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Behind the Giant Brains

Behind the Giant Brains (Part 1), January 1957 Radio & Television News - RF CafeRadio & Television News magazine ran a two-part article on the state of the art of computers in the late 1950s. It had only been since ENIAC's (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer) debut in 1946 at MIT that the public was getting used to regularly hearing about computers in the news. By 1957 there were many companies popping up with electronic computer offerings. Originally the exclusive purview of university research labs and defense installations, the size and cost of computers was moving into the realm of affordability by corporations that used them for accounting and bookkeeping, and in some cases even rented idle time to outside users. Desktop PCs and notebook...

Many Thanks to Exodus Advanced Communications for Their Support

Exodus Advanced Communications - RF CafeExodus Advanced Communications is a multinational RF communication equipment and engineering service company serving both commercial and government entities and their affiliates worldwide. Power amplifiers ranging from 10 kHz to 51 GHz with various output power levels and noise figure ranges, we fully support custom designs and manufacturing requirements for both small and large volume levels. decades of combined experience in the RF field for numerous applications including military jamming, communications, radar, EMI/EMC and various commercial projects with all designing and manufacturing of our HPA, MPA, and LNA products in-house.

Carl & Jerry: Wrecked by a Wagon Train

Carl & Jerry: Wrecked by a Wagon Train, February 1962 Popular Electronics - RF CafeIn this adventure from a 1962 issue of Popular Electronics magazine, Carl and Jerry were once again called upon by law enforcement to apply their combined electronics expertise to help collar a perp. By this time, the boys were college students in the electrical engineering program at Parvoo U. (fabled to be a tribute to Perdue). A storied past in their high school days is well-documented in previous "Carl & Jerry" technodramas. Mr. Frye was always careful to provide a balanced mix of technical prowess and adventure into his stories. It is easy when reading these kinds of stories in today's world to ask what is so special about the feat pulled off here, but in fact access to materials and equipment...

DNA the Future of Quantum Computing

DNA the Future of Quantum Computing - RF Cafe"Researchers have uncovered a way to manipulate DNA at the atomic level using electric field gradients to control nitrogen nuclear spins. Their findings suggest that DNA could be used as both a storage and computation mechanism in future quantum computing devices. A recent study by researchers from Peking University highlights the potential of nuclear electric resonance to control the nuclear spins of nitrogen atoms in DNA using electric field gradients. This breakthrough suggests that DNA could one day be manipulated for computational purposes..."

Green Energy & Electric Vehicles: Full Life Cycle Cost

Green Energy & Electric Vehicles: Full Life Cycle Cost- RF CafeRF Cafe visitors are involved in many aspects of what has come to be known as "green energy" through direct involvement in resource, component, and end-product production, through ownership of those end products, and through paying taxes to government which allocate subsidies for all phases of the life cycle. For example, with government incentives, an EV like the Tesla Model Y may cost the buyer $46k. However, without subsidies, the real cost would be closer to $66k to $76k. The pursuit of green energy encompasses both notable achievements...

SatNow: Upcoming Satellite Launches

Upcoming Satellite Launches at SatNow - RF CafeSatNow maintains a list of upcoming satellite launches from the leading launch companies. These include NASA, Space X, Rocket, ISRO, Blue Origin and many more. Learn more about each launch, its launch date, location and launch vehicle used. We provide the latest news, interesting white papers, technical articles and an innovative product search tool. The product search tool is the first of its kind and helps engineers find products across various categories in three areas: Satellite, Ground, Launch. SatNow also provides a huge collection of online calculators for satellite communications. Examples are an anomalistic period calculator, an antenna G/T ratio calculator, an antenna polarization...

Radio Wittiquiz, November 1937 Radio-Craft

Radio Wittiquiz, November 1937 Radio-Craft - RF CafeMixing a little fun with learning has always been a good motivation for students. I have written in the past about a particular electronic circuits professor I had that liked to play practical jokes during lessons and exams. Including gag options on a multiple choice test is a great way to inject a bit of tension-easing levity while at the same time eliminating one or more opportunities to guess at a wrong answer (although no relief for the truly clueless). I sometimes do that on the RF Cafe Quizzes that I generate. Radio-Craft printed a large bunch of such quiz questions under the title "Radio WittiQuiz," where the questions and answers were provided by readers...

