analyzer." In it, he details the use of hardware triggering in VNAs to synchronize measurements with external test equipment, such as programmable power supplies or pulsed RF signals. It explains how external triggering - either "On Sweep" or "On Point" - enables precise control over VNA operations, reducing power dissipation in devices like RF power amplifiers. The paper outlines SCPI commands for automation, including triggering, polling data, and checking VNA status, with examples in Python-like syntax. It also covers trigger voltage levels, polarity settings, and timing modes, including programmable delays for pulsed RF measurements. The document highlights Copper Mountain Technologies' VNAs, which support these features...

Man's World? Not to These Women!

In this 1967 Radio-Electronics magazine article, Sally O. Smyth highlights pioneering women in electronics, challenging the male-dominated industry stereotype. Muriel Burke and Kathi Kramer, sisters running a successful TV repair shop for a decade, emphasize problem-solving and customer trust. Cecilia Jacobs, a financial consultant turned electronics firm owner, showcases innovation in military and security tech. Vicki Labes, trained by her husband, co-manages an audio-visual business and produces films. Self-taught technician Mrs. William Nolan transitioned from fixing a tape recorder to technical writing. Francis Brooks, an RCA Institutes graduate, designs circuit boards while...

Shortwave - Your Ear on the World

Charles J. Vlahos' 1968 Radio-Electronics magazine article highlights the growing popularity of shortwave listening (SWL), still a popular pastime, with around 3,000 stations worldwide broadcasting diverse content - news, propaganda, language courses, and entertainment - often in English. SWL offers unique perspectives, from Hanoi's war coverage to Radio Tokyo's language lessons. Enthusiasts log stations using SINPO codes and collect QSL cards as verification. The article details receiver specifications, emphasizing selectivity, sensitivity, and stability, with price comparisons from budget kits to high-end models. Antennas, like long wires or whip antennas, are crucial...

"Radio Pen" 28 Years Old

In response to a controversial article about Hugo Gernsback's former "employee," Mohammed Fips, and his "Radio Pen," Dr. Lee de Forest wrote to Radio-Craft magazine claiming he had invented a similar device decades earlier. De Forest recalled publishing detailed plans for a miniature radio receiver shaped like a fountain pen as early as 1917-1920, using Western Electric's "peanut" tube. Radio-Craft verified his claim by locating the original 1918 Electrical Experimenter magazine article, which described his pen-sized spy radio. Unlike Fips' later version, de Forest's design required an external antenna and ground connection. The device used an Audion tube for detection, tuned via a sliding coil, and was powered by a small battery. Operators concealed wires in a cane (antenna) and...

Failed 1972 Kosmos Venus Probe Returns to Earth

"Launched in 1972 by the Soviet Union (USSR), the spacecraft known as Kosmos 482 was part of a series of missions bound for Venus. But this one never made it out of orbit around Earth, stranded there by a rocket malfunction. Much of the spacecraft came tumbling back to Earth within a decade of the failed launch. The European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking confirmed its uncontrolled reentry, based on analysis and no-shows of the spacecraft on subsequent orbits. The ESA's space debris office also indicated that the spacecraft had reentered after it failed to appear over a German radar station. It was not immediately known..."

The Tunnel Diode Really Works

The tunnel diode, with its unique negative resistance region, excels as an oscillator and switch. As described by Mr. Queen in this 1960 Radio-Electronics magazine article, is operating bias is critical - typically around 0.2V for oscillation. The article details a 27-30 MHz crystal oscillator using a 1N653 diode, requiring precise voltage division via a potentiometer (R1) and fine-tuning with R2. The load resistance must be less than the diode’s negative resistance (-40 Ω). A 16-turn inductor and adjustable capacitor (C2) optimize output. The circuit can self-oscillate without a crystal but becomes unstable. For switching, the diode's characteristic curve allows triggering via weak pulses or resistance changes. A light-sensitive version uses a solar cell in series with a relay - illumination increases...

Indian Summer: What, Why, and When?

The 1985 Old Farmer's Almanac clarifies that Indian Summer is not just any warm fall day but a specific weather phenomenon marked by warmth, haze, calm winds, high pressure, and chilly nights, caused by a stalled high-pressure system trapping dust and smoke near the ground; it must follow a cold spell or frost and traditionally occurs between November 11 (St. Martin's Day) and November 20, differing from England's earlier warm spells like St. Luke's summer. The term's origin is debated - some tie it to Native American beliefs or autumn foliage resembling Indigenous attire, but the most likely explanation stems from early New England...

Carl & Jerry: The "Meller Smeller"

Carl Anderson and Jerry Bishop, John Frye's techno-teens featured in may Popular Electronics magazine stories, bored during winter break, decide to invent an "electronic odor killer" called the Meller Smeller - a helmet with charged screens to neutralize foul smells. Using salvaged TV parts, they build prototypes with three wire screens: a positively charged outer layer, a grounded middle layer, and a negatively charged inner layer. The theory is that odor particles would lose electrons to the grounded screen, then stick to the negatively charged inner screen. Testing it with a cardboard box reeking of soap and fish proves inconclusive, so they head to a local soap factory for a stronger challenge. On the way, they encounter a skunk and foolishly test their...

