RCA Proceedings - Fall 2023

Proceedings

Dr. Marty Cooper Headlines the 2023 RCA Banquet

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Cooper’s historic walk on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan – the first public demonstration of a handheld cellular mobile telephone.

IN THIS ISSUE:

RCA’s 2023 Banquet and Technical Symposium Details

AWA and RCA Preserve Arecibo Telescope Panels

The State of Innovation

Studying Climate Change with an Ice Radar Drone

Top 100 Global Innovators

2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT

David P. Bart*

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Don Root*

VICE PRESIDENT

Rich Berliner*

VICE PRESIDENT/COUNSEL

Chester “Barney” Scholl, Jr.

VICE PRESIDENT/CO-COUNSEL

Edward Ryan*

TREASURER

Ronald J. Jakubowski*

SECRETARY

Margaret J. Lyons, PE, PMP*

DIRECTORS

JonPaul Beauchamp

Ernie Blair

Dr. James Breakall

Karen Clark

Verle “V.G.” Duvall

Michael Kalter

Charles Kirmuss

PRESIDENTS EMERITI

Denis Marin

Bruce Mcintyre

Carole Perry

Stanley Reubenstein

Paul Scutieri Dr. Julio Urbina

Steven L. Aldinger Mal Gurian

Sandra Black Carroll Hollingsworth*

Philip Casciano Bruce McIntyre

Mercy Contreras Stan Reubenstein

Timothy Duffy Anthony Sabino, Jr.

John Facella P.E.

STAFF

Amy Beckham, Administrative Director

Kathy Sheridan, Membership & Order Fulfillment

Maria Olaez, Bookkeeper

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS

Awards: Charles Kirmuss

Banquet: Margaret Lyons* / Denis Marin

Bequests & Legacy Giving: Chester “Barney” Scholl, Jr./ Ed Ryan*

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

Education: Julio Urbina

Fellows: Rich Berliner

Finance: Phil Casciano / Ron Jakubowski*

Fundraising: Karen Clark

Historical/Museums & Archives: Jim and Felicia Kreuzer

Interview & Networking Series: John Facella*

Marketing: Dave Bart

Onboarding: Barney Scholl

Mentoring Project: Paul Scutieri/David Witkowski

Membership: Jon Paul Beauchamp

Member Services, Women in Wireless: Open

Member Services, Young Professionals: Open

Member Services, Mid-Career: Keith Kazmarek

Member Service, Senior Career & Retired: Don Root

Nominations & Elections: Rich Berliner

Operations Handbook: Bruce McIntyre

Publications: David P. Bart*

RCA Radio Amateur Club License: Ed Ryan*

RCA Regional Conferences: Ernie Blair

Rocky Mountain Section: Karen Clark/Mercy Contreras

Scholarship Fund: Alan Spindel

Sponsors: Karen Clark/Mercy Contreras

Strategic Planning: David Bart*

Technical Symposium: Jim Breakall

Website: Amy Beckham/Don Root

Youth Activities: Carole Perry

*Executive Committee Member

Proceedings

TECHNICAL

EDITORIAL

Greetings to our RCA Members, and congratulations to our 2023 award recipients and Technical Symposium presenters! I hope you will enjoy this fall 2023 edition of the Proceedings of the Radio Club of America. This 110th anniversary issue of the Proceedings reflects our themes of RCA’s growth and success this year.

110 YEARS OF THE PROCEEDINGS

Since 1913, 110 years ago, the Proceedings has kept RCA’s members in touch with each other and the industry. Congratulations to everyone who has contributed to these pages for more than a century! Past issues are available online at www.radioclubofamerica.org/proceedings. An index of the first hundred years, 1913-2013, is available on the website. RCA is preparing a Supplemental Index through 2023. This will also be available on the website in the spring.

RCA INDUSTRY EVENTS

RCA has participated in many industry events this year, almost one every 6 weeks. Our new booth, with new marketing materials, and a renewed presence attracted significant attention, and many visitors complimented our renewed presence. Thanks to all our volunteers for participating this year at our industry activities.

This is a year of evaluation as we think about 2024. What industry shows do you want to see RCA participate in next year? Which shows should we drop? We need your input and involvement. Please contact Amy Beckham at amy@ radioclubofamerica.org or me at jbart1964@gmail.com to discuss your ideas.

RCA’S 2023 BANQUET WEEKEND IN DENVER

The banquet and technical symposium committees are working hard to bring you a phenomenal set of activities in November at our annual extravaganza. We look forward to seeing everyone in Denver on November 18. Our keynote address will feature Marty Cooper and Dale Hatfield as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Marty’s historic walk down 6th Avenue in New York City as he demonstrated the first Motorola handheld mobile phone. That event marked a change in how people think about electrical and wireless communication. The phone now followed the person and was no longer tied to a physical place. Dale will host a talk with Marty as the main event of the banquet. See the website for more information.

The Technical Symposium promises to be a terrific event, with many speakers. See the complete program in this issue of the Proceedings and on the website.

As a special bonus for 2023, we are offering tours on Thursday and Friday. Complete information is available on the website We will be visiting station WWV, the NIST Laboratories, and the Wings Over The Rockies Air and Space Museum.

New this year, we will be including student poster presentations by graduate and undergraduate students. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet and interact with the leaders of tomorrow. Our Georgia Tech visit in 2022 spurred this idea, which we have implemented in 2023. Both the University of Colorado Denver and University of Colorado Boulder will be participating.

We encourage all of you to come to Denver and to enjoy these live, fun filled, and energizing activities as we network, learn, and share in the thrills of the art and science of wireless.

MORE PROGRESS AT RCA

We are continuing to modernize RCA. We have many accomplishments to be proud of, and much work still to do. The Spring 2023 issue of the Proceedings discussed our work in the first half of the year. Since then, we have:

• developed a new online store: www.radioclubstore.com

• finalized the media kits (available on our website) used in marketing our publications and our sponsorships;

• modified the look and feel of the RCA website with updates and revisions;

• refined the mechanisms behind the membership systems, improving their automated accounting functions;

• continued hosting the Women In Wireless events and the RCA Interviews series with growing participation in both;

• continued providing RCA’s Youth Activities, RCA Scholarships, and the new RCA Mentorship Program;

• expanded our corporate partnerships and involvement with industry leaders; and

• participated in more industry shows and activities as we upgrade our services and decide what new events we want to target in 2024.

We are achieving success. The RCA listserv now exceeds 5,000, an all-time high. Membership is on the rebound, and we have attracted new corporate memberships and attention from new companies who are interested in being associated with and participating in the world’s most prestigious and oldest wireless society.

We are charged up and charging ahead in 2023. Come and join us in the new RCA!!

THANK YOU AND AN INVITATION

Congratulations to all of RCA’s members for their continuing successes. It is truly an honor to serve as your president, but RCA is what you, the members, make of it. For more than a century, this has been a place to meet, share ideas, celebrate accomplishments, develop lifetime friendships, and to enjoy the art and science of wireless. I encourage all of you to bring a friend and to get more involved at RCA. The future is bright.

We look forward to seeing all of you in Denver this November.

DAVID BART, KB9YPD President The Radio Club of America Inc.

to see you there!

RCA’s 2023 Banquet to Feature Dr. Marty Cooper

The Radio Club of America (RCA) is thrilled to announce that Mr. Martin “Marty” Cooper will be featured at the 2023 banquet and awards ceremony to be held in Denver, Colorado. Originally scheduled to speak at RCA prior to the pandemic, we are thrilled to see Dr. Cooper in person in 2023.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Cooper’s historic walk on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, the first public demonstration of a mobile handheld telephone. Dr. Cooper will be introduced by his spouse, Ms. Arlene Harris, recipient of RCA’s 2022 Wireless Innovation Award, and a legend of her own in the wireless industry, known as “the first lady of wireless.”

Dr. Cooper is the recipient of numerous awards including RCA’s Fred Link Award and Lifetime Achievement Award. Among his many honors, he is an IEEE Centennial Medalist, Marconi Prize recipient, IEEE Eta Kappa Nu Eminent Member, and Charles Draper Prize recipient from the National Academy of Engineering. He has been inducted into the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame and Wireless History Foundation’s Wireless Hall of Fame. He is a lifetime member of the IEEE, was president of its Vehicular Technology Society. In 2007, Time magazine named him one of the “100 Best Inventors in History.” He is a Prince of Asturias Laureate.

RCA’S 2023 BANQUET

RCA’s 2031 banquet will take place in Denver on Saturday, November 18 at the Hyatt Regency. We look forward to seeing everyone in November for this rare and very exciting opportunity.

DR. MARTY COOPER

Dr. Cooper, is a pioneer in wireless communications and radio spectrum management who has eleven patents. He invented the first handheld cellular mobile phone in 1973, led the team that developed it and brought it to market, and is considered the father of the handheld cell phone. He is also cited as the first person to make a handheld mobile phone call in a public demonstration.

He was born in Chicago and graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). He served as a submarine officer during the Korean War, later returning to IIT and earning his master’s degree in electrical engineering, and also receiving an honorary doctorate degree. He currently serves on the university’s board of trustees.

Denver – Host City for the 2023 Radio Club of America Banquet and Technical Symposium.

Dr. Marty Cooper with original Motorola mobile phones.

Dr. Cooper started his career at Cooper Teletype Corporation and then joined Motorola, Inc. as a senior development engineer in the mobile equipment group. He worked at Motorola for the next 29 years, rising to Vice President and Corporate Director of Research and Development. He was responsible for building and managing Motorola’s paging and cellular businesses. He also led the creation of trunked mobile radio, certain types of oscillators, liquid crystal displays, piezo-electric components, Motorola AM stereo technology and various mobile and portable product lines. He was instrumental in expanding pager technology from use within a single building to use across multiple cities. He also worked to enhance the manufacture of quartz crystals used in Motorola’s radios, that later benefitted the company when it started mass-producing the first crystals used in wristwatches.

LATER YEARS

A serial entrepreneur, Dr. Cooper and his wife, Arlene Harris, cofounded numerous wireless technology companies. This includes Cellular Business Systems, SOS Wireless Communications, GreatCall, and ArrayComm. He is currently chairman of Dyna LLC and a member of the FCC’s Technological Advisory Council.

COOPER’S LAW

“Cooper’s Law” addresses the efficiency of voice/data communications over the radio spectrum. He found that the ability to transmit different radio communications simultaneously and in the same place has grown at the same pace since Guglielmo Marconi’s first transmissions of wireless telegraphy at the end of the 19th century. This led Dr. Cooper to formulate the Law of Spectral Efficiency, otherwise known as Cooper’s Law. This law states that the maximum number of voice conversations or equivalent data transactions that can be conducted in all of the useful radio spectrum over a given area doubles every 30 months.

Today, the number of radio signals in the world that can be simultaneously sent without interfering with each other exceeds one trillion. This is based on calculations involving effective signal strength and how much today’s technology has split up the electromagnetic spectrum. The partitioning of the spectrum in ever finer degrees is one reason why a roomful of people can now simultaneously use their mobile phones, Bluetooth headsets, WiFi laptops, etc., without their signals interfering with one other. Cooper’s Law implies that wireless Internet connections will reach ever more people at ever greater speeds until, theoretically, everyone is able to use the full radio spectrum without interfering with anyone else.

THE FIRST HANDHELD MOBILE PHONE

Inspired by Dick Tracy’s wrist radio in the Sunday newspaper cartoons, Dr. Cooper believed from the beginning that the cellular phone should be a “personal telephone – something that would represent an individual so you could assign a number; not to a place, not to a desk, not to a home, but to a person.” Motorola invested $100 million between 1973 and 1993 bringing the product to market before any revenues were realized. The original handset, the DynaTAC 8000x (DYNamic Adaptive Total Area Coverage) weighed 2.5 pounds (1.1 kg) largely due to the battery. It measured 10 inches (25 cm) long and was dubbed “the brick” or “the shoe” phone and had only 30 minutes of talk time before requiring a 10-hour recharge. Within ten years, the size and weight reduced by half.

Mobile phone evolution. (Courtesy Evolution of Mobile Phones, Misstaylorknight Timeline)

On April 3, 1973, Dr. Cooper famously demonstrated two working phones to the media and to passers-by prior to walking into a scheduled press conference at the New York City Hilton in midtown Manhattan. Standing on Sixth Avenue near the Hilton, Cooper made the first handheld cellular phone call in public from the prototype DynaTAC. Reporters and onlookers watched as Cooper dialed the number of his chief competitor Mr. Joel S. Engel at AT&T. “Joel, this is Marty. I’m calling you from a cell phone, a real handheld portable cell phone.” That public demonstration landed the DynaTAC on the July 1973 cover of Popular Science magazine. As Cooper recalls from the experience: “I made numerous calls, including one where I crossed the street while talking to a New York radio reporter – probably one of the most dangerous things I have ever done in my life.”

CUTTING THE CORD

In January 2021, Dr. Cooper published Cutting the Cord: The Cell Phone Has Transformed Humanity. The book/memoir offers an intimate and fascinating account of the cell phone story. It includes lessons about the keys to innovation, how to manage it, failure and why it is important to innovation, and how to inspire others. Dr. Cooper offers readers his life’s lessons, gleaned from his unique perspectives derived from many years of leading dreamers who are dedicated to making the future a reality.

SAVE THE DATE

The Radio Club of America looks forward to seeing everyone in Denver on November 18 to meet Dr. Cooper, his spouse, Arlene Harris, and to celebrate 50 years of wireless achievements.

WARRIORS 4 WIRELESS

Warriors 4 Wireless is a charitable organization existing soley to help veterans find decent paying careers in the growing 5G wireless workforce.

We have invested well over $3,300,000 of contributed funds to assist veterans joining the telecom workforce. And we have connected over 3,300 veterans to telecom career opportunities. Let us help you!

WE ARE ALWAYS SEEKING THE BEST VALUE FOR EVERY VET!

Want more information?

www.warriors4wireless.org

RCA’s 2023 Special Banquet Presentation Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Marty Cooper’s Historic Phone Call Demonstrating The Motorola Handheld Mobile Phone On April 3, 1973

April 3, 1973 was a date that will live in history! That is the date that Marty Cooper demonstrated Motorola’s Handheld Mobile Phone in a walk down 6th Avenue in Manhattan. This is widely considered the first public demonstration of the cell phone. The Radio Club of America will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of The Call with a special presentation at our annual Banquet, held this year in Denver (see related article and other information).

RCA’s annual Banquet and Technical Symposium are the traditional time when we meet, hear about new advances and ideas, learn about where the leading edge of wireless is heading, and where we share our friendships and passions for wireless. The Banquet will include a Special Event Fireside Chat with Marty Cooper and Dale Hatfield.

Come join us and celebrate the magic of bright, talented, creative people as we share our passion for wireless. We look forward to seeing everyone in November for this rare and very exciting opportunity at the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center.

FIRESIDE CHAT

The special banquet presentation will be a wide-ranging fireside chat talking about a half-century of wireless developments, the invention of the portable phone, future outlooks, innovation, challenges, and views about what. the future holds.

• Marty Cooper is a pioneer in wireless communications and radio spectrum management who has eleven patents. He invented the first handheld cellular

mobile phone in 1973, leading the team that developed it and brought it to market. He is considered the father of the handheld cell phone. He is also cited as the first person to make a handheld mobile phone call in a public demonstration. (See related article in this issue about Marty Cooper’s background.)

• Dale Hatfield has spent over 50 years building and shaping telecommunications policy. His efforts and experiences at the FCC and NTIA literally comprise an alphabet soup of acronyms, including time spent as the FCC’s Chief of the Office of Engineering and Technology and as the Chief of the Office of Plans and Policy. Dale, even in retirement from the government, currently serves on several FCC and other advisory councils. He has widely published, and his ITU publication Trends in Telecommunication set a new standard for foresight and policy recommendations. Dale has literally been involved with spectrum management issues for his entire career. Today, he is a professor at the University of Colorado and an executive fellow at the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, and a Director of Crown Castle International Corporation. In 2022, Dale received the Radio Club of America’s Jay Kitchen Award for his industry leadership.

We welcome Marty, Dale and all our guests at this very special event!

RCA’S FIRST CHALLENGE COIN

Attendees will receive a special 50th anniversary commemorative challenge coin. Challenge coins are a small coin or medallion bearing an organization’s insignia or emblem and carried by the organization’s members. They have a long history of their own. Traditionally, they may be given as mementos or to prove membership when

asked and to enhance morale. They may be given as a gift to those that accomplished something significant, as a welcome into a group, or to commemorate a special event or important success. They are frequently collected by service members, public safety, law enforcement, and emergency services personnel.

RCA has a long and proud history with hundreds of distinguished members and luminaries, many of whom are legends for creating the world of electrical and electronic communications. In all these years, RCA has never created a challenge coin, despite the many members who are or were involved in public safety, law enforcement, emergency services, and the military. This is a unique first for RCA!

Attendees at the 2023 Banquet will each receive a commemorative RCA challenge coin celebrating Marty Cooper and the first call. Some additional inventory will be available on a first come first served basis at the event.

RESERVATIONS

Complete information about the banquet is available on the RCA website, or contact Amy Beckham at amy@radioclubofamerica.com.

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.

Dr. Ajay Poddar to Receive the 2023 Radio Club of America Armstrong Medal

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

The 2023 Radio Club of America Armstrong Medal is being presented to Dr. Ajay Poddar in recognition of his legacy of innovation and his many contributions to the art and science of radio.

Dr. Ajay K. Poddar (SM 2005, Fellow 2015) is an IEEE Fellow and is a member of IEEE Eta-Kappa-Nu. He is the Chief Scientist at Synergy Microwave, NJ, USA, responsible for the design and development of signal generation and signal processing electronics for industrial, medical, and space applications. His work includes RF-MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) and Metamaterial-Antenna/Sensors/ Electronics. He also serves as a visiting professor at the University of Oradea, Romania, Indian Institute of Technology Jammu, India, and a guest lecturer at Technical University Munich, Germany.

BACKGROUND

Dr. Poddar graduated from IIT-Delhi, India; Doctorate (Dr.-Ing.) from Technical University Berlin, Germany; Post-Doctorate (Dr.-Ing. habil) from Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus, Germany. He has received numerous awards and more than 40 patents for technological innovations and leadership, published more than 350 scientific papers in journals, magazines, and conference proceedings, and co-authored 6 technical books/chapters. For the past 30 years, he

has been serving on several scientific committees, professional societies, and voluntary organizations. Dr. Poddar has received numerous awards throughout his professional journey, including:

• 2015 IEEE IFCS Cady Award, acknowledging his outstanding scientific contributions in the development of frequency-generating and frequencycontrolled electronics and timing devices, with applications spanning industrial, medical, and space technologies,

• 2018 IEEE MGA (Member and Geographic Activities) Innovation Award, recognizing his dedicated volunteer service to IEEE members, chapters, and humanitarian projects,

• 2015 IEEE Region 1 (R1) Award for Outstanding Scientific Contributions, Leadership, and Service,

• 2009 IEEE Region 1 (R1) Award for Outstanding Leadership and Contributions in the Research, Design, and Development of Microwave Systems.

LEADERSHIP

Dr. Poddar is active in leadership at numerous technical, professional, and scientific organizations. He has served as elected Members-at Large AdCom member of IEEE MTT-S and AdCom Member of IEEE AP-S. Currently, he is serving as an IEEE MTT-S SIGHT Committee Member, IEEE AP/MTT Inter-Society Committee Member, Chair of IEEE AP-S Chapter Activity Committee, Co-Chair of IEEE AP-S COPE (Committee on Promoting Equality), Chair of IEEE AP-S Inter-Society Committee, and Chair of IEEE North Jersey Section AP/MTT Chapter. He is a member or leader of numerous IEEE committees, subcommittees, and regional activities.

Dr. Poddar played a significant role in establishing two Radio Club of America awards in 2023: the Dr. Arno Penzias Award and the Dr. Ulrich Rohde Award, recognizing achievements in basic sciences and in applied science and engineering, respectively.

Mentoring and education are also integral parts of Dr. Poddar’s career. Over the past three decades, he has supervised numerous Ph.D. students from around the world, nurturing the next generation of engineers and scientists. He has also served as an Editor for several

Dr. Ajay Poddar

technical journals and currently holds positions on various scientific committees, professional societies, and voluntary organizations.

Dr. Poddar’s leadership extends to his role as the Chair of the Global IEEE Antenna Propagation Society Chapter Activity Committee. Under his leadership, more than 150 chapters have been established worldwide over the last decade, fostering connectivity and collaboration within the IEEE community, and benefiting local members and communities. Dr. Poddar’s commitment to humanitarian and global issues is evident through his active involvement with IEEE SIGHT (Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technology), IEEE Smart Village initiatives, and efforts related to global and climatic changes. His dedication to IEEE MGA activities further demonstrates his commitment to advancing the field and serving the broader engineering community.

SCIENTIFIC WORK

Dr. Poddar worked as a Senior Scientist from 1991-2001 at the Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO) under the Ministry of Defense in India, where he was responsible for FMCW RADARD-based proximity sensors for underground and space applications of microwaves and millimeter waves. During this period, he also served as a visiting Professor at the University of Pune in India.

Currently, Dr. Poddar is responsible for the design and development of a host of frequency-generating components and signal-processing modules that hold the record in performance at Synergy Microwave Corp. in New Jersey. Dr. Poddar’s current research activities play a pivotal role in the design and development of cuttingedge signal generation and signal processing electronics, RF-MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems), OEO (optoelectronic oscillators) and Mobius-Metamaterial inspired Antenna/Sensors/Electronics for the application in current and emerging radio communication networks

and systems. His work extends across a broad spectrum of applications, encompassing industrial, medical, and space technologies.

Dr. Poddar was selected in the “List of Divine Innovators” in the November 2011 issue of Microwave Journal. Divine innovation was a concept used to describe innovation that changes the fundamentals of an existing market and related value network through the displacement of an entrenched technology, and his contributions were deemed distinctive and commendable for the benefit of humanity. Dr. Poddar is actively involved in professional IEEE volunteer service at various levels and non-professional charitable organizations for the benefit of humanity.

Dr. Poddar is a regular contributor to the Microwave Journal. His three-part series on Möbius Strips, in collaboration with Dr. Ulrich Rohde, of Brandenburgische Technische Universitat, was well received by our readers and was an example of his outstanding work in the area of oscillator design.

Dr. Poddar’s interview with the editor of Microwave Journal, dated Feb 22, 2022, was well received by readers and records the highest number of downloads in the history of Microwave Journal to date (see https:// podcasts.microwavejournal.com/e/rf-industry-icons-ajaypoddar-chief-scientist-at-synergy-microwave-professorlecturer-ieee-fellow).

Dr. Poddar’s humanitarian services led to the recognition by IEEE as a “Human of IEEE SIGHT” in 2019, well received by 100k plus members worldwide. (see https:// sight.ieee.org/humans-ieee-sight-ajay-kumar-poddar).

PRESENTATION OF THE MEDAL

Congratulations to Dr. Poddar on all of his successes. He will be presented with the Armstrong Medal at the 2023 Radio Club of America Banquet and Awards program in Denver (see related information).

Register today!

2023 TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM AND 114TH BANQUET & AWARDS PRESENTATION

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18 | DENVER, CO

Featuring Keynote Speaker Dr. Marty Cooper, one of Time magazine's “100 Best Inventors in History.”

REASONS TO ATTEND THE RCA BANQUET AND TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM

Cutting edge technical learning

Presentations on a wide variety of wireless topics, from emerging technology to historical aspects, make this a fascinating and educational event.

Strengthen your network

Join us in Denver, and meet members of the RCA Rocky Mountain Chapter.

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 Young Achiever Award Winner.

Participate in a facility tour

We will be touring the NIST facility, the Wings Over the Rockies Museum, and more.

Discover Denver!

We are excited to bring these events to the Rocky Mountain Region, and truly hope this provides greater opportunity for involvement for our members west of the Mississippi. What an opportunity for our members and peers to visit this incredible city.

RCA Inaugurates Two New Awards For Innovation and Basic Research

In August 2023, the Radio Club of America Board of Directors approved the inauguration of two new awards to be named in 2023. RCA is proud to promote innovation and basic research by recognizing two individuals whose work signifies profound achievement and inspires others.

• Dr. Arno A. Penzias will be honored by the Radio Club of America with the inauguration of a new award in 2023: “Dr. Arno A. Penzias Award for Contributions to Basic Research in the Radio Sciences.” The award recognizes significant contributions to basic research involving RF and related subjects and will inspire future generations of scientific professionals. The first recipient of the new award will be named in 2024.

• Dr. Ulrich Rohde will be honored by the Radio Club of America with the inauguration of a new award in 2023: “Dr. Ulrich L. Rohde Award for Innovation in Applied Radio Science and Engineering.” The award recognizes significant contributions to innovation in the wireless industry and will inspire future generations of wireless professionals. The first recipient of the new award will be named in 2024. Both awards will be commemorated at RCA’s 2023 Awards Banquet.

DR. ARNO PENZIAS

Dr. Arno Allan Penzias is a physicist, radio astronomer, and Nobel laureate in physics. He, together with Dr. Robert Woodrow Wilson, discovered cosmic microwave background radiation. Their discovery helped establish the Big Bang theory of cosmology.

Dr. Penzias was born in 1933 in Munich, Germany, the son of Jewish immigrants from Poland who ran a leather business. He and his brother were evacuated to Britain as part of the Kindertransport rescue operation before World War II. His parents later fled to the U.S., settling in New York City in 1940. Dr. Penzias graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School and the City College of New York with a degree in physics. He served for two years as a radar officer in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, leading to a research assistantship in the Columbia University Radiation Laboratory, where he worked under Charles Townes, who later invented the maser. He earned a PhD in physics from Columbia University in 1962.

Dr. Penzias worked for most of his career at Bell Labs in Holmdel, New Jersey, where he, together with Dr. Robert Woodrow Wilson, focused on ultra-

sensitive cryogenic microwave receivers intended for radio astronomy observations. In 1964, using the Bell Laboratories Horn Speaker at Crawford Hill in Holmdell, they made and confirmed observations that confirmed the background noise they detected was cosmic microwave background radiation. Their discovery allowed astronomers to confirm the Big Bang theory about the origin of the universe.

Dr. Penzias joined New Enterprise Associates (NEA) in 1997 as a Venture Partner from Bell Labs, where he headed its research organization and served as its Chief Scientist. He is currently on the Board of HelioVolt and Terrajoule and serves as technical adviser, as needed, for a number of NEA companies, including: Bloom Energy,HelioVolt, Hillcrest Laboratories, Solar Junction, SolFocus, Spreadtrum Communications, Telegent Systems and Tri Alpha Energy.

Dr. Penzias is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences, a recipient of the 1978 Nobel Prize in physics, recipient of the Henry Draper Medal of the National Academy of Sciences and the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement and The International Center in New York’s Award of Excellence. In 1998, he was awarded the IRI Medal from the Industrial Research Institute. He has authored several books about science and technology, innovation and research focusing on the impact on business and society.

DR. ULRICH ROHDE

Prof. Dr. Ing. habil Ulrich L. Rohde, IEEE Life Fellow, is a Partner of Rohde & Schwarz, Munich Germany; Chairman of Synergy Microwave Corp., Paterson, New Jersey; President of Communications Consulting Corporation; serving as an honorary member of the Senate of the University of the Armed Forces Munich, Germany honorary member of the Senate of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg, Germany, Honorary member of Bavarian Academy of Science in Munich, Germany.

RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA

Dr. Arno Penzias.

Dr. Rohde is serving as a full Professor of Radio and Microwave Theory and Techniques at the University of Oradea and several other universities worldwide, to name a few: Honorary Professor IIT-Delhi, Honorary Chair Professor IIT-Jammu, Professor at the University or Oradea for microwave technology, a honorary professor at the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg University of Technology, and professor at the German Armed Forces University Munich (Technical Informatics). Dr. Rohde has published 400+ scientific papers, coauthored over dozen books, with John Wiley and Springer and hold 50 plus patents; received several awards, to name a few recent awards: recipient of 2023 IEEE Communications Society Distinguished Industry Leader Award, 2023 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society Distinguished Industry Leader Award, 2022 IEEE Photonics Society Engineering Achievement Award, 2021 Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, 2020 IEEE Region 1 Technological Innovation Award, 2019 IETE Fellow Award, 2019 IEEE CAS Industrial Pioneer Award; 2017 RCA Lifetime Achievement Award, 2017 IEEE-Cady Award, 2017 IEEE AP-S Distinguished

Achievement Award, 2017 Wireless Innovation Forum Leadership Award, 2016 IEEE MTT-S Applications Award, 2015 IEEE-Rabi Award, 2015 IEEE Region-1 Award, and 2014 IEEE-Sawyer Award, selected in the list of the Microwave Legends: Through innovation and invention, these 45 people, places, and things have shaped the microwave industry, Microwave & RF Magazine, http://krytar.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ microwave_legends.pdf

Dr. Ulrich Rohde is the recipient of the “2021 Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, also known as the Federal Cross of Merit, is the highest tribute the Federal Republic of Germany can pay to individuals for services to the nation. And in December 2022, The Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) inducted Dr. Ulrich Rohde as a fellow during ceremonies for “outstanding contributions to engineering and also your dynamic leadership in engineering domain, which have immensely contributed for the faster development of the country.” Dr. Rohde is only the third foreign fellow elected by the INAE, preceded by Dr. Jeffrey Wineland, who won a Nobel Prize in Physics. Dr. Rohde was selected in the list of Divine Innovators of November 2011, Microwave Journal, http://synergymwave.com/ articles/2011/11a/MWJ_cover.pdf

Dr. Rohde’s radio amateur call sign is “N1UL”.

Dr. Ulrich Rohde.

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AFC is a division of APCO international — a non-profit organization dedicated to serving those in emergency communications.

The Radio Club of America Board of Directors and its members would like to thank the generous 2023 sponsors. Be sure to tell them that you saw their company mentioned in the Radio Club of America Awards Program.

2023 RCA Award Recipients

DR. AJAY PODDAR, ARMSTRONG MEDAL

RCA’s first award was presented to Major Edward H. Armstrong for his invention of circuits that made AM and FM radio possible, and for Major Armstrong’s lifetime of championing the work that established the foundation for modern radio technology. The award, now known as the Armstrong Medal, is only bestowed when an individual has demonstrated excellence and made lasting contributions to the arts and sciences of radio.

Dr. Poddar graduated from IIT-Delhi, India; receiving a Doctorate (Dr.-Ing.) from Technical University Berlin, Germany; and a Post-Doctorate (Dr.-Ing. habil) from Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus, Germany. From 1991 to 2001, he was a Senior Scientist, responsible for many scientific research projects, including RADAR, guidance systems, and sensors for mine detection and underwater communication. He is currently a Chief Scientist with Synergy Microwave; a Full Professor with Oradea University, Romania; a Guest Lecturer with Technical University Berlin; and an Academic Advisory Board Member of the Don Bosco Institute of Engineering, Mumbai, India.

He has published over 350 scientific papers in journals and international conferences and has authored/coauthored six technical books. For the past 30 years, he has been serving on several scientific committees, professional societies, and voluntary organizations. He holds more than forty patents. He has received over two dozen awards for technological innovations and meritorious services.

DR. EUGENE TAN, JERRY B. MINTER AWARD

This award, established in 1996, recognizes innovative work in instrumentation, avionics, and electronics.

Eugene Tan, PhD, received his bachelor’s in engineering summa cum laude, master’s in engineering, and PhD in Engineering from McMaster University. He has extensive experience in bringing research programs to commercialization. Eugene joined ANDE (then known as NetBio) in 2002 and has held a series of senior management positions. He currently serves as Chief Product Development Officer. Dr. Tan is responsible for the design, build, testing, and optimization of both the Rapid DNA consumable chips and the fully automated Rapid DNA instrument. He designed the instrument’s optical, mechanical, and electrical subsystems, creating the first ever field-forward Rapid DNA analysis instrument.

Dr. Tan led the worldwide effort to obtain regulatory approval for the forensic human identification Rapid DNA product line, based on a 27plex end-point PCR amplification (the FlexPlex Assay) followed by electrophoretic detection and laser-based fluorescence detection. The system was approved for law enforcement use by the FBI in 2018 based on evaluation of over five thousand study subjects. In 2017, the US Senate and House unanimously passed the Rapid DNA Act, allowing the FBI-approved Rapid DNA System to be utilized to test arrestees in police stations across the US. The system was also approved by the DoD and many international agencies. The forensic system is used outside the laboratory by non-technical users and has had many high-profile successes.

2023 RCA Award Recipients

LYNN BISHA, RALPH BATCHER MEMORIAL AWARD

Established in 1976, this award is presented to an RCA member for their significant work in preserving the history of radio and electronic communications.

A longtime association member and Museum Staff member of the Antique Wireless Association, Lynn has served and is serving in leadership positions including as an AWA Board Trustee, Associate Curator and the fourth Curator in AWA’s 71 years.

As AWA Curator, Lynn is responsible for the AWA Museum collection growth and enhancement activities as well as the design, development, and operation of the Museum exhibits. Under Lynn’s technical and management guidance, the world-renowned

ALAN TILLES, RCA SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD

Initiated in 2000, this award is given in recognition of dedicated service to the Radio Club of America.

Mr. Tilles has been a leader in the land mobile radio industry for decades. Those leadership initiatives include authoring rules for land mobile radio frequency coordination and narrowbanding; representing hundreds of public safety entities in 800 MHz rebanding; working with

AWA Museum collection continues to grow and be enhanced. Lynn is responsible for artifact decisions on collection acquisitions and dispositions as well as how they are displayed. The AWA collection has at least quadrupled during his Curator tenure. He is fully committed to great stewardship of the history contained in the AWA collection and is a key contributor to AWA’s success in the preserving and sharing of the history of radio and electronic communications. This includes the 100+ years of Radio Club’s history and archives.

Lynn also serves as one of the five officers of the AWA corporation. He is an AWA Fellow, the recipient of the AWA’s Director’s Award in 2016, and recipient of AWA’s Lauren Peckham Award in 2021. He is a member and Fellow of the Radio Club of America, a member of the Rochester Amateur Radio Association, and a member of the Board of the Rochester DX Association.

Lynn is a Navy veteran who served on the USS Enterprise and has retired from a long career in electronic systems maintenance.

the Telecommunications Industry Association on its Smart Building Initiative, authoring rules defining interference; writing and evaluating Requests for Proposal to implement public safety radio systems; and helping railroads acquire spectrum for Positive Train Control.

Mr. Tilles served as counsel to the National Association of Business and Educational Radio (NABER), and its successor organizations (PCIA and WIA) beginning in 1986, served as co-counsel for The Radio Club of America from 2010-2015, and was a member of the Board of Trustees of Capitol Technology University from 2010-2021.

Mr. Tilles continues to serve the industry today. He is defining technology as a co-founder of, and Counsel to, the Government Wireless Technology & Communications Association (GWTCA).

KAREN CLARK, RCA PRESIDENT’S AWARD

This award was established in 1974 to honor individuals who, in the opinion of the President, have demonstrated unselfish dedication to the work of the Radio Club of America.

Karen Clark has been a member of the Radio Club of America since 1999, Fellow since 2004, RCA Executive Secretary 20072013, and an RCA Director in 2003-2007, 20132019, and 2023-present.

Karen has served on a range of RCA committees, including the Website, Banquet, Publications, Regional, Good & Welfare, and Sponsorship.

Karen has worked in the wireless industry for over 24 years, specializing in publishing. She has worked with Biby Publishing on AGL Magazine and PRIMEDIA Business Media on Mobile Radio Technology, Cellular Business, RF Design, and more.

Karen is currently Project Manager with Telogistix and Vice President of Colorado Wireless Association and Sponsorship Chair for the past 6 years. She received the Radio Club of America Special Services Award in 2002, Special Recognition Award in 2013, Premier “Above & Beyond” Award in July 2001, and Outstanding Support Award in August 1998. She is also the Secretary/Treasurer for the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association for the past 10 years.

D. TERRY HALL, NPSTC’S RICHARD DEMELLO AWARD

The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) developed this award in 2006 to honor the achievements of Richard DeMello, a member of the Radio Club of America who was instrumental in bringing radio spectrum frequency coordinators together to form NPSTC. The NPSTC award recognizes an individual in public safety communications who has demonstrated the highest levels of personal and professional conduct and performance in local, state, and national public safety communications.

Terry Hall has served over thirty years in public safety in many capacities. Prior to assuming his current position as Director of Emergency Communications for the York-Poquoson-Williamsburg Emergency Communications Center. Terry Hall remains a sheriff’s deputy after actively serving seven years with the York County Sheriff’s Office. Director Hall has been recognized as a leader across the United States and is often called upon as a Subject Matter Expert pertaining to issues concerning public safety, emergency communications and emerging technologies.

Through Director Hall’s leadership and vision, he was able to oversee the building and design of a state of the art 9-1-1 facility and also the consolidations with the Cities of Poquoson and Williamsburg 9-11 Centers. Terry Hall is the Systems Manager for a regional state-of-the art P25 radio system that encompasses six localities, 25 sites and over 6,000 subscribers that cover approximately 1,000 square miles. York County was the first 9-1-1 Center in the Country to develop and deploy wireless location technology and provided the model for systems that are now being implemented and used throughout the United States. Additionally, York County became the first in the world to develop and deploy Text to 9-1-1. He chaired the Regional Advisory Council in Virginia and began the migration to full Next Generation 9-1-1 deployment. He served as Chair of Virginia Statewide Interoperable Executive Committee that recommended to the Governor to opt into FirstNet. Also past Chair of SAFECOM and currently represents the National Association of Counties.

Terry served as President of the Association of PublicSafety Officials International. As President of APCO International, Terry represented more than 20,000 members worldwide, chaired the APCO International Global Alliance, represented public safety worldwide, testified before Congress and served on the University of Melbourne Disaster Strategic Board. He chaired the Regional Advisory Council in Virginia and began the migration to full Next Generation 9-1-1 deployment. Past Chair of SAFECOM representing all Public Safety and Public Service and was enacted by Congress after the events of September 11, 2001.

RAY NOVAK, RCA SPECIAL SERVICE AWARD

The Special Services Award was established in 1975 to recognize those RCA members who have performed significant work to advance the goals and objectives of the Radio Club of America.

Throughout Ray Novak’s nearly three-decade career in the communications equipment industry he has been an innovator, leader, and tireless champion of bringing more youth into amateur radio. During his career he has learned from some of the best in the industry and is now continuing that tradition by mentoring new leaders as well as welcoming more youth through several initiatives. Ray began his career in 1988 at MFJ Enterprises as an electronics technician after graduating from Northeast Mississippi Community College. From there he moved into international sales, later adding domestic sales to his role as sales manager. He credits Martin Jue, founder of MFJ, as an early career mentor and coach.

Ray joined Icom America in 1994, starting in technical support, moving to district sales manager in 1995, national sales manager in 1999, division manager in 2002 responsible for all amateur radio and receiver sales, and in 2014 he became responsible for land mobile radio, serving as Senior Sales Manager.

He credits his advancement to his colleagues Hiro Nakaoka, president; Bob Carey, retired vice president; and Chris Lougee, vice president. More recently that has included Nick Pennance, vice president, who is a supporter of youth activities at Icom. Ray has also learned from Gordon West and Carole Perry.

Through his and Icom America’s support of countless hamfests, Contest University, Ham Nation, AmateurLogic.tv, along with an innovative multifaceted sponsorship agreement with the Boy Scouts of America, to name just a few, he has served to significantly advance amateur radio across the country and around the world.

Ray is a Fellow of The Radio Club of America, ARRL Lifetime Member, DXpeditioner to Mozambique and Bhutan, continuous supporter of engaging youth in amateur radio. He writes about amateur radio and land mobile topics on the Icom America blog at http:// blog.icomamerica.com.

STEPHEN A. NICHOLS, EDGAR F. JOHNSON PIONEER CITATION

Established in 1975, this award recognizes long-time RCA members who have either made noteworthy contributions to the success of RCA or to the radio industry. Originally known as the Pioneer Citation, this award was later named in honor of Edgar F. Johnson, the founder of radio manufacturer E.F. Johnson.

Stephen (Steve) Nichols is the Executive Director of the Project 25 Technology Interest Group (PTIG). He has led the organization for the last 9 years. PTIG is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and application of the Project 25 (P25) digital radio Standard for Land Mobile Radio technology. PTIG’s members include radio users, manufacturers, and

consultants involved with the development and operation of P25 Public Safety, Government and Critical Infrastructure radio systems.

In December of 2013 he retired from Thales Defense and Security, Inc. Mr. Nichols had been with Thales for 16 years leading business development activities for the company’s Project 25 radio product lines, including the industry’s first multi-band multi-mode land mobile radio. He has more than 30 years of experience in the land mobile and public safety radio industries in various product development, marketing, and business development positions. Mr. Nichols previously worked for Thales’ predecessor organizations, Racal, EF Johnson, Bendix King, Uniden, RELM, and Hy-Gain Electronics.

Mr. Nichols is a member of APCO, ACP, IAFC, The Radio Club of America, and previously served as a member of the APCO Commercial Advisory Board, a contributor to NPSTC, and has represented numerous manufacturers at the TIA TR-8 standards meetings as well as Project 25 technology panels.

TIM DUFFY AND DX ENGINEERING, RCA BUSINESS AWARD

This award recognizes an entrepreneurial business that produces a product for the wireless industry or provides a service to the wireless industry. It is awarded in 2023 in recognition of many contributions made by DX Engineering and Tim Duffy to both the Radio Club of America and to the wireless industry.

Tim Duffy, K3LR, is the Chief Executive Officer of DX Engineering. Licensed in 1972, he is very active on the HF bands and enjoys hosting multi-DX radio contest events.

Tim graduated from Pennsylvania State University. In 1999, he moved to Oklahoma where he was the Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President at Dobson Communications Corporation (Cellular One). In 2007, Dobson merged with AT&T, and he then served as AT&T’s Executive Director in the Network Planning and Engineering Group. In 2009, he left AT&T to join Stelera Wireless as its Chief Technology Officer, where he was responsible for the company’s technology direction, subscriber product development, engineering related operations and network build out. Tim is presently the Chief Executive Officer of DX Engineering.

Tim is president of his local ham club, the Mercer County Amateur Radio Club, for over 20 years. He is active in RACES, ACES, and ARES. Tim is a member of the CQ Contest Hall of Fame and was on Team USA

CHARLES J. SOULLIARD, LEE DE FOREST AWARD

The Lee de Forest Award, originated in 1983, is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the advancement of radio communications.

Chuck started Midian Technologies in 1975.

The first products were tone signaling modules for land mobile radio, and later covered DTMF, pulse tone, two-tone, and five-tone encoders, and decoders. Midian was the first to design these products, and these modules

for the World Radio Team Championship (WRTC) five times. He is the founder and chairman of Contest University (CTU). He is chairman of the Worldwide Radio Operators Foundation (WWROF).

Tim received the 2015 Amateur of the Year Award presented by the Dayton Hamvention® Awards Committee and the 2016 YASME Excellence Award. He has been an active contest operator for 49 years and has hosted over 145 different operators as part of the K3LR multi operator DX contest efforts since 1992, which have made over 800,000 QSOs.

Tim served on the ARRL Contest Advisory Committee as a member and multi-year Chairman. He has been an active member of the CQ Contest Committee for 31 years and was the Atlantic Division Technical Achievement award winner in 1998. He was moderator of the Dayton Contest Forum for 10 years and has been moderator of the Hamvention Antenna forum for 38 years. He is a founding member and Vice President of the North Coast Contesters. He serves as founder and chairman of Contest University (15 years) and the Dayton Contest Dinner (28 years), chairman of the Top Band Dinner (9 years) – as well as coordinator of the Contest Super Suite (35 years) in Dayton. He is the founder and moderator of the popular RFI Reflector. He has been a guest on Ham Nation many times. Tim was a member of Team USA at WRTC – five times.

Tim received the Barry Goldwater Amateur Radio Service Award from the Radio Club of America (RCA) in 2010, and he was President of RCA from 2016 to 2018. He was elected to the CQ Contest Hall of Fame in 2006. He served as ARRL Section Manager for Western Pennsylvania 2015/2016 and currently serves as a director on the ARRL Foundation board.

were adopted by many two radio manufacturers to install in their radios. Midian was the first to design and manufacture after-market 2805/1500 Hz and 600/1500 Hz MTS pulse tone decoders, and also the well-known SECODE SMART/ IMTS/DTMF radio-telephone encoders-decoders with ANI.

In 1981, Midian entered the voice security market by introducing the world’s first voice scrambler small enough to fit inside a portable two-way radio. He also made telemetry and GPS modules and tracking systems for LMR and HAM accessory company Pryme with a proprietary version of APRS.

Mr. Souliard is a multiple patent holder. Now retired, he is a long-standing member and Fellow of The Radio Club of America with call sign K7JTJ.

TODD SCHLEKEWAY, JAY KITCHEN LEADERSHIP AWARD

Established in 2019, this award recognizes an individual who embodies the following characteristics: energetic advocacy, cooperation, avid interest and respect for all, and humor, and for someone who has achieved a high level of success leading a wireless association, government agency, or commercial enterprise.

Todd Schlekeway is well known for his volunteering and mentorship. Todd became the Executive Director of the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) in June 2012. He currently serves as President and CEO, providing overall leadership and vision working in concert with the Association’s staff, Board of Directors Volunteer Standing Committees, Wireless Industry Network, and approximately 820 member companies. Todd is a speaker and promoter of new ideas and concepts, where one of his noted subjects and presentations addresses issues regarding why the demand for wireless is outpacing the industry’s labor

STEPHEN M. FLOYD, SARNOFF CITATION

The Sarnoff Citation, established in 1973 and named after Radio Corporation of America’s David Sarnoff, recognizes exceptional contributions of a technical or nontechnical nature to the advancement of electronic communications.

Steve Floyd became a licensed Amateur Radio operator at 12 years old and is active as W4YHD. He is a BSEE graduate of Virginia Tech, a former student DJ and Chief Engineer at WUVT-FM in Blacksburg, Virginia. He obtained his MSEE (with emphasis on

resources. He opens the thought process on how to effectively recruit, train and retain talent and concepts as to working with both institutions and the federal government to solve this issue.

Todd is a sought-after speaker on the future of employment within wireless and the need to find technicians to build wireless infrastructure.

Todd was the founder and principal of a public affairs and communications firm called Full Court Strategies Group LLC, where he has extensive experience in the areas of government relations, media relations, client relations, issue advocacy, event management, strategic planning and budgeting. Todd worked on the U.S. Presidential Inaugural Committee in 2004-2005 and on several high-profile U.S. Senate campaigns in South Dakota. Todd has also served two terms in South Dakota’s state legislature, where he represented a Sioux Falls legislative district in both the State House and the State Senate.

Todd received his undergraduate college degrees from the University of Sioux Falls (USF) with a BA in History/Political Science and a BS in Exercise Science. He also earned a master’s in education (M.Ed.) from USF. Todd participated in collegiate athletics as a member of the University of Sioux Falls basketball team during his tenure.

RF and Microwave Engineering and Radar Systems Engineering) from Johns Hopkins University in 1991. Steve began his professional career designing high power RF communications and Radar systems at E-Systems Inc., then became Chief RF Systems Design Engineer for HAARP (High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program), working at APTI/BAE Systems. As Chief Engineer for the HAARP facility, he was responsible for all hardware systems designs, equipment installation, and site operations until 2014, when he became a part time consultant to the program.

Steve’s current responsibilities are primarily involved in the design of high power SDR based Radar systems, including EW and Communications systems, at Ultra Electronics. He is also active in the broadcast industry. He is a member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, DC Chapter 37, and has a lifelong love of radio broadcasting and amateur radio.

RUTH WILLET, CAROLE PERRY YOUNG PROFESSIONAL AWARD

A new award in 2023, the Carole Perry Young Professional Award was established to honor a Young Professional who was part of the RCA Youth Activities Program in their formative years and who has gone on to a career in wireless science.

Ruth Willet is a second-year graduate student in Acoustics at Pennsylvania State University, where she is working as a research assistant in Acoustic Prognostic Health Management. In May 2023, she presented her research at the 184th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America. Ruth graduated summa cum laude from Kettering University in 2021 with a double major in Engineering Physics and Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Acoustics. Throughout

her undergraduate education and prior to starting graduate school, she worked at Textron Specialized Vehicles in Augusta, Georgia.

Ruth, KM4LAO, is also an accomplished Amateur radio operator. After becoming licensed in 2015 due to an interest in Morse code, she earned her Amateur Extra class license within a year. In 2018, she was awarded The Radio Club of America’s Young Achiever Award, which was presented at the International Wireless Communications Expo, and the ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award. She restarted the Kettering University Amateur Radio Club and served as its president for several years. She is now in her second year as event planner for the Penn State Amateur Radio Club. She is also the assistant camp director for Youth on The Air (YOTA).

Ruth is well-known for her enthusiastic approach to life and ham radio, and has been featured on the ICQ Podcast, multiple international magazine articles, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) pre-contact video, several YOTA workshops, multiple satellite communications workshops, and many video and podcast interviews.

TED HENRY, ALFRED H. GREBE AWARD

Established in 1994, the Alfred H. Grebe Award recognizes significant achievements of excellence in the engineering and manufacturing of radio equipment.

Prior to closing the Henry Radio retail operation in Los Angeles. Ted Henry along with his father Ted Henry Sr. manufactured a unique line of High-Power HF Amplifiers for the Commercial and Amateur Radio Markets. The addition of solid-state VHF/UHF amplifiers completed the product line; and these items are still being manufactured and sold to this day under new ownership.

2023 RCA Fellows

ANGELA R. BATEY

Angela is certified by the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council as a Senior Instructor and has worked in public safety for more than 35 years, working her way up from front-line Telecommunicator, serving as a Communications Training Officer and Shift Supervisor before becoming a part of the management team. She spent eleven years as a Training Coordinator and Professional Standards Manager at an Atlanta area 911 center before accepting a position as the coordinator of the communications training program for the Georgia Public Safety Training Center. She graduated with the inaugural Certified PublicSafety Executive program and credits the program with preparing her for her current role as the President of APCO International. Before being elected to the Executive Committee, Angela represented the Gulf Coast on the APCO Board of Directors. She is the past chair of APCO’s Group Leaders (liaisons between APCO committees and the Board of Directors), and the Communications Center Standards and Conference and Exposition Advisory Committees.

Currently working as the Director of the Office of Professional Standards at GPSTC, Angela is responsible for policy development and implementation, internal investigations, administrative reviews, and special projects. Angela has a master’s degree in PostSecondary Education with a concentration in Adult Education from Troy University and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from St. Leo University. She also holds a certificate of Paralegal Studies and an associate degree in psychology from Clayton State University. She is also an APCO International Registered Public-Safety Leader (RPL).

JON PAUL BEAUCHAMP

Jon Paul Beauchamp is a lifelong end user of two-way radio communications. While in high school, and while at West Chester University, he volunteered with two ambulance companies, became a firefighter, earned his bachelor’s degree in

criminal justice (with dual minors in Political Science and Social Work), all while serving a local agency as a police dispatcher. After College, Beauchamp spent 20 years working as a private investigator, providing support for several national and international contracts. Upon retiring in 2011, he partnered in a two-way radio dealership.

In 2017 Beauchamp joined Icom America and has been making airwaves ever since. Supporting teams of internal and external sales leaders has been a source of great pride. Additional roles within the industry include RCA (board member), Enterprise Wireless Alliance (board member), National Wireless Communication Council, Communications Marketing Association, APCO International and several other organizations. Beauchamp considers himself fortunate to have these organizations as part of his life, where his current role as leader of the ICOM America Business Development team provides opportunity for his personal interests and professional world to collide in the best possible way.

JEFF BRATCHER

Mr. Jeffrey Bratcher is the Chief Network and Technology Officer of the FirstNet Authority. Mr. Bratcher is a key leader involved with the shaping of the technology for the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN). He led the formation of the FirstNet Authority technology teams as well as the state-ofthe-art Innovation and Technology lab located at the FirstNet Authority office in Boulder, Colorado. Building upon his success as the Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Bratcher was also appointed to lead the network team overseeing the implementation of the nationwide FirstNet broadband network built with AT&T.

Mr. Bratcher began his federal service in 2003 with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) also located in Boulder, Colorado. Prior to joining federal service, he worked for ten years within the wireless private sector deploying several of the first digital cellular systems in U.S. and international markets.

Mr. Bratcher received his BS in Electrical Engineering from Texas Tech University and his MS in Telecommunications from Southern Methodist University.

CHERYL GIGGETS

Cheryl brings a wealth of experience gained over more than three decades in the Wireless Telecommunications Industry, specializing in Public Safety Communications consulting for local, state, and federal government agencies. Cheryl held positions of leadership in large Architectural and Engineering firms, throughout her career, resulting in her role as a Senior Vice President in a Fortune 500 firm. In 2017 she founded CTA Consultants, LLC, and currently serves as Principal Consultant on city/county systems, multi-jurisdiction regional systems, and statewide systems across the U.S.

Cheryl has significant experience with Project 25 and the procurement, development, and ongoing maintenance and support needed for the successful application of P25 Technology. Her objectivity and experience as a leading P25 consultant have resulted in numerous successful P25 System designs and deployments including the U.S. Department of Justice Integrated Wireless Network (IWN), Commonwealth of Virginia Statewide Agencies Radio System (STARS), Oregon Wireless Interoperability Network (OWIN), Florida Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System (SLERS), and the Pima County Wireless Integrated Network (PCWIN).

Ms. Giggetts experience also includes Cost Management and Analysis, involving the development of complex project life cycle and sustainability models, project benefit/cost analysis, and contract negotiations. An integral part of this cost management is the development of strategic plans, gap analysis, risk analysis, and risk mitigation strategies, which critically support a successful project/program business strategy. Cheryl has demonstrated her commitment to her community by serving on public safety, technology, workforce development, and STEM education non-profit Boards of Directors. She has also demonstrated her commitment to her profession by serving on the Project 25 Technology Interest Group (PTIG) Board of Directors and participating in multiple developmental working committees and panels for APCO International, NENA International, iCERT, and NIST.

WALTER “TOM” LOUGHNEY, JR.

