|
March 1966 Radio-Electronics
 [Table of Contents]
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics.
See articles from Radio-Electronics,
published 1930-1988. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.
|
Reading the "Radio Astronomers
Have Own Whodunit" item from the March 1966 "News Briefs" column in Radio-Electronics
magazine, you might think it was excerpted from a 17th Century treatise on alchemy.
There, editors report that astronomers had recently discovered unexplainable
"waves" emanating from deep in the universe (or maybe should I say "ether"), and
dubbed them "mysterium*." To some extend astronomers still
use such terms; e.g., "dark energy" and "dark matter," to make observed phenomena
fit their cosmological models. Among that other things in this issue was Radio-Electronics
had adopted Hertz (Hz) to replace cycles per second as its standard unit of frequency.
Henceforth, Hz replaces cps. Not very long before that, the unit prefix of pico
replaced micromicro; e.g., picofarad (pF) rather than micromicrofarad (μμF).
Satellite-to-home radio was being studied by NASA; now we have SiriusXM Radio, and
multiple satellite TV and Internet services.
News Briefs:
11/57 |
8/58 |
11/59 |
2/60 |
4/60 |
8/60 |
9/60 |
10/60 |
12/60 |
1/61 |
3/61 |
5/61 |
6/61 |
7/61 |
8/61 |
9/61 |
10/61 |
11/61 |
12/61 |
1/62 |
2/62 |
3/62 |
4/62 |
5/62 |
6/62 |
7/62 |
8/62 |
9/62 |
10/62 |
11/62 |
2/63 |
3/63 |
4/63 |
6/63 |
8/63 |
9/63 |
11/63 |
2/64 |
3/64 |
4/64 |
7/64 |
8/64 |
12/64 |
8/64 |
9/64 |
1/66 |
3/66 |
8/66 |
9/66 |
1/67 |
3/67 |
4/67 |
5/67 |
6/67 |
7/67 |
9/67 |
3/68 |
4/68 |
5/68 |
8/68 |
9/68 |
4/69 |
1/69 |
5/69 |
6/69 |
10/69 |
11/69 |
12/69
News Briefs
Satellite-to-Home Radio Being Studied by NASA
NASA has authorized a study of the practicability of transmitting FM programs
direct from satellites to home receivers. As a preliminary, a number of private
companies in the communications field were asked to present their views on the possibility
of radio broadcasting from space, and to submit proposals on making studies of the
subject. NASA expects to issue con-tracts for such study if the proposals seem suitable.
A moderate-power station with a radius of 50 to 100 miles on the ground could
cover nearly half the globe if it were transmitting from a satellite far out in
space.
Radio-Electronics Adopts Hertz
Radio-Electronics is now using the term Hertz - recently adopted officially in
the United States - in place of cycles in all references to frequency. This term
has been used for many years in other countries. Hz, KHz and MHz, abbreviations
for Hertz, kilohertz and megahertz, are replacing cycles, kc and mc in all recently
edited material. You may run across the older abbreviations in copy set in type
before the change.
Kids and Low-Power Sets Give FCC Troubles
Youngsters who got walkie-talkies for Christmas are giving the FCC a big headache.
The kids' chatter has drowned out some Citizens-band transmissions, has interfered
with TV sets in some cities, and their imitation grownup tough-guy talk is embarrassing
the authorities. When the FCC finds the offenders, the FBI may have to move in and
turn them off.
Electronics Moves In
The spread of electronics into household products will be an important factor
in the increase of semiconductor applications, predicts L. Berkeley David of General
Electric Co.'s Electronics Components Div. Mass production and improved techniques
have lowered unit costs, in turn opening new markets for electronic components.
The better cars now have "comfort conditioners," which operate with transistor
controls and semiconductor temperature sensors. General Electric's new Hotpoint
washers have solid-state "infinite motion control," enabling the housewife to machine-wash
anything from delicate nylons to heavy wool dresses. Silicon-controlled rectifiers
are making possible cheaper and better light dimmers, and are ready to replace mechanical
controls in variable-speed household appliances.
Rechargeable batteries are bringing out a host of "cordless" electrical appliances,
such as electric knives, home-workshop power tools and hedge trimmers.
Mr. Davis predicts for 1966 a market for more than $2 billion for semiconductors,
capacitors, tubes, photocells, nickel-cadmium batteries and magnetic reed switches.
Radio Astronomers Have Own Whodunit
Strange radiations from outer space at frequencies between 1,650 and 1,750 MHz
are puzzling astronomers so much that they attribute them to a phenomenon they call
"mysterium", Whether "mysterium" is a substance or an activity is yet to be discovered,
but astronomers suspect that the waves are due to the activation of hydroxyl molecules.
(A hydroxyl molecule is like a water molecule except that it contains only one hydrogen
atom instead of two.)
The sources of the emission seem to be very small astronomical objects strung
like beads around the fringes of glowing gaseous nebulae within the Milky Way. The
latest theory is that the hydroxyl molecules are being activated or stimulated like
a maser, but on an astronomical scale.
*An AI query on "mysterium" resulted in the following: "The term
'mysterium' in 1960s astronomy referred to unidentified radio sources emitting at
a wavelength of around 18 cm. These emissions were initially thought to originate
from extremely compact celestial objects, possibly strung along the edges of glowing
nebulae in the Milky Way. The mystery was later resolved when the emissions were
identified as coming from hydroxyl (OH) molecules in interstellar space - a discovery
that revealed the first interstellar masers (microwave amplification by stimulated
emission of radiation). These masers occur in regions of star formation, where excited
molecules amplify specific radio frequencies. The 'beads-on-a-string' appearance
was likely due to maser spots clustered in high-density zones around nebulae, giving
the illusion of tiny, discrete sources. The term mysterium faded from use once the
OH maser explanation was confirmed. "
The information about "mysterium" comes from historical astronomical literature,
particularly mid-20th-century radio astronomy studies. Key sources include: Weinreb
et al. (1963) - The team that first detected the anomalous 18 cm line, initially
labeling it "mysterium" due to its unknown origin (Nature, Vol. 200, pp. 829–831).
Robinson et al. (1964) - Proposed hydroxyl (OH) radicals as the source (Nature,
Vol. 202, pp. 989–991). Interstellar Maser Theory - Later confirmed by Charles Townes
(Nobel laureate for maser/laser work) and others, explaining the amplified emissions
from star-forming regions. The "beads-on-a-string" description appears in observational
reports of OH masers in nebulae like W49 and W3, where compact maser spots appeared
clustered along shock fronts.
Inertial Navigation System Now on Commercial Airline
The first inertial navigation system in commercial use has been in-stalled in
a Pan-American Boeing 707 and is being used in transatlantic service between New
York, Rome, Paris, Istanbul and Teheran. Large numbers are expected to be installed
in the near future. The manufacturer, Sperry Rand, states that commercial orders
for the system, the SGN-10, now exceed $15 million.
|
