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5 of the March 2022 homepage archives. Monday the 14th
 Here is a good treatise on
resistor ratings - voltage, current, and power - with and explanation and handy-dandy
chart for helping you figure out what type of resistor you need to suit the task
at hand. It appeared in the March 1953 issue of Radio-Electronics magazine, at a
time when resistors the size of a grain of salt were not invented yet (or for that
matter even tinier resistors on semiconductor dice), but the principles are still
the same. I do take issue with author Manly's assertion that there only being one
reason resistors fail: "The burnout occurred only because the resistor carried too
much current." He cites the failure (electrical and mechanical) of connected components
often being responsible for the excess current, but does now allow for a mechanical
failure of the resistor itself. A factory manufacturing defect or being subject
to excess vibration, temperature or shock can cause resistor failure. So can "walking
wounded" type damage done during the assembly process due to mishandling. I do like
the description given of the visual signs of an overheated resistor right up to
the point where the functionality-giving smoke escapes and the resistor stops working...
 Did you know RCA (Radio Corporation of America)
used to manufacture and sell oscilloscopes? The
Model 155-C
oscilloscope was promoted quite aggressively in the mid 1940s as a breakthrough
instrument. A quick Google search shows that not many survived, and they are not
particularly sought-after by vintage test equipment collectors. It seems the quality
of the metal chassis was not very good, although the electronics get high marks.
You can pick one up on eBay occasionally for fairly cheap. Oscilloscope Museum has
an example of an RCA 155-C oscilloscope (lots of links on the page to images, manual,
etc., but they can be hard to find)...
 "Look out, flash memory - low-power, instant-on
computing newly possible. For about a decade, a range of materials known as 'multiferroics'
has been promising to lead the way to the ultimate memory device, or, at the very
least, the ultimate replacement to flash memory. Multiferroics are materials with
two or more coexisting ferroic orders, such as ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism.
The term 'ferroic' is the material property in which a material's electrons can
be collectively switched by an external field, such as switching the orientation
of their charge or magnetic spin. These multiferroics have been developed at labs
to serve as room temperature magneto-electric memory devices that can be switched
with just voltage rather than current. The aim has been that these materials could
ultimately..."
 It seems that creating almost cartoonish-looking
antenna arrays for the purpose of signal gain and directivity are usually relegated
to the domains of military and amateur radio practitioners, but this article from
a 1952 edition of Radio & Television News magazine was done by the
Channel Master Laboratories television antenna company. Successfully mounting
and phasing even two antennas can be challenging, but in this case four Yagis were
arrayed and tuned for operation. Trying to make the system work over the entire
4 octave band that is the VHF broadcast realm (54 MHz for channel 2 to 210 MHz for
channel 13) would be nearly impossible without extremely complicated mechanical
and electrical design, so the engineers satisfied themselves with one channel at
a time and used an adjustable spacing scheme to accommodate all 12 channels. Extensive
guying and bracing was required to withstand wind loads...
 With more than 1000
custom-built stencils, this has got to be the most comprehensive set of
Visio Stencils available for RF, analog, and digital system and schematic
drawings! Every stencil symbol has been built to fit proportionally on the included
A-, B-, and C-size drawing page templates (or use your own page if preferred). Components
are provided for system block diagrams, conceptual drawings, schematics, test equipment,
racks (EIA 19", ETSI 21"), and more. Test equipment and racks are built at a 1:1
scale so that measurements can be made directly using Visio built-in dimensioning
objects. Page templates are provided with a preset scale (changeable) for a good
presentation that can incorporate all provided symbols...
 Anatech Electronics (AEI) manufactures and
supplies RF and microwave filters for military and commercial communication
systems, providing standard LP, HP, BP, BS, notch, diplexer, and custom RF filters,
and RF products. Standard RF filter and cable assembly products are published in
our website database for ease of procurement. Custom RF filters designs are used
when a standard cannot be found, or the requirements dictate a custom approach for
your military and commercial communications needs. Sam Benzacar's monthly newsletters
address contemporary wireless subjects. Please visit Anatech today to see how they
can help your project succeed.
