RCA Proceedings - Fall 2019

Proceedings

2019 AWARDS BANQUET AND TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM WESTIN NEW YORK AT TIMES SQUARE

INSIDE:

Spotlight on 2019 Banquet & Technical Symposium

America Starts Its Space Program – Explorer 1 and Dr. Richter

Interview of Armstrong Medalist: Dr. Marzetta

Dr. Thomas Marzetta

2019 Armstrong Medal Recipient

Fredrick M. Baumgartner

2019 Lee de Forest Award

Dr. Henry Richter

2019 Lifetime Achievement Award

PRESIDENT

Carroll L. Hollingsworth*

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

John Facella, P.E.*

VICE PRESIDENT

Nathan "Chip" Cohen, Ph.D.*

VICE PRESIDENT/CO-COUNSEL

Chester "Barney" Scholl, Jr.*

John Robert Stratton

TREASURER

Ronald J. Jakubowski*

SECRETARY

Margaret J. Lyons, PE, PMP*

DIRECTORS

David P. Bart*

James “Ernie” Blair*

James Breakall

Karen J. Clark

Michael Clarson

Paul Z. Gilbert

Charles Kirmuss

Stephanie Mccall*

Robert Naumann

Ray Novak

Carole J. Perry

Elaine Walsh*

William R. Waugaman

Larry Weber

PRESIDENTS EMERITI

Steven L. Aldinger

Gaetano “Tom” Amoscato

Sandra Black

John “Jack” Brennan

Phillip M. Casciano

Mercy S. Contreras

Timothy Duffy

Mal Gurian

Bruce R. McIntyre

Stan Reubenstein

Anthony “Tony” Sabino, Jr.

Raymond C. Trott, P.E.

STAFF

Amy Beckham, Executive Secretary

Sue Sack, Financial Reporting

Miki Tufto, Membership and Order Fulfillment

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS

Awards & Fellows: Charles Kirmuss

Banquet: Margaret Lyons

Constitution & By-Laws: Chester “Barney” Scholl, Jr.

Education and Youth Activities: Carole J. Perry

Finance: Phil Casciano

Fundraising Coordination: Nathan “Chip” Cohen, Ph.D.

Historical/Museums & Archives: Paul Z. Gilbert

Keeping RCA Vibrant: Margaret J. Lyons, PE, PMP

Marketing & Endowment Policy: Elaine Walsh

Membership: James “Ernie” Blair

Nominations & Elections: Nathan “Chip” Cohen, Ph.D.

Publications: David P. Bart

Regional Conferences: Karen Clark

Scholarship Fund: Richard P. Biby

Sponsors: Jane Winter

Technical Symposium: John A. Facella, PE, C.Eng.

Website: John A. Facella, PE, C.Eng.

*Executive Committee Member

AEROGRAM EDITOR

Elaine Walsh

TECHNICAL EDITOR

John S. “Jack” Belrose, Ph.D., VE2CV 811-1081 Ambleside Dr. Ottawa, ON K2B 8C8, Canada (613) 721-7587; jsbelrose@gmail.com

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

David P. Bart 8512 Kedvale Ave. Skokie, IL 60076 (847) 542-9873; jbart1964@gmail.com

PROCEEDINGS EDITOR

Glenn Bischoff

ADVERTISING CONTACT

Amy Beckham (612) 430-6995; Amy@radioclubofAmerica.org

PRODUCTION

Sapphyre Group

PROCEEDINGS SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR

Nathan “Chip” Cohen, Ph.D.

FROM YOUR PRESIDENT

Please join me in congratulating our 2019 award recipients and welcoming our new Fellows at RCA’s premier events of the year, the 110th Awards Banquet and 2019 Technical Symposium at the Westin Times Square in New York City on Saturday, November 23. In this issue, read all about the Technical Symposium and Awards Banquet and then make your plans to attend!

I have enjoyed my first year as your president. One reason is because I have come to better know many of the generous volunteers and leaders of this fine organization. These people perform so many activities in an outstanding way that it is easy for our members to actively engage with RCA.

Please join me in recognizing many of these people for their hard work and ongoing contributions to the Club. Thanks go to:

• John Facella, executive vice president, for his dedication to the annual Technical Symposium. 2019 promises to be another successful year for this iconic RCA event. John is also the RCA webmaster and does outreach to new strategic partners. Dr. Nathan “Chip” Cohen, Technical Symposium vice chair assists John with speakers and technology, along with Bob Naumann, vice chair for business, and committee member Dr. James Breakall.

• Ernie Blair, membership chairman, diligently works at enrolling new RCA members. Thanks to Ernie and his team, RCA has welcomed approximately 75 new members to the club this past year! Stephanie McCall, vice chair, and committee members Michael Clarson, Alan Leffler, Margaret Lyons, and Don Vaughn are always working to promote RCA membership.

• Margaret Lyons, RCA’s secretary, who does an incredible job of recording the minutes and records of the RCA board meetings and other key documents. Margaret is chair of the very important Annual Awards Banquet committee that is tasked with managing the event. This is a huge task, and we know that 2019 will be a great success! Margaret also chairs the Keeping the Radio Club Vibrant committee, with members David Bart, Tim Duffy, Carole Perry, and Stan Reubenstein.

• Carole Perry, who inspires tomorrow’s leaders through the RCA Youth Activities committee. Her efforts have supported both RCA and America’s youth for many years. Stan Reubenstein, committee vice chair and RCA president emeritus, and committee members Ernie Blair, Charles Kirmuss, Richard Somers, and Gordon West, are all key members.

• Elaine Walsh, who leads our marketing team and developed RCA’s new branding. Elaine handles our social media presence and collateral. Elaine also leads the Legacy and Bequests committee, which has started the process of designing a robust endowment policy, which is critical to sustaining RCA’s future. The Marketing committee members are David Bart, Fred Hamer, and Jon Paul Beauchamp. The Legacy and Bequests committee members are Rich Biby, Philip Casciano, Fred Hamer, Nathan “Chip” Cohen, Barney Scholl, and Ron Jakubowski.

• Phillip Casciano, chair of the Finance and Investment committee and president emeritus, with Ron Jakubowski, vice chair, and committee member Margaret Lyons. They provide important recommendations for revenue producing activities, cost/benefit analysis and oversight of financial accounting.

• Jane Winter, for spearheading the new Sponsorship committee, so vital to funding RCA’s activities. This new committee is providing important club resources thanks to Jane’s leadership and the experienced committee members: Jean Paul Beauchamp, Karen Hollingsworth, Karen Clark, Elaine Walsh, Mercy Contreras, John Facella, and Chip Cohen.

• Charles Kirmuss, who chaired this year’s Awards and Fellows committee. He and his team dedicated themselves to showcasing and recognition and contributions of industry leaders. The Awards committee included Mercy Contreras, vice chair, Stan Reubenstein and Larry Weber. The Fellows committee consists of David Bart, Chip Cohen, and Stan Reubenstein.

• Ron Jakubowski, RCA’s treasurer, who is responsible for overseeing our accounting and finances. Ron does a stellar job, and it is through his efforts that we have seen an improvement in our bottom line.

• Mike Clarson, who has replaced Richard Biby, as the Scholarship committee chair, and is directing the RCA’s scholarship program. Both Mike and Rich have made it possible for RCA to help tomorrow’s leaders by supporting their education today. Rich continues to play a vital role as the committee’s vice chair.

• David Bart, Glenn Bischoff, Elaine Walsh, Amy Beckham, and the entire publications team, who make it possible for our members to keep updated through the RCA E-News, the Aerogram, and our premier publication, the Proceedings of the Radio Club of America. The Publications committee members are: David Bart, editorial director, Jack Belrose, technical editor, Glenn Bischoff, Amy Beckham, Chip Cohen, John Facella, and Elaine Walsh.

• Karen Clark, who plans and manages regional events at shows like APCO and IWCE and facilitates get-togethers that are steadily increasing in their popularity. Karen’s committee members include Stan Reubenstein, vice chair, Mercy Contreras, and Charles Kirmuss.

• Chip Cohen and his Nominations and Elections committee member Michael Clarson. They are responsible for the smooth and successful elections we have had for the past several years, making both electronic and written ballots available to members. Chip also deserves thanks for chairing our Fundraising committee and the RCA Radio Amateur Club License committee.

• Barney Scholl, returning vice president and legal counsel, who contributes to RCA in many ways with his wisdom and experience and chairs our Constitution and

Bylaws committee. Barney is joined by John Stratton, RCA’s new vice president and co-counsel.

• Finally, Amy Beckham and the Sapphyre Group team, who support RCA in many amazing ways. Amy's professionalism and skill have lifted the entire club! Amy and the Sapphyre team are very active in assisting each of the RCA committees.

It has been an honor to work with everyone at RCA. I look forward to engaging with our members in the years ahead as we participate in the outstanding opportunities this wonderful club offers.

Please help us spread the word! If you have any comments or suggestions regarding the club, please do not hesitate to email me directly at carrollhollingsworthsr@gmail.com.

CARROLL HOLLINGSWORTH, President

The Radio Club of America, Inc.

FROM THE PUBLICATIONS CHAIRMAN

This issue of the Proceedings brings you the latest information about RCA’s upcoming 2019 Awards Banquet and Technical Symposium, which returns to the Westin Times Square in New York City!

• We welcome John Miller (NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism) as the keynote speaker. He leads an all-star lineup of incredible award recipients and new RCA Fellows.

• Dr. Thomas Marzetta will receive the 2019 Armstrong Medal for creating “massive MIMO” (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output), which is a key enabler of the fifth generation, 5G, wireless technology, and recognizing his other work in wireless.

• We are also honored to meet this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Dr. Henry Richter, a Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA pioneer in space communications.

• We encourage all of you to join us at this outstanding event, and we welcome all our guests to RCA’s annual extravaganza.

I remind our members to download the Spring 2019 special issue of the Proceedings, which contains significant coverage of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and the first television broadcasts from the moon.

The Fall 2019 issue of the Proceedings focuses on our award recipients and our new RCA Fellows. Congratulations to all on their many accomplishments. Biographical information for both groups of individuals is included. Complete information about the Technical Symposium also is presented.

In this issue, we offer one more tribute to early space communications with a section about the first use of transistors in satellites, and we present numerous engaging news items.

Congratulations to all of RCA’s members for their continuing successes. We invite each of you to contribute articles, news stories, and ideas for future content. We also welcome your comments, recommendations, and suggestions on ways to further improve the Proceedings

We look forward to seeing all of you in New York City this November.

DAVID BART, KB9YPD Editorial Director and Chairman RCA Publications Committee

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

RCA 2019 BANQUET TO FEATURE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, INTELLIGENCE & COUNTERTERRORISM

JOHN J. MILLER

The Radio Club of America (RCA) is thrilled to announce that John Miller will be featured at the 2019 banquet and awards ceremony. Our members will not want to miss this incredible opportunity to learn about his current world views.

ABOUT JOHN MILLER

John Miller was appointed Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism on Jan 8, 2014.

Deputy Commissioner Miller oversees both the NYPD’s Intelligence Bureau which is responsible for intelligence collection and analysis as well as the NYPD's Counterterrorism Bureau operations, including the partnership in the FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force, the nation’s first and largest JTTF.

Deputy Commissioner Miller is the former Deputy Director of the Intelligence Analysis Division at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). It is there he served as part of the Analysis Division team to support the National Intelligence Managers and the Unifying Intelligence Strategies relating to global regions and threats. The Analysis Division is also home to the team that produces the President’s Daily Brief (PDB).

Prior to service with the ODNI, Deputy Commissioner Miller served as Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), heading the Office of Public Affairs and serving as the FBI’s National Spokesman. In addition, Deputy Commissioner Miller was the accountable executive for developing a compliance system to ensure that the FBI’s mission as a member of the US Intelligence Community was being carried out. The result was the Strategy Performance Sessions (SPS) lead by Director Robert Mueller. The SPS, similar to the Compstat system used by major police agencies, has become an effective tool to measure the effectiveness of the FBI’s intelligence programs. It brings the Director face-to-face over a live, secure video connection with the leadership and intelligence teams of the Bureau’s 56 field offices.

Before joining the FBI, Deputy Commissioner Miller was the Commanding Officer, Counter Terrorism and Criminal Intelligence Bureau of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Prior to the LAPD, he served as the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner, Public Information.

Along with his service in law enforcement and intelligence, Deputy Commissioner Miller was a wellknown journalist and author. He began his career as a reporter, working in local and network news at NBC and ABC. He was co-anchor of the ABC News show 20/20 with Barbara Walters and is the winner of eleven Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards and two DuPont Awards. As a journalist, he was best known for his interview with terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan, coverage of international terrorism and the events of 9/11. Deputy Commissioner Miller is the co-author of the New York Times Best-Seller The Cell: Inside the 911 Plot. He has served as an instructor at the FBI National Executive Institute and for the Defense Intelligence Agency Advanced Counterterrorism Analysis Course. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators.

RCA 2019 BANQUET

RCA’s 2019 banquet will take place in New York City, Saturday, November 17 at the Westin New York Times Square. RCA thanks those individuals who invited Mr. Miller to join us at the 2019 banquet. We look forward to seeing everyone in November for this rare and very exciting opportunity.

John Miller

2019 TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM AND 110TH BANQUET & AWARDS PRESENTATION

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23 | NEW YORK CITY

Featuring Keynote Speaker John Miller, Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counterterrorism of the New York Police Department

REASONS TO ATTEND THE RCA BANQUET AND TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM

Cutting edge technical learning

This year's Technical Symposium in New York City will have panels on wireless as used in transportation technology, 5G, and the details of the Apollo 11 TV broadcast from the moon in 1969!

Strengthen your network

The Radio Club of America is the oldest, most prestigious group of wireless professionals in the world. Make the most of your membership by connecting with old friends and developing new contacts.

Honor the distinguished and deserving

Join us to celebrate the people who invent, create, inspire and collaborate to create the products, services and companies that make this industry one of a kind.

Support the next generation

Help develop the future workforce by supporting RCA's youth efforts, and learn from this year's RCA Young Achiever Award Winner.

Can you feel the energy?

RCA continues to build on the momentum from last year, recruiting new members and developing strategic partner-ships with other organizations. Be a part of the excitement and help us shape the organization as we continue our vibrancy long into the future.

Discover New York City

Join us in the Big Apple as we immerse ourselves in the energy of the city!

AN INTERVIEW WITH RCA ARMSTRONG MEDALIST – DR. THOMAS MARZETTA

By Dr. Nathan “Chip” Cohen, Ph.D.

Dr. Thomas Marzetta will receive the Radio Club of America’s 2019 Armstrong Medal at RCA’s November 23, 2019, banquet and awards ceremony. The Armstrong Medal reflects the recipient’s legacy of innovation and his many contributions to the art and science of radio. I had the opportunity of interviewing Dr. Marzetta in early October 2019.

THE ARMSTRONG MEDALIST

In 1935, the Radio Club of America (RCA) established a tradition of publicly recognizing outstanding achievements in the arts and sciences of radio and wireless communications. RCA presented its first award to Major Edward H. Armstrong for his invention of circuits that make AM and FM radio possible, and for Major Armstrong’s lifetime of championing work that established the foundation for modern radio technology. RCA presents the award, now known as the Armstrong Medal, when an individual has demonstrated excellence and made lasting contributions to radio arts and sciences.

Dr. Thomas Marzetta, the 2019 Armstrong Medalist, is the distinguished industry professor at the New York University (NYU) Tandon School of Engineering's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, and is director of NYU Wireless. Dr. Marzetta is the creator of “massive MIMO” (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output), which is a key enabler of the fifth generation of wireless technology, or 5G. Dr. Marzetta was the primary scientist involved with optimizing this spectral efficiency in wireless. He holds 47 U.S. patents on MIMO and wireless power transmission.

• Prior to NYU, Dr. Marzetta performed research in: petroleum exploration (Schlumberger-Doll Research, 1978 – 1987), defense (Nichols Research Corporation, 1987 – 1995), and telecommunications (Bell Labs, 1995 – 2017). At Bell Labs, he directed the Communications and Statistical Sciences Department within the former Mathematical Sciences Research Center, and he was elected a Bell Labs Fellow.

• He is lead author of the book Fundamentals of Massive MIMO and has published numerous papers and conference presentations.

• He was on the advisory board of MAMMOET (Massive MIMO for Efficient Transmission), a European Union (EU)-sponsored FP7 project, and he was coordinator of the GreenTouch Consortium’s Large Scale Antenna Systems Project.

In September 2019, Dr. Marzetta succeeded Dr. Theodore (Ted) Rappaport (RCA Fellow and 2018 Armstrong Medalist) as director of NYU Wireless.

Dr. Marzetta has received important recognitions for his contributions to Massive MIMO, including the 2017 IEEE Communications Society Industrial Innovation Award, the 2015 IEEE Stephen O. Rice Prize, and the 2015 IEEE W. R. G. Baker Award. He was elected a Fellow of the IEEE in 2003, and he received an honorary doctorate from Linköping University in 2015.

MASSIVE MIMO

Massive MIMO employs numerous small, individually controlled, low-power antennas to direct streams of information, selectively and simultaneously, to many users. This improves spectral efficiency to levels significantly greater than 4G service. It also provides high-quality service throughout the cell, while improving simplicity, scalability, and energy efficiency. Gains in speed, system throughput, and capacity have been obtained, permitting mobile traffic expansion of nearly 20 times. Further expansion is anticipated, with outlooks that by 2021 video will account for more than 78 percent of all mobile data, and smart terminals will consume an average of 15 gigabytes (GB) of data per month.

