Small Antennas: Miniaturization
Techniques & Applications
 Small
Antennas: Miniaturization Techniques & Applications, by John Volakis, Chi-Chih Chen, and Kyohei
Fujimoto. "The most up-to-date methods on the theory and design of small antennas, including an extensive survey
of small antenna literature published over the past several years. Written by experts at the forefront of antenna
research, [this book] begins with a detailed presentation of small antenna theory--narrowband and wideband--and
progresses to small antenna design methods, such as materials and shaping approaches for multiband and wideband
antennas. Generic"
…
4/1/2015
Terahertz Metrology
 Terahertz
Metrology, by Mira Naftaly. "This new book describes modern terahertz systems and devices and presents practical
techniques for accurate measurement with an emphasis on evaluating uncertainties and identifying sources of
error. This is the first THz book on the market to address measurement methodologies and issues -- perfect for
practitioners and aspiring practitioners wishing to learn good measurement practice and avoid pitfalls. This
book provides a brief review of different THz systems and devices, followed by chapters detailing the measurement
issues encountered in using each of the main types of THz systems, and a guide to performing measurements rigorously.
Particular attention is given to evaluating uncertainties, and recognizing potential sources of errors. The
main focus is on time-domain spectroscopy, by far the most widely used technique. Readers are also presented
with examples of applications with the emphasis on utility, both in research and in industry."
3/4/2015
Super Bowl XLIX Partyware
 You
have just enough time to get your last-minute
Super Bowl party gear at a good price. Standard shipping is free, as is 2-day service if you're a Prime
member. I justify promoting the Super Bowl as an RF Cafe Featured Product
because of its relevance to the posting I just did on Roman numbers. Anything you buy on Amazon after than clicking
on this thumbnail helps pay my bills. Thanks.
1/28/2015
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CW Geek's Guide to Having
Fun with Morse Code
 CW
Geek's Guide to Having Fun with Morse Code, by Dan Romanchik (KB6NU). Says Dan, "I thought some of your
readers might be interested in my latest book. As you know, passing a Morse Code test is no longer required
to get an amateur radio license, but there's still a mystique about Morse Code, and if you tune into the ham
bands any evening or on the weekend, you'll find that the music of CW (as we call it)
is alive and well."
4/8/2015
MFJ-969 300W 6-160M Deluxe HF
Antenna Tuner w/4:1 Balun
 As
with most other types of commercial electronics products, Ham radio equipment is sold by many distributors at
prices discounted below MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price). Manufacturers
usually have sales agreements with distributors that they (the manufacturers) will
not offer lower prices for current products in order to not compete with their distributors. When shopping for
deals, be sure to consider return policies and shipping costs (inc'l for returns).
Amazon, while sometimes not the lowest posted price, is very good in customer service and free shipping,
often making them my choice; I buy almost everything online through them. If you plan to buy via Amazon, please
start your shopping with a link from RF Cafe since I make a few ¢ commission on the sale and it doesn't
cost you extra. Thanks.
3/11/2015
Alcohol Dispenser Bottle
 One
of the first things you learn in chemistry class is to never contaminate a source by dipping a spoon or other
implement into the container, and not to allow an object like a cloth or your finger to touch the rim of a container.
Don't breathe into it, either. Always
 pour
or pump or use a dedicated implement to effect the transfer of a source to a receptacle vessel. The other thing
you learn early on is to always - always - label your container with its contents. If you are a user of alcohol,
acetone, MEK, or other chemicals and routinely need to have access to small amounts, it can be a pain in the
posterior to have to keep pouring from the primary container into a medicine cup, tin, or other temporary holder.
During both soldering of electronics and gluing of mechanical assemblies, I very often need to access some type
of chemical for cleaning with a Q-Tip or acid brush. These kinds of chemical dispenser
bottles are the perfect solution because the low force pump action can be accomplished with the cleaning
implement (rather than needing to pump with the other hand), and the design prevents
unused chemicals in the top reservoir from getting back into and contaminating the bottle's contents. It is
inexpensive annoyance avoidance. An anti-static bottle is available if required by your work conditions.