Sunday the 13th
 This custom-made
Electrical Engineering-themed crossword puzzle for March 13th, 2022, is brought
to you by RF Cafe. All RF Cafe crossword puzzles are custom made by me, Kirt
Blattenberger, and have only words and clues related to RF, microwave, and mm-wave
engineering, optics, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and other technical subjects.
As always, this crossword puzzle 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!
RF Cascade Workbook is the next phase in the evolution of
RF Cafe's long-running series, RF Cascade Workbook. Chances are you have
never used a spreadsheet quite like this (click here for screen capture). It is a full-featured RF system
cascade parameter and frequency planner that includes filters and mixers for a mere
$45. Built in MS Excel, using RF Cascade Workbook 2018 is a cinch
and the format is entirely customizable. It is significantly easier and faster than
using a multi-thousand dollar simulator when a high level system analysis is all
that is needed. An intro video takes you through the main features...
 Axiom Test 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. 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 Axiom Test Equipment
today!
Friday the 11th
 In this 1955 report on the status of the
electronics industry, Radio-Electronics magazine editor Hugo Gernsback
summarizes a presentation made by RCA president Charles Odorizzi to the Cleveland
Society of Security Analysts. He began thusly: "Few if any industries, in such a
relatively short period of time, have experienced such
amazing growth as electronics. From 1940 to the war's end in 1945, the annual
dollar volume of the industry increased from $500 million to $4.6 billion." So was
born what President Dwight D. Eisenhower would in 1961 term the Military-Industrial
Complex. Being a capitalist and small government type at heart, I am somewhat conflicted
with the concept because on the one hand I eschew government controlling industry
and academia (aka communism), yet on the other hand I recognize the need for maintaining
a strong military in order to both deter and defend against foreign aggression.
The same goes for allowing pure market forces to determine the direction of research
and production without government intervention; the result would be the same as
allowing a purely democratic form of government - the majority, even by a thin margin,
would decide what everybody else does...
 "A study reported in Nature, 'Satellite
mega-constellations create risks in Low Earth Orbit, the atmosphere and on Earth,'
in Scientific Reports by Aaron C. Boley and Michael Byers, says the rapid development
of mega-constellations risks multiple tragedies of the commons. That could include
tragedies to ground-based astronomy, Earth orbit, and Earth's upper atmosphere.
The study asserts that international cooperation is urgently needed, along with
a regulatory system that takes into account the effects of tens of thousands of
satellites. 'The connections between the Earth and space environments are inadequately
taken into account by the adoption of a consumer electronic model applied to space
assets,' the authors said. 'For example, we point out that satellite re-entries
from the Starlink mega-constellation alone could deposit more aluminum into Earth's
upper atmosphere than what is done through meteoroids..."
 If you enjoy reading about instruments with
names like the
Eppley pyrheliometer and the conductivity bridge salinometer, then this article
is for you. Long before there were Earth-imaging and environment-monitoring satellites,
sonobouys, and autonomous robotic dolphins perpetually roaming the world's oceans,
it was up to ships and crews to do the often perilous work. Even with the aforementioned
remote sensing technology, it is still necessary for the detailed work to be carried
out by humans at the study sites. Raging, swelling, stormy seas imperil the lives
and well-being of everything aboard, but don't pity the scientists - they are there
because they love what they are doing and thrive on the challenge. It is a seafaring
tradition and trait that reaches back to the dawn of time. Landlubbers like myself
appreciate the sacrifices of sailors from ancient days of yore as well as today's
intrepid explorers. That said, I could do without the types who do "research" based
on what the politically correct desired outcome is to prove some scientifically
unsound theory ... and it usually involves receiving large sums of money for supporting
"the cause..."
 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.