Tom Loughney has a BS in Broadcasting from the University of Florida and resides in West Palm Beach, Florida with his companion Genie. He got started in amateur radio in 1955, beginning as a SWL. He lived in Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Miami. By the time he graduated high school, he had met local Hams and worked after school and weekends at commercial radio stations, leading to a major in Broadcasting at the University of Florida, which included Engineering, Production and Journalism. He is currently an active member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers.

Tom has worked at WCKT-TV (Now WSVN-Miami) and KOB-TV (Albuquerque), LYNX Business Computer Systems, Inc, Allen Test products, Bear Automotive, Sun Electric, FirstCall Communications, American Telnet, RX Data Systems, Inc., and most recently the U.S. Department of Commerce. He also worked in the automotive service field for several years and was an ASE Certified Master Automotive Technician, Paint & Body Technician, and Heavy-Duty Truck Technician. He taught Engine Diagnosis, Brake, Alignment and Suspension Systems classes for several manufacturers and developed classroom training programs for them. He operates a technical consulting company, Advanced Radio Services, specializing in antenna design and low power communications.

MICHAEL J. PAPPAS

Mike Pappas is currently the Vice President of Business Development and a co-owner of Orban Labs, Inc. Division of DaySequerra. Orban Labs is one of the broadcast industry’s best-known names in audio processing. Mike’s technical experience spans several decades, including roles in broadcast engineering, government communications, and railway communications. Mike joined DaySequerra in 2015 as the Vice President of Business Development, and he has assisted this forwardthinking and progressive company in the development of new products, new markets, and new business opportunities.

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In 2016, DaySequerra acquired Orban Labs. Mike has been heavily involved in Orban Labs since its acquisition, helping to steer the development and market opportunities for a dozen new products. He has installed all of Orban’s beta sites for the new XPNAM audio processor and has developed specialized field-testing methodology for MDCL operations at different AMC levels. Mike is proud to be part of this revitalization of Orban as it again leads the way in audio processing for radio, TV, and Internet streaming.

CHESTER “BARNEY” SCHOLL

Chester B. Scholl, Jr. graduated from the University of Miami BSSA and Dickinson School of Law JD, 1974. He is a partner in the law firm of Fruit, Dill, Goodwin, and Scholl.

He holds a First-Class Radio Telephone license, holds an Extra class amateur radio license, and has been licensed since 1963. He is a life member of ARRL, helps other amateurs with zoning and other related legal issues in his role as Volunteer Counsel through the ARRL as well as clients in his legal practice, and is a Volunteer Examiner for amateur radio testing. He teaches Amateur Radio and law classes and has presented at and moderated the Legal Forum at the Xenia Ohio Hamvention.

He helped his local Emergency Services Council plan for a county radio system. He has been a solicitor, board member and officer for a number of charitable organizations. He has represented a local cellular carrier in land acquisition and general matters and landowners in tower transactions and leases. 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 courts and the U. S. Supreme Court and Federal District Courts. His private practice includes elder law, real estate, zoning, and bankruptcy.

He has been involved in wireless most of his life. He has been serving as general counsel for The Radio Club of America, where he has received the President’s Award and is a Life Member.

PHILLIP KIRMUSS

Mr. Philip C. Kirmuss is the Chief Technology Officer for Dark Wolf Ventures, a cuttingedge communications solutions company based in Colorado. He leads the Innovation and Engineering efforts for the company and has been responsible for developing a number of new products and custom solutions for military, national security, and public safety agencies. He focusses on solutions for interoperability, range extension, and advanced functionality such as mapping and sensor control, across Land Mobile Radio (LMR), Satellite, and LTE domains. Phil’s history of innovation has led to him being awarded several patents, including his most recent patent at Dark Wolf for Multi-System Interconnectivity.

Phil’s career has included several communications and public safety roles. Most recently, he was the Radio Systems Manager for the City of Boulder in Colorado, where he was responsible for a wide range of public safety communications assets from the LMR Trunking System to advanced communications solutions for Police and Fire.

Prior to Boulder, Phil held various roles at Icom America, including Federal Solutions Manager and Technical Sales Manager. In these roles, he was responsible for solution development and deployment, communications systems integration, and solving complex field issues.

He served at Icom and as a consultant in the Global War on Terror through several deployments into combat zones to develop and support communications capabilities for troops on the front lines, often developing first-of-their-kind solutions to communications issues and deploying countryscale communication systems. In these roles, he has designed systems and implemented solutions and products for the US ARMY, USAF, SOCOM, DOI, CECOM, USMS, USCG, NPS to name a few as well as several law enforcement and public safety radio systems throughout the US and Canada. The systems he has deployed and managed have covered the full spectrum of technologies from Conventional Analog, Dismounted Tactical Systems, NXDN Conventional & Trunking, P25 Conventional & Trunking and Satellite. He has worked with products from nearly every major manufacturer including Motorola, Harris, Kenwood, Tait, Thales, EF Johnson, Icom, and Relm. Congratulations to

Technical Symposium Abstracts & Speaker Biographies

Antennas & Microwave SGSP (Signal Generations Signal Processing) Electronics, Sensors, and SDR (Software-Defined Radio) for the applications in current and later generation communication systems and Sustainable Developments

Dr. Ajay Poddar, IEEE Fellow, Chief Scientist, Synergy Microwave Corp., New Jersey, USA, Email:akpoddar@ieee.org.

Antennas, SGSP Electronics, Sensors, and SDR are essential enablers of sustainable development by improving resource efficiency, enhancing monitoring and control, and facilitating data-driven decision-making across various domains. These technologies play a pivotal role in addressing global challenges and promoting a more sustainable future. It is important to note that as technology evolves, there will be a continued focus on making communication systems more energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and accessible to underserved populations to support sustainable development worldwide. These trends reflect the ongoing evolution of MIMO Antenna, Metamaterial-Inspired sensors, and SGSP to meet the demands of a rapidly changing technological landscape. Additionally, ongoing research in these areas will likely lead to further innovations and applications in the future.

One of the next technology drivers in hardware may be the combination of analog and digital technology onto a single monolithic chip to reduce cost and size, weight, and power (SWaP). Metamaterial-inspired sensors and SGSP electronics offer energy harvesting, which makes it a prospective alternative energy source for sustainable development.

Recent trends in the SDR technology show a noteworthy front-runner in hardware electronics and programming: the ever-growing artificial intelligence (AI) being integrated into the SDR space. Other key trends include the technology of the Internet of Things (IoT) powered and adapted through 5G networks and mixed with cloud computing to create a vast pot of information and data processing capacities. With their flexibility, programmability, and signal processing capabilities, SDRs offer several advantages over traditional radio technology. The integration of AI and ML algorithms, as well as the integration with 5G and IoT technologies, is further expanding the capabilities of SDRs. While there are challenges and limitations to be overcome, it is clear that SDRs will continue to play an important role in the future of communication systems.

The IoT is being envisioned as an effective tool to combat climate change. Through its sensing and monitoring capabilities, it provides insights into the root cause of climate change by sensing the amount of CO2 and different greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. The emissions of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels can be sensed in real-time. Accordingly, the carbon sequestration processes and rates can be monitored to increase the storage of carbon captured in forests which helps to offset emissions. Furthermore, novel atmospheric “things” and technology can be developed to permanently reduce atmospheric CO2 with integration into the climate IoT. The climate IoT is also useful in climate change anticipation and adaptation preparation. Its sensing and communication technologies coupled with prediction systems and models clear uncertainty and provide useful insights into the exact nature of the climate for addressing UN Envision 2030 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals. In summary, the integration of advanced technologies such as SGSP, MIMO, IoT, SDRs, and metamaterialinspired sensors into our communication systems and sustainability efforts holds great promise for addressing global challenges and achieving sustainable development goals. These innovations are poised to drive progress in resource efficiency, environmental protection, and datadriven decision-making, all of which are essential for a more sustainable future.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Ajay Poddar, AC2KG, is a distinguished individual within the field of electrical engineering and electronics. He holds the esteemed title of IEEE Fellow and is a member of IEEE Eta-Kappa-Nu. Dr. Poddar’s educational background is exceptional. He graduated from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, India, setting the foundation for his academic journey. Subsequently, he earned his Doctorate (Dr.-Ing.) from the Technical University Berlin in Germany, followed by a Post Doctorate (Dr.-Ing. habil) from Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus, Germany. His academic achievements underscore his commitment to excellence in research and innovation. Currently, Dr. Poddar serves as the Chief Scientist at Synergy Microwave in NJ, USA, where he plays a pivotal role in the design and development of cutting-edge signal generation and signal processing electronics, RF-MEMS (Micro-ElectroMechanical Systems), and Metamaterial-Antenna/Sensors/ Electronics. His work extends across a broad spectrum of applications, encompassing industrial, medical, and space technologies. Dr. Poddar’s contributions to academia

are equally impressive. He holds positions as a visiting professor at the University of Oradea in Romania, the Indian Institute of Technology Jammu in India, and a guest lecturer at the Technical University Munich in Germany. These roles highlight his commitment to knowledge dissemination and his willingness to share his expertise with students and researchers around the world. Prior to his current role, Dr. Poddar spent a decade (1991-2001) as a Senior Scientist in the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) under the Ministry of Defense in India. During this period, he also served as a visiting Professor at the University of Pune in India, further emphasizing his dedication to both research and academics. Recognition and accolades have been an integral part of Dr. Poddar’s career. He has received numerous awards throughout his professional journey, with highlights including: (1) the 2015 IEEE IFCS Cady Award, which acknowledged his outstanding scientific contributions in the development of frequency-generating and frequency-controlled electronics and timing devices, with applications spanning industrial, medical, and space technologies, (2) the 2018 IEEE MGA (Member and Geographic Activities) Innovation Award, recognizing his dedicated volunteer service to IEEE members, chapters, and humanitarian projects, (3) The 2015 IEEE Region 1 (R1) Award for “Outstanding Scientific Contributions, Leadership, and Service”, (4) The 2009 IEEE Region 1 (R1) Award for “Outstanding Leadership and Contributions in the Research, Design, and Development of Microwave Systems”. Dr. Poddar’s impact extends beyond awards and recognitions. He has contributed significantly to scientific literature, having published over 350 scientific papers in journals, magazines, and conference proceedings. In addition to his publications, he has co-authored six technical books/chapters and holds more than 40 patents for scientific and technological innovations. Mentoring and education are also integral parts of Dr. Poddar’s career. Over the past three decades, he has supervised numerous Ph.D. students from around the world, nurturing the next generation of engineers and scientists. He has also served as an Editor for several technical journals and currently holds positions on various scientific committees, professional societies, and voluntary organizations. Dr. Poddar’s leadership extends to his role as the Chair of the Global IEEE Antenna & Propagation Society Chapter Activity Committee. Under his leadership, more than 100 chapters have been established worldwide over the last decade, fostering connectivity and collaboration within the IEEE community and benefiting local members and communities. Dr. Poddar’s commitment to humanitarian and global issues is evident through his active involvement with IEEE SIGHT (Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technology), IEEE Smart Village initiatives, and efforts related to global and climatic changes. His dedication to IEEE MGA activities further

demonstrates his commitment to advancing the field and serving the broader engineering community. In summary, Dr. Poddar’s’ illustrious career is characterized by exceptional achievements in research, education, and leadership. His work has had a profound impact on the fields of electronics, signal processing, and microwave systems, and his dedication to mentorship and community involvement has made him a prominent figure in the IEEE and humanitarian community and beyond.

The Road to LTE HPUE (High Power User Equipment)

Robert “Bob” LaRose, W6ACU, Cofounder of Assured Wireless Corporation (Retired), Radio Club of America Fellow, Life/Senior Member IEEE, Community Volunteer.

With the advent of the Public Safety Broadband Network (FirstNet), one of the challenges was to offer ubiquitous broadband coverage, especially in rural and other challenging environments. LTE Base Stations typically offer adequate power to reach out to distant subscriber units. However, by convention, subscriber units have had a much lower uplink power output and associated limited range. The international 3GPP working group addressed this issue and agreed to specifications in Release 11 in 2012 that codified higher subscriber unit output power in North America, specifically on LTE Band 14, that was reserved for Public Safety applications. The speaker will describe the road to HPUE products - how a small group of Engineers formed a company and addressed the many challenges in designing, certifying, field testing and delivering the world’s first HPUE products.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Bob LaRose’s interest in radio started when he received a Philmore Crystal Set for Christmas when he was 9 years old. He received his first amateur radio license (WV2NYC!) when he was 13. Bob’s early interest in radio became a vocation and career. He received his BSEE from the Rochester Institute of Technology and during his career has worked for various radio/communications manufacturers including Harris Corp, Storno A/S (lived and worked in Denmark), Trans World Communications (now Datron World Communications) and retired as Western Regional Sales Manager for Raytheon/JPS Communications. In retirement he was one of the cofounders of Assured Wireless Corporation (now Nextivity Inc.) that developed the world’s first High Power LTE User Equipment (HPUE) for the FirstNet Broadband Public Safety communications network. Bob retired (again) in February 2023 and is now involved in several community volunteer programs.

When “Old” is “New” Again

Charles B. Kirmuss, W0CBK, RCA Director and Fellow, Owner of Kirmuss Audio.

Since RCA’s inception in 1909, many of the its founders and members were leaders in the broader electrical communications industry, from radio and television to broadcast. All these emerging technologies at one point in time relied on the playback and transmissionof recordings, whether the spoken word or music.

While we recently celebrated the 120th anniversary of the first transatlantic radio transmission, we also note that Guglielmo Marconi in 1906 brought over from Europe his recording technology. He did not know that Columbia engineer Thomas H. Macdonald had already patented the exact process to be used weeks before Marconi’s demonstration of his different system. No matter, Marconi’s records, produced and distributed under the Standard and Harmony labels, competed with Columbia. Both of these innovations were competitors to the Edison Wax Cylinder recordings. The Marconi Record was a big departure from the solid shellac discs and wax cylinders then dominating the market. It was made of celluloid laminated over a cardboard core. Celluloid produced less surface noise than shellac and there was no need for a fine grinding agent in the material to shape the needle to the groove in the first few seconds.

Moving forward to the 1980s and with the advent of digital compression and CDs, vinyl records experienced a decline in demand as CDs replaced them. Master stampers were destroyed by most record pressers. A half decade later digital compression further reduced the imagery and sound stage of the original “in studio” tape recordings. Tape recording still used today! Vinyl is back!

As proof, the U.S. recorded-music business continues its upward swing, posting a near-record $15 billion in revenue for 2021, driven by a surge in streaming, solid vinyl and even CD sales, and the inclusion of TikTok music revenue for the first time. In 2022, for the first time since 1987, the number of vinyl LPs sold in the United States (41 million) surpassed the number of CDs sold in the calendar year (33 million). Not counting used vinyl sales, vinyl sales reached $1.2 billion in 2022, up 17.2%, while CD sales plummeted once again, decreasing 17.6% to $482 million. According to Variety: In 2021, all major formats of music posted growth over the prior year, except digital downloads. The resurgence in vinyl records continued for the 16th consecutive year with a plethora of new hardware entrants manufacturing cardites and turntables have entered onto this growing marketplace. DON’T

GED RID OF THOSE PRECIOUS VINYLS!

In the session: Discover some of the history of vinyl records and wax cylinder recordings. Appreciate why “vinyl” sounds better than digital mediums, and why

OLD is NEW once more. Discover also the latest in the preservation and sale of encapsulated records pioneered by Heritage Auctions. Witness first hand vinyl record restoration!

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Charles Kirmuss, RCA Member, Director and Fellow has introduced a variety of technologies since 1979. Known for the introduction of both mobile and fixed digital video and audio recording and transmission and analog image transmission over cellular in 1989, to GPS situational awareness for first responders with a patented NMEA data string with text messaging over analog radio and cellular in 2005, now has ventured into in the field of record groove restoration, and not record surface cleaning. His advances in methods to care for both vinyl and Edison Cylinder recordings are receiving global attention. His company Kirmuss Audio is further recognized as the only organization capable of producing a process and machine that is capable restoring records over surface shing and cleaning. An informative and lighthearted session is to be presented.

Engineering My College Radio Station, WUVT, Provided a Diverse and Practical Engineering Experience That Is Key to My Professional Success

Steve Floyd, W4YHD, Former WUVT AM/ FM Student Chief Engineer, Principal Systems Engineer, Ultra Electronics.

WUVT FM is the Virginia Tech non-commercial student operated college radio station operating at 90.7 MHz with a 6.5 kW broadcast signal. While an Electrical Engineering undergraduate student Steve was both a DJ and Engineer at the station overseeing a major transmitter infrastructure upgrade project to increase the FM signal transmit power from 770 Watts to 3,00 Watts in addition to the maintenance of all station operating equipment. This practical RF Systems Engineering and Technical Management experience gained while operating a real time 24/7 AM and FM radio station has been uniquely valuable to my success as a professional Electrical Engineer in every way. This presentation will tell the story of how the responsibilities of Engineering a full-time college radio station provided an excellent practical education for professional success far beyond what a rigorous Engineering academic curriculum could possibly provide. WUVT has been in one form, or another located on the campus of VA Tech with studios in the Squires Student Center. WUVT AM began broadcasting 75 years ago on April 1, 1948, as an experimental AM “carrier current” radio station on 640 kHz which makes it one of the oldest continuously operating radio stations in the state of Virginia. The station started broadcasting when an Engineering student built an AM

transmitter and audio mixing console located in their dorm room on campus, with the RF signal coupled into the building AC power wiring. This student-operated radio station quickly became very popular providing both news and music programming not available elsewhere. The station chose the call letters WUVT AM and then became a formal student organization at VA Tech and was given studio space on campus. Notably, all aspects of the radio station operations including Engineering, Music programming, News productions, Station management, and all necessary fund-raising activities to meet station expenses, are the responsibility of the student volunteers. Over the years additional AM “carrier current” transmitters were acquired along with commercial studio equipment and in 1969 the station applied for and received a formal FCC broadcast license establishing WUVT FM at 90.7 MHz radiating 10 Watts on the FM band. After many successful fundraising events the station increased transmit power in the mid-70’s to 770 Watts with stereo audio. In the 1977 through 1980 period under the guidance of station Engineer Steve Floyd the WUVT AM/FM student staff successfully installed a “lovingly re-built” RCA BTF5 FM transmitter and a new circularly polarized FM broadcast antenna achieving 3,000 Watts transmit power. In 2009 the student Engineering staff moved the WUVT FM transmitter off campus to a broadcast tower on nearby Price Mountain and increased the transmit power to 6.5 kW where it broadcasts today.

Modern radio station Engineers require technical competencies in; RF systems Engineering, Audio Processing, Studio to Transmitter links, Digital remotecontrol systems, Internet based networks for audio streaming and program automation, Studio production facilities, and the measurement of all FM broadcast technical parameters to ensure technical licensing requirements are met. The WUVT student Engineers must assume this full-time responsibility. When the technical management responsibility of an all-volunteer staff is added, this radio station experience provides a modern Engineering education “by doing” like no other. This presentation will provide a look back at how my professional Engineering career success is clearly the result of the diverse technical learning and management experiences I acquired Engineering WUVT AM/FM as an undergraduate Electrical Engineering student. Radio Broadcasting is a unique passion that centers on quality programming, technical excellence, community service, and this exciting pursuit will be described in a humorous and profound way. Modern FM radio station Engineering requirements will be reviewed with a summary of technical standards rarely understood in the context of running a high reliability 24/7 full-time FM broadcast radio station.

WUVT FM has been recognized as a highly successful student operated non-commercial college radio station providing unique music programming and local news to the VA Tech student community and the wider

Southwest Virginia radio market. The volunteer student staff are responsible for all aspects of operating WUVT FM, receiving very little financial support from VA Tech. Many well known and accomplished professional Broadcast Engineers, Radio Personalities, and Industry Management leaders owe their careers to the serious and fun “learning by doing” student experiences gained by operating this high-quality full time AM and FM Broadcast college radio station.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Steve Floyd is a BSEE graduate of Virginia Tech, a former student DJ and Chief Engineer at WUVT-FM in Blacksburg, VA. He obtained his MSEE (with emphasis on RF and Microwave Engineering and Radar Systems Engineering) from The Johns Hopkins University in 1991. He became a licensed Amateur Radio operator at 12 years old and is active as W4YHD and acquired his First Class FCC Radiotelephone License at the age of 17 years old. Steve began his professional career designing high power RF communications and Radar systems at E-Systems Inc., then became Chief RF Systems Design Engineer for the HAARP program working at APTI/BAE Systems. As Chief Engineer for the HAARP facility he was responsible for all hardware systems designs, equipment installations, and site operations until 2014 when he became a part time consultant to the program. His current responsibilities are primarily involved in the design of high power SDR based Radar systems, including EW and Communications systems, at Ultra Electronics. Steve is also active in the broadcast industry, he is an active SBE member of DC Chapter 37 and has a lifelong love of radio broadcasting and amateur radio.

The Next Generation of Shared Spectrum

Richard Lee, Chief Executive Officer, iPosi Inc, Denver CO.

Traditional wireless communication systems vitally depended on having substantial reserves of (as used here, idle or substantially unoccupied) radio spectrum. While 5G “High Band” millimeter wave and 6G Terahertz band reserves are generally ample, propagation limitations within these bands will not fulfill many communication use cases, aside from the fact these bands can be cost ineffective for many human-to-human cellphone or machine-to-machine IoT use cases. Those cases mandatorily require maintaining operations at carrier frequencies further down in the low/mid microwave range – where no idle, unoccupied spectrum exists. We review current concepts of spectrum sharing informing these choices. We cover the top level aims of actively managed sharing and their success in avoiding interference while raising useful same-frequency access.

New 5G and 6G systems are forecast to bring about billion-plus, ubiquitous device applications persistently operating with no less ubiquity but likely higher communication intensity, thus challenging radio interference profiles further. These use cases also “pressure test” concepts of spectrum management which has to evolve, and introduce new challenges to shared frequency occupancy. This trend requires new oversight and regulation. These present new policy and related challenges to adapt sharing consistent with modern, multi-trillion dollar national economies that are dependent on 5-6G.

The most cited remedy for offsetting this pressure is to “dynamically” share spectrum, allocations once reserved to be exclusively and proactively ready to use by “incumbents” spectrum operations. “Dynamic” sharing involves significant cooperation, perhaps even concessions by once exclusive-use incumbents. Incumbents are asked to accept substantial risk with sharing that can arise from disruptive interference by incoming new and relatively uncontrolled shared-frequency “peers” with still evolving operational profiles.

We present the status of recent frequency sharing in technological terms including discussion of the latest occupancy-based sharing approaches, which use continuous “in-situ” site-specific measurements versus incumbent sensing to manage interference and reliance on general purpose RF propagation models.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Richard Lee holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the University of Detroit, and an MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. His 50-year career in the wireless industry spans technology, devices & network equipment, and semiconductors. He was involved in the first mobile assisted-GPS technology launch in Japan. He started his career at Motorola as RF engineer and later in management, both in its Communication and Cellular Sectors. He moved to early cellular and PCS operations with US West/Air Touch, and PrimeCo (both now Verizon Wireless), before assignment internationally to Bouygues Mobile, Versailles, France for its 1994 cellular launch. He held executive positions in wireless and GPS companies including Global Locate (later acquired by Broadcom), and as executive and cofounder of RX Networks, Vancouver, BC (acquired by BD Star, Beijing), before launching iPosi, Inc.

RCA Youth Activities

Carole Perry, WB2MGP, Youth Activities

The review of events for our RCA Youth Activities included both ZOOM presentations and in person events. Several candidates were interviewed for the “Young Ham Lends a Hand”

contest; and two young hams were chosen as winners for their volunteerism efforts. In February, two RCA Young Achievers were showcased for their presentations at my Youth Forum in Orlando, Florida at Hamcation. At Hamcation, the winner of the 2023 Carole Perry Educator of the Year contest was Jim Storms for his excellent work with youth in technology. At the Dayton Hamvention in May, I moderated the 34rd annual Youth Forum and Instructors’ Forum. I featured 6 RCA Young Achievers who gave outstanding presentations. We continued to donate, support, and send supplies to start up radio youth groups and to classroom teachers teaching technology via the fun of amateur radio.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Carole Perry. WB2MGP, worked as an executive secretary in an electronics manufacturing company, Rapid Circuit Inc., for 16 years. In 1980, when the company relocated, she returned to Intermediate School 72 in Staten Island, NY where she worked until her retirement in 2004, teaching “Introduction to Amateur Radio” to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders for almost 30 years. Carole wrote the curriculum for “Introduction to Amateur Radio” a very successful program which had 950 students a year coming through it.

Carole Perry is the recipient of the prestigious 1987 Dayton Ham of The Year Award, the 1987 ARRL Instructor of The Year Award, the 1991 Marconi Wireless Memorial Award, the 1993 QCWA President’s Award, the 1996 Radio Club of America (RCA) Barry Goldwater Amateur Radio Award, the 2009 RCA President’s Award, the 2012 RCA President’s Award, and the 2015 Vivian Carr Award for Women in Radio. She is the winner of the 2016 SOAR (Sisterhood of Amateur Radio) Legacy award for Pioneering Women in Amateur Radio, and the 2016 recipient of the YASME Foundation Award for Excellence. In 2017 she was the winner of the Brooklyn College Milton Fisher Second Harvest Award for her volunteer work with young people and technology, around the world. In May 2018 Carole was inducted into the “CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame.” In July 2018 “QST” magazine, Carole was the featured member in “Member Spotlight.”

In February 2019, at Hamcation, Carole became the first recipient of the newly created “Carole Perry Educator of the Year Award.” In 2020 Carole was awarded the position of Fellow in the AWA (Antique Wireless Association).

In 2022, she was the Inaugural recipient of the RCA Carole Perry Young Professional Award. This award will be presented to Carole’s former RCA Young Achievers who have gone on to contribute to the wireless industry in some way.

Carole is an RCA Fellow, and in 2007 she was elected to the RCA Board of Directors; a position she still holds, and she created the Youth Activities Committee which she now chairs. She serves on the RCA Scholarship committee and

the Mentorship committee as well. She also created the RCA Young Achiever’s Award, given to students in grade 12 and below who have demonstrated excellence and creativity in wireless communications. One hundred and sixty-one youngsters have received this award along with a stipend, so far.

The RCA Young Achiever Scholarship is another new initiative whereby former Young Achievers could qualify for a special RCA Scholarship. In 2012 Carole created the Young Ham Lends a Hand Contest to honor and reward young hams who demonstrate the spirit of volunteerism

Under Carole’s leadership, the RCA Youth Activities Committee goes into schools across the country to set up radio/technology programs. Equipment, cash grants, books, and supplies are donated to the chosen schools or youth groups.

Carole has moderated the Dayton Hamvention Youth Forum and Instructors’ Forum for 34 years. She is a member/director of RCA and was a director of QCWA (Quarter Century Wireless Association) for 7 years. She is also a member of ARRL, DARA, (Dayton Amateur Radio Association) AWA (Antique Wireless Association), Portage County Amateur Radio Society, YL Harmonics, and Brandeis Women.

BARC Jr at the Dayton HamVention Youth Forum

Eric Permut, KG0YS.