Engineering & Tech Headlines <Archives>

• Wireless Broadband Alliance's 10 Predictions for Wi-Fi in 2025

• Fixed Wireless Access is Preferred Next Internet Connection (I use it)

• FCC Upholds Forfeiture Order Against Ham Operator

• European Commission Updates AI Act

• 345% News Radio Listening Surge for LA Wildfires

Combinational Logic: History and Applications

Combinational Logic: History and Applications - RF CafeCombinational logic is a fundamental category of digital circuit design in which the output depends solely on the present input values, without any memory or feedback elements. Unlike sequential logic, which retains state across clock cycles, combinational logic circuits process input signals in real-time and produce immediate output. The relationship between input and output in these circuits can be described using Boolean algebra and truth tables. The history of combinational logic dates back to the early 20th century when Boolean algebra, introduced by George Boole in the mid-19th century, was first applied to electrical circuits. In the 1930s and 1940s, engineers like Claude Shannon and George Stibitz...

Basic Digital Logic Course

Basic Digital Logic Course, December 1974 Popular Electronics - RF CafeThis first of a three-part series on digital electronics run by Popular Electronics magazine begins with introducing binary (base 2), octal (base 8), and decimal (base 10) number systems, along with conversions between the types. Sure, this is probably old-hat to most RF Cafe visitors, but there is always a new cadre of electronics enthusiasts entering the field who appreciate the instruction. No matter how advanced digital electronics gets, a fundamental understanding and fluency in binary arithmetic is essential to success whether as a hobbyists or as a professional. If you cannot move effortlessly between the various number formats...

D2D Satellite Push Takes Off

D2D Satellite Push Takes Off - RF Cafe"The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last week announced a Special Temporary Authority (STA) for AST SpaceMobile to enable its operator partners - AT&T and Verizon - to test its Bluebird direct-to-device (D2D) satellite constellation over the United States. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, Vodafone has used the nascent Bluebird constellation to enable a video call between Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone Group chief executive in Newbury, England, and Vodafone engineer Rowan Chesmer..."

San Andreas Fault: High Tech Corridor in Peril

San Andreas Fault: High Tech Corridor in Peril - RF CafeThe San Andreas Fault has been in the news again lately, with hundreds of small tremors being detected along its 750 mile extent. Given its proximity to many of the world's most important and valuable high technology companies, government facilities, and universities, a delve into some of the issues is relevant to RF Cafe visitors. According to some sources, the probability of a major rupture along the San Andreas Fault varies depending on the specific segment and the time frame considered. According to the Third Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF3), developed by the USGS and other institutions, there is an estimated 7% chance of a magnitude 8.0 or greater earthquake occurring...

Many Thanks to Transcat | Axiom Rental Equipment for Continued Support!

Transcat | Axiom Rental Equipment - RF CafeTranscat | Axiom Rental Equipment allows you to rent or buy test equipment, repair test equipment, or sell or trade test equipment. They are committed to providing superior customer service and high quality electronic test equipment. Transcat | Axiom offers customers several practical, efficient, and cost effective solutions for their projects' TE needs and is committed to providing superior customer service and high quality electronic test equipment. For anyone seeking a way to offload surplus or obsolete equipment, they offer a trade-in program or they will buy the equipment from you. Some vintage items are available fully calibrated. Please check out Transcat | Axiom Rental Equipment today - and don't miss the blog articles!

What's Your EQ?

What's Your EQ?, February 1964 Radio-Electronics - RF CafePut on your thinking cap again and take a shot at these trio of new circuit analysis problems that appeared in the "What's Your EQ?" feature in the February 1964 issue of Radio-Electronics magazine. These days, I'm guessing not too many people are familiar with the characteristics of neon bulbs, and even way fewer with vacuum tube circuits. Neon bulbs were one of the earlier forms of voltage references since once ignited, the voltage drop across them is fairly constant, sort of like a gaseous Zener diode - except there was zero current flow prior to ignition. Although I didn't know for sure, I figured that even with its high input impedance...

A Baffling Quiz

A Baffling Quiz, January 1968 Popular Electronics - RF CafeIt is doubtful that as many people today build their own stereo speaker enclosures as was the case back in the 1950s through about the 1970s. During those decades stereo equipment was a really big deal, as evidenced by the large number of articles in technical and hobby magazines. I have posted a couple dozen articles on the subject here on RF Cafe. Topics included equipment reviews and feature comparisons, troubleshooting and alignment, modifications to commercial units, build-it-yourself projects, optimized room layout and construction, and even advice on how to best enjoy your stereo system. Lots of comics appeared in the magazines as well poking fun at how a stereo enthusiast's family members and neighbor might not appreciate the ear drum-busting power capability of your system. There were also quizzes like this one on speaker enclosure baffle design ...