Thomas Marzetta, 2019 RCA Armstrong Medal recipient. (NYU Wireless)

THE INTERVIEW

Chip: Congratulations on your many successes and your well-deserved recognition from RCA. What first attracted you to radio?

Dr. Marzetta: Thank you, Chip. To receive the Armstrong Medal is a great honor. My father, Louis Marzetta, was an electrical engineer at National Bureau of Standards (later renamed NIST), and a radio amateur (W3LNR; earlier, W1LJF). When I was a boy, my father and I built a crystal radio, and he taught me Morse code. I was 13 when I got my Novice license (WN3BQK, 5 words/minute code). A year later I passed the General exam (13 words/ minute) and became WA3BQK.

Chip: Do you think radio is still recognized, or is it underappreciated today; have the concepts of cellular technology completely replaced radio?

Dr. Marzetta: Good questions! One of the triumphs of wireless communications is that it is ubiquitous, and the details of the technology are largely invisible to the enduser. This is different than the days of analog television when you switched to another station, and had to readjust a rabbit-ear antenna for good reception, or when you tuned a radio by adjusting a variable capacitor!

Digital wireless, as exemplified by cellular technology, has huge advantages over analog radio, including incredible flexibility, spectral efficiency, and economy. That said, I don’t think that AM and FM are going away. If FM broadcast stations converted to digital audio, their coverage would be reduced drastically: for the same 200 kilohertz (kHz) spectrum, high-fidelity digital audio would require a minimum signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio of 21 decibels (dB), whereas wide-band FM (Armstrong’s greatest invention!) gives good reception at 10 dB or less. For firefighter’s voice

communication, analog linear modulation (AM or SSB) is superior to digital technology, because the quality of the received signal degrades gracefully as SNR decreases, whereas digital communication is lost totally when SNR falls below a threshold.

Chip: You spent many years at Bell Labs. What first attracted you to Bell Labs, and what do you think were its greatest attributes that fostered its legacy of innovation?

Dr. Marzetta: I came to Bell Labs by an indirect route. When I finished graduate school in 1978, I already had a job offer from Bell Labs, which I turned down, in favor of the oil field services company, Schlumberger. The petroleum industry was booming at that time, Schlumberger was converting its Ridgefield, Connecticut lab into a fundamental research lab. In the process, it hired more than 100 Ph.Ds: engineers, physicists, computer scientists, and mathematicians. This was an exciting opportunity that I could not resist.

In 1995, I had a second chance to join Bell Labs. My wife, Ingrid Carlbom, was recruited to head a department at Bell Labs, and I was offered a one-year-term position. This eventually extended to 22 years. At that time, I had never worked in communication theory. On my very first day of work, Jerry Foschini, one of the pioneers of MIMO, told me about his recent discoveries. I spent the next 10 years working on improvements to MIMO. This research led me to originate the concept of Massive MIMO.

Bell Labs was (and still is, under its current Nokia ownership) an incredible place to work. You were surrounded by world-class experts in every field that might be relevant to your research. While short-term results were certainly appreciated, long-term research

Massive MIMO: Utilizing knowledge of the frequency responses of the downlink channels, an M-element antenna array sends K streams of data, over the same time/frequency resources, to the designated terminals. (Source: T. Marzetta)

was encouraged. Above all, the individual researcher was given unusual freedom to choose research directions. I was extremely fortunate to have both great collaborators and managers who were willing to support risky research.

Chip: You have multiple patents and fathered a new era in cellular communication. What is the project or invention of which you are most proud?

Dr. Marzetta: Some of my earlier projects were tremendously interesting to me: the theoretical and experimental development of hydrophone arrays for vertical seismic profiling, a mathematical investigation of cavitation induced by an imploding seismic source in a borehole, and velocity-sensitive filters for video motion detection. My greatest success has been Massive MIMO. While a researcher or inventor takes satisfaction from a clever idea or a fortuitous discovery, there is nothing more gratifying than to see your work have a major impact on industry and society.

Chip: Today’s communications and research technology environments have vastly changed. What significant improvements have benefitted the rate of innovation, and have any harmed or hurt the rate of innovation?

Dr. Marzetta: With a few exceptions, industrial research tends to be have short-term horizon. A scarcity of fundamental research is hurting the rate of innovation.

Chip: What new breakthroughs do you foresee ahead, both in your field, and more generally?

Dr. Marzetta: If you don’t mind, I’ll confine my answer to the field of wireless! Now is the time to address the question: what next? What more can we do at the physical layer level after Massive MIMO and millimeter wave (mmWave) are fully exploited? Some people expect major discoveries to be made through artificial intelligence (AI). Others look to ever-higher carrier frequencies (e.g., terahertz wireless). My own current research, which I call “Beyond Massive MIMO,” is based on a closer fusion of electromagnetic theory and communication theory.

I expect also that entirely new applications of wireless will emerge.

Chip: Are there any particular challenges ahead, both technically, and more generally?

Dr. Marzetta: The challenge of working in the field of wireless is that however clever wireless engineers are, people will always demand higher throughput, greater reliability, and reduced latency. The field is fundamentally different from optical communications: you can always lay down more optical fiber, but you can never lay down more spectrum!

Chip: What opportunities do you see in the future for communications technology, and for those interested in this field?

Dr. Marzetta: To quote Massimo Franceschetti in his recent book Wave Theory of Information, “Engineers are far from reaching the limits that nature imposes on communication: our students have a bright future in front of them!”

ABOUT THE INTERVIEWER

Dr. Nathan “Chip” Cohen Ph.D. (W1YW) was CEO of Fractal Antenna Systems of Bedford, Massachusetts. A physicist with expertise in electromagnetics and imaging, he holds a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Cornell University. He was a radio astronomer at Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Arecibo Observatory, Cornell, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Boston University, where he retired after 15 years as a professor. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he spent a decade working with defense and government clients on counter-improvised explosive device (IED) antennas and other defense systems and was security officer for Fractal Antenna. An inventor since age 6, he holds 63 United States and more than three dozen international patents—along with many patents pending—for fractal antennas, fractal metamaterials, real-time deconvolution, image compression, fractal electronics, invisibility cloaks, batteries; and three-dimensional (3D) printing/ manufacturing, among others. He is editor of the scholarly journal FRACTALS and is an RCA Vice President and a former director. Dr. Cohen is the recipient of RCA’s 2018 Lee de Forest Award.

2019 RCA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – HENRY RICHTER, Ph.D., PE

Dr. Henry Richter will receive the Radio Club of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award at its November 23, 2019, banquet and awards ceremony. The following article describes Dr. Richter’s key contributions to the field of radio science..

Dr. Henry Richter, Jr. brings an unusual depth of experience and expertise to projects across the voice, data, and wireless communications fields, with more than 50 years’ experience in these disciplines. He began working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in 1955 as an engineer and supervisor for the New Circuit Elements Group. Later he was a staff engineer for the Deep Space Network and then chief of the Space Instruments Section (322). During the Explorer satellite project, Dr. Richter served as project manager for the satellite design. He was in charge of JPL experiments for the International Geophysical Year, and was the liaison between the Satellite Instrumentation Group and the Operations and Data Groups. He published a book about his experiences in 2015 – America’s Leap into Space: My Time at JPL and the First Explorer Satellites.

A LIFETIME OF DIVERSE PROJECTS

Dr. Richter’s communications expertise is quite broad. He has operated his own telecommunications consulting practice for more than 20 years. He has served such clients as the federal government, the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, and Oklahoma; the Hawaiian counties of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, and Oahu; and the California counties of Marin, Riverside, San Diego, San Joaquin, Sonoma, Ventura and Yolo. He also has worked for more than 60 cities in eight states, including Boston, Fairbanks, Honolulu, Kodiak, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and San Diego; numerous special districts, including the Coachella Valley Water District, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the South Bay Regional Public Communications Authority; several school districts including the Los Angeles Unified and the San Diego Unified; several universities including the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and Azusa Pacific University; and more than two dozen private sector clients as well.

These projects have included information technology (IT) strategic planning; telephone system needs analyses; telephone system specification development, acquisition and implementation management; computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system and console studies, specifications

development, and acquisition; design, acquisition and implementation of CCTV and paging systems; needs analyses, specifications development and implementation of microwave networks; and needs studies, master plan development, specifications creation, and implementation management of public safety conventional and trunked mobile radio systems.

SATELLITES AND SPACE RESEARCH

Prior to his consulting career, Dr. Richter served as a section chief at JPL, where he headed development of the free world’s first satellite, Explorer 1. Dr. Richter also was responsible for all scientific instruments for the Ranger, Surveyor, and Mariner programs and spacecraft, and helped develop the worldwide DOD/NASA spacecraft tracking and communications network.

Dr. Richter presented his JPL Story at the 2018 Explorer 1 anniversary celebrations.

Dr. Richter in 1959 (Courtesy JPL)

OTHER WORK

Dr. Richter was subsequently named vice president and technical director of Xerox Electro-Optical Systems, Inc. (now Loral Corporation) in Pasadena, where he supervised a wide variety of scientific research, engineering development and hardware production in the fields of communications, upper atmosphere rocketry, tracking and telemetry, space power systems, exotic space propulsion systems, scientific instruments, semiconductor devices, computer applications, biosciences, and military hardware.

He then took up a challenge to serve as the communications engineer for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s extensive microwave and mobile radio networks, which ultimately led to the development of his consulting practice.

EDUCATION AND AWARDS

Dr. Richter received his Ph.D. in chemistry, physics, and electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, as well as his Bachelor of Science degree from the same institution. He was the first Newmont Fellow of the California Institute of Technology, is a senior life member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE), a senior member emeritus of the American Chemical Society (ACS), a senior member of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), and was elected a member of the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS). He is a recipient of the Otto Schmidt Medal awarded by the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Dr. Richter has served on the National Industrial Advisory Committee to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the Evaluation and Advisory Panel on Time and Frequency of the National Bureau of Standards.

DR. HENRY RICHTER, JR. BRINGS AN UNUSUAL DEPTH OF EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE TO PROJECTS ACROSS THE VOICE, DATA, AND WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS FIELDS, WITH MORE THAN 50 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE IN THESE DISCIPLINES.

He holds a First Class radiotelephone license and an Amateur Extra Class amateur radio license issued by the FCC. He is a retired California professional engineer (PE) (QU5567). He was honored in 2008, along with the present and three former Directors of JPL, by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Annual Achievement Award as a spaceflight pioneer. Dr. Richter is a Fellow of the Radio Club of America.

Dr. Richter authored five publications on space exploration, including: Explorer Satellite Electronics, JPL Technical Release 34-12 (1960); Instruments and Spacecraft Oct. 1957-Mar 1965, NASA SP 3028 (1966); The Universe-A Surprising Cosmological Accident (2006); Autobiography: America’s Leap Into Space: My Time at JPL and the First Explorer Satellites (2015); and Spacecraft Earth (2018).

Dr. Henry Richter in 2008. (Courtesy (Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times)

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

John Miller was appointed Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism on January 8, 2014, overseeing both the NYPD’s Intelligence Bureau and the NYPD's Counterterrorism Bureau operations. Miller has also served as Deputy Director of the Intelligence Analysis Division at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI); Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) where he led the Office of Public Affairs and served as the FBI’s National Spokesman; and Commanding Officer for the Counter Terrorism and Criminal Intelligence Bureau of the Los Angeles Police Department. He also served as the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner, Public Information. Before turning to law enforcement and intelligence, Miller was a well-known journalist and author, winning eleven Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards and two DuPont Awards. Miller is the co-author of the New York Times Best-Seller The Cell: Inside the 911 Plot.

2019 HONORS & AWARDS

ARMSTRONG MEDAL

Dr. Thomas L. Marzetta is a distinguished industry professor in the ECE Department at the New York University's (NYU) Tandon School of Engineering. He joined NYU in 2017 after spending 39 years in three industries: petroleum exploration, defense, and telecommunications. He is the originator of the Massive MIMO innovations now in use in LTE and midband 5G. He is a scientist heavily involved with optimizing spectral efficiency in wireless. He holds fundamental patents on MIMO and wireless power transmission and received 47 total US Patents. He is a Bell Labs and an IEEE Fellow. Recognitions for his achievements include the IEEE Communications Society Industrial Innovation Award, IEEE Stephen O. Rice Prize, IEEE W. R. G. Baker Award, Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award, and an honorary doctorate from Linköping University.

LEE DEFOREST AWARD

Fred Baumgartner, K0FMB, CPBE, is a Society of Broadcast Engineers Fellow, a past trustee of the Ennes Foundation and Fellow of the Radio Club of America. He is currently the Director of Next Generation Broadcast Implementation for Sinclair Broadcasting. Previously, he was Director of Broadcast Engineering for Qualcomm’s MediaFLO project and directed Leitch/Harris’ Systems Engineering group. Prior to that, he served as Director of Engineering for the Comcast Media Center in Denver, and Director of New Product Development and Director of Broadcast Satellite Operations. Baumgartner held the position of Chief Engineer at KDVR-

TV & KFCT-TV, Denver; WTTV-TV, WTTK-TV, Indianapolis; KHOW AM & FM, Denver; WIBA AM & FM, Madison, Wisconsin, operations manager at KWGN-TV, Denver; and others. beginning with WBIZ AM/FM, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, after earning his FCC 1st Class license in 1972. Mr. Baumgartner contributed to the development of EAS, and authored articles and a book on radio and TV engineering. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Stout and holds several patents. He operates amateur radio station KØFMB and is currently working with AWARN to launch Advanced Emergency Alerting and Informing on NextGen Broadcast.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Dr. Henry Richter, W6VZA, after a short tour in the U.S. Navy at the end of World War II, earned a PhD in chemistry, physics, and electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Richter worked for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) during the space race, and oversaw the development of America’s first earth satellite, Explorer I. He was also responsible for scientific instruments in the Ranger, Mariner, and Surveyor spacecraft. He was an executive at Electro Optical Systems. Next was a staff position with UCLA as Development Manager of the Mountain Park Research Campus, UCLA and then had his own electronics manufacturing business and then afterwards he became Communications Engineer for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He then had a consulting practice for 30 years in Public Safety Communications. He is a Life Member of APCO, the IEEE, the American Chemical Society, and a Fellow of the Radio Club of America.

FRED M. LINK AWARD

George Stoll, WAØKBT, is the past President of Utility Telecom Consulting Group, a telecommunication engineering company he co-founded in 1994, serving gas, electric and water utilities. The author of more than 30 articles and papers on wireless and radio technology topics, primarily for the utility industry, he served as a contributing author for several wireless technology guidebooks and the Standard Handbook for Electrical Engineers.

Prior to his consulting career he held various engineering and management positions with an electric utility company and recently he has been involved in the planning and design of digital mobile radio systems and addressing problems created by multi-path interference to TDMA format mobile systems in mountainous regions.

In 1999 Mr. Stoll received the highest award conferred by the utility telecommunications industry, the Dondanville Award, from the Utilities Telecommunications Council (UTC). He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering degree, an MS Degree in Telecommunications from the University of Denver, certificates from the Public Utilities Executive Program at the University of Idaho, the Edison Electric Institute and various technical, business and management programs. He has been an active amateur radio operator since 1964.

BARRY GOLDWATER AWARD

Martin F. Jue is an Entrepreneur and inventor and founder/owner of several companies in the radio communications sector, including MFJ Enterprises, Hy-Gain, Cushcraft, Ameritron, Vectronics among others, all of which manufacture products for the amateur radio industry. He holds numerous patents on specialized technology especially in the area of T network field tuners. After graduating from MSU in 1966 and GIT in 1971, Mr. Jue worked for a year at Magnavox. In October 1972, he began manufacturing a CW filter kit in a room of the now-defunct Stark Hotel in Starkville, Mississippi. Over the next forty years, MFJ would grow to become the largest manufacturer of amateur radio products in the world, and garner numerous honors.

In 2012, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) awarded him the ARRL Special Achievement Award, honoring him for innovation in the field of amateur radio. He also serves on the board of On2Locate and Magnolia Intertie Inc. Mr. Jue is a graduate of Mississippi State University's Bagley College of Engineering and recognized as a Distinguished Fellow. He is member of the Starkville Rotary Club, Board President of the Boys and Girls

Clubs of the Golden Triangle, and Board Member of the Mississippi Children’s Museum. He has been inducted into the CQ Hall of Fame (2001) and he was inducted into the QRP Hall of Fame (2009). In 2011 he was awarded the Ham Radio Outlet Certificate Of Honor. He is a member of the Alabama Historical Radio Society in Birmingham, Alabama.

THE VIVIAN A. CARR AWARD

Margaret J. Lyons, P.E., has served on the Radio Club Board of Directors since 2009. She serves on the Membership Committee and is the Chair of the Keeping RCA Vibrant Committee. Ms. Lyons is a Senior RF/ Communications Engineering with Jacobs. A Professional Engineer with over 30 years’ experience in wireless communications, including: two-way radio, paging, and microwave radio systems engineering and consulting, she is a confident and articulate Engineer of Record for programs and projects in excess of $100M. She earned a BS in Computer and Electrical Engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette Indiana and is a licensed Professional Engineer in NJ, NY, CT, PA, DE and VA. Ms. Lyons has been awarded Fellow of the Radio Club of America and of the Society of Women Engineers. She is a Senior Member of the IEEE and has received IEEE Region 1 Award for Support of the IEEE Mission, and NJ Coast Section Outstanding WIE/EdSoc Volunteer and Chairman Award for Unstinting and Valuable Service Promoting Robotics and other Pre-University Activities In the NJ Coast Section. In 2019, she was selected to be an ABET university engineering Program Evaluator for the IEEE.