 Thanks to Bob D. for this. "Russia's
invasion of Ukraine threatens to pile further pressure on chip manufacturing as
a squeeze on the supply of rare gases critical to the production process adds to
pandemic-related disruptions. Ukraine supplies about 50% of the world's
neon gas, analysts have said, a byproduct of Russia's steel industry that is
purified in the former Soviet republic and is indispensable in chip production.
Manufacturers have already been reeling from shortages of components, late deliveries,
and rising material costs, with companies that rely on chips, such as carmakers,
facing production delays as a result. Many companies, including U.S. manufacturers
Applied Materials and Intel, have said constraints would persist into 2023. Demand
for raw materials is also expected to rise by more than a third in the next four
years, as businesses such as the world’s biggest contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor
Manufacturing Company increase production..."
 Remember when you could hold a telephone
conversation without having to allow a moment of time at the end of a sentence before
responding in order to keep from "stepping on" the person on the other end? It used
to be only overseas phone calls or maybe communicating to astronauts on the moon
suffered such inconveniences, but talking to someone across town was like having
a face-to-face discussion. More often than not - or so at least it seems - there
is a noticeable delay between the time someone actually stops talking on the transmitter
end and the time the audio stops at the receiver end. People who have never known
otherwise accommodate the delay with no appreciation for how good phone calls used
to be. This promotion by
Bell Telephone Labs which appeared in a 1946 issue of Radio News magazine
extolls the virtues of its "scientific quality control" innovation that produced
repeatable...
 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
(of course a gratuity will be graciously accepted). 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 ...
 ConductRF is continually innovating and
developing new and improved solutions for RF Interconnect needs. See the latest
TESTeCON RF Test
Cables for labs. ConductRF makes production and test coax cable assemblies for
amplitude and phased matched VNA applications as well as standard & precision
RF connectors. Over 1,000 solutions for low PIM in-building to choose from in the
iBwave component library. They also provide custom coax solutions for applications
where some standard just won't do. A partnership with Newark assures fast, reliable
access. Please visit ConductRF today to see how they can help your project!
Thursday the 10th
 There is no such thing as too many good articles
about the decibel, and this "What
Is This Thing Called Decibel?" piece from a 1931 issue of QST magazine is definitely
a good read. Decibels are a very convenient method for calculating changes in power,
voltage, and current levels due to it being based on logarithms, thereby changing
multiplication and division operations into addition and subtraction operations,
respectively. Once explained, some initial fear felt by newcomers is assuaged. Thereafter,
the most difficult aspect of decibels is mathematically converting between ratios
and decibels. In delving into some of the history of the usage of the decibel, co-author
McLaughlin mentions the "R" system (Readability) of describing signal strength,
as opposed to the modern "S" units - an interesting bit of historical trivia. Keeping
in mind that this was written in 1931, it is not too surprising to read the author
mention the somewhat recent transition from communications over copper wires to
"radio circuits through space..."
 "The assembly of 2D nanosheets on the surface
of
emulsion nanodroplets leads to the stabilization of the emulsion and requires
only a tiny amount of material - report physicists in the UK. Furthermore, the team
has developed a model that allows fine-tuning of the solvent composition so the
droplets could be used to create components for a range of applications from strain
sensors to batteries. The emulsions also raise the possibility of printing large-scale
devices in a matter of minutes, which could have an important impact on electronics
fabrication. Wouldn't it be great to print with 2D materials such as graphene? The
answer is yes for many reasons, but how to do so is a puzzle that has confounded
scientists working with 2D materials since Konstantin Novoselov and Andre Geim first
isolated 2D sheets of carbon (graphene) in 2004. A thousand papers have been published
on this subject, but the question regarding printing remains open..."
 According to the GasBuddy website, gas in
the U.S. is running more than $4US/gallon.
In Canada it's about $1.70/liter ($1.33US, or about $5US/gallon).