ParkerVision vs. Qualcomm Legal Battle

ParkerVision vs. Qualcomm: A Legal Battle over Wireless Technologies - RF CafeThe long-running patent litigation between ParkerVision and Qualcomm is in the news again. It has been a significant case in the wireless technology industry, focusing on radio-frequency (RF) receivers and signal down-conversion methods. Given the importance of RF technology in Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wi-Fi, and even wireless charging, the outcome of this case has broader implications for wireless communication markets. ParkerVision's patents center on RF down-conversion technology, a key process in wireless communications. RF down-conversion involves converting high-frequency signals into lower frequencies...

Ofcom Grants Amazon Satellite Broadband Licence

Ofcom Grants Amazon Satellite Broadband Licence - RF Cafe"Ofcom has given Amazon the go-ahead to launch satellite broadband services in the UK and simultaneously announced it is releasing more high-band spectrum that could be used by the satellite industry. Meanwhile, the UK government is also getting in on the act, allocating funding to a pair of projects in the satellite space. The UK telecoms regulator has granted an earth station network licence to Amazon's Kuiper. That essentially means that the company has the green light to provide satellite connectivity services, including high-speed..."

For Safety's Sake

For Safety's Sake, December 1966 QST - RFCafeThis is a story with a lesson learned by the author and thousands of others ever since electric power appliances and tools first became available. Fortunately, his Ham buddy was not permanently harmed, but even today with all the effort put into educating the public, people continue to use ungrounded (2-wire type, or with the ground prong removed) extension cords in conjunction with 3-wire power cords on tools and end up electrocuting themselves (or somebody else). I've told the story before about a friend of mine from high school who shortly after graduation was making a piece of furniture in a garage that had a damp dirt floor, and was electrocuted to death by the metal-framed circular saw that had no ground connected. Nowadays we often have power provided by a GFCI receptacle...

Thanks to Crane Aerospace & Electronics for Their Support!

Crane Aerospace & Electronics - RF CafeCrane Aerospace & Electronics' products and services are organized into six integrated solutions: Cabin Systems, Electrical Power Solutions, Fluid Management Solutions, Landing Systems, Microwave Solutions, and Sensing Components & Systems. Our Microwave Solution designs and manufactures high-performance RF, IF and millimeter-wave components, subsystems and systems for commercial aviation, defense, and space including linear & log amplifiers, fixed & variable attenuators, circulators & isolators, power combiners & dividers, couplers, mixers, switches & matrices, oscillators & synthesizers.

Bell Telephone Lab - Wire Wrapping

Bell Telephone Lab - Wire Wrapping, October 1953 Radio & Television News - RF CafeIf you believe this 1953 advertisement in Radio & Television News magazine, engineering at Bell Telephone Laboratories invented the wire-wrapping process. A little additional research shows that indeed it was a Bell Telephone engineering team led by Arthur Keller who developed the method and a wire-wrap tool to do the job. Field technician needed a fast, durable, and reliable electrical connection when making hundreds or thousands of splices at relay stations and while up on telephone poles. The key to making a good wire-wrap connection is sharp corners on the wrapping post so that the corner pushes through any oxidation or contaminant on the bare wire. NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) have exacting workmanship standards to guarantee a rugged, durable electrical connection...

Autonomous Tools for Satellite Swarms

NASA Pioneers Autonomous Tools for Satellite Swarms - RF Cafe"Coordinate your actions, unify your approach, and collaborate to fulfill a shared objective. This 'pep talk' succinctly captures how NASA's latest swarm-based breakthrough operates. Known as Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy (DSA), it allows each satellite to make decisions independently while uniting with fellow spacecraft to pursue collective goals, all free from human oversight. Within NASA's DSA project, researchers achieved multiple unprecedented feats when testing technologies for satellite swarms. Managed at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, the project..."