FRANK A. GUNTHER AWARD

Robert Strickland has been a communications specialist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for 20 years. An APCO member, he has spent 50 years in radio, with the last 40 in spectrum management. He received his Associate degree in Communications Science Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. From fixed and field radio operations to superintendent of radio communications at worldwide military locations, his 32-year military service included deployable radio teletype communications, HF radio networks and tactical satellite operations. His most memorable experience was as spectrum manager at the Edwards Air Force Base Flight Test Center in California, doing radio communication system testing for a multitude of experimental and new aircraft, telemetry activity, and long-range communications support. Mr. Strickland retired from the military in 1991 and worked at IBM for

several years testing computer components, equipment and systems on the RF side. In his current position, he coordinates aspects of spectrum management and LMR system design to include propagation studies and path profiles, procurement recommendations and user-oriented radio training. Currently pursuing a master’s degree in Communications Technology, he’s spent more than 10 years coordinating the quarterly Denver casual radio communications sector luncheons.

ALFRED H. GREBE AWARD

Dr. Bob Heil is a sound and radio engineer well-known for creating a template for modern rock sound systems. He founded the company Heil Sound in 1966 which created unique touring sound systems for bands such as The Grateful Dead and The Who. He invented the Heil Talk Box in 1973, which was frequently used by musicians such as Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh and Richie Sambora, and is still in use today. Dr. Heil has been an innovator in the field of amateur radio, manufacturing microphones and satellite dishes for broadcasters and live sound engineers. In the late 1980s Heil Sound became one of the first American companies to create and install Home Theaters, and Dr. Heil has lectured at major electronic conventions and taught classes at various institutions. He has won multiple awards and honors, and in 2007 he was invited to exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

JAY KITCHEN LEADERSHIP AWARD

Jay Kitchen graduated from Virginia Technological University with a degree in Electrical Engineering and started his career at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), serving as a Wireless Telecom Adviser. He became known as a tireless and respected advocate for the wireless industry as President/CEO of the National Association of Business and Educational Radio (NABER) and President/ CEO of Personal Communication Industry Association (PCIA). He is recognized as a pioneer in shaping the direction of the modern wireless industry. Mr. Kitchen was a Fellow of the Radio Club Of America and served many years as an RCA Board member. He retired from the wireless Industry after 36 years. In 2007, he was inducted into the Wireless History Foundation “Hall of Fame”. Known for his humor, technical and political abilities, he struggled with Parkinson’s for over 16 years, and lived life to the fullest until his death in 2015. He always expressed his gratefulness for a wonderful career and for the joy he felt spending time with his family and friends.

PRESIDENT’S AWARD

Chester B. Scholl, Jr. (Barney), K3LA graduated from the University of Miami BSSA and Dickinson School of Law JD. He is a partner in the law firm of Fruit, Dill, Goodwin and Scholl. He held a First Class Radio Telephone license, has held an amateur radio license since 1963 and holds an Extra class license. He is a life member of ARRL, helps other amateurs with zoning and other related legal issues in his legal practice and has served as an ARRL Volunteer Counsel. He has taught Amateur Radio and law classes and serves as a Volunteer Examiner for amateur radio testing and has presented at and moderated the Legal Forum at the Dayton Ohio Hamvention. He helped a local Emergency Services Council plan for a county radio system. He has been solicitor, board member and officer for numerus charitable organizations and has traveled to Mexico and Sudan on mission trips. He has represented a local cellular carrier in land acquisition and general matters. He is a member of the City of Hermitage Planning Commission and has been solicitor for township and Zoning Hearing Boards. He is a Trustee and past president of Mercer County Bar Association. He has been admitted to practice before Pennsylvania, Federal District and U.S. Supreme courts.

After hearing about the Radio Club of America for a number of years when asked he volunteered to become the Vice President/Counsel.

RCA SPECIAL SERVICES AWARD

David Bart, KB9YPD, has participated in preserving and promoting the history of electrical and electronics communications for over 30 years. He is a former co-editor of the Antique Wireless Association’s AWA Review, Vice President of the Museum of Broadcast Communications, and Treasurer of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Historical Committee. He has published over 100 articles, contributed to three books and produced over 40 exhibits and displays on the history of wired and wireless communication. In 2019, he produced commemorative publications for RCA and AWA focusing on the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and early satellite communications and served as the IEEE Milestone Advocate to commemorate the Lick Observatory’s Apollo 11 Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment. He is a board member and Life Member of RCA and AWA, an RCA Fellow, and a member of IEEE and ARRL. He is a recipient of RCA’s Ralph Batcher Award and the AWA’s Curator Award, Dr. Max Bodmer Award, and Harry Houck Award for his work. He received a BA and MBA from the

University of Chicago and holds multiple certifications. Professionally, he is the Senior Director of Forensic Services for the Great Lakes Region of RSM US, LLP. He has contributed to three books, published more than 50 articles and conference presentations, and developed nationally accepted professional standards, all dealing with financial and valuation issues in litigation, forensic investigation, corporate restructuring, and strategic planning.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD

PMC Wireless is a secondgeneration family owned and operated LMR ad wireless technology integrator servicing the New York, New Jersey, and Eastern Pennsylvania Public Safety, Transportation, and Education markets. The company was founded in 1988 by Phil Casciano, who retired in 2017 and is now operated by his sons Mike and Bryan, who have been active in the business since 2001. Priding themselves on being a reliable, responsive and trusted technology partner to their customers, they have a proven track record of delivering on their commitments and offering superior value. PMC has been supporting the missioncritical communications needs of many of the largest government agencies in the Metro New York area for over 20 years.

USN CAPTAIN GEORGE P. MCGINNIS MEMORIAL AWARD

Michael Lee Heenan has been an amateur radio licensee for over 50 years, holding callsigns AC6PQ, W6USN, K6RAX, as well as his main callsign W7MH, CTM2. He has introduced amateur radio to countless Navy Cryptologic Technicians as well as elderly citizens in his civilian community during his lifetime. He taught licensing classes and restored and redistributed used amateur radio equipment to give to his students who could not afford

to purchase their own station equipment. When he left the military, he continued to work in the communications industry as an employee of AT&T. He served as FRUPAC Secretary, which is the amateur radio community of former Navy Cryptologic Technicians – so named in honor of the World War II group of intercept operators that broke the Japanese JN-25 code that was instrumental in winning the war in the Pacific. In that capacity, he not only kept members apprised of activities via the NCVA’s flagship publication “Cryptolog” but also coordinated numerous net operations on various amateur radio bands – acting as Net Control in many cases because of his exceptional station capabilities.

RICHARD DEMELLO AWARD

Chief Barry Luke started his public safety career at age 15, as a volunteer dispatcher for the Gainesville Florida Police Explorers. Directly after high school, with only Red Cross training, he became a full-time rescue technician assigned to a rural fire station. He has also worked as a firefighter, paramedic, in law enforcement, and as a flight medic.

In 1997, Chief Luke was hired by Orange County, Florida Fire Rescue where he served as Fire Communications Manager, Division Chief, and Deputy Chief. He helped manage dozens of natural disasters and received an award from the Congressional 911 Caucus on behalf of his agency's handling of emergency communications in the aftermath of the storm which generated 465 emergency incidents that were holding for dispatch. He is a Life Member of Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International (APCO) and has received numerous awards during his 45 years in public safety. Some of his most memorable projects involved the creation of technical reports on public safety broadband and managing a survey of over 670 EMS agencies on the use of video to support patient care.

Congratulations to all of our 2019 award winners!

THANK YOU : 2019 BANQUET SPONSORS

The Radio Club of America Board of Directors and its members would like to thank the generous event sponsors. Their support and contributions ensure that the Awards Banquet is a success and enjoyable for everyone. Be sure to tell them that you saw their company mentioned in the Radio Club of America Banquet Program.

3-YEAR SUSTAINING CORPORATE SPONSORS

• James Breakall

• Alan Caldwell

• John Facella, Fellow

• Paul Gilbert

SILVER

• Ron Jakubowski

• Lauren Libby

• John Rea

• Larry Weber

Congratulations to our new Fellows! 2019 FELLOW CLASS

Louis T. Fiore

Louis Fiore, W2LTF, principal at L.T. Fiore, Inc. has worked as a consultant in the burglar and fire alarm industry since 1996. Mr. Fiore chairs the Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC), was president of the Central Station Alarm Association and serves as chair of the Standards Committee. Appointed by FEMA in 2002 to the “America at Risk, America Burning Recommissioned” project, he is a member of American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA), Antique Wireless Association and the Collins Collectors Association.

Dana B. Hanford, Jr.

Dana Hanford, Jr., CPMR (KC7SDD) is Vice President of The Sales Group, Inc. (TSG). He began his career as an electronics technician, worked as a broadcast and recording engineer in New York City and joined TSG when he moved to Seattle. A graduate of New York University, he holds an Extra Class Amateur Radio License and General Radiotelephone Operator License and is active in ham radio, volunteering with city and county emergency management agencies. Secretary for the Western Washington Regional Interference Committee, he is Commercial Representative for the ID and WA APCO-NENA Chapters.

Donald (Don) E. Root, Jr.

Don Root, K6CDO, is the Assistant Communications Systems Manager in the Wireless Services Division of the San Diego County (CA) Sheriff’s Department. He has worked in Emergency Management and Public Safety Communications since 1974, promoting public safety spectrum, interoperability, and public warning issues at the regional, statewide and national arenas. He is a Life Member of APCO and received the NPSTC DeMello Award in 2009.

Alan Spindel

Alan Spindel, AG4WK, is the Senior Electrical Engineer for HAL Communications, developing hardware and firmware for digital HF radio data modems. Mr. Spindel trained at the University of Tennessee and has over twenty years professional experience in the telecom industry and worked as a broadcaster, professional tower climber, design engineer and engineering manager. He is active in volunteer emergency communications and has served as the Rutherford County, TN ARES Net Manager for well over a decade.

Lee A. Ward

Lee Ward, KØLW, earned his amateur license as a freshman in high school and turned his hobby into a lifelong career. After serving in the Army, he started Custom Radio Communications in1976 and after selling Custom, he created two more firms, worked for an engineering company, a consulting company and was a senior field engineer and construction standards manager for a major cellular project. A past president of the Kansas City DX Club, he’s held amateur radio calls in Germany (DA2LW), Australia (VK2GQV) and currently Belize (V31LW).

Holly Wayt

Holly Wayt began her career in public safety communications in 1991 and became a member of APCO International in 1995, subsequently named as Ohio Chapter Executive Council Representative in 2010. Active in many International committees, she served as a North Central Regional Representative to the APCO board. In August of 2015, she was awarded APCO International Senior and Life Membership. Ms. Wayt currently serves as the Communications Manager for the City of Westerville, a position she has held since 1995.

Save the Date!

2019 TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM AND 110 TH AWARDS BANQUET

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019

NEW YORK CITY

FREE

OSCILLATOR IF YOU DONATE TO THE RCA YOUTH PROGRAM

We all know that students today are often more interested in computers than wireless. As a result, the future of wireless depends on getting more youth interestesd in wireless.

Here is a great opportunity to support our RCA Youth Program under Director Carole Perry and obtain a free gift as a result. Carole has been driving our Youth Program for 30 years this year! As a surprise to her, Director Charles Kirmuss commissioned a CW Morse code practice oscillator that was the same design Carole used years before with her early amateur radio classes with middle school and high school.

If you donate at least $30 to Carole's RCA Youth Program, you will receive a commemorative code practice oscillator.

Your donation will be used to assist with costs like awards to the children, donation materials for school radio clubs, travel expenses for youth presenters to the Technical Symposium, and more.

In addition, if you renew your RCA membership for three years, you will also receive a code practice oscillator.

If you have interest in donating to the Youth Program, please email Director Carole Perry directly (wb2mgp@gmail.com) and she will provide instructions as to how to send a check.

If you wish to renew your membership for three years, contact Amy Beckham (Amy@radioclubofAmerica.org) for details on getting the code practice oscillator.

NEWS ITEM

IEEE Spectrum announced its sixth-annual interactive ranking of the top programming languages. This year IEEE undertook a major overhaul, changing some of the underlying metrics and building a new streamlined interface. But the basic idea and methodology remains the same: combining data from multiple sources to rank the popularity of the programming languages that are used for the type of coding in which you are interested. The default weighting is optimized for the typical IEEE Spectrum reader. Top 10 languages of 2019 are shown to the right.

Python’s popularity is driven in no small part by the vast number of specialized libraries available for it, particularly in the domain of artificial intelligence, while the Keras library is a heavyweight among deep-learning developers— Keras provides an interface to the TensorFlow, CNTK, and Theano deep-learning frameworks and tool kits. Deep learning is not the only field where Python is having an impact that could not have been anticipated when the language was released in 1991. The dramatic increase in computing power found in microcontrollers means that embedded versions of Python, such as CircuitPython and MicroPython, are becoming increasingly popular among makers.

The Top Programming Languages for 2019

Java, C, and C++ remains a group whose members have long jostled with one another and with Python for the top spot, although with the adjusted metrics the distance between these contenders has widened, with C++ coming in with a score of 12.5 points below Python. The numbercrunching language R rounds out the top five. Despite being a much more specialized language than the others, it has maintained its popularity in recent years due to the world being awash in an ever-growing mass of big data. Moving further down the top 10, the presence of Matlab—a proprietary language developed by MathWorks and intended for numerical computing—reflects the language’s prominence in hardware engineering, especially for those interested in running simulations or creating control systems via MathWorks’ graphical Simulink package.

Arduino ranked at No. 11 and HTML/CSS at No. 12. In previous years, some readers have complained that neither should appear on a list of programming languages. By choosing the de facto name, IEEE avoided deeply discounting the popularity of programs written for the Arduino and similar microcontrollers.

Pragmatism also governed the assessment of HTML, but given the huge popularity of HTML and CSS among developers, and the fact that they are used to instruct billions of computers to do things daily, IEEE concluded that any academic arguments about Turing completeness and so on are beside the point. A markup language is still a language.

Finally, some older languages are still alive and kicking. In particular, despite being more than 60 years old, Fortran still ranked at No. 38, likely due to the enormous legacy power of being the original scientific computing language. The language is still under active development, with the most recent Fortran standard released at the end of 2018, incorporating improved interoperability with C and better support for massive parallel computations.

REFERENCES

Source: IEEE Spectrum, The Top Programming Languages, Stephen Cass, September 6, 2019.

Screenshot of the top-ten list from the app.

NEWS ITEM

TNeuroEM Therapeutics Announced Alzheimer’s Memory Loss Reversed by Easy-to-Wear Radio Head Device

he ARRL Letter dated August 8, 2019, noted a press release regarding ARRL member Eric Knight, KB1EHE, who played a role in the development of a radio frequency (RF)-based Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) treatment that now shows great promise. A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease following a months-long U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clinical trial of the treatment protocol concluded that memory decline in most patients “appeared to have been reversed to cognitive levels equivalent to 12 months earlier” after two months of treatment.1 The clinical trial concluded in December 31, 2018, and focused on the initial efficacy of what NeuroEM Therapeutics, Inc.—the company developing the device— calls “transcranial electromagnetic treatment” (TEMT), using a noninvasive head-worn device called the MemorEM™. Findings point to a potential breakthrough in AD treatment, with a larger pivotal study being planned to confirm these findings.1 The following article shares the contents of the press release.

Phoenix, AZ (August 6, 2019) – NeuroEM Therapeutics, a clinical stage medical device company focused on neurodegenerative diseases, today announced findings from an early stage study, which assessed safety and initial efficacy of transcranial electromagnetic treatment (TEMT) with the company’s investigational MemorEM™ head device for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Results from the two-month trial demonstrate that TEMT was safe in all eight participating patients with mild to moderate AD and enhanced cognitive performance in seven of them, as measured by standard cognition scales . The study was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease

“This pioneering study suggests that TEMT may be an entirely new therapeutic intervention against Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Gary Arendash, CEO of NeuroEM Therapeutics. “Our bioengineering technology may be succeeding where drug therapy against this devastating disease has thus far failed. TEMT appears to be affecting the Alzheimer’s disease process through several actions directly inside neurons (brain cells), which is where we believe the disease process needs to be stopped and hopefully reversed."

The inability of pharmaceuticals thus far to effectively slow or reverse cognitive impairment of AD has led to the development of non-pharmaceutic neuromodulary approaches, including TEMT, the newest such approach. TEMT is different from other neuromodulary technologies, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation or transcranial direct current stimulation, since it uses both magnetic and electric waves. The study is the first to administer

electromagnetic waves to the entire human brain over an extended period of two months.

“Despite significant efforts for nearly 20 years, stopping or reversing severe memory impairment in people with Alzheimer’s disease has eluded researchers thus far,” said co-author Amanda Smith, M.D., Director of Clinical Research, University of South Florida Health, Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, the clinical center for the study. “These results provide preliminary evidence that the neuromodulary approach we assessed in this very small study may have the capacity to enhance cognitive performance in patients with mild to moderate disease."

