As is always the case, we've been busy adding plenty of new stuff to Microwaves101. We ain't been slack, Cap'n Walker!
New for June 2023: Fifty years ago, in June 1973, Secretariat completed his Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes. The first two races were no contest, but the final venue at Belmont was absurd in how much of a win this three-year-old horse could muster. The camera person did not have enough field of view to focus on both the first and second place finishers, with Secretariat winning by 22 lengths and breaking the track record by two seconds at an average pace of 37.5 mph. You may hate horse racing for good reasons, and your employer would certainly not like you to spend company time on betting sites, but you owe it to yourself to watch a performance that remains untouched fifty years later. A clear favorite, the win paid out only $2.20 on a two-dollar bet. Secretariat sired 653 offspring but sadly succumbed to a hoof disease in 1989. A necropsy revealed one of Secretariat's secrets: his 22 lb. heart was two-and-a-half the size of a normal horse! Jockey Ron Turcotte rode him in all three triple crown victories. Paralyzed from a racing accident in 1978, he raises money and awareness of other injured jockeys. Was Secretariat the greatest racehorse of all time? That depends on your criteria. He had a short career, and "only" won nine out of sixteen races. Fifty years earlier, Man O' War won way more races, but Secretariat was certainly faster. Here he is standing still, and here is "the race".
So, what's new on the Microwaves101 site?
-
IMS2023 is 11-16 June at the San Diego Convention Center and we hope to see some of you there. The EverythingRF/Microwaves101 booth is number 1617, the nearest big booth is Copper Mountain. We did not pay for a keg of beer like last year, but you can stop by and get a free Microwaves101 beach ball. See the exhibition layout here (you will have to zoom in to read it). We are pretty much in the middle of the field.
-
We've updated our page on Project Connect. This is a program for funding minority students to come to IMS. It's been going on for a decade, and the results are positive.... alumni of the program work at major companies and universities and show up at IMS to guide new students.
-
For many years, IMS has featured an Historic Exhibit. Conferences depend on volunteers to make things happen...the way it goes down is like this: the Local Arrangements committee asks around, "who do we know that is so old and decrepit that they might know something about the history of microwave engineering?" Guess who they drafted? This year the Historic Exhibit will be in the Sails Pavilion, upstairs at the Convention Center, very convenient to other events at IMS, so you can't miss it. Here is a short article on the IMS website that describes some local contributions.
-
The Historic Exhibit includes part of the National Electronics Museum's collection. We created a NEM page where we inked to a video that described the 2022 exhibit. Take a look and you will know what to expect.
-
Diving down the historic rabbit-hole a little further, we offer a new page on TK connectors, kind of a blast from the past. This 50-ohm connector found its way into military systems in the 1970s, so you know what that means... it will be around for a very long time! It is kind of like a high-class SMA connector, expect to spend hundreds of dollars to own just one of them. Our website is perhaps the only place on the worldwide web where you will see photos of actual TK connectors.
-
In May our video was about copper pour on PCBs. While we were at it, we created an entire page on the topic, where we wax philosophically on the convergence of PCB designers and microwave engineering.
-
We've added NoleTec to our MMIC supplier page. NoleTec is one answer to the question, where do I get non-ITAR high-power GaN amplifiers?
-
We fixed link to low freq dispersion. thanks to Marcus. That link was a paper written by a Virginia Tech student providing an analysis that we have not seen anywhere else. The reason for the analysis was work being performed on a radio-telescope known as the Long Wavelength Array. At MHz frequencies, cables are electrically longer than they are at GHz frequencies. We created a new page on the LWA as well. If you worked in it, get in touch with us and help us add the topic!
-
The Unknown Editor has a new rant on an old TV program he watched in New Jersey in the 1970s. Don't Avoid Watch Uncle Floyd!
-
On our discussion board, we've always got some questions that need YOUR answers. Please try to help out our members... Step it up and go!
https://forum.microwaves101.com/discussion/211/impedance-measurement-kit-ma414a-anritsu Looking for advice on using an old Anritsu impedance measurement system.
https://forum.microwaves101.com/discussion/210/cal-standard-for-rf-probe Looking for cal standards for a cheap RF probe
https://forum.microwaves101.com/discussion/204/wire-and-coax-impedance Why is the calculated coax impedance different from measured impedance when using NbTi wire?
Pop on over to the discussion board to register and sign in, then chime in on existing threads, or start your own topics. Our user approval process is quick and anonymous, blocks most bots, and eliminates spam by more than 99%. At least that's what the sales rep told us.
-
We're always fixing typos and making corrections of one kind or another, mostly whenever one of you eagle-eyed viewers write to tell us when we've made a mistake. Keep it up!
-
As always, we want you to sign up for the MW101Stuff newsletter, or submit a photo for our Microwave Mortuary. We'd love to hear from you, whether you have nice things to say about Microwaves101.com or just want to tell us how we've ruined your life.
Attention forward thinking microwave marketeers: check out recently updated information on advertising with us. Sponsorship information is but a click away....