Anti-Collision Systems for Autos

Anti-Collision Systems for Autos, October 1972 Popular Electronics - RF CafeThis article reporting ongoing research for auto anti-collision systems and backup warning systems appeared in a 1972 issue of Popular Electronics has only come to practical fruition within the last decade and a half. High-end cars were offering such equipment options in the early 2000s, but it has only been commonplace since around 2010. 1972 components were still pretty large and power hungry, and digital processing capacity and speed was significantly less advanced as well. Bendix, one of the early developers of anti-collision systems, estimated that the option on a new car might add about $200 to the price, which was...

The Penny: Is It Worth the Cost of Minting?

The Penny: Is It Worth the Cost of Minting? - RF CafeThe debate over whether to stop minting new pennies is rooted in economic efficiency, public convenience, and the broader impact on commerce. President Trump's directive to the Treasury Department to halt penny production is driven by the fact that each penny costs nearly three cents to produce, leading to a financial loss for the U.S. government. However, this decision raises concerns about potential shortages, changes in pricing strategies, and consumer sentiment regarding the smallest unit of U.S. currency. One major argument in favor of stopping penny production is the high cost...

Please Thank RF & Connector Technology for Their Support

RF & Connector Technology - RF CafeProviding full solution service is our motto, not just selling goods. RF & Connector Technology has persistently pursued a management policy stressing quality assurance system and technological advancement. From your very first contact, you will be supported by competent RF specialists; all of them have several years of field experience in this industry allowing them to suggest a fundamental solution and troubleshooting approach. Coaxial RF connectors, cable assemblies, antennas, terminations, attenuators, couplers, dividers, and more. Practically, we put priority on process inspection at each step of workflow as well as during final inspection in order to actualize "Zero Defects."

Electronics-Themed Comics

Electronics-Themed Comics, October 1963 & September 1966 Radio-Electronics - RF CafeHere are four more electronics-themed comics to help get your work week started on a happy note. They all appeared in Radio-Electronics magazine in the 1960s. The page 107 comic conjures up a bit of a nostalgic memory in me, remembering earlier days sitting at a workbench and troubleshooting a piece of electronics gear. I never heated a coffee pot on a chassis, but definitely remember cases with vacuum tubes operating inside that were hot enough to do so. Some of those buggers could melt flesh. I've told the tale before how whilst in the USAF tuning up our air traffic control radar system, I (and fellow techs) would open an access door on the front (not intended to admit passage of a human hand) and blindly "walking" tuning wand-carrying my fingers across the tops of piping hot tubes to get to a potentiometer...

Webinar: AI's Impact on Engineering

Webinar: AI's Impact on Engineering - RF Cafe"Join The Engineer, Dassault Systèmes, BAE Systems, Monolith AI, AMRC and others experts from across industry on Tuesday Feb 25th for this online panel session exploring what the rise of AI means for engineers. AI is currently dominating industry discussion, is at the heart of industry's accelerating digital transformation and is widely anticipated to be one of the most transformative trends in manufacturing and engineering as more and more engineering and manufacturing organizations look at how they can integrate AI capabilities within..."

Jefferson's Decimal System vs. The Metric System

Jefferson's Decimal System vs. The Metric System - RF CafeThe late 18th century was a period of intense effort to standardize measurement systems in both France and the United States. Thomas Jefferson and the French Academy of Sciences independently developed proposals for a rational system of weights and measures based on decimal principles. While Jefferson's system was designed for national use, the French metric system aimed for universal application. Despite their similarities, the two systems differed in fundamental ways, particularly in their definition of base units...

Exodus AMP20100, 2-8 GHz, 200 W, TWT Replacement

Exodus Advanced Communications AMP20100, 2.0-8.0 GHz, 200 W, TWT Replacement - RF CafeExodus Advanced Communications, is a multinational RF communication equipment and engineering service company serving both commercial and government entities and their affiliates worldwide. Exodus' model AMP20100 is an elegant, quiet, broadband class A/AB solid state amplifier (SSPA) and excellent TWT replacement. Ideal for EMC/EMI testing applications including automotive pulse/radar & commercial applications. Frequency ranges from 2.0 to 8.0 GHz, 200 W minimum, 250 W typical, 53 dB minimum gain, and -20 dBc harmonics. Monitoring...