Under the devoted attention of Ellie and “Rip” Van Winkle, BARC Jr became a force in the Youth in Amateur Radio movement and helped 250+ youths achieve radio licenses. BARC Jr also became a key contributor to Carole Perry’s Dayton HamVention Youth Forum, educating and coaching 81 young hams to be exceptional Youth Forum presenters over a period of 27 years.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Eric Permut achieved his Novice license at age 12 and became comfortable with a straight key and low-power radio on the 15m and 40m bands. His upgrade to Technician Class brought a fascination with 1200-baud, 2m packet radio and its active, nighttime messaging scene. Eric convinced his middle school science teacher to earn her radio license, and together, they assembled a small, school radio club and station. Eric was also chosen as the first BARC Jr presenter in the Dayton HamVention Youth Forum. Eric just renewed his Advanced Class callsign, KG0YS, for the third time. He enjoys fox-hunting, Parks on the Air, perpetually relearning CW, and continued involvement with BARC Jr.

Amateur Radio and Acoustics – The Frequencies That Connect My Life

Ruth Willet, KM4LAO, Second-Year Graduate Student in Acoustics, Penn State University.

Amateur Radio is an incredible service and hobby that enables two-way communication around the world. Since first becoming licensed at age 15, I have explored many different aspects of this wireless hobby including HF communications using my voice and Morse Code, portable operations, satellite communications, kitbuilding, ARISS contacts, school club development, and workshops and leadership through Youth on the Air. My amateur radio activity first paralleled my academic journey though physics and mechanical engineering before finally coming together in acoustics. This presentation will detail my journey through STEM and wireless communications into acoustics studies and research in prognostic health management. The field of Acoustics is rich in connections with the wireless industry – from the math of sound propagation, design of microphones for communications and wireless systems to connect them, and the application of prognostic health management to reduce system failures. Specifically, my work in prognostic health management seeks to quantify how piezoelectric accelerometers, condenser microphones, and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers and microphones can be best used for vehicle prognostic health management.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Ruth Willet is a second-year graduate student in Acoustics at Pennsylvania State University where she is working as a research assistant in Acoustic Prognostic Health Management. In May 2023, she presented on her research at the 184th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America. Ruth graduated Summa Cum Laude from Kettering University in 2021 with a double major in Engineering Physics and Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Acoustics. Throughout undergrad and prior to starting graduate school, she worked at Textron Specialized Vehicles in Augusta, GA.

Ruth, KM4LAO, is also an accomplished Amateur radio operator. After becoming licensed in 2015 due to an interest in Morse code, she earned her Amateur Extra class license within a year. In 2018 she was awarded both the RCA Young Achiever award, which was presented at the International Wireless Communications Expo, and the ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial award. She restarted the Kettering University Amateur Radio club and served as its president for several years and is now in her second year as event planner for the Penn State Amateur Radio club. She is also the assistant camp director for Youth on the Air. Ruth is well-known

for her enthusiastic approach to life and ham radio, and has been featured on the ICQ Podcast, multiple international magazine articles, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) pre-contact video, several Youth on the Air workshops, multiple satellite communications workshops, and many video and podcast interviews.

Rapid DNA: Combining Microfluidics, Optics, and Analog to Digital Conversion to Make the World a Better Place

Dr. Eugene Tan, Executive Vice President of Product Development at ANDE Corporation.

Although the development of DNA analytic tools is one of the technical hallmarks of the last century, essentially all sophisticated applications have required well-equipped laboratories and highly skilled scientists. As a result, DNA analysis is slow and subject to human error. For example, forensic DNA evidence typically requires 6-24 months to process—not the 60 minutes one would guess from an episode of CSI Miami. My work in the development of Rapid DNA has changed all that. For example, when the 2023 Maui Wildfire struck, Rapid DNA became the primary identification modality—displacing fingerprints, odontology, and radiology; Rapid DNA generated identifications the day that a set of remains was recovered—in other disasters, this work typically requires years (and is frequently never completed).

This presentation will describe the automation of a highlycomplex laboratory-based process using microfluidics, the ruggedization of the optical system for field-based use, and the development and integration of an Expert System to allow automated analogic to digital data conversion and interpretation of the resulting data; the fundamental principles of system development and the application of optical, mechanical, chemical, and software engineering to solve previously intractable problems; and the impact of the technology, ranging from a Federal Law that enables Rapid DNA to be used by police officers to dramatically accelerate the identification of murders and rapists to the use of Rapid DNA to support the identification of the victims of the Ukraine War.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Eugene Tan is the Executive Vice President of Product Development at ANDE Corporation, Waltham MA. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics summa cum laude, Masters in Engineering Physics, and

PhD in Engineering from McMaster University. Dr. Tan also has extensive experience in bringing research programs to commercialization in industrial settings. He developed an optical interference back-electrode structure to achieve full sunlight legibility in thin-film electroluminescent flat panel display systems for avionics, prototyped and manufactured micro-electromechanical-based tunable vertical cavity surface emitting laser and tunable filter modules for optical communication, and optimized the microfabrication processes for optoelectronic transceivers for networking. Dr. Tan is the Chief Architect of the ANDE Rapid DNA System and has spent the last two decades at ANDE. His work is focused on developing and optimizing Rapid DNA consumables, instrumentation and software, and developing novel applications for the system. He has been the Principal Investigator on many government grants and contracts, is an inventor of 29 US patents, and is an author of 13 peer-reviewed publications.

Introduction to RF Hacking and Impacts on Satellites

Rachel Jones, Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and Ph.D. Student at the University of North Dakota.

This session will answer questions related to hacking radio frequency (RF). We will review past RF hacking events (both those that have happened and those of urban legend). We will discuss common RF hacking tools such as the Flipper Zero, HackRF, and more. Then we will touch on setting up a space for RF experimentation and the types of programs one might want to support RF work, such as GNU Radio. Finally, these concepts will be applied to the satellite security environment.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Rachel Jones has an interdisciplinary background, specializing in space and cyber technology. She has been an analyst at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) since 2020. Previously, Rachel supported the United States Air Force as a civil servant working on space and cyber projects. Rachel is also a PhD Student at the University of North Dakota studying Aerospace Science. She has a Master of Science in Space Management from the International Space University and a Master of Arts in Intelligence with a cyber focus from the American Military University. In addition, she has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from LaGrange College and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Networking and Cybersecurity from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

PUBLIC SAFETY ADVOCATE: ANDY SEYBOLD, W8GEC, SILENT KEY

Posted By: Linda Seybold May 9, 2023

EDITOR’S NOTE: In the Spring 2023 issue of the RCA Proceedings, we reported with great sadness the passing of longtime RCA Fellow and member Andrew Seybold and included his last column. The following posting on Public Safety Advocate includes a note from Andy’s wife, Linda Seybold. During his career, Andy received many awards, including RCA’s Sarnoff Citation, and he continued to support the RCA Proceedings by providing excerpts from the Public Safety Advocate newsletter. We have included a final article reprint in this issue of the Proceedings to celebrate his life and many contributions: Integrated LTE and LMR Communication - Success in the Mainstream (published March 13, 2017).

1946-2023, TUESDAY, MAY 2, 2023

Many of you have known Andy over the years and have seen how he fills a room with his presence. He will be sorely missed as he joins previous generations that have taken with them their knowledge and experience in wireless communications. Andy has often expressed his desire for those new to the wireless industry to take the time to learn about early discoveries and principles that still hold true today and to carry them forward for the good of all. From amateur radio to desktop computing, emergency communications to paramedic radios, and more, Andy was there. Later, the nationwide public safety broadband network became his greatest and most rewarding challenge of all. Next time you pick up a wireless device to communicate with others, take a moment or two to remember Andy and his many contributions. Most of all, remember his generosity and how he gave so much of his time and shared his knowledge and perspectives with people exploring ways to contribute to the wireless industry.

If you know Andy at all, you know he was dedicated to Public Safety Communications and the network now known as FirstNet (Built with AT&T). What you may not know is that Public Safety Communications became his life’s mission. He was, indeed, the Public Safety Advocate. For two years early on in FirstNet history, he donated his time to join lobbying efforts to convince US Government agencies to provide the spectrum and starter funds for the network.

In the past, Andy had said the D Block was the greatest reward of all. That was before he was chosen to receive only the second IWCE lifetime award, for “outstanding vision, commitment and contributions to the critical communications industry.” Coming so close to his passing, this lifetime award meant more to him than you can imagine.

Andy felt it was an honor to walk along with Chief Harlin McEwen (Ret) and so many other fine people on such a rewarding journey.

“Thank you for a lifetime, Andy.”

Note: Andy requested that we not host a funeral or similar ceremonies.

Reprinted from: Public Safety Advocate, May 9, 2023.

Andrew Seybold.

Andrew Seybold has been involved in Public Safety and Public Safety Communications for more than fifty years, starting as a first responder and then working with RCA Mobile Communications, General Electric Communications, Biocom (where he helped develop the first paramedic radio for sending voice and EKG from an incident to a hospital), and Motorola. In 1981, he began his career as a consultant, educator, and author. For the past ten years, Mr. Seybold has been volunteering his time and efforts to the Public Safety community in

its quest to build a nationwide, interoperable broadband communications network, and has worked closely with the Public Safety Spectrum Trust, The Public Safety Alliance, the Major City Chiefs Association, APCO, The International Chiefs of Police, the National Sheriff’s Association, and other organizations. Mr. Seybold is a former board member and a Fellow of the Radio Club of America. He received RCA’s Sarnoff Award; APCO’s President’s Award and Special Partnership Recognition Award; National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) Special Recognition Award; National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) Presidents Award; the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST) Commendation; and the IWCE Connecting Critical Communications Award.

PUSH-TO-TALK OVER CELLULAR: INTEGRATED LTE AND LMR COMMUNICATION SUCCESS IN THE MAINSTREAM

By Andrew M. Seybold

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Push-To-Talk voice communications over cellular has now come of age. It is being used by both enterprise business and public safety customers across the United States Sometimes Push-To-Talk over Cellular (PTToC) is integrated with existing Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems and in other cases it is set up as an independent method of communications between only cellular devices. Either way it has proven to be a reliable, inexpensive way to instantly communicate one-to-one and one-tomany with the simple push of a button. Sprint’s 2004 acquisition of Nextel, the dominant [iDEN-based] PTToC network of the day, created the largest cellular network at that time. Sprint began a search for PTToC technology to incorporate into its soon-to-bedeployed 3G network. The vision was to migrate Nextel subscribers off the iDEN network onto a new 3G network with PTToC technology that would perform as well as iDEN. Sprint selected Qualcomm’s Qchat platform as its PTToC technology. At the same time, believing its 3G was sufficient to provide PTToC service, Verizon Wireless and AT&T also entered the market with Carrier Integrated PTToC.

In June 2013, the FCC lease used for iDEN was set to expire. Sprint’s iDEN users who were not happy with the Sprint Qchat service sought service options from the other sources. In addition to the Carrier Integrated PTToC offerings from Sprint, AT&T and Verizon, a number of new PTToC suppliers had emerged and were offering Over the Top Push-To-Talk over Cellular or OTT-PTToC. The landscape today is that three of the major wireless network

Carrier Integrated PTToC

track. manage. maintain.

Interference Detection and Mitigation

Intermodulation Studies

Distributed Antenna Systems(

Design / Review / P.E.

System Analyzation

Project Management

Engineer-Furnish-Install

System Design / Construction

System Optimization

System Integration

End User Equipment Training

Radio Paging Systems

Paging Systems Engineering

User Needs Assessment

System Performance Troubleshooting

Technology Assessment

Request for Information

Preparation of Acceptance Test Plans

Request for Proposal

Vendor Relationship

FCC

Budget Cycle Management

Radio Frequency Coverage Verification

Radio Frequency Engineering

Drive Testing

Quality Audits

NEPA Studies

Link Budget

Antenna Systems

Nurse Call Systems Integration

Coverage Maps

Simulcast Radio Design

Site Selection Process

System Performance and

Basic Over the Top (OTT-PTToC)

Advanced Over the Top (OTT-PTToC)

operators offer their flavor of Carrier Integrated PTToC, which is only available to their own customers, and the OTT-PTToC companies that offer services on and across multiple networks. The dominant OTT-PTToC supplier is Enterprise Secure Chat (ESChat), that launched its service in 2008 and serves the U.S. Military, federal, state, and local public safety agencies, utilities, and the nation’s leading transportation and construction companies. The diagram below depicts ESChat’s original Basic Over the Top PTT service architecture.

AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon all point to the fact that their PTToC is embedded into their network as a core offering and therefore, their offering is superior to the Over the Top architecture. The reality of the situation is that Carrier Integrated systems are incompatible with each other and, therefore, customers have to not only choose to implement PTToC, they also have to choose one network for all their devices. OTT-PTToC is different in that it permits users on different networks to use PTToC services across and between commercial networks including those that do not offer their own PTToC service. Additionally, wireless carriers are now offering Enhanced Quality of Service (QoS) to their business and public safety customers. These carrier QoS offerings include the wireline Multi-Protocol Label Switch (MPLS) connections to the PTT servers and also LTE network priority. ESChat has integrated its system with enhanced QoS and refers to it as Advanced Over the Top. In this way ESChat can now claim the same advantages as the Carrier Integrated options but without any restrictions in cross-carrier communications.

Recently, at the behest of Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR), a division of the National Institute of Technology (NIST), the standards body for fourthgeneration broadband wireless (3GPP) passed a standard for Push-To-Talk over LTE networks. This new standard is, unfortunately, called Mission Critical Push-To-Talk over LTE (MCPTT). I say unfortunately because the name implies that making use of this standard on an LTE network will provide mission-critical voice services. However, true mission-critical communication networks require much more than the elements addressed by the 3GPP MCPTT specification. Devices and accessories for example, are

key components not mentioned in the specification. Adding to the complexity is that the world is transitioning from narrowband LMR to broadband LTE technology. New capabilities will include video, location tracking, mapping and other services. These services are most often associated with a ‘smartphone’ type of device. However, the PTT use case for traditional first responders requires heads-up operation while smartphones beg for users to look at screens. New procedures and training will be required to take full advantage of new system features. Therefore, the MCPTT standard is only part of what might eventually become a true missioncritical product offering. All this will require not only implementation of the MCPTT standard but major upgrades to any LTE network, devices, accessories, and other components required to provide customers with true Mission Critical PTT service.

At this point in time there are a host of Push-To-Talk over Cellular vendors all pursuing the enterprise business, first responders and second responders. This second group includes the public safety community, which is making use of PTT over Cellular not as a replacement for its existing and Mission Critical PTT over Land Mobile Radio, but as an adjunct to it. Second responders include organizations such as tow trucks, power companies, and other utilities that oftentimes become part of an incident call-out. The matrix below highlights PTToC features supported across four types of PTToC networks. The first are Basic Over the Top applications, many of which are free. Next are OTT vendors (much fewer in number) that have integrated with Carrier Enhanced QoS. Third are wireless carriers that have integrated PTT over Cellular technology into their network. The final column compares the other three to what is contained in the 3GPP Mission Critical Push-ToTalk standard that has been published but has yet to be implemented.

Of note, to me at least, is that the 3GPP MCPTT standard is lacking in features already being offered by others, and it appears as though there is no requirement for the standard to be cross-network capable. Also, beyond the comparisons made in this chart, there are a number of apparent discrepancies between P25 Push-To-Talk features and functions that should have been the model for the MCPTT

•

•

standard. Many P25 features and functions appear to be missing altogether in the MCPTT specification as presently written.

The main value for PTT over Cellular when employed by the public safety community is not that it will be used as a standalone technology, replacing existing Land Mobile Radio PTT, but that it will be an adjunct to LMR PTT and that the two can be easily cross connected. It appears from what I have seen that when P25 Push-To-Talk is finally cross connected with MCPTT systems some of the functions and features available on a P25 network will not be available on the LTE network. If this turns out to be the case, it will mean that those who employ MCPTT LTE will have to understand the differences between its functionality and that of P25 PTT. Public safety has enough to be concerned about when onsite at an incident without having to stop and think about differences in feature sets between LMR and LTE PTT systems.

INTEROPERABILITY

The next point to be made when looking at the various types of PTT over Cellular are concerns surrounding interoperability. Today, for example, AT&T and Verizon are using the same vendor to provide their Carrier Integrated PTT solutions yet the two companies have no interest in offering crossnetwork PTT services. On the other hand, Over

the Top applications work across most if not all networks that are deployed. I happen to believe that real growth in the PTT over Cellular market will not happen unless it includes the ability to use PTT services across different networks. If you look at past cellular history, you will see that text messaging, multimedia messaging, and other technologies never really reached critical mass until they were implemented across different networks. Requiring anyone who uses a feature of the network to have to communicate with only those on the same network will not promote the growth of that feature or function. In this regard, Over the Top solutions have a distinct market advantage.

As mentioned above, the only vendors that offer networkagnostic PTToC today are those that offer Over the Top service. They can operate across multiple wireless networks providing the best solution for businesses and agencies that operate across multiple wireless networks due to coverage or other preferences. Even AT&T and Verizon, which are using the same PTToC vendor for their on-network systems, have not indicated that they have any plans to provide PTToC interoperability across their two networks.

When FirstNet comes online it will make use of a single MCPTT Application Server (the Controlling Server) as identified in the 3GPP specification. The specification defines an interface (MCPTT-3) that supports connection to a third-party PTToC Server (the Participating Server).

ESChat has taken the approach to update its products to be dual-mode. They can operate using its standard Advanced Over the Top mode, but can also operate seamlessly in MCPTT mode on FirstNet. This is possible because MCPTT defines a common air interface that will allow multiple MCPTT-compliant client devices to work on the network. ESChat’s belief is that first responders will want to select their wireless carrier and will demand seamless interoperability as it today with P25. This is consistent with the main purpose of FirstNet, which is to

provide interoperable communications for the public safety community from coast to coast. Further, as the FirstNet system is being built and put into operation, it will be common for public safety to roam freely from FirstNet to a commercial network or two and then back again. If PTToC products are not compatible with the standard on both the FirstNet and the commercial network, the entire premise of interoperable communications, at least for PTT, will not be easily implemented.

Andy Maxymillian, PMP Principal Consultant

Blue Wing Services

235 Summer Hill Drive

Gilbertsville, PA 19525

Telephone: (610) 473-2171

Mobile: (610) 316-2660

E-mail: andrew.maxymillian@bluewing.com

ESChat Advanced Over the Top PTT Integrated with Mission Critical Push to Talk (MCPTT)

INTERCONNECTION

One of the reasons PTToC has grown over the the past few years is the fact that it can be interconnected to existing Land Mobile Radio PTT systems. This is vitally important for a number of reasons. For enterprise customers that have been making use of an LMR system of their own or shared with other enterprise users, being able to connect their existing LMR network directly to the PTToC units on one or more commercial network provides a huge amount of flexibility. Here are some of the most common reasons for transitioning to PTToC:

1. Executives can carry a single cellular device and still be able to communicate with their employees who are using the land mobile radio network.

2. Field workers, who today carry both an LMR radio and a smartphone can give up the LMR device in favor of the smartphone.

3. The enterprise can easily transition from its LMR system to a combined LMR/PTToC system and then to a PTToConly system without concern for losing communications during a transition.

4. The PTToC system can add capabilities over and above what are generally available on the LMR systems. This includes GPS tracking of users, the ability to assign the nearest user to a new call that is received, to provide

positive time stamps for each operation carried out in the field, and many other things.

The integration between PTToC and LMR networks can be accomplished in a number of ways. The simplest is to install a Radio over IP (RoIP) bridge between the networks. RoIP bridges can be manually set up by a dispatcher when needed, or they can be semi-automatic or fully-automatic bridges that are available and can be turned on or off by those in the field as needed. Some of the more advanced PTToC systems offer features and functions not normally available on older analog LMR PTT systems. These include private (one-to-one) calls between a radio and smartphone, priority, preemption, system-wide device IDs, data encryption, messaging, and location services.

If the existing LMR network is based on the newer P25 or Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) standards in use by many, especially in the public safety and utility markets, the choices for interconnection are not only better but more robust and they provide much if not all the same functionally between LMR devices and PTToC devices. The best way of interconnecting a P25 and PTToC is referred to as the Inter RF Subsystems Interface (ISSI). ISSI was originally designed to enable different P25 vendors to interconnect different types of networks. Today it provides the most robust interconnection between P25 and PTToC systems available.

Explore the ‘World of Wireless’

There are many different interesting facets of the wireless communications world. RCA’s ‘World of Wireless’ web page has links to multiple places, ideas, articles, and videos that may be of interest to you. Links include: Hot Topics, Fascinating Information, Interesting Articles, Short Wave Listening, Wireless Museums and more! If you know of anything that could be included here, please contact us. Learn more at www.bit.ly/RCAWorldofWireless

For DMR networks, there is the Application Interface Specification (AIS), a specification similar to ISSI.

Connecting PTToC to P25 via ISSI, or PTToC to DMR via AIS, provides the most feature rich interoperability available today. However, it should be noted that with some PTToC products there remain gaps in the system features available in PTToC and P25. An example of one missing and important function is the remote kill/stun command. This command is vitally important if a device is lost or stolen because it will remove the device from the network and render it useless to anyone who has it in their possession. Though this feature is supported in some PTToC products, the command is not supported over ISSI or AIS. Therefore, dispatchers who have the ability to issue the stun command via their dispatch console now require a second user interface, which complicates their job. If anything, this type of command is even more necessary in the LTE world since many more cellular devices are lost or stolen than LMR radios.

Still, using the ISSI and AIS methods of interconnection are the best for cross-connecting two or more networks. It is our belief that PTToC for public safety making use of the FirstNet LTE network will be used primarily as a way to provide interoperable voice communications during incidents where different agencies and departments are involved. The ability to cross-connect LMR and PTToC LTE systems will help solve one of the greatest problems faced by the public safety community today. Public safety operates on multiple different portions of the radio spectrum and it is not unusual for one public safety organization to be using LMR radios in the VHF portion of the spectrum while the next town or county is using LMR radios on the UHF band. In this case, the FirstNet LTE system, cross connected to one or both of these systems, can provide a common PTT voice

communications path so all agencies involved in the incident can coordinate their tasks and responsibilities. The interconnection discussion leads to the next set of issues that need to be understood, not only by those who use PTT systems, but also by those who fund the LMR PTT systems. The big question in many minds is if or when will PTToC simply replace LMR PTT systems. I believe there are two different and distinct answers to this question. The first answer is for business and industrial LMR users and the second is for the public safety community including all users who are dealing with life or property issues. The answer in many cases also depends on whether a person or organization has had true hands-on experience with LMR PTT or is simply in a lab or executive environment where decisions are sometimes not based on realities faced by those in the field.

In order to better understand these two groups and the opportunities PTToC affords to each, let’s take a look at the similarities and differences in their requirements. The first group is made up of industrial and business LMR users. For the most part, their usage is self-contained within a single company or entity and they have no need or desire to be able to use PTT with others outside that sphere. On the other hand, the second group, public safety, not only needs to make use of PTT within their own organization but many times must also include other agencies and/or jurisdictions responding to the same incident.

Next there is the difference in how PTT is funded. There are two types of funding and they have different implications. The first is self-funding provided by the business and industrial LMR community. The second is the funding controlled by elected officials at various levels of government. A business sees PTT as a time saving, cost saving, better customer service type of investment. However, public safety sees PTT as not only all of the above, but also as instant communications to summon help and save the lives of the citizens they serve and, potentially, their lives as well. The second responder community, the utility companies, tow trucks, and others, can fall into this category as well since they may, in fact, be responding to a life or death or property damage-related situation. So the method in which PTT is used is one of the determining factors as to the type of PTT that is needed, and the funding differences can be categorized as commercial business critical vs. public and life safety—a nice business tool or a must have.

THE BUSINESS CASE

Business and industrial LMR PTT users are finding that PTToC services being offered today are robust and cost effective, and they enable all who need PTT to use the same device they typically use for texting, Internet access, and routine telephone voice conversations. These businesses are paying for radio equipment, radio site rental, perhaps shared radio use fees, maintenance charges to keep the equipment operational and, of course, the LMR PTT devices mounted in their vehicles or carried by their employees.

Integrated LTE and LMR PTT Communications

Dispatch Console, LMR and LTE Systems

Fully Integrated and Compliant to P25 and DMR Standards

When trying PTToC, they quickly discover how well it works and that they can also interconnect PTToC back to their existing LMR system. From that point on, they have the flexibility to keep both systems in operation or to phase out their LMR system in favor of all-PTToC devices. Because of this, the number of PTT over LMR users in the business and industrial markets is shrinking year over year.

On the other hand, LMR systems being employed by the Public Safety community are growing in numbers and being updated and expanded into regional systems. The primary reason for this is that LMR PTT for public safety is close to being fully mission-critical and most LMR systems have several levels of fallback built into them so that a failure at the radio site is not necessarily a catastrophic incident. The final form of graceful degradation for these networks is the ability for these units to talk one-to-one and one-to-many without the need for a network and to gain coverage into buildings that many networks cannot penetrate today.

Some are predicting that once FirstNet is built and operational, all PTT services can and will be moved over to the FirstNet LTE network and the LMR systems can be decommissioned. These predictions are not being made by those whose lives depend on LMR PTT today, but by those ensconced in a lab, working as executives, or elected officials, none of whom have ever ridden in a police car, fire engine, or EMS squad vehicle on a Friday night.

Their experience, for the most part, is limited to using smartphones and it is difficult to make them understand the differences between a dedicated LMR device and a smartphone.

What FirstNet and other LTE networks can provide for the public safety community for the next few years is a way to deliver the interoperability discussed above. Will FirstNet ever be ready to support all of the voice needs of the public safety community? The only people who can answer that are the public safety users themselves. Perhaps, over time, they will use their LMR PTT radios less and their PTToC devices more. Perhaps, over time, FirstNet and commercial broadband networks will become more mission-critical. When PTToC is fully trusted by the public safety community and chief officers all over the United States believe they can trust the lives of those in the field to PTToC, then and

ESChat’s Advanced Over the Top Network

only then, PTToC might start to replace public safety LMR systems. Until then, PTToC is a great adjunct and another tool in the communications toolbox of the public safety community.

CONCLUSIONS

In 2005, it was estimated that Nextel had more than 20 million subscribers. Today’s market is estimated to be of similar size, though users are spread across the Carrier Integrated and Over the Top offerings. With Carrier Enhanced QoS available and integrated vertical services such as location, messaging, and LMR interoperability, Over the Top vendors are best positioned to capture new PTT subscribers. It should be noted that in the course of my research, I found ESChat to be the only OTT-PTToC company that has integrated with the Carrier Enhanced QoS networks. All said, PTToC is a tool used by the professional workforce. It is not a social network and as such, remains somewhat of a niche market. There does not appear to be any pent-up demand for consumers who make use of social media to be able to quickly and easily chat among themselves using nearinstantaneous voice. Thus PTT will remain the purview of businesses and first and second responders around the United States and elsewhere. The choices for the types of PTToC will diminish as the winners add users and those offering free or non-competitive products fade away.

Listing all the elements required in a complete PTT network architecture, ESChat’s Advanced Over the Top model remains the only one that addresses all of the necessary components.