You can't blame the Ukraine conflict for that! We are being royally screwed by our
governments. The U.S. was energy independent a little over a year ago and now we
buy oil from Russia and other hostile nations. Soon it appears we will be importing
oil from Iran again - the world's largest supporter of radical terrorists and a
fledgling nuclear power. The party line claiming "There are
9,000 approved oil leases that the oil companies are not tapping into currently,"
is a load of crap. Most - if not all - of those are not deposits worthy of developing,
and they know it. You and I now pay exorbitant prices for energy (gas, electricity,
oil), and the price of producing, transporting, and stocking goods goes up along
with it. We have empty shelves and sky-high inflation. Thanks for nothing to the
morons who made this all possible. You know who you are. Thanks to Canadian MK for
letting me know the GasBuddy price is $CAN/liter.
 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. Three new
filter models have been introduced - a surface mount ceramic bandpass filter centered
at 1450 MHz and a 95 MHz bandwidth, a 105 MHz crystal bandpass filter
with SMA connectors, and a 444 MHz LC highpass filter with N connectors. Custom
RF power directional coupler designs can be designed and produced when a standard
cannot be found, or the requirements are such that a custom approach is necessary...
 Glass-encapsulated bi-reed magnetic switches
were a relatively recent invention that came out of Bell Labs when this
Carl & Jerry episode was published in Popular Electronics magazine
in 1962. It seems like such simple and common components have been around forever,
and they have for a growing portion of people in the electronics realm since that
was more than half a century ago. As is often the case with John Frye's enterprising
pair of teenage experimenters, the reader is treated to a tutorial on the operational
theory of the switch, with its dependence on magnetization by induction. The story
ends up being quite humorous, and reminds me a bit of the old All in the Family
episode where a window salesman uses a photography light measuring meter to convince
Archie he is actually detecting severe air drafts around the windows, when in fact
it is merely registering a greater light level near a window...
With more than 1000
custom-built stencils, this has got to be the most comprehensive set of
Visio Stencils available for RF, analog, and digital system and schematic
drawings! Every stencil symbol has been built to fit proportionally on the included
A-, B-, and C-size drawing page templates (or use your own page if preferred). Components
are provided for system block diagrams, conceptual drawings, schematics, test equipment,
racks (EIA 19", ETSI 21"), and more. Test equipment and racks are built at a 1:1
scale so that measurements can be made directly using Visio built-in dimensioning
objects. Page templates are provided with a preset scale (changeable) for a good
presentation that can incorporate all provided symbols...
 Centric RF is a company offering from stock
various RF and
Microwave coaxial components, including attenuators, adapters, cable assemblies,
terminations, power dividers, and more. We believe in offering high performance
parts from stock at a reasonable cost. Frequency ranges of 0-110 GHz at power
levels from 0.5-500 watts are available off the shelf. Order today, ship today!
Centric RF is currently looking for vendors to partner with them. Please visit Centric
RF today.
Wednesday the 9th
 These two
electronics-themed comics appeared in the February 1951 and 1952 issues of
Radio-Electronics magazine. For some reason there were not as many comics
in that era. At the time, the world was very obsessed with wireless entertainment
so it was the subject of many memes in print, talk, and video. Predating cable media,
the often constant battle in trying to get good reception on radio and/or television
was a very popular theme. Also predating a time when there was a TV in every room
in the house, the possibility of a single set being able to satisfy the desired
of multiple viewers simultaneously was also commonplace topic. The comic artists
of the day could never imagine that seven decades later almost every person on Earth
would be walking around with a high definition TV set in his/her pocket - and that
many don't even think about it (the smartphone) being "wireless" because they have
never had a "wired" device...