2/4/2015
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Oscilloscopes for Radio
Amateurs: Add to Ham Shack
 Oscilloscopes for Radio Amateurs: Add a Scope to Your Ham Shack,
by
Paul Danzer, is filled with practical information you’ll need for using a scope. It begins with an overview of the
oscilloscope and continues on to discuss characteristics, applications, probes, controls, and input modes. If
you’re considering adding this piece of test equipment to your ham shack, there is an explanation of scope
specifications and features to help you select an oscilloscope that is right for you.
4/15/2015
Featured Book
 Guerrilla
Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0: How to Stand Out from the Crowd and Tap Into the Hidden Job Market
using Social Media and 999 other Tactics, by Jay Conrad Levinson. That's a long title. "New chapters integrate
using social media and social networking tools like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and ZoomInfo in your job search,
along with case studies from successful guerrilla job hunters that detail what works in today's hyper competitive
job market with commentary from America's top recruiters." According to the current unofficial RF Cafe Poll
(on the homepage), 1/3 of visitors are at least considering looking for a new job.
This book gets the highest rating from readers for usefulness - even higher than the well-known
What Color Is Your Parachute? 2015.
3/25/2015
 From
GSM to LTE-Advanced: An Introduction to Mobile Networks and Mobile Broadband, by Martin Sauter, contains
not only a technical description of the different wireless systems available today, but also explains the rationale
behind the different mechanisms and implementations; not only the 'how' but also the 'why'. In this way, the
advantages and also limitations of each technology become apparent. Offering a solid introduction to major global
wireless standards and comparisons of the different wireless technologies and their applications, this edition
has been updated to provide the latest directions and activities in 3GPP standardization up to Release 12, and
importantly includes a new chapter on Voice over LTE (VoLTE). There are new sections on Building Blocks of a
Voice Centric Device, Building Blocks of a Smart Phone, Fast Dormancy, IMS and High-Speed Downlink Packet Access,
and Wi-Fi-Protected Setup. Other sections have been considerably updated in places reflecting the current state
of the technology. It describes the different systems based on the standards, their practical implementation
and design assumptions, and the performance and capacity of each system in practice is analyzed and explained.
Questions at the end of each chapter and answers on the accompanying website make this book ideal for self-study
or as course material.
2/11/2015
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RF and Microwave Engineering: Fundamentals Wireless Comms
 RF
and Microwave Engineering: Fundamentals of Wireless Communications, by Frank Gustrau, discusses a wide range
of RF topics with emphasis on physical aspects, including EM and voltage waves, transmission lines, passive
circuits, antennas. New coverage includes the consistent use of modern RF tools such as RF circuit simulation,
EM simulation, computerized smith chart in various examples that show how the methods can be applied productively
in RF engineering practice. Examples that illustrate the theoretical parts are close to real world problems,
so readers can directly use the methods in their own work context.
4/22/2015
 Microwave
Radar and Radiometric Remote Sensing, by Fawwaz Ulaby and David Long. Artech House publishing graciously
supplied a copy of this amazing book to RF Cafe for review. Not only is it utterly packed with explanations,
drawings, and graphs, but also an extensive collection of publically-available (i.e.,
you don't need to buy the book for access) online
interactive calculators, graphs, and other RF-related resources. The authors and many contributing provide
much more than just data specifically related to
Microwave Radar and Radiometric Remote Sensing. This 2¼" thick tome has just over 1,000 pages.
3/18/2015
Make: More Electronics
(Learning by Discovery)
 Make:
More Electronics: Journey Deep Into the World of Logic Chips, Amplifiers, Sensors, and Randomicity
(Learning by Discovery) is the most recent version of Charles Platt's electronics
tutorials. I looked through the reader comments on a lot of the 'for Dummies' type books on electronics and
this one by far received the best ratings overall. Mr. Platt, a contributing editor and regular columnist
for Make magazine, has a few books in the series and they
all are loved by readers. "As a prototype designer, he created semi-automated rapid cooling devices with medical
applications, and air-deployable equipment for first responders. He was the sole author of four mathematical-graphics
software packages, and has been fascinated by electronics since he put together a telephone answering machine
from a tape recorder and military-surplus relays at age 15."
2/25/2015
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