Inside Britain's Newest Jet: Gloster E.1/44

Inside Britain's Newest Jet: Gloster E.1/44, October 1948 Popular Science - Airplanes and RocketsThe Gloster E.1/44, presented in this 1948 issue of Popular Science magazine, was a British experimental jet fighter developed in the 1940s as a potential single-engine counterpart to the twin-engine Gloster Meteor. Designed by the Gloster Aircraft Company to meet Air Ministry Specification E.1/44, it was powered by a Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet and featured a sleek, straight-wing design with a tricycle landing gear. Initially conceived as a simpler and more economical jet fighter for the Royal Air Force, the project faced numerous delays due to shifting priorities...

Thanks to Temwell for Their Support!

Temwell (filters) - RF CafeTemwell is a manufacturer of 5G wireless communications filters for aerospace, satellite communication, AIoT, 5G networking, IoV, drone, mining transmission, IoT, medical, military, laboratory, transportation, energy, broadcasting (CATV), and etc. An RF helical bandpass specialist since 1994, we have posted >5,000 completed spec sheets online for all kinds of RF filters including helical, cavity, LC, and SMD. Standard highpass, lowpass, bandpass, and bandstop, as well as duplexer/diplexer, multiplexer. Also RF combiners, splitters, power dividers, attenuators, circulators, couplers, PA, LNA, and obsolete coil & inductor solutions.

Sylvania High-Voltage Rectifiers

Sylvania High-Voltage Rectifiers, June 1968 Radio-Electronics - RF CafeIn much the same way as the solution to a word problem seems obvious when you look it up in the back of a textbook, Sylvania's answer to manufacturing a vacuum tube heater element that is more robust and less subject to vibration failure is illustrated in this advertisement which appeared in a 1968 issue of Radio-Electronics magazine. Eliminating the suspended element and wrapping it securely on a supporting post facilitated an "instant on" requirement for up-and-coming transistorized televisions and radios by reducing heat-up time to about a second. The heater's symmetrical shape also assured even emission of electrons from the cathode. Its captured winding around the support post also eliminated the annoying failure mode where a broken-off heater...

Today in Science History

Today in Science History - RF Cafe

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from National Company

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from National Company, January 1942 QST - RF CafeTake a look at the list of National Company's employee list wishing their customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Every one of them is a licensed Ham radio operator. It appeared in the January 1942 issue of ARRL's QST magazine, but was for the 1941 Christmas. National Company was a major producer of amateur radio gear in the day. Little did they suspect when the magazine went to print that by the time readers received it, America would be newly engaged in World War II after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Many of the names would be different in1943 due to employees going off to fight the war in the European, Pacific, and North African Theaters of Operation...

FM Radio Quiz

FM Radio Quiz, April 1950 Radio & Televsion News - RF CafeFM (frequency modulation) radio certainly was a hot topic beginning in the middle to late 1940s. With the war out of the way, energies and resources were being redirected back to peacetime production. Major Edwin Armstrong announced his FM scheme in 1935, and as with many new inventions, it was met with skepticism by many who doubted his claim of static interference immunity. For many, it was a lack of understanding that caused the negative reaction, caused primarily by the increased level of sophistication of the transmitter and receiver circuitry. Amplitude modulation (AM) was so easy even a caveman could understand it, but adding phase relationships into the equation (literally) left many in the dust. This FM Radio Quiz from a 1950 issue of Radio & Television News magazine tests your grasp of frequency modulation principles.

Promote Your Company on RF Cafe

Sponsor RF Cafe for as Little as $40 per Month - RF CafeBanner Ads are rotated in all locations on the page! RF Cafe typically receives 8,000-15,000 visits each weekday. RF Cafe is a favorite of engineers, technicians, hobbyists, and students all over the world. With more than 17,000 pages in the Google search index, RF Cafe returns in favorable positions on many types of key searches, both for text and images. Your Banner Ads are displayed on average 225,000 times per year! New content is added on a daily basis, which keeps the major search engines interested enough to spider it multiple times each day. Items added on the homepage often can be found in a Google search within a few hours of being posted. If you need your company news to be seen, RF Cafe is the place to be...

Get Your Custom-Designed RF Cafe Gear!

Custom-Designed RF-Themed Cups, T-Shirts, Mouse Pads, Clocks (Cafe Press) - RF CafeThis assortment of custom-designed themes by RF Cafe includes T-Shirts, Mouse Pads, Clocks, Tote Bags, Coffee Mugs and Steins, Purses, Sweatshirts, Baseball Caps, and more, all sporting my amazingly clever "RF Engineers - We Are the World's Matchmakers" Smith chart design. These would make excellent gifts for husbands, wives, kids, significant others, and for handing out at company events or as rewards for excellent service. My graphic has been ripped off by other people and used on their products, so please be sure to purchase only official RF Cafe gear. I only make a couple bucks on each sale - the rest goes to Cafe Press. It's a great way to help support RF Cafe. Thanks...