KEY FINDINGS1

After two months of treatment administered at home by a caregiver, none of the eight patients in the study exhibited any recurrent changes in eating or drinking, daily movement activities or anxiety level/mood, as recorded by caregivers in daily diaries. No patient complained of headaches, brain sensations or any other TEMT side effects during or following treatment. Assessments conducted at the clinic throughout the study found no treatment-related adverse events (AEs) and no suicide tendencies. Additionally, post-treatment brain scans revealed no visible induction of tumors or brain bleedings called micro hemorrhages.

An initial efficacy analysis showed that the seven patients who responded to TEMT had a clinically important combined increase in cognitive performance at the end of the two-month treatment period, as measured with the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-cog) and effect size (ES).5 ES=1.21; p<0.02. This corresponded to an average 4.1 point improvement on the ADAS-cog, a widely used AD clinical assessment tool. Improved cognition generally was maintained at two weeks after treatment completion, consistent with an effect on the disease process itself: ES=1.01; p<0.05; ADAS-cog improvement of 4.3 points. By comparison, a typical decline in ADAS-cog in people with AD without intervention is expected to be around 4 points over a 12-month period.2 All eight patients improved in a

Seven countries have signed a convention to create the Square Kilometre Array Observatory. (Courtesy: SKA)

second established task, the Rey AVLT, wherein clinically important increases in word recall were present at the end of the two-month treatment period (ES=1.55; p<0.005) and two weeks following treatment completion (ES=1.55; p<0.005).

Additional results from the study find:

• TEMT also showed effects on Alzheimer’s markers in blood and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) around the brain that were consistent with it having “diseasemodifying” effects.

• TEMT appears to provide a combination of mechanisms to attack the AD process, including disaggregation of two toxic proteins (beta-amyloid and tau) that appear to be the disease’s root causes— something the study’s authors believe has not been seen with other AD therapeutics that are in clinical development.

• In individual patients, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans also revealed signs of increased neuronal connectivity in the cingulate cortex/cingulum, an area of the brain that is involved in AD and important for integrating cognitive processes.

ABOUT THE STUDY1

The pilot study was a singlecenter, single-arm trial in eight patients 63 years of age and older with mild to moderate AD to evaluate the safety and initial efficacy of TEMT. Patients were enrolled at the University of South Florida Health/Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, which also conducted all clinical study assessments.

Treatment was administered in the patient’s home by a caregiver, using the MemorEM. This investigational, novel noninvasive treatment cap delivers radio waves to the brain and is designed to be easy to wear. Patients received TEMT for one-hour periods twice daily for two months for a total of 120 treatment sessions. Caregivers also monitored certain patient vital signs and behaviors, such as blood pressure, body temperature, eating, drinking, movement activities and anxiety level/mood, and recorded findings in a daily diary. In addition, adverse events and suicide tendencies were assessed during clinical visits throughout the duration of the trial. Final clinical assessments were conducted two weeks after study completion. Based on the findings and the positive feedback from patients, all eight were offered continued TEMT in a four-month extension study. Seven patients agreed to participate in the extension. For more information about both the completed and ongoing clinical trials, visit ClinicalTrials.gov here and here, respectively.

ABOUT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE4

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and ultimately lethal brain disease leading to memory loss, language problems and other serious symptoms. AD is caused by the damage or destruction of brain cells (neurons) in parts of the brain that control thinking, learning and memory. Over time, people with AD increasingly become limited in performing daily activities and eventually become bedbound, requiring care around the clock.

AD is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. An estimated 5.8 million Americans are living with the disease. By 2050, this number is projected to more than double to 14 million. In 2019, AD and other dementias will cost the country $290 billion. By 2050, these costs could rise to $1.1 trillion.

ABOUT NEUROEM THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NeuroEM Therapeutics is a clinical stage medical device company focused on development of Transcranial Electromagnetic Treatment (TEMT) to treat neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Parkinson’s Disease. The company is headquartered in Phoenix, AZ and has obtained research support from the NIH, the Glass Charitable Foundation, and angel investors. NeuroEM’s head device (the MemorEM) is a first-in-class medical device that provides full brain electromagnetic treatment in-home and with near complete mobility. For more information about NeuroEM Therapeutics, go to www. neuroem.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This communication contains certain forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements, which may include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the projections, financial condition, results of operations and businesses of NeuroEM Therapeutics, are based on management’s current expectations and estimates and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements.

Eric Knight, KB1EHE.

REFERENCES

1Arendash G et al. A Clinical Trial of Transcranial Electromagnetic Treatment in Alzheimer’s Disease: Cognitive Enhancement and Associated Changes in CSF, Blood and Brain Imaging. J Alzheimer Dis. 2019;71, pre-press.

2Podhorna et al. Alzheimer’s disease assessment scale –Cognitive subscale variants in mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s disease; change over time and the effect of enrichment strategies. Alzheimer’s Res Ther 2016 Feb 12;8:8.

3Sawilowsky S. (2009). New effect size rules of thumb. J. Modern Applied Statistical Methods, 8 (2), 597-599.

4Alzheimer’s Association. 2019 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts And Figures. Alzheimers Dement 2019;15(3):321-87.

5Effect size (ES) measures the magnitude of the difference between groups or the minimal difference that is clinically important. For determination of ES, the following established scale was utilized for signifying a “clinically important” effect, based on Cohen’s “d”: Moderate effect (>0.5), Large effect (>0.8), Very large effect (>1.2), Huge effect (>2.0).3

FRESH CONTENT

– ON THE –RCA WEBSITE

The RCA website is the go-to place for RCA news and events.

2019 RCA TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM

The Technical Symposium this year will return to the Westin Hotel in New York City, on Saturday November 23rd (NOTE the change to a Saturday schedule, successfully implemented last year, will continue.) This year one of the major themes is space and transportation communications! We have presentations on RF for Connected and Automated Vehicles, a commemorative on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 TV broadcast, AMSAT’s use of the amateur radio CubeSat satellite, and organizing a communications system during the 2017 solar eclipse. An electrical engineering professor will be speaking on massive MIMO.

Live streaming was very well received, and we intend to live stream again this year using the Facebook Live platform.

Make your reservations early. The hotel block sells out quickly. Information is on the RCA website, radioclubofamerica.org/.

VISIT THE SITE FOR:

• Member only content including the 2018 Technical Symposium slides and videos

• Updated membership list, including email address and call sign (login required)

• Calendar of upcoming RCA and industry events

• Updated Wireless Women tab to assist women and youth

• Updated committees page

• Updated publications archive

• New products in the RCA store

• Training Tab lists available wireless training opportunities

• Current articles about youth outreach

TROUBLE LOGGING IN?

Please email Amy@radioclubofamerica.org if you need a new password or have difficulty logging in.

www.radioclubofamerica.org

NEWS ITEM

ARRL Awards Technical Innovation Award to RCA Member Joe Taylor and Steve Franke

The 2019 Technical Innovation Award issued by the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) has been granted to the FT8 development team, led by Joe Taylor, K1JT, and Steve Franke, K9AN. The ARRL board of directors recognized the success of the FT8 digital mode and said that FT8 has “proven effective for all amateurs” and has “proved to be effective” in times of poor propagation, revolutionizing many aspects of ham radio.

FT8

The FT8 digital mode has been luring many of those already using the popular JT65 “weak-signal” mode. FT8 offers a shorter transmit-receive cycle, meaning quicker contacts and sensitivity down to –20 decibels (dB) on the AWGN channel. Contacts are four times faster than with JT65 or JT9, and an entire FT8 contact can take place in about 1 minute.

The new mode is named after its developers, Steven Franke, K9AN, and Joe Taylor, K1JT, the “F” and “T” in “FT8.” The numeral designates the mode’s 8-frequency shiftkeying format. Tones are spaced at 6.25 hertz (Hz), and an FT8 signal occupies just 50 Hz. Unlike JT65 or JT9, transmit and receive cycles in FT8 each last about 15 seconds. Like JT65, FT8 requires accurate time synchronization. An auto-sequencing feature offers the option to respond automatically to the first decoded reply to a CQ.

Dr. Taylor’s original release notes asserted, “FT8 is an excellent mode for HF DXing and for situations like multi-hop Es on 6 meters, where

deep QSB may make fast and reliable completion of QSOs desirable.”

Dr. Taylor stated, “SSB and CW are general-purpose modes.”

“They are good for ragchewing, DXing, contesting, emergency communications, or whatever. FT8 and the other modes in WSJT-X are special-purpose modes. They are designed for making reliable, errorfree contacts using very weak signals — in particular, signals that may be too weak for the more traditional modes to be usable, or even too weak to hear.”

TAYLOR AT RCA

Attendees at the Radio Club of America’s 2016 awards banquet had the opportunity to meet Nobel laureate Dr. Joe Taylor and to hear his keynote address at the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) in New York City. Dr. Taylor shared stories from his years in amateur radio and talked about when he and Russell Hulse received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1993

for their discovery in 1975 of the first binary pulsar system. Their discovery confirmed Albert Einstein's theories about the existence of gravitational waves. Dr. Taylor regaled the audience with tales about the discovery and played recordings of binary pulsar signals. Dr. Taylor received RCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award at that event. He has remained an active RCA member.

REFERENCES

ARRL Letter, “ARRL Board Confers Awards,” Aug. 13, 2019.

ARRL Letter, “FT8 Mode is Latest Bright Shiny Object in Amateur Radio Digital World,” Aug. 1, 2017.

ARRL Letter, “New Digital Modes Changing Complexion of Bands and Perhaps of Ham Radio,” Nov. 2, 2017.

Radio Club of America Press Release, Oct. 27, 2016.

Proceedings of the Radio Club of America, Announcements, Fall 2016.

The Radio Club of ameRiCa, inC.

Dr. Joe Taylor, K1JT

Steve Franke, K9AN

NEWS ITEM

Dr. Ulrich Rohde, N1UL, has been selected to receive the 2019 Circuits and Systems (CAS) Society Industrial Pioneer Award. The Industrial Pioneer Award recognizes exceptional and pioneering contributions in translating academic and industrial research results into improved industrial applications and/ or commercial products.

CAS AWARD

The IEEE Circuits and Systems Society sponsors the award, which was presented at the International Symposium on Circuits and Systems 2019 conference. CAS awards are intended to highlight the accomplishments of CAS Society members and celebrate their dedication and contributions, both within the field and to the CAS Society. Award recipients are

RCA Member Dr. Ulrich Rohde Wins 2019 CAS Society Industrial Pioneer Award

nominated by their Society peers to honor the service and contributions that further strengthen the CAS Society.

ROHDE AT RCA

Dr. Rohde was the featured speaker at the Radio Club of America’s 2017 awards banquet. Attendees had the opportunity to meet him and to hear his keynote address at Pittsburgh’s Duquesne Club. Dr. Rohde talked about his life and shared stories about his pioneering research and development of radio-frequency and microwave technology. He is an owner of several companies in the U.S. and a partner in the global company Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG, and he holds many patents. He is also the author of numerous publications in his field. He holds professorships in electrical engineering and microwave

engineering at four universities in Germany, Romania and the U.S. Dr. Rohde received RCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award at that event. He has remained an active RCA member.

REFERENCES

ARRL Letter, In Brief, April 22, 2019.

Microwave Journal, Industry News, April 18, 2019.

Radio Club of America Press Release, Sep 20, 2017.

Proceedings of the Radio Club of America, Announcements, Fall 2017.

FT8-WSJT Waterfall. (Courtesy ARRL)

Dr. Ulrich Rohde.

AMSAT and ARISS Designing Amateur Radio System for Lunar Gateway NEWS ITEM

Details are still being fleshed out, but AMSAT and ARISS are working on the design of an amateur radio system for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lunar Gateway. As NASA explains, the Gateway “will be a small spaceship in orbit around the moon that will provide access to more of the lunar surface than ever before with living quarters for astronauts, a lab for science and research, ports for visiting spacecraft, and more.”

For NASA, the Lunar Gateway is “a spaceport for human and robotic exploration to the moon and beyond.” For radio amateurs, the Lunar Gateway will represent the next step in moving ham radio away from lowEarth orbit and into deep space.

Under the current timeline, initial sections of the Gateway are scheduled to launch in 2022, with the Gateway in lunar orbit by 2026.

“To make this happen, we are leveraging the work and expertise of

the worldwide AMSAT organizations and the international ARISS community,” ARISS-International Chair and AMSAT Vice President for Human Spaceflight Programs Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said. “We have an international team working on this and are meeting twice a month to mature the concept.” The ARISS concept was presented to NASA in May and got positive feedback, and was favorably received a few weeks later at the ARISS-International meeting in Montreal from the Canadian Space Agency’s gateway program manager.

“The Amateur Radio Exploration (AREx) team has done some really good work,” Bauer continued. “The challenge for amateurs will be on the order of a 30 dB signal path loss as compared to LEO.”

The Lunar Gateway will serve as a solar-powered communications hub, science lab, short-term habitation module, and a holding area for rovers and other robots that may be bound

for the moon or for other planets. NASA is leading the project in collaboration with commercial and international partners, including all of the International Space Station partners.

“We need to develop a block diagram of a system and subsystems and find team members who want to work on each,” Bauer said when the ARISS-International team met in Montreal. “We must set up requirements and interface documentation. We need to solidify the frequencies to use, working with the International Space Frequency Coordination Group.”

ARISS ARRL Representative Rosalie White, K1STO, said that ARISS is working to spread the word about the new initiative. She also hopes the new project may inspire the generosity of the amateur radio community. Additional information is available here.

REFERENCES

ARRL News, August 6, 2019.

NASA’s Lunar Gateway.

NEWS ITEM

Last fall, scientists replicated the famous Thomas Edison demonstration of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on his new phonograph. Only this time, atoms were at play. The following article from PhysicsWorld explains.

The sound of a human voice singing “Mary Had a Little Lamb” has been played by a radio receiver that exploits the quantum properties of a cloud of atoms—140 years after the nursery rhyme was famously recorded by Thomas Edison. In Edison’s case, sound was recorded by using a stylus to rearrange the positions of vast numbers of aluminum atoms on a foil-wrapped cylinder. Now, David Anderson, Rachel Sapiro and Georg Raithel at Rydberg Technologies in Ann Arbor, Michigan, have used a cloud of highly excited cesium atoms to store and playback AM and FM radio signals.

The concepts behind their feat promise to address some of the underlying challenges of creating radio communication systems that offer information security and resilience against electromagnetic interference. In principle, quantum radios based on clouds of atoms could be immune to intense interfering fields while transmitting clear signals that cannot be tampered with.

Radio Uses Rydberg Atoms to Play ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’

The receiver built by Anderson and colleagues uses Rydberg atoms. Such atoms are in highly excited quantum states in which some electrons spend most of their time relatively far away from the atomic nucleus. As a result, Rydberg atoms can function as tiny antennas that are extremely responsive to electromagnetic fields.

INFORMATION STORAGE

Indeed, the resonant frequencies of Rydberg atoms match the radio and microwave frequencies commonly used in communications. The atoms are strongly coupled to these fields, making them ideal for storing information encoded in radio-frequency (RF) and microwave signals. Furthermore, this stored information can be converted back to RF and microwave signals using spectroscopic techniques

In their experiment, the Ann Arborbased physicists replaced the antenna of a radio receiver with a cloud of cesium Rydberg atoms contained in a centimeter-sized glass cell. Their goal was to demonstrate how the system could receive, record and play back signals in the audio range.

SPANNING FOUR OCTAVES

Their system could receive multiband AM and FM signals carried by

microwaves. The sound frequencies encoded in the signals spanned over four octaves—representing most of the frequency range of the human voice.

Operating the system involved making real-time, quantum-optical measurements of how the Rydberg atoms respond to the AM and FM signals. This meant that there was no need for any electronics to demodulate the signals. With virtually no circuitry required, the team’s setup was remarkably compact, which they say makes it highly resistant to interfering electromagnetic fields. While the dynamic range of the receiver falls slightly short of the standards of modern devices, the trio plan to address in this shortcoming in future experiments.

The research is described in an August 26, 2018 article published on arXiv

REFERENCES

PhysicsWorld, Sam Jarman, September 10, 2018.

1For additional information about Rydberg physics, see the feature article in Physics World from April 7, 2016 located here.

Display your RCA membership with pride!

We are pleased to announce that you can now purchase RCA apparel from our online store. Options are available for men and women.

Order now at https://stores.goldmedalideas.com/rca.

NEWS ITEM

Global Institutions Support Amateur Radio Communication and Experimentation

Former ARRL CEO and Radio Club of America (RCA) member David Sumner, K1ZZ, has contributed to the April 2019 issue of ITU News Magazine, published by the International Telecommunication Union. The issue is devoted to “terrestrial wireless communications,” which includes the Amateur Radio and Amateur Satellite services. Sumner’s article, “Self-Training, Intercommunication and Technical Investigations: the Amateur Service in the 21st Century,” discusses amateur radio within the context of a global network of experimenters and communicators who, in Sumner’s words, “expand the body of human knowledge and technical skills that are essential to development and offer a resource that can literally save lives when natural disasters disrupt normal communications channels.”