What Are Microvolts/Meter?

The "In the Shop ... with Jack" column appeared monthly in Radio-Electronics magazine, although the title changed occasionally. In it, Mr. Darr, a celebrated circuits troubleshooter, addressed reader questions on electronics, offering free troubleshooting help via mail. One inquiry concerned microvolts per meter (μV/m), a measure of RF field strength. The author clarified that μV/m represents the voltage induced across a 1-meter wire in free space, aligned with the transmitter's polarization. Note that μV/m in the case of RF field strength is NOT a scaling factor for distance form the emitter; it refers to the field strength induced in a 1-meter length of wire. Hence, a 2-meter length of wire will have twice the value of a 1-meter wire. This assumes a far field measurement where the wavefront is planar and at a right angle to the detection wire...

Ferroelectric RAM Calculations Within Memory

"Researchers have developed an in-memory ferroelectric differentiator capable of performing calculations directly in the memory without requiring a separate processor. The proposed differentiator promises energy efficiency, especially for edge devices like smartphones, autonomous vehicles, and security cameras. Traditional approaches to tasks like image processing and motion detection involve multi-step energy-intensive processes. This begins with recording data, which is transmitted to a memory unit, which further transmits the data to a microcontroller unit to perform differential..."

Space Handicaps

In April of 1961, Yuri Gagarin was the first human being to "slip the surly bonds of Earth*," and venture into space, to be followed the next month by Alan Shepard. Just as those flights relied upon data gained from launching monkeys into space, future manned missions depended on a rapid ramp-up on methods and machinery needed to extend duration times and safety. Hugo Gernsback's 1964 Radio-Electronics editorial, "To Remain Alive in Space Is Difficult," underscores the extreme challenges humans face in the vacuum of space. Earth's atmosphere provides vital protection, but in space, astronauts must contend with lethal radiation, temperature extremes, and the constant heat output of their own bodies. A punctured suit means rapid death as internal pressure causes the body to swell like a balloon. Gernsback highlights...

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Belmont Radio Christmas Ad

It's a little out of season for posting this Belmont Radio advertisement, but it has been on my to-do list for a long time. Back in 1943 when this full-page promotion appeared in Life magazine, many companies unabashedly acknowledged America's traditions for celebrating Christmas by including a noel message in advertisements. Products from military bomber aircraft to washing machines, to cars, to canned hams were included in the lineup. It was two years into World War II when this December 27th issue came out, and the theme not surprisingly focused on our service members who were serving in the fields of Europe and northern Africa, and in the South Seas. Unlike most of the conflicts our men are involved in...

Paperthin Radio

In this April 1960 Radio-Electronics magazine article by the fictitious electronics wizard Mohammed Ulysses Fips (a Hugo Gernsback pseudonym), the narrator presents the "Paperthin Radio" - an ultra-thin, lightweight transistor radio designed to undercut Japanese competition. Built on a stiff paperboard chassis just 1/16-inch thick, the radio uses standard components cemented into place, with conductive ink for wiring. Key innovations include a flat ferrite-loop antenna, a modified trimmer capacitor for tuning, and the "Leptospeaker" - a slim electromagnetic speaker using an Alnico disc magnet. The two-transistor circuit...

McMurtry Spéirling e-Hypercar Drives Upside Down

"Claimed to be a world first, the demonstration took place at Swinhay House. A McMurtry Spéirling PURE Validation Prototype 1 (VP1) was driven on to a custom-built platform which then rotated 180 degrees to invert the stationary vehicle. Relying on the huge 'Downforce on Demand' created by twin 23,000 RPM fans on the car's undercarriage, the Spéirling remained firmly attached to the platform and was driven a few feet forward before the rig rotated it back to ground. 'This demonstration was an exciting proof-of-concept using a small purpose-built rig, but is perhaps just the beginning of what's possible. With a longer inverted track or a suitable tunnel, we may be able to drive..."

Your Future in Microwave

In this 1966 Radio-Electronics magazine article, Ray Thrower highlights the booming demand for microwave communication technicians and engineers due to population growth and industrial expansion. With only 36,000 licensed technicians available nationwide, the field faces a severe shortage - microwave alone requires 24,000 workers. Companies prefer microwave over vulnerable cable systems for its reliability, cost efficiency, and ability to handle high-capacity voice, video, and data circuits. The article profiles Jim Reeve, a technician trained via military service, and Don Shaffer, an engineer designing microwave paths, emphasizing hands-on experience and continuous learning. Entry-level opportunities exist...