Promote Your Company on RF Cafe

Sponsor RF Cafe for as Little as $40 per Month - RF CafeBanner Ads are rotated in all locations on the page! RF Cafe typically receives 8,000-15,000 visits each weekday. RF Cafe is a favorite of engineers, technicians, hobbyists, and students all over the world. With more than 17,000 pages in the Google search index, RF Cafe returns in favorable positions on many types of key searches, both for text and images. Your Banner Ads are displayed on average 225,000 times per year! New content is added on a daily basis, which keeps the major search engines interested enough to spider it multiple times each day. Items added on the homepage often can be found in a Google search within a few hours of being posted. If you need your company news to be seen, RF Cafe is the place to be...

Color Television Systems

Color Television Systems, January 1951 Radio-Electronics - RF CafeIt's probably a safe bet that most people, even at the dawn of color television, knew of the competition which occurred for the adoption of three different methods of implementation. Two of them - line-sequential by Color Television, Inc. (CTI), and dot-sequential by Radio Corporation of America (RCA) - were fully electronic while the third system by the Columbia Broadcast System (CBS) used a kludge of a spinning color wheel placed in front of a black and white display. The CBS field-sequential design used a synchronization component of the composite transmitted signal to position the correct color screen (red, yellow, or blue) in front of the screen as the electron gun scanned the CRT - analogous to how World War I airplane machine guns were synchronized with the engine to fire between propeller blades. Of course an out-of-synch scenario in the color wheel was not as serious as with the machine gun. The worst that could happen with the TV is a false color picture whereas with the machine gun your biplane instantly became a glider. Although I poke some fun at the CBS solution...

A Radioman's Wife Puts in a Good Word

A Radioman's Wife Puts in a Good Word, June 1951 Radio-Electronics - RF CafeIn the days before people were so easily offended by light-hearted poking, it was not uncommon to find magazine articles written by the wives of hobbyist husbands lamenting the habits and proclivities of their matrimonial mates. Over the years I have read many such treatises in model and full-scale airplane, electronics, and Ham radio publications. As with "A Radioman's Wife Puts in a Good Word" from a 1951 issue of Radio-Electronics, they typically start by expressing frustration of having lost their once-doting husbands to alternative loves in the form of hobbies (I once saw a boat named "The Other Woman"). Determined to win back the devotion of their sweethearts, they make a sincere attempt to learn about and be part of whatever hobby or hobbies is/are the cause of abandonment of wife and children. It usually doesn't take long for Friend Wife, as Popular Electronics' Carl Kohler addresses his better half, to decide that try as she may, engendering a sufficient...

Electronics - Vital to Missile Control

Electronics - Vital to Missile Control, August 1958 Popular Electronics - RF CafeNecessity is the mother of invention, according to a popular saying, and perhaps there is no greater need that the one for survival as a nation. It cannot be denied that most of our advanced technology has been invented for the sake of defending the country against the threat of invasion from a formidable enemy who intends to use its advanced technology against you. Whether you love, hate or are neutral on the military, you have benefitted from its existence both in the form of enduring freedom and from everyday products and methods produced due to its existence. Human nature being what it is, history has shown that simply being willing to lay down your arms and play nice with the rest of the world does not result in peace - only in your being subject to somebody else's control. Missile technology - particularly the intercontinental range type - was the primary concern ...

Guided Missiles

Guided Missiles, January 1948 Radio News - RF CafeWhen this January 1948 issue of Radio News magazine was published, a mere two and a half years had passed since the end of World War II, and military planners were already strategizing about what a future war might look like. Two technologies that had a huge effect on the previous efforts were the atom bomb and the guided missile; therefore, they were prominent in discussions. Germany's use of the V-1 Buzz Bomb is a familiar example of a guided missile that struck terror in the hearts of populations that experienced its devastating destructive power. Ditto for the V-2 rocket. The U.S. developed a few missiles of its own, particularly immediately after WWII when it had the assistance of Werner von Braun and other notable rocket scientists who worked for the U.S. space effort after the war...