“Amateur licensees are grateful that ITU member-states continue to recognize the benefits of providing direct access to the radio spectrum to qualified individuals,” said Sumner, who now serves as secretary of the

International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), an ITU sector member. Sumner points out that access to frequency bands “spaced throughout the radio spectrum” is critical to amateur radio’s future. He notes that the initial pattern of ham allocations dates back to 1927 and the International Radiotelegraph Conference. Allocations have been expanded at subsequent conferences, most recently at World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15), when ham radio obtained a tiny secondary band near 5.3 megahertz (MHz). (An earlier WRC was responsible for the amateur service’s lowest-frequency allocations, 135.7 - 137.8 kilohertz [kHz] and 472 - 479 kHz.) The 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC) extended terrestrial allocations above 40 gigahertz (GHz) to include amateur allocations.

“If a future World Radiocommunication Conference extends allocations above 275 GHz, adequate provisions for amateur experimentation should be made,” Sumner observed.

The first item on the agenda for WRC-19, which takes place this fall in Egypt, calls on delegates to consider an allocation at 50 MHz to the amateur service in ITU Region 1 (Europe, Africa, and the Middle East) that aligns with existing allocations in Regions 2 and 3.

Sumner notes that ITU “plays an essential role” in keeping the spectrum clear of unwanted interference and emissions, an effort he said is “especially vital to the amateur service, which uses sensitive receivers to compensate for practical and regulatory limitations on antennas and transmitter power levels.”

Sumner also pointed to the role radio amateurs can play in developing and refining communication protocols, including digital techniques, to improve weak-signal performance. He noted that Joseph Taylor, K1JT—a co-developer of such digital modes as FT8, FT4, and JT65—received an ITU Gold Medal in recognition of his outstanding contributions to radio communications.

As Sumner explained, the IARU—a federation of more than 140 member societies—represents the interests of radio amateurs around the world before ITU. IARU’s contribution to the work of ITU began in 1932 with its admission to participate in the work of the International Radiocommmunication Consultative Committee (CCIR). IARU is a member of the ITU radiocommunication and development sectors.

“The IARU is proud to be an active member of the ITU community,” Sumner said.

REFERENCE

ARRL Letter, August 8, 2019.

IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ.

ITEM

NEWS ITEM

Good fortune and cutting-edge scientific equipment have allowed scientists to observe a gamma-ray burst jet with a radio telescope and detect the polarization of radio waves within it for the first time—moving us closer to an understanding of what causes the universe’s most powerful explosions.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most energetic explosions in the universe, beaming out mighty jets that travel through space at greater than 99.9 percent of the speed of light, as a star much more massive than our sun collapses at the end of its life to produce a black hole.

Studying the light from GRBt jets as we detect them travelling across space is our best hope of understanding how these powerful jets are formed, but scientists need to be quick to

New Voluntary Television Standards Take Hold

Astronomers Make First Detection of Polarized Radio Waves in Gamma-Ray Burst Jets

get their telescopes into position and get the best data. The detection of polarized radio waves from a GRB jet, made possible by a new generation of advanced radio telescopes, offers new clues to this mystery.

The light from this particular event, known as GRB 190114C, which exploded with the force of millions of suns’ worth of trinitrotoluene (TNT) about 4.5 billion years ago, reached NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.

A rapid alert from the observatory allowed the research team to direct the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope in Chile to observe the burst just two hours after it was discovered. Two hours later the team was able to observe the GRB from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA)

telescope when it became visible in New Mexico, USA.

Combining the measurements from these observatories allowed the research team to determine the structure of magnetic fields within the jet itself, which affects how the radio light is polarized. Theories predict different arrangements of magnetic fields within the jet depending on the fields’ origins, so capturing radio data enabled the researchers to test these theories with observations from telescopes for the first time.

The research team, from the University of Bath, Northwestern University, the Open University of Israel, Harvard University, California State University in Sacramento, the Max Planck Institute in Garching, Germany, and Liverpool’s John Moores University discovered that only 0.8

An artist’s impression of a gamma-ray burst jet over time, and the small patches of magnetic fields present, as revealed by new research. (Image credit: Dr Kitty Yeung via University of Bath, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

percent of the jet light was polarized, meaning that the jet’s magnetic field was ordered over relatively small patches—each less than about 1 percent of the diameter of the jet. Larger patches would have produced more polarized light.

These measurements suggest that magnetic fields may play a less significant structural role in GRB jets than previously thought.

This helps us narrow the possible explanations for what causes and powers these extraordinary explosions. The study is published in Astrophysical Journal Letters.

First author Dr Tanmoy Laskar, from the University of Bath’s Astrophysics group, said: “We want to understand why some stars produce these extraordinary jets when they die, and the mechanism by which these jets are fueled – the fastest known outflows in the universe, moving at speeds close to that of light and shining with the incredible luminosity of over a billion suns combined.

“I was in a cab on my way to O’Hare airport in Chicago, following a visit with collaborators when the burst

went off. The extreme brightness of this event and the fact that it was visible in Chile right away made it a prime target for our study, and so I immediately contacted ALMA to say we were going to observe this one, in the hope of detecting the first radio polarization signal.

“It was fortuitous that the target was well placed in the sky for observations with both ALMA in Chile and the VLA in New Mexico. Both facilities responded quickly and the weather was excellent. We then spent two months in a painstaking process to make sure our measurement was genuine and free from instrumental effects. Everything checked out, and that was exciting.”

Dr Kate Alexander, who led the VLA observations, said, “The lower frequency data from the VLA helped confirm that we were seeing the light from the jet itself, rather than from the interaction of the jet with its environment.”

Dr Laskar added: “This measurement opens a new window into GRB science and the studies of energetic astrophysical jets. We would like to

understand whether the low level of polarization measured in this event is characteristic of all GRBs, and if so, what this could tell us about the magnetic structures in GRB jets and the role of magnetic fields in powering jets throughout the universe.”

Professor Carole Mundell, Head of Astrophysics at the University of Bath, added: “The exquisite sensitivity of ALMA and rapid response of the telescopes has, for the first time, allowed us to swiftly and accurately measure the degree of polarization of microwaves from a GRB afterglow just two hours after the blast and probe the magnetic fields that are thought to drive these powerful, ultrafast outflows.”

The research team plans to hunt for more GRBs to continue to unravel the mysteries of the biggest explosions in the universe.

For additional information, see the University of Bath announcements, the original paper is here

REFERENCE

Technology.org, June 20, 2019.

Support RCA Youth Activities by Donating Your Frequent Flyer Miles

Due to the efforts of Carole Perry, the Youth Activities Program has been very successful. During the year, Carole travels all over the country to meet with people and to speak on behalf of the program. Almost all of the travel is at Carole’s personal expense. You can help by donating your frequent flyer miles to the Radio Club. If you would like to participate, please contact Carole Perry at wb2mgp@gmail.com and she will assist you.

Special Section

America Enters Space

EDITOR’S NOTE: This issue of the Proceedings celebrates America’s initial entry into space. The Spring 2019 issue celebrated the upcoming 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, which occurred his past July. That led us to inquire about America’s first ventures into space, which in turn, led us to Dr. Henry Richter, an RCA Fellow and now the 2019 recipient of RCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Richter developed the communications package for America’s first satellite Explorer 1 and other deep space probes. In this issue, we recognize the remarkable achievements of these early efforts to communicate beyond earth’s atmosphere. This section includes four items:

• “America Starts Its Space Program – Explorer 1” by Dr. Henry Richter

• “The First Solid State Satellites: Explorer 1 and Vanguard 1” by David and Julia Bart

• “Cosmic-Ray Instrumentation in the First U.S. Earth Satellite” reprinted from The Review of Scientific Instruments, April 1959 by G. Ludwig

• “Instrumenting the Explorer I Satellite” reprinted from Electronics, Feb. 6, 1959, by H. Richter, W. Pilkington, J. Eyraud, W. Shipley, and L. Randolph of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

We hope you enjoy this special issue and our commemoration of these historic milestones in communications!

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020

PITTSBURGH, PA

AMERICA STARTS ITS SPACE PROGRAM – EXPLORER 1

By Dr. Henry Richter

America’s space program started about 60 years ago with the launch of its first satellite Explorer 1 on January 31, 1958. The satellite program came about as a result of a major international scientific effort called the International Geophysical Year (IGY). The IGY came about as a result of a meeting of geophysical and upper atmosphere scientists held at the home of Dr. James A. Van Allen in Iowa City, Iowa in the early 1950s. The group broadly considered a wide range of various collaborative research projects. They went back to two major international efforts, each called the international polar year. The first was held from 1882 to1883 and the second held from 1932 to 1933. They felt it was time for another such project, this time thinking even beyond just the earth’s polar region. They proposed a worldwide effort which they dubbed “the International Geophysical Year” (IGY) and proposed getting a number of scientists from large number of countries involved to thoroughly study our earth. They knew that a major peak in the solar activity cycle was coming in a few years, so this seemed like a good time for a major effort. The solar peak would occur in 1957, and they proposed January 1957 through July 1958 for the research.

A number of countries were brought into this proposed research effort, ultimately ending at about 67. The United States of course took one of the lead roles in planning and execution of projects for the IGY. Programs were proposed to study the interior of the earth, the mantle, the surface and subsurface, the atmosphere, the upper atmosphere, and near space. It was a very ambitious effort to say the least.

For a number of years, upper atmosphere researchers have used a combination of high-altitude balloons and sounding rockets to make measurements. At best, the rockets only went up a few hundred kilometers and fell back to the earth after making a few measurements. Sometimes, the measurements were telemetered back, and sometimes, data was obtained by recovering recorders or films from the rockets. In the time period of the IGY, it appeared technically possible to launch a rocket with a payload that would not return, namely, an earth-orbiting satellite. So, satellite measurements were incorporated into the planning for the IGY.

Two nations announced that they would attempt to develop and launch earth satellites during the period of the IGY: the Soviet Union and the United States. This is where the so-called space race was born.

The United States did what it typically does when starting a new program: it asked for proposals from

possible participants. The only organizations in the U.S. that had existing rocket programs were the armed services. So, offerings and proposals were obtained from the Air Force, the Army, and the Navy. These proposals were submitted around the middle of 1955. The Army’s proposal was put together by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA), headed by Dr. Wernher von Braun and General Bruce Maderis, and by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), headed by Dr. William Pickering. The Navy proposal was submitted by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL).

The proposals were reviewed by a committee called the Stewart Committee, which was set up by the Department of Defense. After a set of presentations and reviews, the committee recommended the proposal submitted by the Navy. This was very disappointing to those of us involved in the Army proposal since the Army had a great deal of experience in developing rockets for tactical purposes. The Navy proposed creating and using all new rockets that were yet to be developed and tested. Some of us felt that perhaps this was somewhat due to the influence of President Eisenhower who wanted the new space program to be totally a civilian operation with no military involvement.

Jupiter C Rocket.

The Navy satellite program, named “Vanguard”, was soon funded and off and running. The Army team was forbidden to do any satellite development or preparation work. However, we did not always follow instructions. The Army’s proposal envisioned using a four stage rocket, based on the ABMA Redstone rocket as the first stage together with three JPL developed highspeed upper stage rocket assemblies. This all involved hardware with which we were very familiar and already had considerable success.

Our unauthorized satellite program consisted of several areas. There were three elements to launching our satellite. First, we needed a rocket system to reach orbit at the proper speed. Second, the satellite itself needed contents and communications. Third, we needed a radio tracking and receiving system to make contact with the satellite.

Both ABMA and JPL personnel worked on the rocket system. ABMA completed their Redstone rocket, which was now available for tactical use. Their follow-on program was the Jupiter intermediate range ballistic missile, which was capable of 1500 miles range. At the same time, JPL was in the final stages of completing the Sergeant solid propellant rocket. A number of small-scale (6-inch diameter) test rockets were used to

investigate different solid propellant formulations and effectiveness. The scale rockets were proposed to form the high-speed stages for the satellite launch vehicle. As part of the Jupiter development program, a reentry test body was required to successfully carry a nuclear warhead out of and back into the atmosphere. For the rocket to reach 1500 miles, any trajectory required the rocket to leave the atmosphere and to reenter at the end of its journey. There would be significant friction heating as the body reentered the earth’s atmosphere at high speed. Verification of the design proposed for the reentry body was critical, but the survivability could not be ascertained by engineering measurements; an actual test was required.

Therefore, since an actual Jupiter rocket was not yet available for test, a vehicle was required to carry a test reentry nose cone on the expected trajectory of 1500 miles. The vehicle developed for this was a Redstone rocket with some high-speed rocket stages on top. The high-speed stages could be based on the JPL small-scale, Sergeant test rockets. This was just the configuration that would be used for a satellite launch vehicle. Imagine that! So, work was immediately started to develop and schedule a reentry vehicle test configuration, called the “RTV” program. The first flight test was scheduled within a year. Working groups were organized, and preparations commenced.

Within JPL, the propulsion people started working, and my electronics people began on the satellite. The analysis group began on trajectory and orbit determinations. The launch vehicle had full guidance capability, so it could control the ascent trajectory and attitude. The high speed stages did not have the capacity for guidance equipment or a steering mechanism, so it was decided to spin stabilize their pointing direction. The Redstone would get the vehicle to its maximum altitude and then point the high speed stages in the proper direction. The spinning, with its gyroscopic action, would keep the additional rockets pointed properly during the rocket burnings. There were three high speed rocket assemblies, all contained in a so-called tub. The second stage had eleven rockets in a circle. The third stage consisted of three rockets inside the second stage. The fourth stage used a single rocket (with a half rocket and half satellite payload) mounted on the front of the third stage.

The propulsion group ran a number of tests on scale versions of the Sergeant rockets, spinning them in a tub in the test pit to make sure the centrifugal force did not have any deleterious effects.

Jupiter C rocket configuration.

They also ran various propellant formulations to pick the best mixture to give the needed thrust. This was done in concert with the trajectory calculating group.

The other part of the design and development process was the satellite payload and communications system. We had been given the shape factor, size, and allowable weight of the satellite portion of the fourth stage container, so just needed to decide what would go in and start specifications and design. Obviously, some sort of radio transmitter would be required to get position and data from the satellite. Some sort of scientific data collection instrument would also be required, but we could not foresee what this would be since those experiments were under the control of the IGY committees. We would have to independently develop instrument space and a telemetry system to send whatever data was gathered to radio tracking stations. Work began on the satellite. The largest uncertainty and essential survival threshold was the temperature of the satellite. The satellite has no atmosphere to exchange heat with, and spends about 50 minutes in raw sunlight (remember how hot a tool gets when left in the sunlight) and 40 minutes looking at cold space at a temperature of about minus 300 degrees. So, balancing and averaging out these two temperature extremes is crucial.

We did what calculations we could regarding temperature control. We wanted to isolate the electronics package from the outer shell as best we could, so we suspended the electronics and instrument package by using a micarta (plastic) structure. We tested the effectiveness of this by placing a simulated electronics package inside an outer shell structure in a vacuum bell jar. We heated and cooled the shell by running steam and then liquid nitrogen through copper tubing brazed onto the shell following a 90-minute typical orbital cycle. We recorded the temperature of the electronics package. We convinced ourselves that this arrangement would provide good thermal isolation.

We then tackled questions about the emissivity of the outer shell since this would determine the temperature swings through the orbit. We had to reduce the absorption of the stainless steel shell of the payload. We learned about a white ceramic coating called “rockide”, which could be fused to the metal. We applied the rockide in stripes to the outer surface of the shell, and then ran tests at Berkley in a solar simulator/vacuum chamber to choose the right percentage of coverage. These are the white stripes seen in pictures of the satellite portion of the spacecraft.

The calculations from these tests showed that the temperatures telemetered from the Explorer were right in the range we needed – that was a relief!

Next came the electronics. We knew a transmitter and telemetry system would be required, so we started work on those. Transistors were newly on the market, so that was the way to go – to minimize power and weight. The telemetry was straightforward – and several

channels would be needed. JPL had a great telemetry group for their missile program, and we enlisted them to design and produce the telemetry decks. We already knew the shape for the electronic packages, and they ran with that specification. We had decided to insert two transmitters; and, knowing the bandwidth we could achieve, decided on four telemetering channels for each transmitter. These needed to go into flat cylindrical packages that were mounted on the same axis as the transmitter.

Now to the transmitter. This was a challenge. The official IGY frequency was 108 megacycles (now megahertz), a wavelength not much affected by the ionosphere that occupied a little quiet piece of the radio spectrum called the “guard band” just above the U.S. FM broadcast allocation. However, there were no transistors yet in production which could work near this frequency.

My new circuit elements staff, which had pioneered the introduction of transistors into JPL, was aware of experimental work on UHF transistors. So we began pursuing some of these for evaluation. We zeroed in on two companies: Bell Laboratories and Texas Instruments. We contacted them for information and samples. It turns out that both of these organizations were under contract by the Army Signal Corps and our requests could be covered under those activities.

We set about obtaining samples to build our first transmitters. We knew we would have to prioritize this effort because early flight tests of the Jupiter C configuration were already planned, and we wanted to use these as tests of our new satellite communication system named Microlock. We were concerned both with the electrical characteristics and the environmental ruggedness of these experimental transistors. One certainly prefers to use well-developed and tested components for extreme environments such as rocket launches and satellite conditions, but there were none. We visited both organizations and obtained samples. My technicians immediately started putting them into

Explorer payload and rocket motor.

operating circuits aimed at developing the Microlock transmitters. Scheduling was underway for the first RTV test launches, which were planned to start in about one year. The transistors worked well in the high-frequency circuits. Preliminary environmental tests (shake, spin, shock, and temperature) proved that even though they were built in the laboratory setting one by one, these devices would withstand the expected environment. So, we built a number of transmitters. These were assembled in conjunction with the development of the Microlock receiving system. One transmitter was prepared for the first RTV test in late 1956. More about the RTV flight tests and the Microlock system later in this paper. The other necessary components of the transmitter were also developed. Quartz crystal frequency determining elements were needed, and again, we went to the Army Signal Corps for these. We were able to obtain the necessary high-frequency crystals and put them through environmental tests. These crystals were very thin quartz wafers, but they did withstand the environmental testing. We planned on mounting them right along the spin axis in the transmitter to minimize stresses on them.