Capitol Radio Engineering Institute

This 1964 CREI (Capitol Radio Engineering Institute) advertisement in Radio-Electronics magazine served to alert electronics professionals that the Space Age was rapidly transforming their industry. Automation and advanced aerospace technologies were eliminating routine jobs while increasing demand for specialists in cutting-edge fields like space data systems, spacecraft tracking, and aerospace radar engineering. The ad emphasized that outdated skills could render workers obsolete, but those who upgraded their knowledge through CREI's home study programs could secure high-demand careers. Founded in 1927, CREI (now Capitol Technology University) was an accredited home-study institution that collaborated with NASA and private aerospace firms to design its curricula. Its Space Electronics Programs were developed with input from government and industry experts, offering flexible, mail-order education for ele

Horseflies, Tractors and Mr. Kirchhoff

In this 1968 Radio-Electronics magazine educational fiction article, high school student Jerry Whipple challenges Kirchhoff's voltage law in an AC circuit, convinced he's found a flaw. His experiment measures 7.1 volts across both a resistor and inductor in series, totaling 14 volts - contradicting the expected 10 V source voltage. His instructor, Mr. Bean, explains that the discrepancy arises from phase differences in AC circuits: the voltages are out of phase, not additive. Using a tractor analogy, Bean illustrates how forces (or voltages) at angles combine vectorially, not arithmetically. He introduces Pythagoras' theorem to resolve the apparent paradox...

G-Line Single-Wire, Low Loss Transmission Line

The G-Line transmission line is another of those things where I can't imagine being smart enough to come up with the idea, and then implement a working model - like with the enclosed waveguide. Dr. George Goubau (from whence the "G" in the name derives) is the genius in this case. He determined that a sort of waveguide could be made with a single conductor surrounded by insulation with a specific dielectric constant that would cause the dielectric-air interface to reflect the wave in a manner similar to atmospheric channels that facilitate long distance communications. I'm guessing the Surface Conduction company advertising the G-Line for sale in this 1963 issue of Radio-Electronics magazine is Dr. Goubau's enterprise. That was ten years after inventing it. The G-Line's boasts are low loss (6 dB/mile), no radiation, and a 300-ohm impedance. The primary disadvantage...

Understanding and Dealing with Radiated Immunity

"Let's deal with some common radiated and conducted emissions immunity issues for the next series of articles. One that's becoming more prevalent is radiated immunity (or radiated susceptibility, in MIL-STD-461 terms). It seems this problem has been increasing over the last decade, and the reasons are threefold: (1) electronic devices are getting smaller and using plastic enclosure, (2) the proliferation of electronic and body-worn devices has increased exponentially, and (3) as we're powering circuits with lower voltage levels (3.3V, or less) resulting in a greatly reduced noise margin. That is, it takes less energy to disrupt sensitive..."

G-10 Germanium Dot Rectifier

This 1952 Radio & Television News magazine article details General Electric's new G-10 Germanium Dot Rectifier, a high-efficiency semiconductor device for radio, television, and power applications. Unlike conventional rectifiers, the G-10 avoids critically scarce materials while offering superior performance - lower forward resistance, higher back resistance, and extended lifespan. Its design features germanium pellets sealed in butyl-rubber-insulated metal cups, mounted on aluminum or copper fins for heat dissipation. Key advantages include 98% efficiency, stable operation across temperatures (25–75°C), and minimal power loss (under 1 W at 50° C). The rectifier's low capacitance (20 μμfd) enables use in high-frequency...

Task Force: The Big Bomber Learns Its Job

This 1942 Life magazine article profiles a B-17E Flying Fortress bomber and its nine-man crew, detailing their roles in America's early WWII air campaign against Japan. The bomber, part of the 342nd Bombardment Squadron, operates as a self-contained "task force," capable of delivering devastating strikes like Colin Kelly’s sinking of the battleship Haruna. The crew - four officers (pilot, copilot, navigator, bombardier) and five enlisted gunners - undergo six weeks of operational training at MacDill Field to forge teamwork essential for survival. The B-17E's firepower includes eight .50-caliber machine guns manned by the enlisted crew...

Exodus AMP20016, 500-1300 MHz, 1 kW SSHPA

Exodus Advanced Communications, is a multinational RF communication equipment and engineering service company serving both commercial and government entities and their affiliates worldwide. Exodus' model AMP20016 is a high-performance amplifier designed for EMI/RFI, lab, and communication applications. Class A/AB linear design, 1000 W minimum with 60 dB gain. Features advanced linear device technology for wide bandwidth, built-in protection circuits, and monitoring. Local LCD & remote interfaces for superior control. High efficiency, rugged reliability. Nominal weight: 40 kg in a compact 5U chassis...

What's Your EQ?

Mr. E.D. Clark has provided three new "What's Your EQ?" puzzlers for your attention, whether you be a student, a theoretician or just a "practical man." Simple? Double-check your answers before you say you've solved them. Radio-Electronics magazine ran this feature regularly, and there is a huge list on the page of the ones I have posted. The invitation for reader submissions read thusly: "If you have an interesting or unusual puzzle (with an answer) send it to us. We will pay $10 for each one accepted. We're especially interested in service stinkers or engineering stumpers on actual electronic equipment. We get so many letters we can't answer individual ones, but we'll print the more interesting solutions - ones the original authors..."

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