• Instant Secure Push-To-Talk Voice and Group Text Communications

• Live and Historical (Bread Crumb) Tracking and Mapping

• Carrier Agnostic

• Cross-Carrier Operation

• Wireless Carrier Enhanced Quality of Service (QoS)

• P25 to LTE PTT Voice and Location Integration via ISSI

• DMR to LTE PTT Voice and Location Integration via AIS

• Mission-Critical Recording via SIPREC

• Dispatch Console Integration via Console Sub-System Interface (CSSI)

• Cloud and Customer Hosted Server Options

• Deployable and Off-Network Systems

• Compatible with Future 3GPP Mission Critical Push-To-Talk (MCPTT) Networks

When I last wrote on this subject, I contacted four of ESChat’s customers; AAA of Missouri (AAA), American Medical Response (AMR), the Seattle Police Department, and the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department. During our follow-up, I contacted these customers again and confirmed that not only were they still ESChat customers, but that they had since grown their ESChat user base. The number of ESChat customers continues to grow and, most importantly, its existing customers keep adding more devices. If you are in the market for PTToC you need to first determine exactly what your needs are, then review the offerings available to you, and then test the two or three top contenders side by side to determine which choice offers you the best service, the best selection of features, and the best set of solutions for interconnecting your LMR system to your PTToC system.

AWA AND RCA PRESERVE ARECIBO TELESCOPE PANELS

By David Bart

In August 2023, the Antique Wireless Association Museum (AWA) installed an exhibit that preserves panels and artifacts from the Arecibo Observatory’s main telescope dish. Preservation of these historic artifacts is critical to educate the public about radio, radio astronomy, and the achievements made using the world’s largest radio telescope. Both AWA and the Radio Club of America (RCA) have strong ties to radio astronomy and to Arecibo.

TIES TO ARECIBO OBSERVATORY

RCA has numerous connections to Arecibo Observatory, and AWA has direct ties to the founding of radio astronomy. Some better-known individuals from RCA and AWA who were involved at Arecibo and in radio astronomy include:

• Dr. Joseph Taylor, a Nobel Prize recipient at Princeton University, received the RCA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 for his discovery, together with Dr. Russell Hulse, of the first pulsar in a binary star system during a survey for pulsars conducted at Arecibo and for his work involving amateur radio signal communication and moonbounce.

• Dr. Jim Breakall, recently retired from Penn State University and an RCA Fellow, received the RCA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022 and the RCA Sarnoff Award in 2017 for his work in antenna modeling and design. His work included the HAARP ionosphere modification facilities in Alaska and Arecibo as well as developing and patenting the 3-D frequency independent phased array antenna.

• Dr. Nathan “Chip” Cohen, an RCA Fellow, received RCA’s Lee de Forest Award in 2018 and RCA’s Alfred Grebe Award in 2015 for his work in fractal antenna and cloaking technology. Dr. Cohen started his career as an astrophysicist at Cornell University and at Arecibo, working under Dr. Carl Sagan and Dr. Frank Drake.

• Dr. Frank Drake, one of the cofounders of the SETI program (Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence) and the third director of Arecibo, received the RCA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 for his work at Arecibo, Cornell University, and at Stanford University in radio astronomy.

RCA AND AWA LEADERS IN RADIO ASTRONOMY AND AT ARECIBO OBSERVATORY

Joseph Taylor Jim Breakall

Frank Drake

Nathan “Chip” Cohen

Angel Vazquez Grote Reber

Arecibo Observatory’s radio telescope.

• Angel Vasquez, head of telescope operations and spectrum manager at Arecibo, is a member of RCA.

• Grote Reber, one of the founders of radio astronomy, was a member and presenter at AWA and a leading amateur radio pioneer. He was instrumental in investigating and extending Karl Jansky’s pioneering work in radio astronomy and conducted the first sky survey in radio frequencies. His 1937 radio antenna was the second ever to be used for astronomical purposes and the first parabolic reflecting antenna to be used as a radio telescope. Between 1937 and 1947, he was the world’s only active radio astronomer. He was also an avid collector of early radio equipment.

ARECIBO TELESCOPE

The observatory’s main feature was its large radio telescope, whose collecting dish was an inverted spherical dome 1,000 feet (305 m) in diameter with a 265 m (869-foot) radius of curvature, constructed inside a karst sinkhole in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The dish’s surface was made of 38,778 perforated aluminum panels, each about 1 by 2 m (3 by 6 feet), supported by a mesh of steel cables. The ground beneath supported shade-tolerant vegetation.

Completed in 1963, the radio telescope at the observatory was the world’s largest single-aperture telescope for 53 years; not surpassed until July 2016 by the Five-hundredmeter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in China.

Since its completion in November 1963, the telescope had been used for radar astronomy and radio astronomy and had been part of the SETI program. It was also used by NASA for near-Earth object detection.

Two cable breaks, one in August 2020 and a second in November 2020, threatened the structural integrity of the support structure for the suspended platform and

no longer resist the tension on the cables. The sockets failed because the zinc continued to flow until the cables entirely pulled out of the sockets. (see Oak Ridge National Laboratory Article)

damaged the dish. The National Science Foundation (NSF) determined in November 2020 that it was safer to decommission the telescope rather than to try to repair it, but the telescope collapsed before a controlled demolition could be carried out. The remaining support cables from one tower failed around 7:56 a.m. local time on December 1, 2020, causing the receiver platform to fall into the dish, collapsing the telescope.

NASA led an extensive failure investigation and reported the findings, along with a technical bulletin with industry recommendations. Findings were released in August 2023, “The Thornton Tomasetti report, which includes the neutron analyses, states the two cable failures that occurred before the collapse and the third cable failure that triggered the collapse all happened near or inside zinc-filled sockets at cable ends. Each failure involved both the rupture of some of the cable’s wires and a deformation of the socket’s zinc and was therefore a failure of the cable/socket assemblies.” (see Oak Ridge National Laboratory Article and the Thornton Thomasetti Report).

In 2022, NSF announced its decision that the telescope would not be rebuilt, but an educational facility would be established on the site. A complete dismantling is being managed by government contractors, and the site will be largely returned to nature. Other potential uses of the site for ongoing research are still being explored, using other telescopes and facilities already onsite. Any additional equipment modifications or additions remain undetermined. Data obtained from the main telescope

A virtual slice of a cable socket from the neutron imaging study shows arrows indicating voids around the wires caused by cable slippage. (Credit: Adrian Brügger, Columbia University) Inside the failed sockets, the zinc casting that held the cable wires in place experienced significant material flow, or creep, allowing some of the wires to slip. The neutron imaging revealed that the zinc flowed slowly under stress when the splayed-out cable wires alone could

Arecibo telescope in 2019, showing the beam-steering mechanism and Gregorian reflector at the end of the catwalk, 133 meters (435 ft) above the stationary telescope reflector.

prior to its collapse has been uploaded and preserved, and it will potentially take a decade of follow-on work to analyze.

REFLECTOR DISH, ALUMINUM PANELS, AND GREGORIAN

The reflector dish, 305 meters (1,000 feet) across, had a surface area of eighteen acres, the equivalent of 26 football fields. It was made up of 38,778 perforated aluminum panels. Each panel was individually adjusted to produce a spherical curvature with a 2mm RMS precision. An on-site plant processed 270,000 kg (300 tons) of aluminum to fabricate the perforated panels that form the spherical surface. Each panel measures 101 cm x 203 cm (40 x 80 inches, approximately 3.5 x 6.5 feet). The 363 kilometers (227 miles) of aluminum angle used to make the frames supporting the main reflector panels could have made a guardrail all the way around the island of Puerto Rico.

More than 8 kilometers (five miles) of 2.5 cm (1-inch) thick steel cables and approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) of 0.6 cm (quarter-inch) thick cables supported the reflector. They kept it from changing shape as temperatures fluctuated and winds blew. Arecibo’s azimuth

arm was 93 meters (304 feet) long, 3.7 meters (12 feet) wide, and 10 meters (33) feet deep. It rotated on a circular track 42.7 meters (140 feet) in diameter. Three towers supported the platform structure. One was 111 m (365 feet) high, and the other two were each 81 m (265 feet) high. All three tops were at the same elevation. The dome that housed the Gregorian reflectors was six stories high, was suspended 137 m (450 feet) above the main reflector, and, although made of aluminum to minimize its weight, still weighed 68,000 kg (75 tons).

DISH PANEL PRESERVATION

In 2023, RCA and AWA coordinated a joint effort to preserve two panels from the center of the 38,778 panels installed in the 1973 upgrade to the Arecibo Telescope dish. One is dirty with 45 years of environmental exposure and dirt on the surface. One is clean. They are two of the original panels used for most of the telescope’s life. They were removed from the center of the dish for experimentation.

The panels were originally removed as part of a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) internship program to develop a robot that would drive across the surface of the dish, guiding a GPS based pressure washer system. The 2016 project was developed by Heriberto Reynoso, a former NASA scientist and robotics instructor at the University of Texas Brownsville and a former Arecibo employee, in conjunction with Weslaco Independent School District in Texas.

The clean panel shown in the photos was used in the robot tests. The dirty panel was also used in the tests, but it was not cleaned and still has decades of dirt and environmental deposits on its surfaces. Preservation of this ‘dirty’ panel could become important if there is ever a study performed that investigates a half century of Arecibo’s environmental history.

View under the dish showing the panels, note the red car on the left. The two panels in the AWA display are visible in this 2016 test of the cleaning robot, which was subsequently sent to Arecibo and remains onsite. (Courtesy Herberto Reynoso)

A section of the 2020 damaged telescope dish showing some of the 38,778 panels.

Following the NSF decision to dismantle Arecibo, David Bart, current president of RCA and a director of AWA, worked with Heriberto Reynoso to preserve and ship these two panels for permanent display at the AWA Museum. The items were shipped to Chicago, repaired from shipping damage, and then delivered to AWA in Bloomfield, New York.

AWA EXHIBIT

Jim and Felicia Kreuzer, Bob Hobday, and David Bart installed the new exhibit before Labor Day. The comprehensive educational exhibit includes photos and posters, storyboards with a history of the observatory and a history of the telescope, explanations about how it worked, and other artifacts, including an original instruction manual authored by Dr. Frank Drake in 1979, a costume

department staff hat from production of the movie Contact that was filmed onsite at Arecibo, and some uniform shirts and postcards. The exhibit notes the direct ties between RCA and AWA to Arecibo and radio astronomy.

Both RCA and AWA would like to preserve other artifacts from this important radio astronomy instrument and the site. If you have items to contribute, please contact David Bart at jbart1964@gmail.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Bart is the current President of the Radio Club of America, Editor of the RCA Proceedings, and an RCA Fellow. He is also the Treasurer of the IEEE History Committee and a Director and Fellow of the Antique Wireless Association. He has received numerous awards for his work involving the history of communications.

Unloading the shipping box.

The Arecibo panels are mounted above the Jack Popelle Voice of America Delano Station equipment. The visitor can only imagine looking out from the telescope’s equipment controls across the 1000-foot diameter dish.

Exhibit storyboards explain the telescope’s history and operation.

User’s Manual For The Arecibo Observatory, authored by Dr. Frank Drake, 1979.

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VOICES OF TOMORROW YOUTH ARE INTERESTED IN HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOONS - HERE IS THE EVIDENCE

By Jack McElroy, KM4ZIA

EDITOR’S NOTE: This issue of the Proceedings of the Radio Club of America brings another installment from the next generation of inventors and developers in wireless communications. The Voices of Tomorrow column provides a place for younger people to share their work in a professional setting. RCA is interested in finding students (primarily college- or high-school level) who are interested in writing about their explorations, ideas and contributions to wireless communications. We congratulate Jack McElroy on his first professional publication, and we encourage submissions by others for future columns. Please contact David Bart, Proceedings editor at jbart1964@gmail. com for further information or to submit draft articles for publication.

HABs, or High-Altitude Balloons, are a type of scientific research balloon used by the scientific community and Ham Radio operators alike. These balloons can carry a range of equipment, from Amateur Radio equipment to atmospheric research devices. These balloons vary widely from small polymer balloons (< 1m diameter) which can barely lift a few grams to circumnavigate the globe several times, to giant latex balloons (> 3m diameter) that are similar to the ones you see the National Weather Service launching every day. These can fly above 100,000 feet carrying payloads weighing a few pounds.

JULY 2019

My first proper balloon launch took place on July 4, 2019. This launch occurred at our local fairgrounds where my local club, Sawnee Amateur Radio Association (SARA), and I, launched two balloons: one of them like the aforementioned latex balloons and the other similar to the mylar party balloons one might find at a party store. The mylar balloons only traveled about 300 miles, and they were eventually blown into the sea off the coast of Georgia. The latex HAB did quite well, rising to about 103,000 feet, after which it burst. As the latex balloon rises, the atmosphere surrounding it becomes less dense, and so the inside filling gas pushing on the balloon envelope is less opposed by the outside air pressure, therefore, the balloon expands in size (Garner 2015).. Thus, the balloon slowly overcomes the outside air pushing on the balloon (Garner 2015). After a certain point, the

balloon material will no longer expand with the filling gas, and so the balloon bursts. Our latex balloon burst at 103,000 feet a few hours after the launch and fell to about 10,000 feet, at which point we could no longer track it.

We employ several methods to track our balloons, and since the latex balloons are capable of carrying quite heavy payloads, we utilize an array of tracking instruments. For example, on the July 4th launch, we used a Ham Radio transmitter that transmits on the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) at 2m. APRS is a packet transmission mode that transmits encoded packets that contain whatever

Figure 1. The author and his sister, Audrey McElroy, KM4BUN, holding the parachute that will be attached to the latex HAB, July 2019.

Figure 2. A still image from the camera on board the HAB. This photo was taken shortly after the balloon burst at 103,000 feet. The wire dangling in the frame is the 2m antenna attached to the onboard transmitter. July 2019.

information is collected from the transmitter. This information can be the speed of the balloon, applied voltage, altitude, coordinates of the transmitter, and whatever information may be necessary for the mission. We also use other tracking instruments, such as a GPS tracker, a separate 70cm radio beacon, and an audible beeper, that can be useful for finding the balloons when they return to Earth and may be stuck in a tree. These devices were all on the balloon’s payload, but we were still not able to track the balloon once it dropped to 10,000 feet since the 2m APRS transmitter was not being received by any Internet gates (I-gates). We lost hope for a successful recovery and thought of abandoning the chase. After a short period, we received a call from a man who told us that a strange box and parachute had landed on his front lawn. He saw the posting for a reward taped to the payload box and dialed up the number displayed on the box. We told him about our objective with the payload box, as well as the balloon we launched, and that it was not a government spy project. He agreed to meet us and deliver the balloon remnants. We met at New Hope Baptist

Church in Acworth, Georgia, whose name was a statement about just how the recovery of our balloon went. After that launch, I continued flying balloons, and each time, I slowly improved on my last launch, usually through the addition of different instruments. I progressed from an inexpensive Baofeng radio that transmitted my 9-yearold voice saying, “KM4ZIA Beacon!” toward a string of separate payloads being carried along a single string. This allowed for launches that produced more than just radio propagation and now carried biological specimens and weather documentation instruments. This work eventually culminated in my 2021 YOTA (Youth On The Air) Camp launch.

YOTA BALLOONS

YOTA is an organization that focuses on not only introducing and bringing kids and youth into Ham Radio but also keeping them engaged in radio. YOTA camps are located in all 3 ITU regions. YOTA focuses on introducing different approaches to Ham Radio, as well as enabling the

Figure 3. The latex HAB with the payload chain attached. Each camper is holding an individual payload, June 2022.

comradery and warm feelings of attending a summer camp. These camps offer presentations and demonstrations from campers to professionals, but they can also provide days at theme parks and museums. In our ITU Region 2, we have a YOTA camp that attracts kids from all over North America and South America, and it has been an exciting and unique experience for me.

I have attended and taught at 2 YOTA camps, the first in 2021 and the second in 2022, both located at the Voice of America (VOA) Bethany Relay Station in West Chester, Ohio. I also virtually monitored and set up part of the camp that took place in July 2023 in Ottawa, Ontario. In the first two camps, I lectured about HABs and launched several balloons (both latex and superpressure balloons) with assistance from the campers.

YOTA 2021

With the latex balloons, we utilized a segmented payload system as described previously. This allowed for teamwork and a group effort to assemble the balloon as opposed to just doing it myself with a single-box payload (similar to the payload used on my 2019 launch). Each of the campers worked on each separate part of the payload. When assembling the balloon, we assigned pairs of campers to configure and test each section of the balloon. One pair was in charge of configuring and packaging an Arduino, equipped with atmospheric gathering devices, from which we could document relationships between several atmospheric determiners and altitude (see Figures 6 and 7). Another pair determined the appropriate neck lift of the balloon so that the balloon would not pop prematurely due to fast ascension (high neck lift), or possibly run into any

obstacles when ascending too slowly (low neck lift). Finally, we also had a pair of kids configure everyone’s radios so that they could receive the APRS transmission and hear my voice beacon.

Through the teamwork of the campers, we each strung together individual payloads onto a main payload line that would be connected to the balloon itself. We brought the latex balloon outside to the location of the helium tank, but since we were handling the balloon, we had to use latex and nitrile gloves. The gloves prevented the oils on our hands from negatively affecting the balloon’s expansion (Proper Care & Instructions - Weather Balloons | Vanam, n.d.). We filled the balloon with the fantastic help of the campers and finally attached the payload line and parachute (you have to recover the payload after it falls!) and launched it. We used the same process at both the 2021 and 2022 camps, and at both, the HABs were quite a hit. At the first camp I taught, our latex HAB landed in a fairly sweet location, a soybean field owned and operated by a pair of brothers that worked in the

Figure 4. The Arduino board, equipped with atmospheric documenting devices, July 2022.

Figure 5. Campers hold onto the latex HAB as it is being filled prior to launch, June 2022.

Figure 6. A graph representing the relationship between temperature and altitude. Collected from the 2021 YOTA Launch.

Google Loon program. Google Loon was a project operated by Google that was intended to deliver internet access to rural areas through the use of balloons. The balloons’ payloads acted similarly to cellphone towers.

Simultaneously, we launched a couple of super-pressure balloons at each camp with varying degrees of success. Since we had launched in the middle of the day, the heating of the earth was quite high, and so was the wind, so none of the balloons traveled very far. Our best super-pressure balloon journey stretched into Quebec from its launch site at the VOA station. Although these balloons did not go far, it was still a learning opportunity for everyone. Campers learned about the basics of buoyancy and gas laws, how APRS works, and how to launch a super-pressure balloon. Superpressure balloons are usually the first balloon that newbies into this hobby launch. They are relatively cheap to assemble and can be managed with one set of hands, so if those campers went home and wanted to launch their own balloon, they would know the proper physics behind balloons.

YOTA 2022 AND 2023

My second demonstration at YOTA in 2022 was once again a truly memorable event for the campers, but for the recovery, we landed in a flat, dirt field. Although this was not as interesting as the previously mentioned recoveries, it was certainly better than having the balloon land in a tree, which is a nightmare for all ballooning enthusiasts. This year’s camp occurred in July at the Carlton University campus near Toronto, Canada, so getting the supplies necessary for a launch at the camp would also be difficult. A volunteer, Wintta Ghebreiyesus, VA3WGY, took the reins and acted as the teacher at the camp. We sent her a box containing most of the proper materials to launch two super-pressure balloons, as well as plenty of instruction

material so that she would be able to know everything about HABs. There was no large latex HAB launch, but the kids still had a great time with the superpressure balloon, and Wintta did an excellent job teaching and demonstrating the balloon. The balloon did do quite well compared to its other lost brother and sister balloons with it making its way up into Quebec.

GPSL LAUNCH

Continuing with superpressure balloons, I also participated in the Great Plains Super Launch, otherwise known as GPSL, in Huntsville, Alabama. GPSL is a balloon launch event that encourages enthusiasts to bring their equipment, ideas, and expertise together to have a grand set of launches like no other. During the multi-day event, participants had the chance to learn from experts in ballooning and to learn about the more scientific aspects of this hobby from Severe Weather Institute for Research and Lightning Laboratories (SWIRLL). SWIRLL members are students at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). SWIRLL is a weather research institute that allows students at UAH to study and research atmospheric patterns and lightning. Part of that research includes launching HABs! At GPSL, we had the opportunity to launch a small 20m Weak Signal Propagation Reporting (WSPR) tracker, called a Skytracker on board a small superpressure balloon. I have special thanks to Bill Brown, WB8ELK, for designing and building the Skytracker as well as mentoring me with high altitude science. The balloon I used is known as a “Yokohama” balloon. It looks similar to a dry-cleaning

Figure 7. A graph representing the relationship between pressure and altitude. Collected from the 2021 YOTA Launch.

Figure 8. Jack McElroy pressure testing a “Yokohama” superpressure balloon that would later be used at YOTA 2022.

bag when launched. This appearance is due in part to the balloon being filled only to the point where it may barely lift its payload off the ground, since these balloons undergo a property transformation that is unique to superpressure balloons.

When the balloon reaches a pre-determined altitude (in our case, the balloon was inflated to reach about 38,000 ft, or 11.5 kilometers) the balloon’s density will equal that of the atmosphere’s density surrounding it. This causes the balloon to stay at a pre-determined altitude (plus or minus 500 ft) and float at that height for weeks and months (Bley et al., 2022). The balloon made it from Huntsville to the coast of Newfoundland, near where the HMS Titanic sank. The balloon ultimately dropped due to a storm.

LESSONS LEARNED

Throughout my time working with HABs, I have learned more than just how to launch a balloon with a radio on it. Successful launches involve much more. I gained knowledge about buoyancy and elementary physics so that I could know how much to fill the balloon. I learned how to effectively organize a team to achieve a uniform goal. I have been able to learn leadership and public speaking skills, and I am at a point where I teach people how to launch these balloons so that they can go teach others.

The superpressure balloons that I launched have stayed floating, circumnavigating the globe for months. The one I launched in 2021 with my sister, Audrey, KM4BUN, orbited the globe 4.5 times over 81 days.

What I find the most exciting in this hobby is being able to transfer what you know from HABs, applying it to other applications and vice versa, and seeing other people doing the same.

We need youth in this hobby, and HABs provide a great way to introduce Ham Radio to the inexperienced. Balloons bring the fun of playing with balloons as children, expanding on it, and introducing Ham radio, helping develop not only Ham Radio enthusiasts but also professionals who are well-rounded and who can share the joy of Ham Radio with others.

SOURCES

Website links that provide articles, videos, and other resources for more information include:

• Bley, S., Rennie, M., Žagar, N., Sole, P., Straume, A. G., Antifaev, J., Candido, S., Carver, R., Fehr, T., Bismarck, von, Hünerbein, A., & Deneke, H. (2022). Validation of the Aeolus L2B Rayleigh winds and ECMWF shortrange forecasts in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere using Loon super pressure balloon observations. Q J R Meteorol Soc, 148(749), 3852–3868. https://doi. org/10.1002/qj.4391

• Garner, R. (2015, July 17). Scientific Balloons FAQs. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/scientificballoons/faqs

• Proper Care & Instructions - Weather Balloons | Vanam. (n.d.). Vanam Technologies. Retrieved September 23, 2023, from https://vanamtechnologies.com/ documentation.

• Radio Club of America, Youth Activities: https://www. radioclubofamerica.org/youth-activities

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jack McElroy, KM4ZIA is a sophomore at Alliance Academy for Innovation, a magnet high school in Cumming, Georgia. He achieved his Technician license in 2016 at the age of 9, and his General license in 2020 at the age of 13. In addition to launching High-Altitude Balloons, he also operates Summits On The Air (SOTA), and talks on Amateur Radio satellites in his pastime. He teaches about these topics as well. He has been on a Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure to the PJ2Y station in Curaçao and has taught and assisted at all three Youth On The Air (YOTA) Camps in ITU Region 2. He is a member of the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL), Sawnee Amateur Radio Association (SARA), and North Fulton Amateur Radio League (NFARL). Jack had the opportunity to present at the 2022 Youth Forum during Hamvention in Dayton, Ohio. He was a recipient of the 2022 RCA Young Achiever Award. Recently, he presented about SOTA at the QSO Today Academy webinar in September of 2023.

Figure 9. A team composed of students at the University of Alabama in Huntsville during Great Plains Super Launch filling a super-pressure balloon, June 2023.

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THE STATE OF INNOVATION:

A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WITHDR. ULRICH L. ROHDE AND DR. AJAY PODDAR

Interview By David Bart

Dr. Ajay K. Poddar will receive the Radio Club of America’s 2023 Armstrong Medal, and Dr. Ulrich Rohde is the namesake of a new award to be issued by the Radio Club of America in 2023 that recognizes achievements in applied sciences and engineering. This roundtable shares both of their unique perspectives on the current state of innovation

THE AWARDS

In 1935, the Radio Club of America 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 many of the foundations for modern radio technology. RCA presents the Armstrong Medal when an individual has demonstrated excellence and has made lasting contributions to the radio arts and sciences. Dr. Ajay Poddar, AC2KG, will receive the Radio Club of America’s 2023 Armstrong Award. Dr. Ulrich Rohde, N1UL and KA2WEU, will be honored by the Radio Club of America with the inauguration of a new award in 2023, the “Dr. Ulrich L. Rohde Award for Innovation in Applied Radio Science and Engineering.” This new award recognizes significant contributions to innovation in the wireless industry and will inspire future generations of wireless professionals. The first recipient of this new award will be presented in 2024.

THE RECIPIENTS

Dr. Ulrich Rohde is an IEEE Life Fellow, a Partner of Partner of Rohde & Schwarz, Munich Germany; Chairman of Synergy Microwave Corp., Paterson, New Jersey; President of Communications Consulting Corporation; serving as an honorary member of the Senate of the University of the Armed Forces Munich, Germany honorary member of the Senate of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg, Germany, Honorary member of Bavarian Academy of Science in Munich, Germany. He has published more than 300 research papers in peer reviewed conferences and journals (see the separate article in this issue about Dr. Rohde). He is the

recipient of numerous awards (see the separate article in this issue about Dr. Rohde), including the 2017 RCA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Ajay Poddar is an electrical engineer who graduated from IIT-Delhi and who is the Chief Scientist at Synergy Microwave Corporation in Paterson, New Jersey. He was named a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2016 for his work with microwave oscillators. He worked previously as a senior scientist and program manager at the Defense Research and Development Organization of India, a branch of the Indian government that supports the furtherance of science throughout a network of fifty-two laboratories across the country. He has published more than 280 research papers (see the separate article in this issue about Dr. Poddar).

ROUNDTABLE

[David] I am David Bart (KB9YPD), President of the Radio Club of America and Editor of the Proceedings of the Radio Club of America. Congratulations to each of you on your many successes and your well-deserved recognitions from RCA. Today, in mid-September 2023, I have brought you both together for a discussion about your views on the state of innovation and to share some of your favorite recollections. Welcome, and thank you for participating.

[David] Both of you came to the U.S. after spending your youth and early careers abroad. Ulrich, you were born in Munich during World War II and grew up in post-war Germany, a very difficult time. Ajay, you were born in India and grew up in Bihar at a time a great social and technological change in India. What first attracted you both to radio and how did you become innovators in the field? Ulrich, perhaps you can start.