Although the frequency specified by the IGY was 108 MHz, we operated the oscillators at 54 MHz and used the second harmonic for transmission.

For satellite operations we decided on two transmitters in the payload. This gave us a measure of redundancy and to use transmitters of two different power levels to aid in tracking. One transmitter was to operate at a 60 mW output level and the other at 1 mW output level. The high-powered unit would be easier to receive by amateur radio operators and the Navy Vanguard minitrack network. The low power unit would require extra sensitive receivers such as the JPL microlock but could extend battery power significantly. These two transmitters

were contained in different structures, each structure containing its own set of telemetry decks. We studied different types of batteries for consideration. We settled on mercury cells and proceeded to run these through a variety of tests. We mounted the batteries in a circle around the outer perimeter of the transmitter structure since they were least sensitive to spin forces in the transmitter. We learned one thing (the hard way) about mercury cells: if there were battery pack short circuits and it quickly heats, it not only explodes, it detonates. After one battery put a major dent in the ceiling of our electronic shop, we became very cautious.

Now let me turn to the other end of the communication system, the receivers. We know that signals from a milliwatt-sized transmitter at a distance of several thousand miles would require extreme sensitivity. Over the years, JPL developed radio receivers based on the phase locked loop principle. This involved a receiver of quite narrow bandwidth, but used a frequency discriminator system whereby a received signal could be tracked by controlling the local oscillator of the receiver to keep the signal within the bandpass of the IF stages. Receivers were designed and developed with a bandpass of only 10 Hz. This is a very narrow bandpass considering a signal at a frequency of 108 MHz, and it would undergo a Doppler frequency shift as a satellite went from horizon to horizon of about 4000 Hz. These receivers were designed, tested, and built. The work actually started before I arrived at JPL. My very first experience upon arriving at JPL was to experience a test being conducted on the roof of building 125. A very low power transmitter was attached to a balloon and tracked to the horizon with the test receiver on the roof. Since I did not have security clearance yet, they could not tell me what these tests were about, but I soon found out in the satellite program.

Several Microlock receivers were built under external contract. Plans entailed installation of several around the country should we be given the opportunity to launch a satellite. One was located at JPL itself. One was located in South San Diego County, in so-called Earthquake Valley. The Caltech radio astronomy staff suggested that location since it was very quiet from the radio standpoint. There were no power lines nor telephone lines in the Valley. One receiver was installed by ABMA in Huntsville. One was installed at Cape Canaveral for launch checkout. And, one was installed downstream in the launch trajectory at Ascension Island. In addition, overseas tracking was desired, and through Dr. Pickering’s

Low power transmitter.

High power transmitter.

contacts, we made two “suitcase Microlock” stations that were sent to Nigeria and Singapore. These were used later in the program, but the first Microlock stations were used for various local tests and for tracking the RTV reentry payloads. A number of tests were made locally using tiny transmitters carried by helicopter on horizonto-horizon flights. Most stations had three helical wound antennas in an interferometer arrangement. Mathematics had been developed to determine satellite orbital parameters by using angle-versus-time measurements as the satellite transited the station.

Participation by the amateur radio community was also solicited. A local group of hams in the Pasadena area (the San Gabriel Valley Radio Club) decided to build

an amateur Microlock station and did so with the help of JPL (who furnished the antennas) and the number of commercial organizations (who loaned or provided equipment). The station turned out to be the first one to receive signals from Explorer 1 as it first came over the West Coast of the United States!

Several successful tests of the Microlock system were made through the RTV missile tests which ran several thousand miles down the Atlantic missile range. So we felt we were ready.

Now to fast-forward the story to 1958. As explained in the first part of this article, the U.S. Navy was selected as the official American satellite agency. We and the Army has been shut out and actually forbidden to carry on any satellite work. However, we continued to develop satellite electronics, a communication system, a launch rocket system, and were ready to go.

Then, on October 4, 1957, the world was shocked by the U.S.S.R. when they launched the satellite “Sputnik.” The U.S. still had not attempted a satellite launch, and this was a major public embarrassment. The Vanguard program was accelerated for an early launch, and in December 1957, on international public television, the rocket rose a few feet from the launch pad, exploded, and fell into a huge ball of flame. So, at this point something had to be done. The Army finally received the authorization to prepare and launch our satellite, and we were given just 80 days to do it.

Earthquake Valley antennas and receiver trailer.

Microlock receiver/recording equipment.

Now with the go-ahead to launch a satellite, it had to be part of the IGY, and it had to include credible scientific measurement equipment aboard. We had to quickly select something and integrate it into our payload. Dr. Pickering assigned Walt Downhower (a mechanical engineer) and me to make a quick trip around the country. We looked at existing Vanguard experiment packages that we might incorporate into our satellite and recommended one. We knew almost everyone in the satellite program, and had at least some knowledge of their various experiments.

After looking at more than a dozen potential experiments, Walt and I recommended a Cosmic Ray experiment package that Professor James A. Van Allen had been preparing for an upcoming Vanguard flight. I had always been interested in cosmic rays (JPL had such an experiment as an approved IGY package), but the real determining factor was that Dr. Van Allen knew what we were doing and had already designed his package so the bolt holes would fit either Explorer or Vanguard! So, it was really ready-made for us, and all we had to do was to integrate it into our satellite structure.

It took a couple days for Dr. Pickering to reach Dr. Van Allen who was travelling on an icebreaker near the South Pole launching Cosmic Ray instrumented balloons. However, we did get permission to transfer his experiment to Explorer. I then moved one of his graduate students, George Ludwig, and his family to Pasadena to assist us in the integration. George arrived in Pasadena with a car full of circuit boards, parts and equipment and quickly found a place to live. My boss, Dr. Eberhardt Rechtin, quickly assembled a major task force of

engineers and technicians to construct, test, and prepare to launch the satellite.

All of the launch preparations and actions are described elsewhere, but it turns out that this little Geiger counter in Explorer 1 discovered some areas of intense radiation in the magnetic field lines around the earth. We did not know it at the time, because we had limited tracking capability. All we knew was that from time-to-time the Geiger counter stopped getting data and then shortly afterwards it worked all right.

The full Van Allen package included a tape recorder (built by Ludwig), which would gather and record data for a full orbit, and the recording would be transmitted when it went over a Minitrack station. Van Allen’s group had an inkling that something strange was happening

Richter (l) with Microlock transmitter and Ludwig (r) with cosmic ray package.

at certain parts of the orbit, but it took

Explorer 3 with the tape recorder to firmly establish that the satellite was going through some places that had high orders of radiation. That was the discovery of what are now called the Van Allen radiation belts.

Explorer 1 carried another IGY experiment, a pair of micrometeorite detectors made by Dubin and Manring of the Air Force Cambridge Research Center. One was an impact microphone pressed against the outer shell of the satellite, that listened for possible little “pings” if tiny particles hit. None were heard. The other was a group of grids of tiny wires placed around the base of the rocket nozzle. If any of these wires were severed by a micrometeorite, this would show through the telemetry. One of the wires might have been severed.

This was the beginning of the American space program whereby our satellite Explorer 1 became the free world’s first earth satellite, following Sputniks 1 and 2. The Soviets did us a real favor by launching Sputnik, because

it caused such a stir in this country that significant effort was put into developing a space capability with high priority. One result was the formation of a new agency: the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA). For more on this, the reader is referred to my book America’s Leap Into Space

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Henry Richter, after a short tour in the U.S. Navy at the end of World War II, earned a Ph.D. in chemistry, physics, and electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Richter worked for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) during the space race, and oversaw the development of America’s first earth satellite, Explorer I. He was also responsible for scientific instruments in the Ranger, Mariner, and Surveyor spacecraft. He was an executive at Electro Optical Systems, held a staff position with UCLA as Development Manager of the Mountain Park Research Campus. He operated his own electronics manufacturing business, and afterwards became Communications Engineer for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He operated a consulting practice for 30 years in Public Safety Communications. He is a life member of Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the American Chemical Society, and a Fellow of the Radio Club of America.

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Book Cover.

THE FIRST SOLID STATE SATELLITES: EXPLORER 1 AND VANGUARD 1

David and Julia Bart

EDITORS’ NOTE: This article highlights the first applications of solid-state technology in satellites, accomplished in Explorer 1 and Vanguard 1. The shrinkage of circuit size, reduction in component mass, and miniaturization of both component and circuit volumes proved critical to developing smaller package sizes that could be lifted into orbit. This article focusses on those first transistorized instrument designs.

INTRODUCTION1,2

The space age commenced in earnest in 1957 following the Soviet Union’s unexpected launch of the Sputnik 1 satellite. The United States followed with the Explorer 1 and Vanguard 1 satellites in 1958. Sputnik 1 relied on radio tubes to operate a radio beacon. Explorer 1 and Vanguard 1 relied on transistors to operate the world’s first solid-state scientific satellites. This new technology launched an era when the drive for space applications prompted many leading innovations that eventually culminated in the Apollo missions and man’s first landing on the moon.

THE SPACE RACE3

Sputnik 1 lifted-off on October 4, 1957, and operated as planned. Soviet radio operators monitored the satellite’s progress across the country’s 11 time zones (see Figure 1). News reports stated that anyone with a shortwave receiver could hear Sputnik as it hurtled overhead. While Sputnik 1 did provide scientific data on the density of the upper atmosphere—based on the rate of decay for its orbit and deteriorating radio propagation as it fell through the ionosphere—Sputnik 1 generally is not considered a scientific satellite because it did not carry any specific scientific equipment.4

On November 3, 1957, the Soviet Union launched a second, heavier satellite, Sputnik 2, carrying a dog, Laika (“barker” in Russian, also spelled Layka).5 At the time, Sputniks 1 and 2 gave the Soviet Union tremendous political prestige, and provoked great anxiety in the United States and its allies. Today, historians conclude that Sputnik's biggest impact was to inspire a legacy of space exploration.

SOLID-STATE ENTERS SPACE

Sputnik 1 utilized three radio valves in its D-200 radio transmitter but did not incorporate transistors into its radio circuits (see Figure 2). The existing information on Sputnik 2, launched in November 1957, and Sputnik 3, launched in May 1958, is incomplete. George

Ludwig, a central figure in the design of the Explorer 1 scientific instruments, concluded that the Soviets did not use transistors in Sputnik 1, but they did use a few transistors in one of Sputnik 2’s instruments. The much larger launch capacity of Soviet rockets led to an ambivalence within the Russian space program regarding the miniaturization of satellite sizes, because larger rockets easily carried the weight and volume of vacuum tubes and required batteries. In contrast, the smaller American rockets required reduced sizes and far lighter payloads, directly prompting the development of the first transistorized satellites, Explorer 1 and Vanguard 1.6 The U.S. government had been pursuing multiple paths toward satellite development. However, following Sputnik, the government fast-tracked Explorer 1’s development ahead of Vanguard 1. On January 31, 1958, the U.S. Army launched Explorer 1, developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which carried a scientific payload. Vanguard 1, developed by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), also containing scientific instruments, followed on March 17, 1958. Both satellites successfully introduced solid-state transistor technology into space.

SATELLITE DESIGNS

Explorer 1 was much smaller than Sputnik 1 (see Figure 3). It had a revolutionary, bullet-shaped design, 6.73 feet (2.05 meters [m]) long but only 6.0 inches (15.2 centimeters [cm]) in diameter, which was intended to rotate along its length. The key instrumentation and payload subsystems were as follows:7

Fig. 1. Soviet radio operators monitoring Sputnik 1 near the Moscow Observatory. (Courtesy: SOVFOTO /UIG)

• Four whip antennas each extended from the cylinder’s midsection, mounted symmetrically. The satellite was spin-stabilized and intended to rotate along its length.

• The forward section included an instrumentation package, and several scientific instruments extended through the length of the body.

• A single Geiger-Mueller tube detector, designed by George Ludwig, detected cosmic rays.

• Micrometeorite detectors used a wire grid that encompassed the aft section of the satellite. An acoustic detector had contact with the midsection.

• Four gauges measured internal and external nosecone temperature.

Explorer 1 carried two transmitters, one with an output of 1 milliwatt (mW) and the other with an output of 60 mW (see Figures 4 and 5). The two transmitters were separate and self-sufficient, with their own power supplies. They were not interconnected in any way except through radiative couplings between the two separate antennas. Explorer 1’s instrument data transmitted continuously in the form of amplitude modulation; however, transmission for ground reception and acquisition occurred at only those times when the satellite passed over the ground receiving stations. Unfortunately, the satellite’s spin unexpectedly reoriented about its transverse axis, known as “precessing.” This tumbling caused data assembly to proceed more slowly, and caused a modulation in the received signal, which produced periodic signal fading.8

In comparison, Vanguard 1 was even smaller than Explorer 1 (see Figures 6 and 7). It was an aluminum sphere 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) in diameter weighing only 3.2 pounds (1.46 kilograms [kg]). Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev disparagingly nicknamed it the “grapefruit.”9 Key features included:10

• An internal cylinder lined with heat shields that contained the instrument payload: a mercury battery, a 10 mW, 108 megahertz (MHz) telemetry transmitter, and a 5 mW, 108.03 MHz Minitrack beacon transmitter.

• A Mallory mercury battery that powered the telemetry transmitter. It had a fixed charge at launch and operated until depletion.

• Six 2-inch-(5 cm)-square windows mounted along the satellite body that enabled 34 solar cells to power the Minitrack transmitter beacon. Each silicon solar cell could produce 1 watt (W) with 10 percent efficiency at 28° Celsius ©, making Vanguard 1 the world’s first solar-cell powered spacecraft.

• Six spring-actuated aluminum alloy antennas that protruded from the sphere, each one 12 inches long (30 cm) and 3/8 inch (0.8 cm) in diameter. The mutually perpendicular antennas passed through the center of the sphere.

Vanguard 1 transmitted engineering and tracking data, and broadcast the total electron content (TEC) between the satellite and ground stations. Two thermistors measured the interior temperature to track the effectiveness of the thermal protection. Vanguard 1 had no propulsion system, no attitude and guidance control systems, and no onboard computer. Similar to Sputnik, it simply spun and rotated in its orbit.11

USE OF TRANSISTOR TECHNOLOGY

Transistor technology was only 10 years old when the space race began. The poor reliability of vacuum tubes, and the search for a means of reducing power consumption, had prompted Bell Laboratories and AT&T to seek alternative technologies since the early 1940s. John Bardeen, William Shockley, and

Fig. 2. D-200 radio transmitter located in the center of Sputnik 1’s equipment package. (Courtesy www.radiomuseum.org/forum/sputnik_1_transmitter.html).

Fig. 4. Explorer 1’s payload showing the instrumentation, and the antennas protruding from the bottom. (Courtesy, JPL, Astronautics Magazine)

Walter Brattain first demonstrated their new “transistor” device made of germanium in December 1947. In 1954, Morris Tanenbaum at Bell Laboratories and Willis Adcock, who worked under Gordon Teal at Texas Instruments, demonstrated a silicon transistor. The change from germanium to silicon enabled the transistor to become a fundamental building block of integrated circuits. By the time Explorer 1 and Vanguard 1 were being developed, only six years had passed since the first announcement of the junction transistor, only three years since the first transistor hearing-aid was

announced, and less than two years had passed since the first commercially produced transistor radio became available. Although the technology was new, transistors and integrated circuits offered a major solution for compressing satellite circuit designs.12

When Explorer 1 replaced Vanguard 1 as the priority in 1957, JPL assumed the lead design role.13 Dr. Henry Richter became responsible for communications and scientific compatibility and for ensuring that satellite transmissions were compatible with Minitrack and Microlock ground tracking stations.14 (see Figure 8)

Fig. 5. Explorer 1’s low-power transmitter (l) and high-power transmitter (r). (Courtesy, JPL, Astronautics Magazine)

Fig. 3. Explorer 1 design. (Courtesy NASA)

Fig. 6. Final assembly of Vanguard 1 satellite built by the Naval Research Laboratory. (Authors’ collection, NRL press photo)

cylinder inside the metal satellite shell, and the transmitter structure was machined from Micarta.

• The lowest assembly held the Western Electric (Bell Labs) transistor, the frequency-determining quartz crystal and the audio transistor.

• The next deck held mercury batteries and a telemetry oscillator.

James Van Allen and his graduate student George Ludwig (see Figure 9), who had been working on Vanguard, became responsible for Explorer 1’s cosmicray experiments and assumed the lead role over most of the internal satellite electronics, operating under the direction of Richter.15

Richter specified that all of the electronic components should be standard commercial items except for the high-frequency transistors and crystal-frequency elements. Richter himself built a transmitter prototype that was used to develop the fabrication drawings for the radio transmitters.16

• The transmitter assemblies were organized into several decks mounted to a lightweight fiberglass

• The antenna connections were located below the battery deck.

• Printed-circuit technology was available, but most components were mounted on posts and terminals. A variety of pressed-on terminals also were used, such as silver-plated terminals for radio frequency (RF) circuits to reduce the resistance in critical circuits.