An Insider's View of Erie Technological Products

Erie Resistor Corporation Advertisement, December 1958 Popular Electronics - RF CafeRF Cafe visitor Rick Marz, KD6EFB, happened upon my Erie Resistor Corporation webpage that is from a 1958 issue of Popular Electronics magazine. As it turns out, Rick is a native of Erie, Pennsylvania, and work at the company in the mid 1960s. He has since moved on to much bigger and better things. Rick provided some very interesting historical information on his experience with Erie Technological Products - one incarnation of Erie Resistor - and how the electronics industry evolved as he made the rounds of some of the top semiconductor concerns of the era ...

RF & Electronics Symbols for Visio

RF Electronics Wireless Analog Block Diagrams Symbols Shapes for Visio - RF CafeWith 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...

Mac's Service Shop: Salvaging Dunked Radios

Mac's Service Shop: Salvaging Dunked Radios, July 1972 Popular Electronics - RF CafeThis 1970s-era Mac's Service Shop story made me think about all the cellphones today being dunked in toilets, swimming pools, lakes, and washing machines. Of course back in Mac''s day not everyone was walking around with an electronic device tucked into his or her pocket waiting for its absentminded owner to bend over or drop his/her drawers. At the time, far more wallets made the dive than transistor radios. I won't bother linking to any articles about how to best dry your dunked phone because there are hundreds - nay, thousands - of them out there. They contradict each other about which absorbent materials to use...

Technology Theme Crossword Puzzle for June 27th

Technology Theme Crossword Puzzle for June 27th, 2021 - RF CafeThis Technology Theme Crossword Puzzle for June 27th has many words and clues related to RF, microwave, and mm-wave engineering, optics, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and other technical subjects. As always, this crossword contains no names of politicians, mountain ranges, exotic foods or plants, movie stars, or anything of the sort unless it/he/she is related to this puzzle's technology theme (e.g., Reginald Denny or the Tunguska event in Siberia). The technically inclined cruciverbalists amongst us will appreciate the effort. Enjoy!

Radio-Electronics Monthly Review

Radio-Electronics Monthly Review, October 1945 Radio-Craft - RF CafeOn December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the FCC issued a "Notice to All Amateur Licensees" that began thusly: "All amateur licensees are hereby notified that the Commission has ordered the immediate suspension of all amateur radio operation in the continental United States, its territories, and possessions." The October 1945 issue of Radio-Craft magazine announced the long-awaited planned resumption of transmitting operations. On November 15, 1945, amateurs were finally allowed back on the air, but only on the 10 and 2 meter bands. Another end to an FCC wartime policy announced was the requirement to reduce output power by 1 dB (~20%) below normal maximum power, with the motivation having been to extend the lifetime of tubes. Proving that engineers and major corporations can have a sense of humor, get a load of the "sniffer" radar dish shown here...

Revolutionary New Oscillator-Amplifier

Revolutionary New Oscillator-Amplifier, June 1955 Radio Electronics - RF CafeWhen I read about Du Mont's Iconumerator, the first thing that came to mind was the video of the Rockwell Retro Encabulator and General Electric's Turboencabulator. As it turns out, the Du Mont device is real. This article from a 1955 issue of Radio Electronics discusses a new type of oscillator-amplifier that works on the principle of microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (maser). It used ammonia as a masing medium. Masers were quickly applied to commercial broadcast systems, to military communications systems, and in laboratories. The state of the art has of course advanced far beyond the relatively crude apparatus shown here, but it is always good to have a working knowledge of the technology's history...

"-Tron" Teasers - An Electronic Quiz

"-Tron" Teasers - An Electronic Quiz, October 1963 Electronics World - RF CafeThyratrons, klystrons, and magnetrons I've heard of, but trochotrons, charactrons, tonotrons I ain't heard of. That made this quiz more of a learning exercise for me than a test of any sort of knowledge possessed. Heck, I thought an 'ignitron' was a pejorative term for a really dumb techie wannabe. In all there are 17 types of '-tron' devices given for which to match from a list of descriptions. You'll probably do better than I did on this quiz that appeared in the October 1963 issue of Electronics World magazine.