[Ulrich] My father, going back as long as I can remember, was active in radio, both scientifically and for its use in long-distance communication. He liked the ability to exchange thoughts about radio engineering with members of the radio community. In life, good communication skills are important. When the U.S. Army asked Rohde & Schwarz to repair and maintain their tactical radios in the fifties, I realized what huge distances could be covered, and I immediately developed a strong interest in all

aspects of radio, from the antenna to the loudspeaker. As the technology evolved, from tubes to transistors, I wanted to be part of it. This is still valid today. And you, Ajay?

[Ajay] I was born in India into a farmer’s family. My birthplace, Dhamdaha, is a small village, remotely located in District-Purnia, State-Bihar, India, near the border of the neighboring country Nepal. During my childhood, I spent most of my time with my grandparents, helping them and other farmers in the agriculture fields. I learned basic things about organic farming from my grandparents and the local community. I went to a primary school in my village that was remotely located and lacked the basic infrastructure such as proper classrooms, a library, electricity, and clean water for drinking. Life in remote villages was not easy as compared to city life in India, and there was a large gap in the standard of living. My parents encouraged me to do science and math education and also volunteer services to help the family as well as the local communities. I found working in the agriculture fields without proper tools and support involved very tiring physical work. The unpredicted monsoon and drought were the major concerns and frustrations among farmers. I used to walk 2-3 miles to listen to the radio broadcasts in the government office to be aware of the rains needed for watering the crops as well as storms to protect the fruits. Soon, I became interested in knowing about radio and radio links, very much needed for communication involving productive agriculture, which is called smart agriculture in modern times. While advances in technology should establish solutions, unfortunately, there is a substantial portion of the population worldwide that does not have access to some of the basics (food, clean water, electricity, internet, mobile phone, and others) that many of us take for granted. In my opinion, admitting to these basic issues necessary to improve the quality of life should be considered as a “Human Right.”

I had a great desire to help underprivileged school students, therefore STEM education and engineering became my natural choice. I was motivated to go into scientific work by reading about many notable and noble scientists (Michael Faraday, Nikolay Tesla, Marie Curie, J. C. Bose, and others) who struggled for the basic things needed for life in their childhood. Also, the life of Swami Vivekananda and Mother Teresa taught me that the purpose of life is to contribute for the benefit of humanity.

[David] Was there a particular project or experience that shaped your budding interest Ajay?

[Ajay] I gradually developed an interest in science and technology, intending to improve the quality of life of the underprivileged. My first high school hobby project in 1978 was to visit the local radio mechanic shop to learn how they were fixing and tuning for clear reception. I eagerly watched the internal electronic circuits and tried to build my own radio. It worked sometimes, if lucky, but needed fine-tuning, which I found to be interesting as well as frustrating. I developed the idea of an automatic tuner, but due to my lack of proper knowledge of electronics and

communications, it remained a futile exercise. But this triggered my interest in learning about radio and radio wave propagation. This was the beginning of my interest in Radio and Science during my childhood and school days!!!

[David] Can you tell us about college and graduate school in India and how you became interested in radar and other signals?

[Ajay] I went to IIT (Indian Institute of Technology), Delhi, India for my graduate study. During that time, I used to read the newspapers, highlighting casualties caused by landmines in different parts of the world. Victims from landmines and explosive remnants of war occur in every region of the world, causing a large amount of suffering and injuries to both humans and animals. Landmines are rarely removed, and new mines are being laid under both the soil and water in the region as and when conflict begins. Agrarians, wanderers, herders, and animals are the ones who suffer most from the arbitrary use of landmines. Mine clearance practice is costly and also not free from fatalities. These issues led to my interest in studying electronic detection and know-how for accidentfree disposal of mines. Microwave electronics, RADAR, Signal Generation, and Signal Processing Electronics are pre-requisite studies for the development of sensors for landmine detection.

I was very lucky and fortunate to be supervised and guided by my honorable teacher Prof. (Ms.) Bharathi Bhat who is now retired from IIT-Delhi, India. She was different and actively involved in mentoring the young generations, and her teaching helped many graduate students to gain deeper insights into the human life cycle and understand electronics and microwave engineering to address environmental and humanitarian issues. During my Graduate Engineering Program at IIT Delhi, she motivated me to focus on affordable Engineering Technology (biomedical electronics, RADAR, and wireless communication) for offsetting poverty and hunger and for promoting clean water and sanitation, climate action, affordable and clean energy, human well-being, economic growth, and responsible consumption and production. History has revealed that transformative technology improves the standard of living, progresses the quality of life, and stimulates coordination and agreement. However, new technologies also can undermine hope and destroy the ecosystem of our Planet Earth if not used appropriately. For example, increased levels of air and water pollution, energy consumption in terms of their production, and associated electronic waste cause issues of systematic long-term risk. The use of new technologies would be a good vehicle for sustainable development, but they also raise thought-provoking questions.

[David] Radio has transformed from a world of lone inventors in wireless telegraphy, to corporate management and research in voice radio and telecommunications, to a blend of academic and corporate development for today’s use of millimeter waves. Do you think radio and

radio waves are still recognized as the basic means of communication, or is radio underappreciated today? Ulrich?

[Ulrich] Good communication is extremely important. As long as we talk (exchange concepts) there are no misunderstandings and wars can possibly be avoided. I find it dangerous to eliminate all the HF broadcast stations and practically only rely on fiber network based communication. Given the recent number of hurricanes and water related damages and having seen the loss of communication on the Hawaiian Island, I can only stress the importance of radio and radio-wave based communication. For example, the 9/11 attacks have shown how quickly phones, cell phones, pagers, and other wireless devices can become unusable. The New York City Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Service highlighted at that time the important role that Amateur Radio operators played during the 9/11 emergency (see https://www.nyc-arecs.org/article-post-911.html). Today, in my opinion, the general public has no concept about what mm waves are, and yet they form the foundations of both 5G and 6G, and we need to heavily invest in these technologies. Does this answer your question? What about you Ajay?

[Ajay] Although it is true that radio may not receive the same level of interest or responsiveness by younger generation engineers as it did in the past, because of the internet and mobile communication networks, it continues to be a basic and valuable means of reliable communication. It remains a vital and adaptable means of communication, serving diverse purposes and audiences. Its continuing importance is evident in both traditional and digital forms, manifest in its role in emergency communications.

[David] How do you deal with a public who does not understand the devices they use every day, and policymakers, who may not appreciate the impact of their policy setting initiatives? Or instead, do we simply plow ahead and hope we are providing interesting new methods and means of communications that will find their own uses over time? Innovation requires some level of public education and support. How do we communicate and instill that knowledge?

[Ulrich] This is a loaded question, which really is so broad that there is no easy answer. About setting policies: the people who draft them need to fully comprehend the impact and their consequences. Regardless of the topic (unless you honestly educate the public), the outcome is unpredictable. In my opinion the responsibility lies to a high degree with the news media. I really enjoy the wideranging topics, which, for example, PBS offers. I am sick and tired of aggressive action movies. But I may be a bit alone with this approach.

[Ajay] Dealing with a public who does not understand the devices they use and policymakers who may not appreciate the impact of their policy-setting initiatives is a common challenge in the era of a rapidly evolving

DONOR GIFT: COMMEMORATIVE CODE PRACTICE OSCILLATOR

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.

new technology landscape. I disagree with the approach, “simply plow ahead and hope we are providing interesting new methods and means of communication that will find their own uses over time.” I recommend bridging the gap in understanding by providing a multi-faceted approach that includes education, policy advocacy, ethical considerations, research, and ongoing dialogue. By working collaboratively, we can strive to ensure that technology benefits society while minimizing its negative consequences.

[David] Today’s relationships among the pure and applied sciences are complex, and innovation needs both. Basic science and the exploration of knowledge can parallel commercial interests in development of products and services, but problems discovered in basic science can also raise many practical questions and issues which need to be solved before commercial development of new ideas can really be possible. Likewise, progress in applied science and engineering can promote areas of research in the basic sciences or even stall until basic research resolves key issues. In your experiences, how has support for basic science changed; has it waned, or is it still there, just more hidden to the public? How has public support for applied science shifted over time? Does the public understand innovation? Ulrich?

[Ulrich] Here is the next loaded but correct question. When I went to the university there was no external funding (needed); in Germany, the education was essentially free. With the government now spending too much money on questionable matters, including incurring a great debt, the state universities are underfunded and are dependent for financial support. As a result, industry puts in an infusion of money into the system, with the result that industry dictates the topics of research, which tend to be more product-related than basic research; and quite often, the results are not openly published. More than 10 years ago I donated a full professorship (endowment), including test equipment. This was not a time-limited donation as industry frequently does. It was in the area of Microwave basic research, specifically RF and Microwave semiconductor applications. I also donated a large amount of money to the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) to help generate more graduates in my field.

And yes, the general public has no concept what basic research is, but the public is burdened with high inflation as well as poor social safety nets. Yes, some very elite colleges shine with excellent research, mostly the 5 or so highly ranked universities, but that is not the norm. Something needs to happen if not just for social justice. We compete internationally with our products, but how long will we remain successful? Good question! And in those companies which I had or have a say in, I have always allocated money for basic research. Ask Dr. Poddar, who is my chief scientist.

[Ajay] Support for basic science has faced challenges, including budget constraints and shifting priorities, while applied science has seen increased recognition and

support. Public understanding of innovation varies but can be improved through education and effective science communication. The relationship between basic and applied science is complex and often intertwined, with advancements in one area influencing the other. Overall, support for both basic and applied sciences remain crucial for continued scientific and technological progress.

I think the relationships between the pure and applied sciences are indeed complex, and both are essential for driving innovation and advancing our understanding of our world and beyond. A healthy scientific ecosystem values and supports both, recognizing that they are two sides of the same coin, each contributing to the advancement of technology for humanity.

I also think the relationship between basic science and commercial interest is dynamic. While basic service provides the intellectual foundation for innovation, commercial interest provides the resources and incentives for practical application. However, challenges and questions that arise during basic scientific exploration must be addressed to ensure responsible and successful commercial development.

So, absolutely, the relationship between applied science, engineering, and basic research is a dynamic and interconnected one. Progress in applied science and engineering often depends on the foundational knowledge and breakthroughs that come from basic research, and at the same time, it can stimulate and guide further basic research. In my view, the progress of applied science and engineering is intimately tied to the progress of basic research, and they support each other in a continuous cycle of discovery and innovation. This interconnectedness underscores the importance of both basic and applied research in advancing our understanding of the world and improving our quality of life.

Unfortunately, support for basic science can vary depending on the country, political climate, and economic conditions. It is important to note that trends can change over time and are subject to cultural and political influences. Public engagement efforts, scientific communication, and science education play essential roles in maintaining and strengthening support for both basic and applied science. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of science and innovation, which may lead to renewed interest and support in these areas in some regions. Public engagement and advocacy for the value of basic science can also influence the level of support it receives.

[David] You each hold advanced degrees, are active in numerous professional associations, notably the IEEE, and yet you still teach as professors while working in multiple areas. How do you manage these diverse interests and what led to this range of career involvements? Were there particular people who influenced your careers?

[Ulrich] In 1977 I was “drafted” by a friend from the University of Florida at Gainesville to join the faculty, and

this connected me with the researchers of the IEEE. I kind of drifted into this role, and many years later, and many connections later, including appointments at universities in Germany, Romania, and India, I am grateful that this happened. I am most proud to be an honorary member of the Munich-based Academy of Science, Albert Einstein and Werner Heisenberg, to name a few famous members. I had the honor of talking to Heisenberg about radioactivity while sailing together. It was a huge honor having been invited recently to become a member of the Indian National Academy of Engineering.

[Ajay] I appreciate your kind words about me, but I must clarify that Dr. Rohde is a truly accomplished industry leader, academician, and technology developer, one of the rare ones who combine theory, computation, and hardware who actually takes basic research ideas through to marketable fielded systems.

Well, Dr. Rohde and I are actively associated with IEEE and other scientific and professional organizations. Our common agenda focuses on scientific contributions towards advancement of technology for humanitarian applications. During my early career in DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organization) in India, I have worked on several scientific projects, attended numerous workshops and symposium co-sponsored by IEEE. IEEE provided me a platform to collaborate and engage professionals and researchers.

As I said earlier, my fundamental instinct was to learn science and technology to look for opportunities to apply them for the benefit of humanity. Historically, all the important science and engineering projects began for military applications at defense establishments and were only later implemented for commercial applications. For example, the Internet, that evolved from ARPANET, was established by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the United States Department of Defense, building on the ideas of J. C. R. Lickliter. Bob Taylor initiated the ARPANET project in 1966 to enable access to remote computers. In my time at DRDO I had the opportunity to work on several projects that were not limited to electronics but also included basic research related to RADAR and green energy solutions.

The opportunity of working on the RADAR projects helped me in designing the signal generation and signal processing electronics for Transmitter/Receiver modules for defense, industrial, aerospace, and medical applications. The most interesting project was FM-CW RADAR-based sensors for several applications, including humanitarian applications. To name a few, 35/64/94 GHz Proximity Sensors Projects, RF MEMS, and MetaMobius coupled strips for antennas and resonator applications, and signal processing electronics.

[David] I am intrigued by your experiences at DRDO. Ajay, can you tell us more about your work at DRDO and the overlap with IEEE?

[Ajay] During my initial career as a Scientist in DRDO, India from 1991 to 2001, I was fortunate to work for the honorable President of India Dr. Abdul Kalam, who was not only a great scientist, but a mentor, reformer, and a noble person. Under his leadership in the role of Director of DRDO and Scientific Advisor to the Indian Government, Indian scientists developed many successful projects on a limited budget and in record time. In addition to Defense Projects, Dr. Kalam was involved in many humanitarian technology projects and made untiring efforts to engage, collaborate, and establish a partnership with industries, research establishments, and academic institutions for affordable solutions.

Dr. Kalam has encouraged me and many young scientists to join IEEE for professional and volunteering activities. He passed away on July 27, 2015, but his guidance in advancing technology for humanity will remain in my consciousness forever. IEEE’s tagline, “Advancing Technology for Humanity,” stimulates us to proceed in a direction to invent the technology and apply those to decipher basic needs found in the underserved regions of the world. IEEE is a truly global professional society with the intended purpose of leveraging engineering expertise and know-how to promote global development.

I have served as an AdCom member of multiple IEEE societies, a member and Chair of several IEEE global committees, including SIGHT (Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technology) and HAC (Humanitarian Activity Committee). I have been involved in humanitarian activities preceding the creation of IEEE SIGHT. Nevertheless, IEEE SIGHT offered me a global platform to transfigure know-how into sustainable humanitarian projects. This is fundamentally different than my other volunteering services to the professional society.

In 2015, Dr. Ulrich L. Rohde (right) and Dr. Ajay K. Poddar (left) received awards from IEEE IFCS. Dr. Poddar is holding his plaque for IEEE’s W. G. Cady Award and Dr. Rohde is holding his plaque for IEEE’s I. I. Rabi Award. (See https://ieee-uffc.org/awards/frequency-control-awards/rabi-award/ and https://ieee-uffc.org/awards/ frequency-control-awards/cady-award/) (Courtesy IEEE ETHW)

Those experiences allowed me to realize the importance of empowering volunteerism. We are not perfect and have flaws, but each has positive attributes that together can make a difference by collectively contributing towards the goal of Advancing Technology for Humanity. My volunteering allowed me to serve members and the professional community worldwide. In my opinion, IEEE SIGHT/HAC is a road map that enables volunteers to work together, pursuing a sustainable approach for advancing technology that can make our planet a better place to live in for all of us.

In addition, attending to underserved communities is kind of like deploying the prevailing technology to address humanitarian challenges and civic concerns. One can explore low-cost affordable existing technology solutions to improve the quality of life. Continuing education and training programs for the benefit of the local community can be effective if organized jointly with IEEE Local sections, UNESCO, the United Nations, and World Health Organization.

[David] Both of you have multiple patents and are leaders in innovation. What is the project or invention that you are each most proud of? How did you identify the key problems involved, and how did you prioritize and get support to focus the work on finding solutions to those problems?

[Ulrich] For me, the highlights were at Radio Corporation of America where I had an excellent team of engineers

to develop the system, which today is called Software

Defined Radio (SDR). SDR rescued Compact Software and introduced the world’s first PC-based software using the harmonic balance technique, which had the ability to correctly determine noise and phase noise and distortion in highly nonlinear systems. I worked well for more than 20 years with Dr. Poddar on crazy oscillators and other circuits and topics. Our topics did not always converge, but the work was educational. In 2014, I received the IFCS C.B. Sawyer Award “For the development of PC software now allowing nonlinear noise analysis of RF circuit and the founding of Synergy Microwave, including the design and manufacture of ultra-low noise sources, RF components and subsystems exhibiting state-of-the-art performance.” I am very proud of this accomplishment. Ajay can explain more about the nature of his and our work.

[Ajay] My scientific journey in Synergy Microwave has been very rewarding. Dr. Rohde and I have worked on several research projects in the last 20 plus years, published jointly 250 plus scientific papers in journals and international conferences, received over three dozen patents, and co-authored 6 technical books/chapters, and 4 books are under contract with Wiley and other publishers.

There are several projects, I am proud of, to name a few:

(i) RADAR,

(ii) Proximity sensors for underground Mine-detection,

(iii) Active Antennas,

(iv) Satellite Communication Systems,

(v) RF/MW low phase noise signal sources,

(vi) RF-MEMS based electronic components,

(vii) Opto-Electronic Signal Sources, and

(viii) Mobius Metamaterial Inspired resonators and sensors electronics for applications in current and later generation communication systems. Dr. Rohde and I worked together on several inventions, some of the projects were very challenging because of the requirement of low cost, power-efficient, compact size, and high performance. For the benefit of readers, I would like to mention a few projects where Dr. Rohde and I spent significant time in resolving technical challenges. For a better understanding for readers, I wish to share specific technical challenges and issues, and also our efforts towards finding logical solutions to those problems.

(i) My Dr.-Ing habilitation research work [Editor’s Note: Dr.-Ing means both a PhD (dr) and an engineering degree (ing) from a university of applied sciences.] was based on Mobius metamaterial-inspired energy-efficient electronic circuits for applications in signal generation and signal processing electronics. Dielectric Resonators (DRs), for example, exhibit a high quality (Q) factor and have been used in high spectral-purity signal sources at RF and microwave frequencies. However, the DR requires precise machining for fabrication, careful placement of the dielectric puck for optimal coupling, and manual mechanical tuning of the DR for desired frequency operation. The Mobius Metamaterial-inspired Dielectric Resonator allows ease in fabrication, reduction in size, improved Figure of Merit (FOM), and low-cost powerefficient signal source solutions. The Mobius metamaterial inspired DROs developed by Synergy Microwave are used widely in military and commercial applications, including wireless LAN and other communications systems, test and measurement, electronic warfare, missiles, radar, and medical electronics.

The current and emerging markets demand highperformance tunable signal sources at X-band and Ka-band frequencies. I have worked on voltage-controlled oscillators with a wide tuning range and low phase noise which is needed to support 5G and IoT, with operating frequencies up to 60 GHz and more. The patented oscillator design using Metamaterial to obtain high Q resonators and the use of the Moebius Loop as a way to tune the frequency has proven to be very effective as the frequency increases. More recently, my contributions to “Metamaterial Inspired Mobius Resonator loop, MIMO Antenna, RFMEMS Electronics, Opto-Electronics and Casimir force of interactions” are a consequence of my Doctorate research, working with Dr. Ulrich Rohde-Synergy Microwave, Dr. Tatsuo Itoh-UCLA, Dr. Afshin Daryoush-Drexel University, and Dr. Shiban Koul-IIT Delhi. Dr. Rohde and I worked on these new technologies for applications in current and later-generation electronics and communication systems.

These state-of-the-art technologies are developed in collaboration with IIT-Delhi, India; Drexel University, USA, and UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), USA; and patented for securing the IP rights in favor of Synergy Microwave.

(ii) The current (5G) and later generation (6G plus) network technologies will spur new enterprise, technological innovation and affordable engineering solutions to attain reliable connectivity worldwide. I am enthusiastic about many developing technologies (high-frequency signal generation and signal processing electronics networks) operating at the THz band with broader spectrum resources. In addition, artificial intelligence and machine learning, virtual reality and augmented reality, the internet of things, Blockchain, cybersecurity, CubeSat, sensors, edge computing, quantum computing, and MIMO networks all offer promise, which will create more job opportunities. I am currently working on these technologies to fulfill the commercially viable solutions for 5G and these other emerging technologies. For example, I have filed the patent applications involving:

(a) Optoelectronic oscillator using monolithically integrated multi-quantum well Laser and Phase Modulator, (b) Conformal Antenna Module With 3D-Printed Radome, (c) Broadband Metamaterial Enabled Electromagnetic Absorbers and Polarization Converters, (d) Tunable Bandpass Filter For Millimeter-Wave Signals, (5) Planar Multiband Frequency Selective Surfaces With Stable Filter Response, (e) 5G MIMO Antenna Array With Reduced Mutual Coupling, and (f) Microelectromechanical Switch With Metamaterial Contacts, (g) Four-Port MIMO Antenna, (h) Four Port MIMO Antenna without Isolating Structure.

(iii) Micro-electromechanical-systems (MEMS) technology provides a greatly reduced footprint and lower insertion loss compared to electromechanical switches. Innovations in this area are enabling higher frequencies and broader bandwidths than previously possible. This research and development effort had to overcome the stiction issues of the MEMS contact switches and improve their reliability. The development effort targets the use of defective ground structure (DGS) with secondary switches and metamaterial-inspired capacitive contacts to improve MEMS switch performance into the 100+GHz range with lower insertion loss and greater isolation than previous designs. In addition, using the new patented design techniques, the reliability has been improved by designing a new configuration to take advantage of the repulsive Casimir forces to reduce stiction. We collaborated with Dr. Shiban Koul from IIT Delhi, India, patented the technology, and reported 3-part articles on this topic in the Microwave Journal and in the e-book. Part 1 (May 2020) reports on MEMS switch topologies, including a new defective ground structure (DGS) and metamaterial-inspired capacitive contact MEMS switch. Part 2 (June 2020) reports methods to reduce stiction effects in resistive contact MEMS switch. Part 3 (July 2020) discusses methods to reduce static friction (or stiction) effects in a capacitive contact MEMS switch

for applications in modern electronic circuits and 5G communications.

(iv) Electro-optical Oscillator offers significant advantages brought by photonics technology, such as high frequency, large bandwidth, and immunity to electromagnetic interference. With the rapid development of low-loss optical fiber, high-quality-factor optical resonator cavity, and photonic integration technologies, an integrated tunable mmWave electro-optical oscillator is feasible in a compact size and low power consumption. The operating frequency can be extended as high as 100 GHz, and these features are very promising, which otherwise was not possible with traditional microwave resonator oscillators. The technology offers reliable frequency sources for various practical applications, such as communication links, signal processing, RADAR, metrology, radio astronomy, and reference clock distribution.

During 1990, India was lacking foundry support for developing integrated chip solutions for emerging RF MEMS technology and peripheral electronic modules to support technology-driven products. I left India to pursue higher studies and the opportunity to work in a company that provides the freedom of research work not limited to commercial applications but also scientific contributions targeting humanitarian applications. Ultimately, the most important element of a successful innovation is a clear understanding of the problem we are trying to solve and a well-structured plan to address it. Flexibility and adaptability are also key, as the process of innovation often involves iteration and learning from both successes and failures.

[David] Today’s communication technology and research capabilities have vastly changed. The days of manually searching through paper, books, and journals at a library seem very distant. How is research, basic and applied, conceived today, and do you think it has benefitted or accelerated the rate of innovation and insight produced in your fields? Ulrich?

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[Ulrich] While the internet at first looks like an excellent vehicle for finding all kinds of information, I am a bit annoyed that I have to subscribe to and pay for many different publications, university research groups and the IEEE. I wonder at times if that is fair. Usually, there are missing parts in the publications in an effort to protect intellectual property. This situation is far beyond the practice of my university days. What do you think, Ajay?

[Ajay] The shift from manually searching through physical resources like books and research papers at a library to digital platforms such as e-books and online streaming benefitted the readers and accelerated the rate of innovation and insight. This produced advances in various fields through expanding access to knowledge without spending much time in manual search modes in libraries and other places. AI-ML-supported search engines enhanced data analysis and instantly provides access to research topics or relevant information fetched from digital library online database. These are game changing shifts in our use of and development of knowledge!

[David] Where do you think the important incubators are located that inspire and fuel innovation in basic research and in applied science? Is there room for basic research in industry? Are the needs of applied science recognized in academia? Is there a role for educated participants from both worlds to cross-over and collaborate? Is there a role for amateur experts?

[Ulrich] Absolutely. There are many things you can mathematically describe or simulate, but there is nothing like a field test. Here is just one example, multipath propagation of the radio waves while driving, which lead to the invention of a training signal. Also, Joe Taylor’s FT8 operating mode, or evaluating different antennas for various purposes, and finally, as much as I hate it, contest operation and too many larger signals. At the end of the day, we will find out, which radio handled this crazy situation best. No laboratory can duplicate these tests honestly.

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[Ajay] The important incubators for innovation in both basic and applied science can be found in academia, industry, and research organizations supported by private companies and government organizations. Small-scale companies contribute significantly to applied science and technology-based products. In general, academia, largescale industries, and government research organizations focus on both basic research and applied technology-based solutions depending upon allocation and availability of funding. For sustainable growth, the resilient collaboration between academia, industry, and research organizations are needs of the hour. And, it goes without saying that there is room for contributors from both educated participants and amateur experts. The key is nurturing an atmosphere where expertise and capability can flow freely between these different domains to drive scientific and technological evolution.

[David] Today’s labor force seems to operate with shorter term commitments to employers, and employers likewise seem to have shorter term commitments to employees. How do you attract, recruit, and hold onto the top talent needed to advance and innovate new technologies today? What motivates the next generation, and how do you identify and capture their enthusiasm? What freedoms and expectations do you grapple with when promoting and managing the innovation process? Ulrich, perhaps you can comment first.

[Ulrich] You ask all the right questions. Nowadays work is challenging and at times high pressure builds: meeting deadlines, product development priorities, selecting market driven products, and understanding price elasticity are issues. At the end of the day, we all want to have a purpose in life, we want to be needed, we want to show measurable success, and we have the ability to weather all kinds of highs and lows.

My company, Synergy Microwave, we offer stability and safety. Our company health insurance was recently labeled by an insurance agent as “Cadillac insurance”, which is hugely expensive for us, but it offers many benefits to our employees. It is also worth noting that we never terminated anyone for economic reasons. Our products cover a wide range of applications, so it is never boring. The majority of our employees are 10+ years with us. Some left us to find out that even with a higher gross income, the net disposable money was less. So, comparing annual income versus available cash is a different story. Given the inflation and bank interest rates, people are nervous. Look how much good talent got laid off all over the country. I would very much like to expand our team but electrical engineering is a subject with too few students. That is why I donated to NJIT.

[Ajay] In the present time, the labor force operates with shorter-term commitments to employers, and employers likewise have shorter-term commitments to employees. In my opinion, this is not a healthy situation, and perhaps one of the reasons for diminishing basic research activities. These trends are harmful for addressing important issues including global challenges. The

short-term employment metrics reflect an opportunistic approach that can be profitable in the short term but is not sustainable in the long term. In my view, attracting and retaining top talent in the technology-landscape entails a combination of competitive salary and reimbursement, healthy work culture, prospect to grow, flexible work time, recognition, and job-satisfaction. Thoughtful consideration of the preferences and priorities of the next generation of engineers and researchers, by promoting and adapting policies that bring into line the motivations and expectations of employees, employers, can position the business to progress and innovate positively.