Ludwig’s earliest satellite designs for the cosmic-ray experiment, first intended for Vanguard, incorporated Raytheon vacuum tubes. The need for high reliability and minimum risk of failure, plus the need to design a simpler package that occupied less space with less weight, led Ludwig to combine operating beacons, micrometeorite detectors, and the cosmic-ray

Fig. 7. Vanguard 1 internal design. (Courtesy NASA, Life Magazine)

Fig. 8. Dr. Henry Richter, project manager for the satellite design, in charge of JPL experiments for the International Geophysical Year, and liaison between the Satellite Instrumentation Group and the Operations and Data Groups, holding the Explorer 1 transmitters. (Courtesy, movie still from JPL documentary “X Minus 80 Days”)

Fig. 9. George Ludwig with an early instrument package for Vanguard 1. (Courtesy NASA, Life Magazine)

experiments into one package. Ludwig taught himself the fundamentals of transistor technology based on articles and circuit diagrams appearing in Electronics magazine. He constructed handmade circuit-testing boards based on intuition and experimentation until the team achieved the final design (see Figure 10).17 The U.S. Army Signal Corps at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, collaborated on the project, and ultimately produced the power supplies and component parts.18

Explorer 1’s instrumentation required exceptionally low power, and it had to be compact and rugged. Ludwig knew that NRL had used single- and dual-layer circuit boards, state of the art in 1956 for other projects. Ludwig obtained and used fiberglass circuit boards with hand-drilled holes and hand-pressed terminals, with the component leads wound around the heads of terminals and soldered. Although inelegant, the circuits proved rugged and reliable.19

Explorer 1 purposely included two independent transmitters for redundancy to ensure that it could be tracked, and that it was compatible with NRL’s Minitrack and JPL’s Microlock ground receiving and tracking systems.20 Subcarrier oscillators, the power supply, scalers, and the micrometeorite amplifier incorporated transistors. In total, the basic circuit included 29 transistors, in addition to those in the micrometeorite amplifier. Ludwig included both the new silicon transistors for their temperature stability, and

older germanium transistors for their lower base-emitter junction voltage.21

Richter’s initial design concept for the Explorer 1 transmitters included transistors from Raytheon (CK791, 2N64, 2N328), Texas Instruments (2N335), and Western Electric (WE53194). Richter’s final transmitter designs used Raytheon (2N328) and Western Electric (WE53194). Ludwig summarized the transistors used in Explorer 1’s science and telemetry package. It incorporated transistors from Western Electric, Raytheon, Philco, and Texas Instruments (see Figure 11).22

• Bell Laboratories developed diffused-junction transistors to produce devices with good highfrequency performance and high electrical and mechanical reliability. Explorer 1 included the Western Electric 53194 transistor, a modification of the Bell Labs BTL 2039 transistor, in the low- and high-power transmitter circuits, achieving nearly 25 percent more efficiency in the circuit.23

• Raytheon was an early leader in transistor production during the mid-1950s. The Raytheon 2N64 audio transistor was one of the first types developed by Raytheon to combine hermetically sealed metal cases with improved germanium technology. Explorer 1 incorporated the 2N64 in the subcarrier oscillator circuits.24

• In 1957, Raytheon developed its 2N327–330 series that operated with lower voltages and double

Fig. 11. Transistors used in Explorer 1. (Courtesy of Transistor History Museum, Ludwig interview, Joe Knight and Philco advertising)

the maximum collector current, used in highgain settings for switching and audio frequency. Raytheon’s 2N328 was incorporated into the subcarrier oscillators.25

• Philco also developed silicon transistors, and its pilot production began in late 1956. Philco’s 1957 2N496 transistor was used in the high-voltage power supply of the cosmic-ray instrument.26 Later, Raytheon replaced Philco as the supplier, with Raytheon’s 2N790 and 2N239 transistors providing more stable performance.27

• Texas Instruments pioneered commercial silicon transistor production beginning in 1954. Explorer 1 incorporated their 2N335 silicon transistors in the Geiger-Mueller counter and scaler circuit for high-gain performance across a much broader temperature range compared with germanium transistors.28

Explorer 1’s transmitters were fully transistorized to minimize weight and to withstand all expected environments. The low-power Microlock 10 mW radio beacon broadcast at 108.00 MHz.29 Philco supplied the high-frequency surface-barrier transistor in its original circuit designs.30 Bendix and Honeywell also supplied transistors. In the end, a single Victoreen VXR700S tube remained, operating as a regulator tube necessary for the cosmic-ray detector’s power supply.31

SOLID STATE SUCCESS

Both Explorer 1 and Vanguard 1 became long-lived, tremendous successes, and both were highly efficient scientific spacecraft.32 The need for miniaturization had been evident from the beginning,33 and the transistor and other miniature components were responsible for the essential reductions in volume and mass that made the satellites possible. One analysis showed that between

1947 and 1967, the weight and bulk of electronics reduced by a factor of 20,000:1.34

By the time of Explorer 3 in March 1958, the total number of transistors in the satellite increased from 29 to 120.35 Industry leaders quickly and proudly advertised their contributions to the new solid-state world of space communications, which was developing in partnership with leading university research centers. For example, Allen Bradley advertised its resistors as being highly reliable by referring to their placement into the Explorer 1 satellite circuits (see Figure 12), and Dr. Whitney Matthews, head of U.S. Satellite Development Program, and William Hall of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), inspected the Explorer 1 telemetering device in a photo opportunity to advertise ongoing university and government cooperation (see Figure 13). Explorer 1 weighed 30.8 pounds (13.9 kg), with scientific instruments comprising 60 percent of its total weight. Explorer 1 is credited with the discovery of the “Great Radiation Belt,” later named the “Van Allen Radiation Belt.”36 Data from Explorer 3, Explorer 4, Army Pioneer 1, and Soviet Luna 1 satellites subsequently identified multiple layers of charged particles surrounding the Earth. The two main belts, separated by a gap, extend from 400 miles to 36,000 miles above the Earth’s surface. These radiation belts trap high concentrations of highly energized electrons and protons, shielding the Earth from particle radiation.37 Amateur radio operators tracked both the Vanguard 1 and the Explorer 1 satellites throughout their useful lives (see Figure 14). Vanguard 1’s solar power source, the first among satellites, gave it a prolonged operational life. Vanguard 1’s tracking data showed that Earth has a slight north-south asymmetry, and the Earth is “pearshaped,” with the stem at the North Pole. Vanguard 1’s radio signals determined the total electron content between the satellite and selected ground receiving stations. Its data also determined upper atmosphere

Fig. 12. Portion of print advertisement featuring Explorer 1 resistors used in the telemetering system. (Courtesy Allen-Bradley)

Fig. 13. Dr. Whitney Matthews (l), head of U.S. Satellite Development Program, and William Hall (r), of MIT, inspect the Explorer 1 telemetering device. (Courtesy United Press International, Image100802)

densities as a function of altitude, latitude, season, and solar activity.38

Despite the early setbacks and U.S. embarrassment over Sputnik, Vanguard 1—and especially Explorer 1— demonstrated that the United States could conduct significant scientific research in space. They also demonstrated that solid-state electronics had become a permanent part of spacecraft and satellite design. When combined with solar power cells, and eventually rechargeable batteries, solid-state electronics provided the means for making efficient power sources that yielded longer duration times for satellites and future spacecraft.

AFTERMATH

Explorer 1 was intended to rotate and spin along its length. Instead, it started precessing (rotating and wobbling) about its second axis after launch.39 This unexpected rotation, up to 750 revolutions per minute (RPM), did affect operations, and one of the four antennas was lost. Nevertheless, Explorer 1’s scientific instruments and radio transmitters performed very well (see Figure 15). Richter considered the performance “extremely satisfactory,” and Ludwig indicated “excellent” cosmic-ray data was obtained.40 During the time the transmitters operated, approximately 1,500 tape recordings were made of satellite passes by 20 earth stations. The satellite’s original expected lifetime was three years.41 Its high-power transmitter operated for 31 days, and its low-power transmitter functioned for 105 days. Explorer 1 stopped transmitting May 23, 1958, when its batteries died.42 It remained in orbit for more than 12 years, circling the Earth 12.5 times each day. It reentered the atmosphere on March 31, 1970, after completing 58,376 orbits.43 Overall, the mission was a major success (see Figure 16).

Vanguard 1 remains the oldest manmade object still in space.44 It continues to orbit the Earth every 132.7 minutes. Original estimates predicted its orbit would last for 2,000 years. Solar radiation pressure and atmospheric drag during high levels of solar activity affected the height of the satellite at perigee, and the

current expected lifetime is now 240 years. Vanguard 1’s battery-powered transmitter stopped operating in June 1958, and its solar-powered transmitter ceased operation in May 1964 (see Figure 17). Since then, it has been tracked optically from Earth.45

Fig. 15. Initial performance characteristics for Explorer 1. (Courtesy JPL, Astronautics Magazine)

Fig. 14. Amateur radio QSL cards circa 1958 for Vanguard 1 (l) and Explorer 1 (r). (Authors’ collection, JPL Amateur Radio Club)

Today, 36 satellites and innumerable ground stations provide services to just the United States, and more than 300 communications satellites are now in orbit worldwide. Cellular technology has brought even newer options for miniaturization capable of managing entire personal communications systems comprising voice and data. These satellites operate in lower Earth orbits, only 500 miles above the Earth, far below the Van Allen radiation belt.46

The shrinkage of circuit size, reduction in component mass, and miniaturization of both component and circuit volumes proved critical to developing smaller package sizes that could be lifted into orbit. The successful Explorer 1 and Vanguard 1 programs demonstrated that transistorized miniaturization was essential for putting objects into space, and yielded tremendous scientific discoveries that pointed toward limitless potential for other applications.47 The work of Richter, Ludwig, and the other talented teams succeeded in bringing transistors into space (see Figure 18).

Backup versions of these satellites can be seen at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. In the mid-1990s, Dr. Richter restored a backup version of the Explorer 1 high-power radio transmitter, which is on view at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia (see Figure 19). A backup version of the Vanguard 1 satellite also resides at that location. The Vanguard 3 satellite (recovered from the launch crash site) and a backup of Explorer 1 are on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum located on The Mall in the District of Columbia.

Fig. 16. (L to R) Dr. James Pickering, Dr. James Van Allen, and Dr. Werner Von Braun holding up an Explorer 1 model at a 1958 news conference. (Courtesy NASA)

Fig. 17. A technician observes Vanguard 1’s radio signal at Radio Corporation of America on the satellite's first trip around the earth. (Authors’ collection, RCA press photo)

Fig. 18. Richter (l), holding the low power transmitter and subcarrier oscillators, and Ludwig (r), holding the cosmic ray package for Explorer 3. (Courtesy JPL)

Fig. 19. A backup Explorer 1 high-power radio transmitter restored by Dr. Richter is on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. (Authors’ photo)

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

David Bart is a Fellow, Director, and Life Member of RCA and Chairman of the RCA Publications Committee. He is a Director and Life Member of the Antique Wireless Association, Treasurer of the IEEE History Committee, and Vice President of the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. Julia Bart is an advisor to AWA and coauthor of numerous articles for AWA and RCA.

REFERENCES

1 For additional information on Sputnik 1, Explorer 1, Vanguard 1, and Telstar 1, see David and Julia Bart, “Early Milestones in Space Communications,” AWA Review, Vol. 32, 2019, pp. 165-214.

2 This article adopts the modern naming convention currently utilized by NASA for all space vehicles and their packages (i.e. Sputnik 1, Sputnik 2, etc.). A variety of earlier naming conventions have appeared over the years, all referring to the same objects.

3 B. Dunbar, “60th Anniversary of Sputnik: Dawn of the Space Age,” NASA.com; C. Moskowitz, “How Sputnik Changed the World 55 Years Ago Today,” SPACE.com, October 4, 2012.

4 Energia Museum website and L. Zelenyi; Zak, 2018; and O. Zakutnyaya, “The Simplest Satellite That Opened Up The Universe,” American Scientist, Sep.-Oct. 2017, Vol. 105, No. 5; W. R. Corliss, Scientific Satellites (Washington: NASA, Office of Technology Utilization, 1967, SP-133), pp. 7, 62.

5 The dog Laika, launched on a one-way trip on board Sputnik 2 in November 1957, was said to have died painlessly in orbit about a week after launch. It actually died just a few hours after lift-off.

6 “A Transistor Museum Interview with Dr. George Ludwig,” Transistor Museum website.

7 Williamson, “The Early Development of Spacecraft Electronics,” Engineering Science and Education Journal, Apr. 2001, p. 70; G. H. Ludwig, “Cosmic-Ray Instrumentation in The First U.S. Earth Satellite,” The Review of Scientific Instruments, Apr. 1959, Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 223-229; Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), “Explorer 1,” Astronautics, April 1958, pp. 20-87.

8 Ibid.; M. Gruntman, Blazing the Trail: The Early History of Spacecraft and Rocketry (Reston, Virginia: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2004), p. 371; H.L. Richter, W. Pilkington, J.P. Eyraud, W.S. Shipley, L.W. Randolph. “Instrumenting the Explorer 1 Satellite,” Electronics, Feb. 6, 1959.

9 W. Shelton, Soviet Space Exploration: The First Decade (Arthur Barker, 1969), p. 53.

10 Williamson, Apr. 2001, pp. 68-74; Ludwig, Apr. 1959, pp. 223–229.

11 Williamson, 2001, p. 70.

12 M. Riordan, “The Lost History of the Transistor,” IEEE Spectrum, Apr. 30, 2004. G. H. Ludwig, Opening Space Research: Dreams, Technology, and Scientific Discovery (Washington: American Geophysical Union, 2011), pp. 128-129; G. H. Ludwig, “The First Explorer Satellites,” prepared for Van Allen’s 90th Birthday Celebration at the University of Iowa, Oct. 9, 2004, p. 4.

13 Ludwig, Oct. 9, 2004, p. 9.

14 Ibid.; H. L. Richter, America’s Leap Into Space: My Time at JPL and the First Explorer Satellites (Victoria, BC, Canada: Friesen Press, 2015), p. 112.

15 Ibid.; H. Helvajian and S. W. Janson, Small Satellites: Past, Present, and Future (El Segundo, California: The Aerospace Press, 2008), pp. 15-16; C. M. Green and M. Lomask, Vanguard: A History (Washington: NASA, NASA Historical Series, SP 4202, 1970), p. 113.

16 Richter, 2015, pp. 137-141.

17 J. Ward, “Transistor Museum Interview With George Ludwig,” Transistor Museum website, 2007, Ludwig, 2011, pp. 128-130.

18 Ludwig, 2011, p. 142.

19 Ibid., pp. 129-130.

20 Linda N. Ezell, NASA Historical Data Book, Vol. III, (1967-1978), Report No. NASA SP-4012, (U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1985) Chapter 6. See also JPL, Apr. 1958, pp. 20-87; Richter et al, Feb. 6, 1959.

21 J. Ward, “Transistor Museum Interview With George Ludwig,” Transistor Museum website, 2007.

22 Ibid.; see also Richter et al, Feb. 6, 1959; Richter, 2015, Appendix 3, pp. 222-225.

23 J. Ward, “Western Electric GA-53233 and GF45011 Historic 1950s Vanguard Satellite Transistors,” Transistor Museum website, 2013.

24 J. Ward, “Raytheon 2N63 2N64 2N65,” Transistor Museum website, 2010.

25 P. D. Burgess, “From Transistor to Spacistor Semiconductor Research and Development at Raytheon,” Transistor History website, 2009.

26 J. Ward, “Transistor Museum Historic Germanium Computer Transistors,” Transistor Museum website, 2015.

27 Ludwig, Apr. 1959, pp. 226-227.

28 J. Ward, “TI and GE 2N33X,” Transistor Museum website, 2005.

29 Gruntman, 2004, p. 368; JPL, Apr. 1958, pp. 20-87; Richter et al, Feb. 6, 1959.

30 Juno Final Report Vol. 1 (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Unclassified Technical Report No. 32-31, Sept. 6, 1960), p.22.

31 Ludwig, Apr. 1959, p. 227.

32 W. R. Corliss, Scientific Satellites (Washington: NASA, Office of Technology Utilization, 1967, SP-133), p. 45; Ludwig, 2011, pp. 191-192.

33 Ludwig, 2011, p. 128

34 Williamson, 2001, pp. 71-72.

35 120 transistors per Ward, 2007, which compares to 107 transistors per Ludwig, Feb. 1959, pp. 20, 100.

36 United States Aeronautics and Space Activities, First Annual Report to Congress (NASA Original Version), Published as House Document Number 71, 86th Congress, 1st Session, Feb. 2, 1959, pp. 7, 35.

37 D. Leverington, New Cosmic Horizons: Space Astronomy from the V2 to the Hubble Space Telescope (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001), pp. 25, 33, 36, 475.

38 Leverington, 2001, p. 28.

39 W.C. Pilkington. Vehicle Motions as Inferred From Radio-Signal-Strength Records (Pasadena, California: Jet

Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, External Publication No. 551), Sep. 5, 1958, Appendix C, p. 70, 72, 79; Gruntman, 2004, p. 371.

40 Richter, Feb. 6, 1969; Ludwig, Apr. 1959, p. 228.

41 W. Ley, "The Orbit of Explorer 1," Galaxy, Oct. 1968, p. 100; H. L. Richter, 2015, pp 141-144. Ludwig, Apr. 1959, pp. 223–229.