Circuitry Crossword, August 1958 Radio News

Circuitry Crossword, August 1958 Radio News - RF CafeGiven that this Circuitry Crossword was created at the peak of the post-war television popularity wave, it is no surprise that the main focus is on TV-related terms. Still, most people who lived during the era of "real" television sets with cathode ray tubes (CRTs), will probably have no problem completing it successfully. If you have ever adjusted the horizontal and vertical hold controls on a TV, you're in the club. After nearly two decades with LCD computer and television displays, the days of less than perfect images are fading like an over-the-air broadcast on a stormy day. Unlike the time it took me days to figure out that two heavy speakers sitting on a shelf over top of my CRT computer monitor was causing a weird distortion in the picture ...

Radio-Electronics Monthly Review

Radio-Electronics Monthly Review, May 1947 Radio-Craft - RF CafeA column entitled "Radio-Electronics Monthly Review" appeared in each issue of Radio-Craft magazine. As now, things were moving quickly at the time. With WWWII recently ended, a lot of the new technology developed to help beat back Nazism and Communism was being transferred to peacetime uses. The May 1947 issue contained, amongst other items, info regarding how radio servicemen were organizing efforts to get its ranks educated on FM sets as AM was being replaced and/or supplemented with the new miracle noise-free broadcast systems. It also reported that the IRS decided not to go forward with earlier plans to tax television shows being displayed in public places. Attempts to tax the air that you breathe are to this day still being worked on, though. The U.S. Bureau of Standards (now NIST) announced adoption of international standards of measure for certain electrical units...

NEETS - Introduction to Solid-State Devices

NEETS Introduction to Solid-State Devices and Power Supplies - RF CafeThe discovery of the first transistor in 1948 by a team of physicists at the Bell Telephone Laboratories sparked an interest in solid-state research that spread rapidly. The transistor, which began as a simple laboratory oddity, was rapidly developed into a semiconductor device of major importance. The transistor demonstrated for the first time in history that amplification in solids was possible. Before the transistor, amplification was achieved only with electron tubes. Transistors now perform numerous electronic tasks with new and improved transistor designs being continually put on the market. In many cases, transistors are more desirable than tubes because they are small, rugged, require no filament power, and operate at low voltages with comparatively high efficiency. The development of a family of transistors has even made possible the miniaturization of electronic circuits...

Carl and Jerry: Ham Radio

Carl and Jerry: Ham Radio, April 1955 Popular Electronics - RF CafeHere is another exciting episode of the sleuthing adventures starring Popular Electronics' tech savvy teenagers, Carl and Jerry. The Hardy Boys of electronics are the creation of author John T. Frye, who created short story adventures for many years - long enough to at one point require a major modification in the boys' appearances to reflect more modern attire and eyewear (Carl's "The Far Side"-style glasses had to go). This particular adventure begins with Carl considering whether his ham radio hobby is more useful from the standpoint of its technical aspects or of its social aspects.

Hobnobbing with Harbaugh

Hobnobbing with Harbaugh: The 5 Most Wanted Household Inventions, March 1963 Popular Electronics - RF CafeHere is a little levity from the "Hobnobbing with Harbaugh" series of comics that appeared in Popular Electronics magazine. Unfortunately, none of the "The 5 Most Wanted Household Inventions" have come to full fruition in the marketplace yet, although the Conversation Jammer can be found on the Internet in various unofficial forms. Personal computers were a pipe dream in 1963, but nowadays we do have software like TurboTax to take care of filing taxes, although you still can't simply dump all your receipts into a bin and have it work. Flat-fixing robots might not be needed in a few years as tubeless, airless tires hit the road. Alarm clock vaporizers are not Star Trek phaser-like devices yet, but the same effect can be affected with a low-tech hammer, or a shoe...

Electronics-Themed Comics

Electronics-Themed Comics, April & September 1947 Radio-Craft - RF CafeHere are a couple more electronics-themed comics from 1947 issues of Radio-Craft magazine. Artist Frank Beaven, who created a huge number of comics and advertisements (e.g., Eveready batteries, Zippo lighters) for technical and other types of publications (Saturday Evening Post, New Yorker, Esquire), did both of them. Beaven must have a fan base since many examples of his drawings are offered for sale on eBay. Most of his comics credit reader suggestions as the basis for the subject. I have to admit to not really "getting" the gag in the top comic. Maybe Sinatra's voice strained the frequency response of simple tabletop radios of the day. The bottom comic is one of a series entitled "Radio Terms Illustrated," in this example "High Potential" (get it?)...

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