[David] What new breakthroughs or innovations do you foresee within in your fields that excite you?

[Ulrich] I would expect innovations in semiconductor physics, resonators, and structures as well as better math and simulation tools, not only more powerful but also more user-friendly and less costly. The list could be endless, but I would be happy with these things.

[Ajay] We are well aware of the need for green energy and conversation of about energy to protect our planet. Dr. Rohde and I are closely looking at our product lines, optimizing electronic circuitry to make it power-efficient without compromising performance. We are designing and developing next-generation energy-saving electronic circuits and systems based on energy-harvesting techniques. We are exploring Mobius technology for sensor applications too, as well as negative index Mobius technology for use in 5G wireless systems and for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. In connection with expected requirements for 5G and IoT, we are also investigating RF microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) components incorporating repulsive Casimir effect approaches for improved switching performance. In addition, we are studying anti-gravity technology based on negative-index material and thermally stable, tunable, optoelectronic oscillator circuits to 500 GHz for terahertz and other applications.

I foresee new innovations in my field of interest such as the following:

(i) development of low-cost negative index metamaterial and fabrication techniques for signal generation, signal processing, and sensors for various applications, including GW (gravitational wave) detection,

(ii) innovation in capturing carbon content from the atmosphere to address the global warming and climatic changes,

(iii) innovation in the development of reliable and clean high current density solid-state battery technology for EVs (Electrical vehicle), and

(iv) careful use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve the quality of life considering AI-ML and ChatGPT can pose challenges related to privacy, security, and societal influence.

[David] What new challenges lie ahead?

[Ulrich] The global instability (economically, politically, and religiously caused) are issues which are impacting us more than we care to admit. Our contribution can only be to offer visible stability and progress.

[Ajay] Industrial globalization and expansion helped economic growth and provided new job opportunities, but it also created new challenges. Envisaging explicit challenges such as climate change and environmental sustainability, cybersecurity, global health and pandemics, DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging), infrastructure and resilience all depend on numerous factors. Those factors include technological advancements, environmental developments, geopolitical changes, and societal shifts. In addition, new challenges may transpire because of unanticipated actions and developments occurring on global platforms. Adjusting to change, nurturing innovation, and stimulating ecological practices will need to be strategic to circumnavigate these encounters effectively.

[David] Today’s world is so highly politicized with a disappearing middle space for compromise and accommodation. Should scientists and corporate leaders participate in politics or through news outlets to educate, reason, and inspire? Can they communicate effectively in this take-no-prisoners political environment to successfully promote their research needs while also pursuing a positive view of future technology? How do we convince the public of the importance and benefits of fundamental and applied research and innovation?

[Ulrich] That’s somewhat funny. Just as I dove into this topic, here you are with the same. Unless you are in the limelight, highly visible as a single individual, your influence is limited. Here, institutions like the world wide active IEEE can do a good job if the members want it to happen. Dr. Poddar is infinitely more politically connected and active in the IEEE, for example, so let us hear his advice. He represents the next generation and needs to deal with it.

[Ajay] The question of whether scientists and corporate leaders should participate in politics and engage with news outlets to educate, motivate, inspire, and promote scientific research and innovation in a polarized political environment is really challenging and complex. In my view, for the benefit of society, scientists and corporate leaders may want to participate in politics carefully, prioritizing the objective dissemination of information to contribute positively toward informed public discourse. Convincing

the community necessitates a multidimensional approach that goes beyond the news channel and participates with communities directly so as to foster greater understanding and support for research prerequisites and upcoming emerging technologies.

[David] Are there opportunities for young engineers and scientists in the years ahead? What advice would you give them?

[Ulrich] Yes, there are many, but it takes both effort and commitment. As a university professor, I graduate about one PhD candidate per year in my area of expertise. It takes them a while to become productive, but then they have a solid background, and we keep them. We do a mixture of basic research, initiated by Dr. Poddar and other product development triggered by our team. My advice is to get a thorough education and a radio amateur license, it is good for education and getting connected.

[Ajay] Indeed, there are growing opportunities for young engineers and scientists in the year ahead. Scientific research and advancement of technology continue to advance, creating new job opportunities that require knowhow in these disciplines. My advice to young engineers and scientists is to be hardworking, adaptable, sincere, and committed to contributing for the benefit of humanity; all are key metrics offering gratifying prospects in the due course of building a professional life.

[David] Thank you both for sharing your thoughts today, and congratulations to you on your many achievements and your awards. I and the other members of the Radio Club of America look forward to seeing you and the other award recipients and new fellows at RCA’s 2023 banquet for a very exciting and engaging evening.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

David P. Bart, KB9YPD, is President of the Radio Club of America, Chair of RCA’s Publications Committee, and Editorial Director of the RCA Proceedings. He is a Life Member and Director of the Antique Wireless Association, and a Life Member, Director, and Fellow of RCA. He is also treasurer of the IEEE History Committee and vice president of the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago.

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CURRENT PERSPECTIVES:

SILICON VALLEY DISPATCHES: BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE—THE ROLE OF FIXED WIRELESS ACCESS IN DELIVERING BROADBAND

By David Witkowski

The digital divide, the gap between those who have access to high-speed internet and those who do ’not, has become a critical issue in today’s increasingly connected world. Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technologies have emerged as a promising solution to bridge this divide, offering a cost-effective and efficient means of delivering broadband to underserved areas. Indeed, FWA has become an early success story for 5G, the fifth generation of cellular technology.

Suitable FWA technologies for broadband delivery encompass a range of technologies that utilize wireless signals to provide internet connectivity to fixed locations, such as homes and small businesses. Both licensed and unlicensed spectrum options are available for FWA deployments.

Licensed FWA technologies, such as 4G LTE and 5G NR provided by cellular carriers, offer higher bandwidth and greater range, making them suitable for delivering highspeed broadband to a wider area. Most carrier FWA uses millimeter-wave (28 GHz and above) or C-band (3.7 – 4.2 GHz).

Unlicensed FWA technologies, such as Wi-Fi and Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS), are typically used for shorter-range deployments and may be more cost-effective in certain scenarios, but also require management and monitoring. CBRS is not a very good option for coastal areas, because the U.S. Navy has priority on CBRS spectrum, meaning networks must go dark when the fleet is in. Wireless ISPs often use point-to-point links for backhaul connections between two nodes using microwave frequencies, and then distribute to subscribers using point-to-multipoint technologies where a single central access point (fed by a point-to-point or fiber link) serves multiple customer sites.

The adoption of FWA technologies for broadband delivery varies across different countries and regions. In the United States, FWA has gained traction as a viable alternative to traditional wired broadband, particularly in rural and underserved areas. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken steps to promote FWA deployment, including allocating additional spectrum for

FWA use, indeed the allocation of 6 GHz was primarily driven by the needs of wireless ISPs, not home or business users.

In other parts of the world, FWA adoption has been even more pronounced. In Europe, for instance, FWA has become a significant player in the broadband market, with several countries seeing a rapid increase in FWA subscriptions. This growth is partly attributed to supportive government policies and regulatory frameworks that encourage FWA deployment. Scandinavian regions, with their rugged terrain and spread-out populations, have warmed up to FWA while rejecting fiber optics as too expensive. Telecom giants like Telia and Telenor are leading the charge with significant FWA commitments. In Asia, counties like India and Indonesia, both of which have lower terrestrial broadband penetration, are exploring FWA as a rapid solution to enhance broadband reach and meet government mandates to connect populations. The growing adoption of FWA technologies is reflected in various metrics. According to a report by the Wireless Broadband Alliance, the number of FWA subscribers globally is expected to reach 180 million by 2026, representing a compound annual growth rate of 25%. Amidst the rise of terrestrial FWA technologies, satellite broadband presents another revolutionary approach to bridging connectivity gaps. Spearheaded by major

Number of FWA Connections. (Courtesy Joe Madden, Mobile Experts, Inc.)

players such as SpaceX’s Starlink, AST SpaceMobile, and Amazon’s Project Kuiper, satellite broadband promises high-speed internet access across even the most remote regions of the globe. Unlike traditional ground-based solutions, these satellite constellations orbit the Earth, delivering low-latency and high-bandwidth connections. Starlink, for instance, has already deployed thousands of satellites, making strides in offering competitive speeds to rural and underserved areas. Similarly, AST SpaceMobile aims to connect mobile devices directly using its unique space-based platform, while Project Kuiper’s forthcoming constellation plans to bolster internet accessibility, especially in regions lacking robust terrestrial networks. Starlink has also promised direct-to-handset connectivity as a future offering. As these technologies continue to mature and expand, satellite broadband is poised to be a significant contender in the global quest for universal connectivity.

In the United States, the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection program indicates that FWA connections have grown significantly in recent years. As of December 2022, FWA accounted for over 10% of all broadband connections in the country. And yet, despite the growing popularity of FWA, funding remains a challenge for network deployment, particularly in the United States. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021 provides significant funding for broadband infrastructure, but the allocation of these funds prioritizes fiber-optic and DOCSIS cable networks over FWA.

The Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, funded through the IIJA, also faces challenges in supporting FWA deployments. The program’s focus on fiber-optic and DOCSIS cable networks and its competitive bidding process may disadvantage FWA providers. Despite

the successes of FWA and satellite in connecting the unconnected, U.S. lawmakers are primarily focused on fiber optics as a “one and done” solution. When questioned by this author at a major policy conference as to why FWA was deprioritized, a senior NTIA official demurred and stated that “Congress wanted fiber”—which begs the question of who was advising them, and whether wireless was either omitted from that advice, or simply ignored.

State-level broadband grant programs offer additional funding opportunities for FWA deployments, but these programs vary in their eligibility criteria and funding levels. Navigating the complexities of these funding sources can be a challenge for larger FWA providers seeking to do regional projects that span multiple states.

FWA technologies offer a promising solution to bridge the digital divide and provide high-speed broadband to underserved areas. While FWA and satellite adoption is growing globally, funding remains a challenge, particularly in the United States. Addressing these funding and policymaking challenges will be crucial to fully realize the potential of FWA in delivering ubiquitous broadband access.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Witkowski is an author, advisor, and strategist who works at the intersection between local government and the telecommunication industry. He is a Fellow of the Radio Club of America, an IEEE Senior Member, the Founder and CEO of Oku Solutions LLC, and is the Executive Director of Civic Technologies Initiatives at Joint Venture Silicon Valley. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard and earned his B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Davis. He held leadership roles for companies ranging from Fortune 500 multi-nationals to early-stage startups, and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Deployment Working Group at IEEE Future Networks, as a member of the Connected Communities Forum at the Wireless Broadband Alliance, and as an Expert Advisor to the California Emerging Technology Fund. He is the author of several books and many articles about the state of the industry.

We’ll See You There!

2023 Technical Symposium and 114th Awards Banquet

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2023

DENVER, COLORADO

IEEE HISTORY CENTER’S EDWIN HOWARD ARMSTRONG EXHIBIT MAKES ITS DEBUT

[EDITOR’S NOTE: ‘How Far Can You Go’ is the pilot exhibit of the IEEE’s Global Museum program. It will travel to technology museums throughout the United States, beginning with the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology (SAMSAT) in Texas.]

IEEE History Center’s traveling exhibit, “How Far Can You Go? Edwin Howard Armstrong and the Birth of Our Wireless World,” https://vimeo.com/800959766/e637e3e3f5 made its debut at the IEEE Board Series held at the Sheraton Hotel Times Square in New York City in February, in conjunction with the IEEE Foundation’s 50th anniversary reception. A joint project by Senior Historian Daniel Jon Mitchell and Outreach Historian Alex Magoun funded by an anonymous bequest, the exhibit told the story of the electrical engineer Edwin Howard Armstrong, one of the greatest contributors to the field of radio-electronics. Armstrong was unique in making key contributions to solving three crucial problems in wireless communication. His invention of a regenerative circuit opened up the possibility of continuous-wave radio, or the transmission of voice and music—an achievement that earned him the first IRE Medal of Honor in 1917. Armstrong developed a superheterodyne circuit through his work in World War I as a member of the U.S. Army Signal Corps in France. It dramatically expanded the electromagnetic spectrum used for communications and made radio receivers more sensitive and selective. It is still used today in practically all radios, televisions, and even some cell phones. In the 1930s, Armstrong developed wideband frequency modulation (FM) that eliminated static caused by electric motors, power lines, appliances, and radio stations sharing the same airwaves. He then built the world’s first FM radio station: W2XMN in Alpine, NJ, and networked it wirelessly with other, new FM stations. In 1942, the AIEE recognized these breakthroughs by awarding Armstrong its Edison Medal.

Thanks to generous loans from radio collectors, the exhibit included some of the earliest radios that incorporated these technologies as well as remarkable cultural artifacts from our new Martha and Jerry Simkin collection.

During the explosion of radio broadcasting during the 1920s triggered by Armstrong’s regenerative receiver, entrepreneurs seized upon radio’s symbolism of modernity to sell all kinds of consumer products to men, women, and children, from cosmetics to kitchen tools. As other engineers improved circuits and lowered production costs,

listeners could swap their headphones for loudspeakers. This turned radio broadcasts into a nightly family activity, spawning an industry of radio-themed products for children, including books, toys, and games as well as celebrity entertainment and news reporting.

When the Board Series ended, we moved the artifacts and posters to IEEE corporate headquarters at 3 Park Avenue in New York City where they can be seen by staff and visitors. The exhibit will remain there as we develop its contents further, at which point it will travel to technology museums throughout the United States, beginning with the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology (SAMSAT) in Texas. “How Far Can You Go” is the pilot exhibit of the Global Museum program. The program is intended to promote an understanding of electrotechnology and its impact upon society by bringing museum-quality exhibits to IEEE members and the public. We are establishing collaborations with local and national museums, private collectors, universities, corporations, and other organizations to curate traveling exhibits, from a single treasured artifact to a full collection, and install them at technology museums or IEEE conferences, facilities, and events around the world. For more information contact Daniel at daniel.mitchell@ieee.org

SOURCE:

IEEE History Center Newsletter, Issue 122, June 2023.

Armstrong exhibit. (L to R on the pedestals): Klitzen Model 525 Regenerative Receiver (1922) with Ackerman Dodge-tone Loudspeaker (1922) and Yale Electric/Franco Radio “B” Battery (c.1923); Radiola 24 Portable Super-Heterodyne (1925); Stromberg-Carlson FM Receiver (1941).

STUDYING CLIMATE CHANGE WITH AN ICE RADAR DRONE

By Thomas Teisberg

I am standing on top of 100 meters of ice, watching a drone crisscross the Slakbreen glacier on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, more than 600 kilometers north of the mainland. I’m part of a team testing Peregrine—a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with miniaturized ice-penetrating radar, which can image the glacial ice all the way down to the bedrock below.

It’s –27° C, dipping below –40° C with wind chill—well below the operating temperature of most of the commercial equipment we brought for this expedition. Our phones, laptops, and cameras are rapidly failing. The last of our computers that is still working is sitting on top of a small heating pad inside its own little tent.

Harsh as the weather is here, we intend for Peregrine to operate in even tougher conditions, regularly surveying the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets. These great masses store enough water to raise global sea level by 65 meters should they melt entirely. Although neither ice sheet is expected to melt completely anytime soon, their incredible scale makes even small changes consequential for the future of our planet. And the data that Peregrine will gather will help scientists to understand how these critical areas will respond to climate change.

GETTING BELOW THE SURFACE

Scientists have long looked at changes in the surface height of ice sheets, using data collected from satellite-borne laser altimeters. This data has come in large part from ICESat,

launched in 2003, and its successor, ICESat-2, launched in 2018. With information from these NASA satellites, scientists measure the change in elevation, which they use to infer the net impact of surface processes such as snowfall and melting and the rates at which the ice sheets release icebergs into the ocean.

These measurements are important, to be sure, but laser altimetry provides no direct information about what’s happening beneath the surface, including how the ice deforms and how it slides over the underlying rock. And as we try to understand how ice sheets are responding to new climate extremes, these processes are key. How will changes in temperature impact the rate at which ice deforms under its own weight? To what extent will liquid water reaching the bottom of a glacier lubricate its bed and cause the ice to slide faster into the ocean?

Getting answers to these questions requires seeing beneath the surface. Enter ice-penetrating radar (IPR), a technology that uses radio waves to image the internal layers of glaciers and the bed beneath them. Unlike other more laborintensive methods, such as drilling bore holes or setting up arrays of geophones to collect seismic data, IPR systems from their earliest days have been flown on aircraft. In the 1960s, as part of an international collaboration, a U.S. Navy Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport was converted into an IPR-data-collection aircraft. The project (which I’ll discuss in a little more detail in a showed that

Peregrine, a drone-based ice-penetrating radar system, was tested over Norway’s Slakbreen glacier in March. (Courtesy Eliza Dawson)

Thomas Teisberg, an electrical engineering Ph.D. candidate at Stanford University, launches Peregrine at Norway’s Slakbreen glacier.

it was possible to rapidly collect this type of data from even the most remote parts of Antarctica. Since then, IPR instruments have gotten better and better, as has the means of analyzing the data and using it to predict future sea-level rise.

Meanwhile, though, the aircraft used to collect the data have changed comparatively little. Modern instruments are often flown on de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters, which are two-engine turboprops, or Basler BT-67s, which are modified Douglas DC-3s. (Some Baslers flying missions in Antarctica today flew World War II missions in their past life.) And while support for these operations varies by country, the demand for new data is outpacing the ability of crewed aircraft to collect it—at least with a price tag that doesn’t put it out of reach for all but the most well-funded operations.

Collecting such data today just shouldn’t be that hard.

That’s why I and other students in Dustin Schroeder’s Stanford Radio Glaciology lab are developing several novel ice-penetrating radar systems, including Peregrine.

Peregrine is a modified UAV carrying a miniaturized icepenetrating radar that we designed around a software-

defined radio. The radar system weighs under a kilogram— featherweight compared with conventional IPR systems, which take up entire equipment racks in crewed aircraft. The whole package—drone plus radar system—costs only a few thousand dollars and packs into a single ruggedized case, about the size of a large, checked bag.

But to truly understand why we felt we need to get Peregrine out into the world now, you need to know a bit about the history of data gathering with ice-penetrating radar.

A SATELLITE FAILURE CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RADAR

The first large-scale IPR surveys of Antarctica began in the late 1960s when a group of American, British, and Danish geoscientists mounted a set of radar antennas under the wings of a C-130. Predating GPS, the project recorded flight paths using internal navigation systems and known ground waypoints. The system recorded radar returns using a cathode-ray tube modified to scan over a passing reel of optical film, which the researchers supplemented with handwritten notes. This effort produced hundreds of rolls of film and stacks of notebooks.

After the project ended in 1979, various national programs began carrying out regional surveys of both Antarctica and Greenland. Although they were initially limited in scope, these programs grew and, crucially, began to collect digitized data tagged with GPS coordinates.

In the late 2000s, IPR surveying got an unexpected boost. ICESat lost one laser altimeter after just 36 days of data collection in 2003, and by late 2009 all the satellite’s lasers had stopped working. Laser altimetry’s problems would seem to have no connection to aircraft-based IPR surveys. But with ICESat-2 still years away from launching and a favorable political environment for public earthscience funding in the United States, NASA organized Operation IceBridge, a large-scale aircraft-based campaign

Peregrine lands after a test flight in Norway.

The Slakbreen glacier, located on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago [enlarged view] in the coldest part of the country, was selected for testing Peregrine because it was unlikely to contain liquid water, which would interfere with imaging of the bedrock below.

to cover the laser-altimetry data gap in Greenland and Antarctica.

Although the primary purpose was collecting laser altimetry, the use of aircraft instead of satellites meant that other instruments could be easily added. At the time, two U.S. institutions— the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics and the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas— had been developing improved IPR instruments, so IPR was ready to get on board.

Between 2009 to 2019, the aircraft of Operation IceBridge flew more than 350,000 kilometers over the Antarctic while collecting IPR data. During this same period, the National Science Foundation’s Investigating the Cryospheric Evolution of the Central Antarctic Plate (ICECAP) program funded more than 250,000 kilometers of additional Antarctic IPR data.

Operation IceBridge enabled a huge jump in the amount of IPR data collected worldwide. While other organizations around the world also gathered and continue to gather IPR data, particularly the British Antarctic Survey and the Alfred Wegener Institute, IceBridge took U.S.-led data collection

Peregrine flew a pattern [left, red line] spanning an area roughly 0.6 square kilometers over the Tellbreen glacier, also on the Svalbard archipelago. The drone’s ice-penetrating radar mapped the ground below the glacier and also the layers within it. The 3-D visualization [right] created from the data shows those layers as faint lines and the bedrock as a brighter line.

from being almost negligible in most years to being the main source of data while the project was in operation.

In 2018, IceSat-2 launched, heralding the end of Operation IceBridge. Some IPR surveying continued, but the rate of data collection since 2018 has significantly lagged the scientific demand for such observations.

Adding to the need for better ice-monitoring tools is a recent shift in the type of IPR data that scientists see as important. Historically, these radar measurements have been used to identify the thickness of the ice above its bed of rock or sediment.

Bed topography, with some exceptions, does not change on time scales relevant to people. So collecting this kind of IPR data could generally be a one-time—or at least infrequent—exercise, ending once enough data was gathered to build a sufficiently detailed map of the bed of a glacier or ice sheet.

But the depth of the ice to the bed isn’t the only important information hidden below the surface. For one, IPR data reveals internal layering in the ice caused by changes in the composition of the snow that fell. The shape of these internal layers provides hints about the current and past flows of the ice.

Scientists can also look at the reflectivity of the bed, which can reveal the likelihood of liquid water being there. And the presence of water can give indications about the temperature of the surrounding ice. The presence of water plays a crucial role in how fast a glacier flows, because water can lubricate the base of the glacier, causing more rapid sliding and, consequently, faster mass loss.

All of these are dynamic observations that may change on an annual or even seasonal basis. So having just one radar survey every few years isn’t going to cut it.

Gathering more frequent data using just crewed flights is difficult—they are expensive and logistically challenging, and, in harsh environments, they put people at risk. The

Eliza Dawson)

(Courtesy: Left: Chris Philpot; Source: Stanford Radio Glaciology Lab; Right: Thomas Teisberg)

As Peregrine climbs into the air over the Slakbreen glacier, the system’s red antennas are clearly visible under the wings. (Courtesy

main question about how to replace crewed aircraft is which direction to go—up (a constellation of satellites) or down (a fleet of UAVs)?

A handful of satellites could provide global coverage and frequent repeat measurements over many years, but it isn’t the ideal platform for ice-penetrating radar. To get the same power per unit area on the surface of the ice as a 1-watt transmitter on a UAV flying at an altitude of 100 meters, a satellite in orbit at 400 kilometers would need a roughly 15-megawatt transmitter—that’s more than three times the maximum power for which SpaceX’s Starlink satellites have been licensed by the Federal Communications Commission.

Another challenge is clutter. Imagine you have an antenna that emits power primarily within a 10-degree cone. You’re trying to observe the bottom of the ice sheet 1.5 km below the ice surface, but there’s a mountain range 35 km away. From 400 km up, that mountain range is also being illuminated by your antenna and reflecting energy back much more strongly than the echo from the bottom of the ice sheet, which is attenuated by the 1.5 km of ice it passed through each way.

At the other end of the spectrum of options are UAVs, flying even closer to the ice than crewed aircraft can. Researchers have been interested in the potential of UAVborne radar systems for imaging ice for at least a decade.

In 2014, CReSIS fielded a 5-meter-wingspan radiocontrolled aircraft with a miniaturized version of its IPR

system. The design made clever use of the existing wing geometry to provide low-frequency antennas, albeit with a small bandwidth that limited data quality.

Since this pathfinding demonstration, much of the research focus has shifted to higher-frequency systems, sometimes called snow radars, designed to image the near surface to better understand mountain snowpacks, snow cover on sea ice, and the layering structure in the top few meters of ice sheets. CReSIS has tested its snow radar on a small autonomous helicopter; more recently, it partnered with NASA and Vanilla Unmanned to fly its snow radar on a massive 11-meter-wingspan UAV that can stay aloft for days at a time.

There’s still a need, though, for IPR imaging through ice sheets, with a high enough bandwidth to distinguish internal layers and a price tag that allows for widespread use.

ENTER PEREGRINE

Here’s where Peregrine comes in. The project was started in 2020 to build a smaller and more affordable system than those attempted previously, now made possible by advances in fixed-wing UAVs and miniaturized electronics.

We knew we couldn’t do the IPR with off-the-shelf systems. We had to start with a blank slate to develop a system that was small and light enough to fit on an inexpensive UAV.

We decided to use software-defined radio (SDR) technology for our radars because these RF transmitters and receivers are highly customizable and shift much of the complexity of the system from hardware to software. Using an SDR, an entire radar system can fit on a few small circuit boards.

From the start, we looked beyond our first project, developing software built on top of Ettus’s USRP Hardware Driver application programming interface, which can be used with a variety of software-defined radios, ranging in cost from US $1,000 to $30,000 and in mass from tens of grams to multiple kilograms.

We added a Raspberry Pi single-board computer to control our software-defined radio. The Raspberry Pi also connects to a network of temperature sensors, so that we could be sure nothing in our system gets too hot or too cold.

The SDR itself has two sides to it, one for transmitting the radar signal and one for receiving the echoes, each connecting to our custom-made antennas through amplifiers

and filters. This entire system weighs a little under 1 kilogram.

Those antennas were tricky to design. IPR antennas require relatively low frequencies (because higher frequencies are more significantly attenuated by ice) and have relatively wide bandwidths (to achieve sufficient range resolution). Normally, these criteria would mean a large antenna, but our small UAV couldn’t handle a big, heavy antenna.

I started by considering a standard bowtie antenna, a type commonly used in ground-based radar systems. The initial design was far too large to fit even one antenna, much less two, on our little UAV. So using a digital model of the antenna, I adjusted the geometry to find an acceptable compromise between size and performance, at least according to the simulation software I was using.

I also built several prototypes along the way to understand how real antenna performance might differ from my simulations. The first of those I made from copper tape cut and pasted onto sheets of plastic. The later and final versions I fabricated as printed circuit boards. After a few iterations, I had a working antenna that could be mounted flat under each wing of our diminutive aircraft.

For the drone, we started with a kit for an X-UAV Talon radio-controlled plane, which included a foam fuselage, tail assembly, and wings. We knew that every piece of conductive material in the aircraft would affect the antenna’s performance, perhaps in undesirable ways. Tests showed that the carbon-fiber spar between the wings and the wires to the servo motors in each wing were creating problematic conductive paths between the antennas, so we replaced the carbon-fiber spar with a fiberglass one and added ferrite beads on the servo wiring to act as low-pass filters.