 Sure, you do it all the time, but at some
point either someone probably suggested to you and/or showed you how to clip
substitute components into a circuit in place of a suspected bad component while
troubleshooting or maybe during the design or tuning process. Miniature circuits
of today pretty much rule out using alligator clips to patch in a part, but sometimes
it is possible to use miniature "J" clip leads or even pin probes to make the connection
long enough to take a measurement. Since I do a fair amount of circuit work on other-than-RF
applications, I often find myself using short insulated, stranded wires with mini
alligator clips on each end to make connections. This "Substitution Jigs Speed Service"
article from a 1957 issue of Radio & TV News magazine has a few tips
for you...
 ConductRF's LSA series of low loss, performance
flexible RF cable assemblies, provide microwave system designers with a versatile
solution for most applications. Here we offer customers a solution for 0.086" dia.
cable that facilitates greater flexibility and handling or, 0.141" dia. that exploits
the same great performance but with almost half the loss. Connector options include
SMA, Type-N, TNC & SMP that provide excellent VSWR between DC and 18 GHz,
also solutions for MCX & SMB are available in a wide array of configurations.
These assemblies are built using our own double shielded, FEP jacketed cable, that
was developed specifically for performance solutions. With shielding effectiveness
exceeding 90 dB through 18 GHz, these cables minimize the threat of cross-talk
effect. ConductRF guarantees it's performance through 100% factory test prior to
shipping. Additional options are also available with enhanced bonded strain relief...
 "A new
bendable supercapacitor made from graphene has been developed that charges quickly
and safely stores a record-high level of energy for use over a long period. The
technology overcomes the issue faced by high-powered, fast-charging supercapacitors:
they usually cannot hold a large amount of energy in a small space. The new supercapacitor
is extremely promising for next-generation energy storage technology as either a
replacement for current battery technology, or for use alongside it, to provide
the user with more power. It was designed with materials that give it a high power
density and a high energy density. It also can bend to 180 degrees without affecting
performance and doesn't use a liquid electrolyte, which minimizes risk of explosion
and makes it suitable for integrating into phones or wearable electronics. A graphene
electrode material with pores can be changed in size to store the charge more efficiently.
This tuning maximizes the energy density..."
 Television development was a distant memory
for most people during the dark days of World War II. Germany's forces launched
its second siege of the 20th century against Europe in Fall of 1939. By January
of 1945, even the Brits were beginning to feel confident that the seemingly endless
days of World War II were about to come to an end. Hitler's forces had been
beaten back from its massive sprawl across Europe and into northern Africa. Eisenhower's
D-Day campaign six months earlier had broken the back - and much of the will - of
German forces. The Battle of Leyte Gulf shortly thereafter severely damaged Japanese
naval forces. Slowly but surely improvements were made in TV camera, broadcast,
and local viewing technology in spite of the severe restrictions placed on component
and manpower availability, both in the UK and in the U.S .
John Logie Baird was England's most famous television pioneer, having developed
the first practical broadcast system. His accomplishments were reported in this
January 1945 edition of Radio News. Mr. Baird died the next year at age 57...
RF Cascade Workbook is the next phase in the evolution of
RF Cafe's long-running series, RF Cascade Workbook. Chances are you have
never used a spreadsheet quite like this (click here for screen capture). It is a full-featured RF system
cascade parameter and frequency planner that includes filters and mixers for a mere
$45. Built in MS Excel, using RF Cascade Workbook 2018 is a cinch
and the format is entirely customizable. It is significantly easier and faster than
using a multi-thousand dollar simulator when a high level system analysis is all
that is needed. An intro video takes you through the main features...
 Copper Mountain Technologies develops innovative
and robust RF test and measurement solutions for engineers all over the world. Copper
Mountain's extensive line of unique form factor
Vector
Network Analyzers include an RF measurement module and a software application
which runs on any Windows PC, laptop or tablet, connecting to the measurement hardware
via USB interface. The result is a lower cost, faster, more effective test process
that fits into the modern workspace in lab, production, field and secure testing
environments.
These archive pages are provided in order to make it easier for you to find items
that you remember seeing on the RF Cafe homepage. Of course probably the easiest
way to find anything on the website is to use the "Search
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