42 P. E. Zadunaisky, "The Orbit of Satellite 456 Alpha (Explorer 1) during the First 10500 Revolutions" (Cambridge: Smithsonian Institution Astrophysical Observatory Special Report No. 50), Oct. 1960.

43 “About Explorer 1/Fast Facts,” Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

44 United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Online Index of Objects Launched into Outer Space.

45 Green and Lomask, 1970, p. 244.

46 D. Whalen, “Communications Satellites: Making the Global Village Possible,” Communications Satellites Short History, NASA, 2018.

47 J. R. Hansen, Spaceflight Revolution (Washington: NASA History Series, 1995, SP-4308), pp. 172-173.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE A GREAT FIT FOR RCA?

With our new online membership application it’s easier than ever to get involved!

RCA members include inventors, scientists, industry professionals, members of the press, the FCC, government agencies, and world class amateur operators. We were there at the dawn of radio history and are committed to keeping our members up to date on the latest in wireless technology. RCA believes in the future of the industry and your membership will help us with the important work of encouraging the next generation of wireless pioneers and entrepreneurs.

Help spread the word about why you belong, and direct potential members to www.radioclubofamerica.org/about-us/how-to-join to learn more about the benefits of membership!

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RCA Member Exclusive OFFER

Special Offer for RCA Members Opting for a 3 Year or Lifetime Membership*

We have a fully restored commemorative recording of the 50th Anniversary of the Radio Club of America. In the over 40 minutes of recordings you will hear the voices of W.E.D. Stokes, the first chairman of RCA; Capt. H.J. Rounds who won the Armstrong Medal in 1952; Major E.H. Armstrong, inventor of frequency modulation and the superhetrodyne receiver; Paul Godley, the RCA member who went to Scotland in 1921 to receive transmissions from the U.S. in the famous Transatlantic Tests; and Walter Knoop, RCA’s president in 1959. You will also hear Morse code (CW) being sent by vice president Harry Hough on a 1909 spark gap transmitter.

*The commemorative recording is available as a free download to:

• New or renewing members who join or renew for a 3 year membership (when you join or renew by June 30, 2019)

• All current and future life members

Questions? Contact us at Amy@radioclubofAmerica.org

Thanks to the thoughtful efforts of the daughter of a former member, we received a set of two LP records that were issued to RCA members at the Golden Jubilee 50th Anniversary of the Club in 1959. The records were moved to digital media in 2019 thanks to RCA member and former director Lou Manno.

CALL FOR PAPERS & EDITORIAL COMMENTS

The Proceedings of the Radio Club of America is known for bringing you a wide mix of papers, ranging from sophisticated technical material to historical surveys of subjects related to electronic communications. RCA also is known for fostering discussion and sharing the viewpoints of its members. RCA is therefore issuing a call for papers and editorial comments for publication in upcoming issues of the Proceedings.

The Proceedings is published semi-annually, and has been issued since 1914. The Proceedings is considered to be the first publication geared to promoting and sharing the intellectual development of all aspects of radio and wireless communications. Coverage has expanded to include relevant articles encompassing science, technology development, marketing and regulatory topics. We seek articles from knowledgeable engineers, professionals, academics and amateurs who are participating in building future applications, as well as those who want to document the history of relevant technologies.

As a fellow reader of the Proceedings, we would like you to author an article or editorial for publication. We welcome “early work,” even if it is still in the process of being drafted. RCA offers a unique opportunity for you to get an early reaction to important work now underway in wireless communications. It is also a unique opportunity to air your views, inviting commentary and response from the membership.

Please submit an abstract (1-3 paragraphs) including the title, author(s) and contact information, a synopsis of the material to be published, and a note as to why you think the subject is interesting or important to the wireless industry. Authors of papers selected for publication in the Proceedings may be given an opportunity to present at one of the RCA’s upcoming events, such as the annual Technical Symposium. (Note: participants are responsible for their own travel expenses to RCA events.)

We seek interesting or important technical articles, editorials and discussion pieces in any of the following areas:

• Antennas and supporting structures (i.e., towers)

• Broadband communications

• Broadcast

• Cellular telephony

• FirstNet

• Ham (amateur) radio

• Land mobile radio

• Long-Term Evolution (LTE)

• Military communications

• Regulatory topics

• Robotics

• Satellites

• 4G/5G Cellular

• Semiconductors, LED or other devices supporting wireless communications

• Any other wireless/radio technologies

Please send abstracts for articles and editorials to be published in the Proceedings to: John Facella at pantherpinesconsulting@gmail.com with copies to David Bart at jbart1964@gmail.com.

Please send abstracts for potential presentation topics at RCA events to: John Facella at TechSymp2018@radioclubofamerica.org.

For general questions about RCA, an article idea or submission, please contact Amy Beckham at Amy@radioclubofAmerica.org.

2019 SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

110th Radio Club of America Awards Banquet

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019

New York City

The Annual RCA Awards Banquet is the premier industry event to honor exceptional achievements by those who devote themselves to wireless communications. The event also showcases the achievements of middle and high school students involved in the RCA Youth Activities Program. Through your sponsorship your Company will receive: Recognition, Logo Visibility, Opportunity to reach a targeted market of Technical Executives, not to mention…your Sponsorship makes it possible for us to keep this event affordable for attendees and shows your support for our industry’s finest performers—both established and up-and-coming— whose invention, ingenuity and dedication benefit us all.

SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS

Exclusive sponsor of the Pre-Banquet Cocktail Reception, including signage, logo on napkins and specialty VIP drink of your choosing to be served to attendees, logo on Hotel’s Signage for location of the Reception. Pre-Banquet exposure on RCA Webpage.

Capture the Audience in a most Exclusive Sponsorship of the RCA Banquet and Tech Symposium Step-and-Repeat Photo Wall with Logo. A true Image Statement. No one will miss this!

Exclusive sponsor of Technical Symposium, including signage at food/drink tables and continental breakfast, and company logo on the podium sign. Will reach Live Audience of 80-100 Technical Associates and Livestreaming Audience of ~1000 people. Logo will also be wrapped into Slides and Video’s for downloading.

Exclusive Sponsorship with Company name on red/white wine bottles at each Banquet table.

Logo on signage on Speaker table, 2 Banquet tickets with seating at keynote speaker/RCA Presidents table. Company logo on event banners and recognition on PowerPoint at Banquet and Technical Symposium. Company logo in printed commemorative program. Company logo on table signage at Banquet.

Company logo and URL on RCA website. Recognition in Proceedings (Bi-annual electronically publication reaching all RCA Members).

Company Logo in Aerogram (Quarterly Published Newsletter for all RCA Members)

Company logo on signage supporting Young Achievers

There’s more! Networking Event Sponsorships, Lanyards, Awards, etc. The RCA is offering a variety of new sponsorships in 2019 which can give your company recognition and business opportunities. We can also create a custom sponsorship that meets your needs. Radio Club of America is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, therefore, your sponsorship can qualify for a tax-deduction. Please consult with your tax advisor for specific information.

COMPANY NAME (as you would like it to appear in promotional materials):

YOUR NAME

WEBSITE

You can pay online at www.radioclubofamerica.org or call Jane Winter @ 781-795-2476 or jwinter@fractenna.com for more information, to pay by check or for the specifications for your company logo.

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

ADVANCED WIRELESS MARKETING

Jack Armstrong, President

200 Warren Road

Cockeysville, MD, 21030

PHONE: (443) 823-5100

jack@advancedwirelessmarketing.com

www.advancedwirelessmarketing.com

Manufacturer’s Representative

CAPITAL AREA COMMUNICATIONS

Stephen J. Shaver, Project Manager

4120 Swatara Drive

Harrisburg, PA, 17113

PHONE: (717) 561-0800

CELL: (717) 645-0086

FAX: (717) 561-9805

steves@cacradio.com

www.cacradio.com

Wireless Communication Systems Solutions Provider

JACOBS

Margaret J. Lyons, PE, PMP

Senior RF/Communications Engineer

100 Walnut Ave, Suite 604 Clark, NJ 07066

PHONE: (732) 396-2253

CELL: (908) 4030171

margaret.lyons@jacobs.com

www.jacobs.com

ANDERSON-INTELLI-SMART BATTERY DIVISION KIRMUSS & ASSOCIATES, LLC

Charles Kirmuss, Founder, Principal 51 West 84th Ave., Suite 301 Denver, CO 80260

PHONE: (303) 263-6353

ckirmuss@frontier.net

www.anderson-intellismartbattery.com

Manufacturer of OE and replacement batteries for the two way radio industry. iNTELLi Smart Battery™ technology at lower cost than traditional OE standard batteries.

DH SALES GROUP LLC

PO Box 5680

Lago Vista, TX 78645

CELL: (512) 751-5472

TOLL FREE: (800) 966-3357

FAX: (512) 267-7760

dhlago@aol.com

www.dhsalesgroup.biz

Independent Manufacturers Representatives and Consultative Manufacturers Representative

BLUE WING

Andy Maxymillian, PMP, Principal Consultant

235 Summer Hill Drive

Gilbertsville, PA 19525

PHONE: (610) 473-2171

CELL: (610) 316-2660

FAX: (610) 473-2536

andrew.maxymillian@bluewing.com

www.bluewing.com

Consultant Services

INFINITY ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES/WORLDWIDE TECHNOLOGIES DIRECT

A DIV. OF KIRMUSS & ASSOCIATES, LLC, SINCE 1979

Charles Kirmuss, Founder, Principal 51 West 84th Ave., Suite 301

Denver, Co. 80260

PHONE: (303) 263-6353

ckirmuss@frontier.net

www.wwtechnologiesdirect.com

Radio pioneer, Director of RCA and Rampart Search & Rescue: Custom solutions & products for the Public Safety, Search & Rescue and Military markets. Proud supporter & sponsor of RCA’s Youth Program.

KIRMUSSAUDIO DIV OF KIRMUSS & ASSOCIATES, LLC

Charles Kirmuss, Founder, Principal 51 West 84th Ave., Suite 301 Denver, Co. 80260

PHONE: (303) 263-6353

FAX: (303) 862-7170

ckirmuss@frontier.net

www.kirmussaudio.com

LEONARDO

William P. Fredrickson

11300 W. 89th Street

Overland Park, KS 66214

PHONE: (913) 495-2614

CELL: (913) 909-4492

Bill.fredrickson@

leonardocompany-us.com

www.leonardocc.com

Land Mobile Radio Manufacturer: DMR, P25, Tetra

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

PANTHER PINES CONSULTING

John Facella, P.E., BSEE, MBA, Principal

PHONE: (978) 799-8900

pantherpinesconsulting@gmail.com

www.pantherpinesconsulting.com

Communications & Management Consulting

RFI AMERICAS

Sean Johnson, President 2023 Case Pkwy Twinsburg, OH, 44087

PHONE: (330) 486-0706 x302

CELL: (330) 541-6585

FAX: (330) 486-0705

sean.johnson@rfi.com.au

www.rfiamericas.com

Manufacturer of antennas and RF conditioning equipment for LMR

TOWER INNOVATIONS, INC.

Bruce R. McIntyre, President 107 Dunbar Ave., Suite E Oldsmar, FL 34677

PHONE: (813) 818-8766

CELL: (727) 439-3683

FAX: (813) 925-0999

bruce@towerinnovationsinc.com

www.towerinnovactionsinc.com

Wireless consulting, Communications structures

CONSULTING GROUP

George R. Stoll, President 9850 S. Maryland Pkwy

Las Vegas, NV, 89183

PHONE: (303) 840-2878

CELL: (303) 475-0414

FAX: (303) 840-1129

george.stoll@utcg.com

www.utcg.com

Consulting Engineers

TSR CONSULTING ®

Dr. Theodore S. Rappaport, P.E., Ph.D PO BOX 888 Riner, VA 24149

Technical consulting, engineering and design services in the field of wired and wireless communications systems, equipment and devices.

MASSIVELY BROADBAND ®

RLA COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING, LLC

Robert A. Lopez, P.E., President 8305 Bergenline Avenue #9 North Bergen, NJ 07047

PHONE: (973) 449-5249

rlopez@rlacommunications.com

www.rlacommunications.com

A communications engineering consulting company serving public safety and commercial wireless industries.

TWR

Lauren Libby, International President 300 Greyson Drive

Cary NC 27511

PHONE: (719) 331-7051

llibby@twr.org

www.twr.org

RF and Digital Content to 190 Countries in 230 languages every day

WIRELESS TOWERS,

Larry Shaefer, President 115 N. Walker St.

Angleton, TX 77515

PHONE: (713) 522-7000

CELL: (713) 526-8000

Lshaefer@sbcglobal.net

www.wireless-towers.com

Texas Tower Site Leasing

RCA CALENDAR EVENTS

CALENDAR

Visit the event calendar on the RCA website for the most up-to-date event information.

RCA EVENTS

2020 RCA BANQUET AND TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM

November 20, 2020 Pittsburgh, PA

INDUSTRY EVENTS

GSMA MWC BARCELONA

February 24–27, 2020 Los Angeles, CA

DAYTON HAMVENTION

May 15–17, 2020 Xenia, OH

APCO INTERNATIONAL

August 2–5, 2020 Baltimore, MD

IWCE 2020

March 30–April 3, 2020 Las Vegas, NV

CONNECTIVITY EXPO

May 18–21, 2020 Orlando, FL

AWA ANNUAL CONVENTION

August 11–15, 2020 Rochester, NY

SUPPORT RCA WITH A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION

Help RCA continue its mission of advancing wireless art and science for the betterment of society by making a tax-deductible donation today! RCA believes in the future of the industry and your contribution will help us with the important work of encouraging the next generation of wireless pioneers and entrepreneurs. Consider making a donation in someone’s honor as a memorial or gift.

Donate online at www.radioclubofamerica.org/donate-to-rca/ or call us at (612) 405-2102 to contribute.

OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT RCA

The Radio Club of America provides many opportunities to support the organization and its activities. Sponsors can make specific requests or provide funding for general operations.

INDIVIDUAL SUSTAINING DONATIONS

Make a difference in how quickly we progress with our many initiatives for young people, young wireless professionals and those in established careers. We encourage any member who is impressed with the operations of the club to make a tax-deductible donation earmarked to sustaining operations. Donations to support our day-to-day operations are critical to our future as an organization. You can also select RCA as your full or partial beneficiary on an IRA, so funds are tax-free to RCA, or set up a monthly donation through a credit card or ACH withdrawal.

CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS AT SPECIFIC EVENTS

Networking is a key reason many of our members get involved and stay active with RCA. Breakfasts, cocktail parties and other social events can be underwritten by sponsors who receive promotional considerations for their donations and heightened visibility to the membership.

3 YEAR SUSTAINING CORPORATE SPONSORS

There is a unique set of advantages to corporate sponsors who participate in our three-year program. See our summary of benefits by level of sponsorship.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Donate to an existing scholarship fund or create your own and you will be supporting university students pursuing wireless communications as a career.

YOUTH ACTIVITIES

The Youth Activities program brings the excitement of learning about amateur radio and vivid lessons in science, math and electronics to middle and high school children in this unique and innovative program sponsored by RCA.

HOW YOU CAN APPLY YOUR DONATIONS

A variety of funds are available to support specific goals of the initial donors and RCA operations. Please contact RCA for more information on these opportunities.

• General Club Operations (unrestricted)

• Archive Preservation

• Barone-DiBlasi-Facella

• Biggs

• Brownson

• DeMello Award

• Continuing Education

• Dettra, Finch

• General Grants in Aid

• Goldwater

• Grebe

• Gunther

• Legacy Fund

• Link

• Meyer

• Meyerson

• Poppele

• Tom Sorley Memorial Fund to RCA

• Youth Activities

• Richard G. Somers Youth Edu Fund

RCA is classified as a 501(c)(3) organization under IRS rules. Contributions may be tax deductible in the United States depending on a person’s individual tax situation.

HOW TO SPONSOR/DONATE

The RCA donations form is on the website. Please contact our Executive Secretary, Amy Beckham, for more information on any of these opportunities. She can be reached at 612.405.2012 or amy@radioclubofamerica.org.

www.radioclubofamerica.org

SHARE YOUR RCA STORY

We had a record number of new members last year help us continue this momentum by spreading the word about why you belong to the oldest, most prestigious group of wireless professionals in the world! Direct potential members to the Why RCA? page of the website to learn what sets us apart.

Signing up for RCA Membership has never been easier! Use the new online membership application to submit your information in a matter of minutes.

SHOP AMAZON & HELP RCA

Amazon has a program called Amazon Smile, through which Amazon will donate .5% of a qualified purchase to a charitable organization of your choice. To designate proceeds towards RCA, go to smile.amazon.com and use your Amazon login. You will be asked to select a charitable organization (Radio Club of America) and start shopping. It is an easy way to help the Radio Club and at the same time get a great deal on amazon.com. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you will continue to receive the benefits of your Prime membership.

HAS YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION CHANGED?

If you have recently changed your address, email, or phone number, please send us an update.

Email amy@radioclubofamerica.org or call (612) 405-2012.

HEADQUARTERS OFFICE

ADDRESS:

13570 Grove Drive #302 Maple Grove, MN 55311

PHONE: (612) 405-2012

EMAIL:

amy@radioclubofamerica.org

WEBSITE:

www.radioclubofamerica.org

www.radioclubofamerica.org