FIGHTING NOISY SIGNALS

I thought we were ready. But when we took our UAV out to a field near our lab, we discovered that we could not get a GPS fix on the drone when the radar system was active. After some initial confusion, we discovered the source of the interference: our system’s USB 3.0 interface. To solve this problem, I designed a plastic box to enclose the Raspberry Pi and the SDR, 3D-printed it, and wrapped it in a thin layer of copper tape. That shielded the troublesome USB circuitry enough to keep it from interfering with the rest of our system.

Finally, we were able to fly our tiny radar drone over a dry lakebed on the Stanford campus. Although our system cannot image through dirt, we were able to get a strong reflection off the surface, and at that point we knew we had a working prototype.

We carried out our first real-world tests six months later, on Iceland’s Vatnajökull ice cap, thanks to the help and generosity of local collaborators at the University of Iceland and a grant from NASA. That was a good spot, because

The software-defined radio and other electronics that make up the ice-penetrating radar, shielded to avoid interference with GPS signals, sits in the nose. (Courtesy Chris Philpot)

Thomas Teisberg huddles over a laptop computer, partly shielded from the cold by a small tent [left]. The tripod supports the radio used to communicate with the drone. Later, Teisberg carries Peregrine back to the team after a test flight [right]. The testing was conducted as part of a field-based course offered by the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS). (Courtesy Eliza Dawson)

flying. Crucially, we also convinced ourselves that our system will work properly in the harsh environments we expect it to face in Antarctica and Greenland.

A DRONE FLEET ACROSS ANTARCTICA

Our present system is relatively small. It was designed to be inexpensive and portable so that research teams can easily bring it along on expeditions to far-flung spots. But we also wanted it to serve as a testbed for a larger UAVborne IPR system with an operational range of about 800 km, one that is inexpensive enough to be permanently deployed to Antarctic research stations. With the 11 existing research stations as bases, at least one member of such a drone fleet could access nearly every part of coastal Antarctica. Though larger and more expensive than our original Peregrine, this next-generation UAV will still be far cheaper and easier to operate than crewed airborne systems are.

from time to time, a nearby volcanic eruption spews volcanic material known as tephra over the surface of the ice cap. That tephra eventually gets buried under new snow and forms a layer under the surface. We figured these strata would serve as a good stand-in for the internal layering found in ice in Greenland and Antarctica. Although an abundance of liquid water in the relatively warm Vatnajökull ice prevented our system from probing more than tens of meters below the surface, these tephra layers were apparent in our radar soundings.

But these first trials did not go uniformly well. After one of our test flights, I discovered that the data we had collected was almost entirely noise. We tested every component and cable, until I found the shield on one of the coaxial cables had broken and was only intermittently making a connection. With a spare cable and a generous application of hot glue, we were able to complete the rest of our testing.

For our next round of tests, we were aiming to image bedrock under a glacier, not just internal layers. And that’s why, in March of this year, we ended up on a glacier in the coldest part of Norway, where liquid water within the ice was less likely to interfere with our measurements. There we were able to image the bed of the glacier, as much as 150 meters below the surface where we were

Operating a larger UAV, much less a fleet of them, is beyond what a few Ph.D. students alone can reasonably do, so we are launching a collaborative effort between Stanford University, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Lane Community College, in Eugene, Ore., to get this new platform off the ground. If all goes well, we’re hoping we can have IPR UAVs surveying the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets within three years. Doing so would no doubt help scientists studying the responses of Earth’s ice sheets to climate change. With permanently deployed UAVs able to cover most areas of active study, requests for new data could be fulfilled within days. Surveys could be repeated at frequent intervals over dynamic areas. And when rapid and unpredictable events occur, such as the collapse of an ice shelf, a UAV could be deployed to gather real-time radar data.

Such observations are just not possible today. But Peregrine and its successors could make that possible. Having the ability to collect this kind of radar data would help glaciologists resolve fundamental uncertainties in the physics of ice sheets, improve projections of sea-level rise, and enable better decision making about mitigations and adaptations for Earth’s future climate.

SOURCE:

Thomas Teisberg, IEEE Spectrum, August 5, 2023, https://spectrum.ieee.org/drone-ice-radar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Thomas Teisberg is a PhD candidate in electrical engineering, working within Stanford’s Radio Glaciology lab. He and a friend built their first quadcopter, from scratch, in high school. He previously worked on dronebased perception systems for a medical logistics company, and is currently developing a drone-based, icepenetrating radar system.

Thomas Teisberg reviews some of the data recorded by Peregrine. The small box on his desk with wires attached is part of Peregrine’s payload, a package that includes a softwaredefined radio, a Raspberry Pi, and other electronics wrapped in copper shielding. In this two-dimensional tracing of the data [above], the surface of the ice and shape of the bedrock are clearly visible. (Courtesy Top: Thomas Tesiberg; Above: MAI BUI)

ASTRONOMERS FIND MULTIPLE MICROSECOND-LENGTH FAST RADIO BURSTS IN DATA FROM THE GREEN BANK TELESCOPE

By Bob Yirka, Phys.org

A team of space scientists from several institutions in The Netherlands, two in the U.S. and one in Sweden, has found evidence of multiple microsecond-length fast radio bursts (FRBs) by analyzing data from the Green Bank Telescope, in West Virginia. The group has posted their study on the arXiv preprint server.

Prior research has led to the discovery of FRBs, which are bursts of radio waves coming from outside the Milky Way galaxy. Though their origin is still not known, several theories have been proposed—the two leading candidates are emissions from a flaring magnetar or from the jet of an accreting black hole. Most FRBs have been found to last on the order of a few milliseconds.

But last year, astronomer Kenzie Nimmo, found evidence of much shorter bursts —a discovery that led many in the community to wonder if there might be even shorter bursts. To find out, the team turned to data from the Green Bank Telescope—a facility with the largest steerable disk in the world.

Full-polarization, frequency-averaged profiles and polarization position angles (PPAs) for a selection of burst.

Data from the telescope has been studied before, but this time, the researchers looked for evidence of much shorter FRBs. To that end, they focused on observations of the repeating FRB 20121102A. They believed it might be possible that at least some FRBs come to us as very short bursts of radio waves because they have experienced interference in their trip across space. Such interference could conceivably cut a single long burst into a series of short bursts. Within these parameters, the team found 19 extremely short FRBs, all between 5 and 15 microseconds.

In studying the bursts, the team found that other than duration, the FRBs were nearly identical in nature to longer FRBs. This finding, they suggest, adds more credence to the leading theories, rather than those that propose the microsecond bursts come about due to a shock of some sort. They also suggest that their findings likely offer more new information regarding the environment from

which FRBs arise, rather than their source. The team also suggests that there are likely a lot more FRBs making their way to planet Earth than has been suspected.

SOURCES:

More information, see: M. P. Snelders et al, Microsecondduration bursts from FRB 20121102A, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2307.02303

Journal information: arXiv

This blog article is based on “Astronomers announce haul of the shortest fast radio bursts ever discovered“ by Ethan van Woerkom, published in Physics World on July 24, 2023. Reprint courtesy of Science X Network.

TOP 100 GLOBAL INNOVATORS

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Many studies and companies track innovation trends and outlooks and investment opportunities. This Clarivate study was sent to RCA. It serves as an example of one set of opinions. We noted the key themes and share them with our readers for your interest without any endorsement.]

Clarivate recently released its report on the Top 100 Global Innovators to Watch 2023. Focusing on measures of potential rather than just accomplishments, the analysis identifies those companies who are developing new inventions that are most likely to impact today’s world.

The list is driven by international patent volume as tracked by Carivate to indicate the volume of inventive activity, which is used to define an International Factor.

• More than 500 filed inventions since 2000

• More than 100 granted inventions in the 2023 five-year evaluation window

• The proportion and level of international inventions patented in more than one country or region.

Benchmarks for the strength of the patents are based on the Derwent World Patents Index™ (DWPI™) that measures the Invention Strength. A sister database to DWPI, the Derwent Patents Citation Index™, focuses on inventions that have been referenced by applicants and examiners in later, downstream patent applications. Innovation is measured based on DWPI filings, which are scored by four factors:

• Influence - level of technical leadership of the invention, via its effect on the ideas of others

• Success - level of economic asset the invention produced as a valid, novel idea

• Globalization - level of monetary and geographic investment in the invention

• Rarity - where the invention sits on the development curve.

A Global Innovator Score is determined by multiplying the median Invention Strength against the International Factor. Results are then ranked based on their activity over the preceding five years.

Three trending criteria are evaluated when selecting the top companies:

• In Range - candidate organization ranks inside the Top 250 in 2023

• On Trajectory - candidate organization’s average rise in ranking since 2017 is greater than its current gap to position 100

• New - candidate organization has not previously been a Top 100 Global Innovator recipient.

• Highlights of the 2023 analysis notes:

• For the first time, half of the entities and institutions that made the list in 2023 were new entrants that had not previously been an Innovator to watch. Nearly all new entrants, except Nintendo, were from industrial sectors, which experienced higher levels of growth according to this year’s Top 100 Global Innovators.

• A number of well-established companies and organizations such as Accenture, Nintendo, Henkel or Mazda are making a fresh run at the Top 100 by driving new innovation.

• This year sees an influx of electronics companies from Japan, Mainland China, and Taiwan. Taiwan continues to expand its presence, with Pegatron, Primax Electronics and Compal Electronics joining the list.

• Japan remains the country with the largest representation with even more representation this year, spanning multiple industries, including energy and electrical, consumer goods and food, and chemicals and materials; reinforcing a trend observed in the previous Innovators to watch. This includes Nintendo, recognized for the first time.

• Automotive companies continue to expand as does their global representation. Mazda from Japan maintains its position from the previous year. Four new entrants are present in the automotive sector: Aptiv from Ireland, Faurecia from France, Toyo Tires from Japan and Vitesco Technologies from Germany.

• In 2022, Clarivate noted the entrance of semiconductor and electrical firms in Taiwan. Clarivate sees added global diversification in 2023 with two U.S companies, Cirrus Logic and ON Semiconductor, recognized as Innovators to watch.

Almost two-thirds of the list (23 companies out of 36) are involved in telecommunications and electronics or industrial systems, which are assumed to involve some form of wireless monitoring. Innovators to watch in 2023 are shown in bold.

BBK Electronics, Mainland China, Telecommunications

Carrier, U.S., Energy and electrical

Caterpillar, U.S., Industrial systems

Cirrus Logic, U.S., Semiconductors Compal Electronics, Taiwan, Electronics and computing equipment

Danfoss, Denmark, Energy and electrical

Disco, Japan, Industrial Systems

eMemory Technology, Taiwan, Semiconductors

Endress+Hauser, Germany, Industrial systems

Fujikoki, Japan, Energy and electrical

Goodix Technology, Mainland China, Electronics and computing equipment

Hamamatsu Photonics, Japan, Electronics and computing equipment

JVCKenwood, Japan, Electronics and computing equipment

MinebeaMitsumi, Japan, Industrial systems

ON Semiconductor, U.S., Semiconductors

Pegatron, Taiwan, Electronics and computing equipment

Primax Electronics, Taiwan, Electronics and computing equipment

Rohm Semiconductor, Japan, Semiconductors

Sagemcom, France, Telecommunications

Shimadzu, Japan, Industrial systems

SiliconMotion, Taiwan, Semiconductors

Techtronic Industries, U.S., Industrial systems

Yokogawa Electric, Japan, Energy and electrical

In addition, five companies are in the automotive sector (Aptiv, Faurecia, Mazda, Toyo Tires, and Vitesco Technologies) and may employ wireless monitoring. Three are involved in software and media (Accenture, Baidu, and Nintendo). Three are listed in consumer goods and food (British American Tobacco, Henkel, and Japan Tobacco). IMEC is involved in government and academic research, and Zeon is involved in chemicals and materials.

WEARABLE ULTRASOUND SEES DEEP TISSUE ON THE MOVE — FIRST UNTETHERED, WIRELESS SYSTEM MONITORS VITAL SIGNALS WHILE WEARERS EXERCISE

By Prachi Patel

Researchers have made the first wireless wearable ultrasound device that images tissue deep below the skin while patients move around freely. The system could allow doctors to monitor blood pressure, heart health, and lung capacity in real time while the wearer goes about their daily activities, including during workouts or other physical exertion.

“Clinicians want to know how those parameters change, say, with exercise, and they can’t do that now,” says Muyang Lin, a doctoral candidate in neuroengineering at the University of California, San Diego. “This kind of system has always been a dream for a lot of companies making ultrasound probes. But this is the first demonstration of such a system.”

The credit-card-size ultrasound patch can monitor signals from tissues as deep as 16 centimeters under the skin. It can continuously measure blood pressure, heart output, respiratory health, and other physiological signals for up to 12 hours on a single charge.

“WE’RE NOT AIMING TO ACHIEVE VERY DEEP IMAGING. WE’RE MORE INTERESTED IN MOTION SENSING, BECAUSE THAT’S THE ADVANTAGE OF THE WEARABLE SYSTEM FOR CONTINUOUS MONITORING.”—MUYANG LIN, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO

Traditional ultrasound imaging works by bouncing highfrequency sound waves off tissue and analyzing the echoes received by the ultrasound probe to reconstruct images. And while it is safer and less expensive than other imaging techniques like MRI, conventional ultrasound relies on bulky equipment and skillful technicians to operate the probes.

“Manipulation of the ultrasound probe plays a key role in collecting crisp images and reliable information,” Lin says. “So ultrasound now always requires manual operation.”

This also means that the images cannot be collected continuously. To monitor cardiac health, for instance, ultrasound imaging is done before and after vigorous exercise. But that misses vital information on the heart as it pumps blood during exercise.

A few research groups are working on wearable ultrasound systems. But all previous devices reported to date have

University of California, San Diego, researchers have developed an autonomous ultrasonic system-on-patch, which they report can wirelessly monitor and image a patient for up to 12 hours on a charge. (Courtesy Jacobs School Of Engineering at UC San Diego)

been tethered to other hardware and wired up to an external power source and data-collection device, says Sheng Xu, a neuroengineering professor at UCSD and coauthor of a paper the team published in Nature Biotechnology. Xu’s group reported on—and IEEE Spectrum previously reported on —one such wearable cardiac imager just a few months ago.

The new system is the first that is fully integrated. It consists of a stretchable ultrasonic probe made of a 32-channel array of piezoelectric transducers—converting electrical signals to sound waves and vice versa—that transmit and receive ultrasound signals to and from the body.

This probe is connected to a flexible control circuit via serpentine copper wires that are stretchable. The control circuit drives the transducers to generate ultrasound pulses and receive the echoes. The echo signals are amplified and sent to a microcontroller unit that converts them to digital signals, which a Wi-Fi transmitter sends to a computer or

smartphone. A commercial lithium-polymer battery powers the circuit.

The brains of the system consist of a machine-learning algorithm that the team developed to analyze the signals from the ultrasound patch. By measuring the pulsation of the carotid artery and the jugular vein, the system calculates the wearer’s heart rate and blood pressure. It can also measure the contraction of the heart muscle to estimate the volume of blood the heart pumps out and monitor the motion of the diaphragm to calculate respiratory output.

The device was able to continuously monitor these signals even when a participant biked outside for 30 minutes and performed vigorous high-intensity interval training exercises. When the patch moves relative to the tissue underneath, the algorithm selects the best channel in real time, Lin explains, producing data continuously during the wearer’s motion. “As long as one of the 32 channels is receiving, the algorithm decides in real time which one gives the best signal.”

RCA Mentorship Program

A way to share your knowledge and experience, or learn from the best!

The new RCA Mentorship Program is designed to pair RCA members together, providing opportunities for young professionals to learn and emulate the experience of more seasoned RCA members. Several mentoring pairs have already been formed and more are being formed. Learn more on the RCA website.

radioclubofamerica.org/mentor-program

Conventional ultrasound has its place, and this wearable won’t be replacing it any time soon, the researchers say. The signal quality is limited as is the distance that the system can peer into the body. But the ability to continuously monitor vital signals 12 hours at a time on moving patients has “a lot of clinical value,” Lin says. “We’re not aiming to achieve very deep imaging. We’re more interested in motion sensing, because that’s the advantage of the wearable system for continuous monitoring. We want to enable on-body monitoring with a wireless system, so people can go anywhere and do anything while those signals are monitored.”

SOURCE:

Prachi Patel, IEEE Spectrum, May 26, 2023, https:// spectrum.ieee.org/wearable-ultrasound-wireless.

RCA SEEKS YOUR HISTORICAL MATERIALS

The Radio Club of America (RCA) and The Antique Wireless Association (AWA) have installed a display in the AWA Museum about RCA. In addition, RCA’s historical documents, publications, papers, pictures and more have been cataloged and filed in the AWA Museum’s archives. Many other displays at the AWA Museum feature RCA members and their innovations.

RCA’s archived historical material is available to the public. There is considerable additional RCA historical material in the possession of past RCA officers and members. We ask that you please donate these items to the RCA historical collection. This is your history, and we want to preserve it for future generations. Please contact the co-chairs of the RCA Historical Committee, Felicia and Jim Kreuzer, to donate RCA historical items to the RCA archives at the AWA museum. Contact Felicia at feliciaa.kreuzer@gmail.com and Jim@wireless@pce.net.

THE HOLMDEL HORN, A COSMIC SHRINE IN NEW JERSEY, STAYS PUT

By Dennis Overbye

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Many members of the Radio Club of America signed a petition to save the Holmdel Horn. The following article is reprinted, courtesy of the New York Times, regarding the preservation of the horn and the seeming end of the litigation.]

A radio telescope that discovered evidence of the Big Bang in 1964, revolutionizing the study of the universe, will remain in its original place on Crawford Hill in Holmdel, N.J, town officials announced last week.

Rakesh Antala, a real estate developer, had proposed building a senior housing center on the site, a plan that drew opposition from residents and far-flung astronomy buffs. But an agreement between town officials and Mr. Antala seemed to augur the end of the cosmic controversy.

The Holmdel Horn Antenna, as it is known, was built in 1959 by AT&T Bell Laboratories, the renowned research arm of the phone company, for an experiment called Project Echo that relayed messages by bouncing microwaves off giant aluminized balloons.

In 1964, two young astronomers, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, found themselves plagued by an omnidirectional hiss as they surveyed the night sky for their own research. The static was eventually identified as leftover heat from the Big Bang. Its existence provided compelling evidence that the universe had started with a tremendous explosion; ever since, astrophysicists have been studying this radiation for clues to how and why the Big Bang happened.

Dr. Penzias and Dr. Wilson won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1978, and the Holmdel antenna was designated as a National Historic Landmark.

But the location of the horn has been in dispute recently. An odyssey of ownership began in 1984, after AT&T was broken into the so-called Baby Bells. Bell Labs eventually became Lucent and then Alcatel-Lucent, which was bought by Nokia.

In 2020, Nokia sold its last remaining piece of the former Bell Labs complex in Holmdel — 43 acres comprising Crawford Hill, including the antenna — to Crawford Hill Holdings L.L.C., headed by Mr. Antala, a former Bell Labs administrator and serial entrepreneur.

A coalition of conservation and community groups opposed the development over concerns that it could result in

the antenna being moved to another part of the hill or elsewhere altogether. It cited the need to preserve open space and protect the antenna.

Coalition members plastered the town of Holmdel with “Save the Horn Antenna” signs and circulated a petition urging the preservation of the antenna and its setting, eventually collecting 8,000 signatures from 49 states and 60 countries.

Dr. Wilson, who lives in Holmdel, weighed in on the controversy in a recent interview.

“I’d like it to stay where it is,” he said, noting that the antenna would require protection from vandals and storms. “And I think the idea of making it into a park is a good one.”

In August, the Holmdel Township Committee took the first steps toward acquiring at least part of the hill, including the antenna, citing “a ground swelling of public support for preservation of the Crawford Hill property.”

According to a memorandum of understanding signed on Oct. 12, the town will pay $5.5 million for 35 acres, including the ground the telescope sits on, leaving the rest for Mr. Antala to develop. The town wants to make its

The Holmdel Horn Antenna in Monmouth County, N.J., with its caretaker, Robert Wilson, a senior scientist at the Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian in Cambridge, Mass. (Dr. Wilson is on the lower platform to the left of the door.) (Courtesy Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times)

portion of the hill into a park, perhaps to include a visitor center.

“This breakthrough will allow future generations to observe the Horn Antenna, a National Historic Landmark located within Holmdel, as well as the impressive views that can be observed from the highest point in Monmouth County, all as part of a sprawling, 35-acre public park,” Mayor Domenico Luccarelli of Holmdel said in a statement to Patch, a local online newsletter.

In a separate statement, Mr. Antala said: “As in all negotiated settlements, no one gets entirely what they want. But as we maintained from the start of the process, the Horn Antenna would be preserved on-site and a significant portion of the property would remain open space — and that’s exactly what was agreed to with the town.”

Reached after the announcement by email, Mr. Antala said, “We are glad that both parties are working to resolve the matter, which is moving in the right direction.”

The coalition of groups that had opposed Mr. Antala’s plan — Citizens for Informed Land Use, Preserve Holmdel and Friends of Holmdel Open Space — commended the agreement but said in a statement that they would remain vigilant: “This recent action by the Holmdel Township Committee highlights the progress that can be achieved when local governments are willing to listen to and work with residents.”

SOURCE

D. Overbye. The Holmdel Horn, a Cosmic Shrine in New Jersey, Stays Put. The radio telescope that discovered the Big Bang has survived a real estate battle — for now. New York Times, Oct. 20, 2023.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dennis Overbye joined The Times in 1998, and has been a reporter since 2001. He has written two books: “Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos: The Story of the Scientific Search for the Secret of the Universe” and “Einstein in Love: A Scientific Romance.”

Dr. Wilson lives a few blocks from the antenna and still has the keys to the telescope. (Courtesy Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times)

Holmdel residents and citizen groups banded together to keep the famous radio antenna where it is. (Courtesy Hiroko Masuike/ The New York Times)

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

RCA INTERVIEW SERIES

RCA’s Video Interview Series Preserves History

Over the past several years, Radio Club of America (RCA) president emeriti Tim Duffy and John Facella hosted an online interview series that is also recorded. RCA also hosts a YouTube Channel that includes at least 59 presentations. Together, these recordings provide discussions of current viewpoints and a valuable historical resource that is available to members and the general public.

INTERVIEWS

Each interview runs approximately 1 hour. Past guests included a range of notables, discussing their careers in wireless, life-long passion for radio, views on industry trends and outlooks for technology, and on the current work the guests are undertaking as well as their history with RCA. This interview series also includes Barney Scholl, RCA Vice President and Counsel, who acts as moderator, and also Scott Jones who acted as moderator during the first two years of this series.

If you missed any of these interviews, they are available on the RCA YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/@ radioclubofamerica7981/playlists

HISTORY SHARED AND PRESERVED

The RCA Interview Series has hosted approximately 50 people to date. It comprises a valuable historical record of leaders in many aspects of radio. The series is a crucial activity that preserves and makes known the de development and history of our professions.

RCA’s Interview Series is one of the larger oral/video history collections comprising interviews of electrical engineers and related technologists dealing with radio.

• RCA’s YouTube Channel also includes presentations from its Technical Symposiums https://www.youtube.com/@ radioclubofamerica7981/playlists).

• The IEEE’s Oral History collection (IEEE is a partner organization with RCA) has over 600 recordings, beginning in July 1968 (see https://ethw.org/OralHistory:List_of_all_Oral_Histories). That collection spans a broader range of historical developments in electrical engineering, especially in computing history and encompasses oral histories taken in many IEEE societies.

• The Antique Wireless Association’s YouTube Channel includes 176 videos ranging from presentations at the AWA Conference, to radio collecting and restoration, to historical discussions. The subject matter is broad and covers radio invention, telegraph history, amateur radio, military, broadcasting and other topics (see https://www. youtube.com/@AntiqueWirelessMuseum/playlists).

RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA

Congratulations

to the 2023 Interviewees

Together, you have made history, shared it, and preserved it for posterity.

Rich Berliner and Ira Wiesenfeld, PE FCC Regulation and Trends

Debra Jordan, FCC Chief Pub. Safety & Homeland Security

Michael F. Paul, FBI

Karnel Thomas and Ron Taylor Utilities Technology Council

June Matt Deutch and Glenn Nelson, WWV and WWVH

RCA Participates in a Record Number of Events in 2023; Considers Where To Go in 2024

The Radio Club of America is recharged and charging hard in 2023. We appeared, or are slated to appear, at a record number of events this year. We are attending an industry conference or trade show on the average of every 6 weeks. We saw old friends, met new ones, and have refreshed and renewed our market presence. The new booth was a hit, together with new brochures and marketing materials. A scorecard of our industry activities includes (alphabetic order):

✔ APCO International

✔ Connect(X) Connectivity Expo

✔ Hamcation

✔ Hamvention

✔ International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE)

✔ NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association UNITE Conference

✔ United Technologies Council (UTC) Telecom & Technology Conference

✔ Wireless Communications Alliance (WCA) ConnectX Conference

RCA is carefully evaluating which shows to attend in 2024. We are considering new audiences, new industry associations, and possibly dropping some of our previously attended shows. We need your input. If we attend more science-oriented events, such as IEEE events, we will need sponsors to cover costs. If there are other trade shows you want us to attend, we need to know, so tell us, and help

SILENT AUCTION DONATIONS NEEDED!

arrange sponsorship or entrance requirements. The bottom line is that RCA will go where our members want us to go, with help, and with your commitment!

Are you interested in leading RCA into the 21st century? Are you interested in helping raise awareness about RCA and our unique offerings? We need your help in deciding which shows to attend, and in manning or at least visiting the RCA booth.

Please contact Amy Beckham at Amy@radioclubofamerica. org with ideas or volunteer opportunities.

The RCA banquet Silent Auction returns in 2023! The Silent Auction historically offered a wide range of unusual donations, the sale of which benefited RCA. Absent for some time, this favorite activity has returned. To date, we have received notice that some unusual and rare historical items will be available. Other non-wireless items will also be available. We encourage all attendees to consider bringing a donation, and we ask everyone to participate in helping to raise funds for RCA.

Please send your donation information to info@radioclcubofamerica.org.

RCA’s booth and volunteers at IWCE: (Standing L-R) Ernie Blair, Charles Kirmus; (Seated L-R) David Bart, Stan Rubenstein, Amy Beckham.

RCA Launches Experts & Legends on the Website

The Radio Club of America website continues to expand, and it continues to serve as a resource for members and non-members alike. The website now includes an Experts & Legends section. We welcome your submission ideas for inclusion in this space.

To date, RCA has received over a dozen names, photos, and biographies, including:

• Rich Berliner, CEO of Digital Locations, Inc.

• Jeff Bratcher, Chief Network and Technology Officer (CTO) at the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet)

• Dr. Jim Breakall, Professor Emeritus, Electrical Engineering at Penn State University

• Dr. Marty Cooper, co-founder of Arraycomm and Dyna LLC and the inventor of the handheld cellular phone

• Tim Duffy, CEO of DX Engineering

• Arlene Harris, co-founder and president of Dyna LLC and co-founder of the Wireless History Foundation

• Chief Harlin McEwen, First Chair, First Net Public Safety Advisory Committee; Chair of IACP Police Chiefs’ Communications and Technology Committee (37 years); Deputy Assistant FBI Director; Deputy Commissioner NY State Division of Criminal Justice

• Ellen O’Hara, former Zetron Board Chairman, President and CEO; iCERT Board Chairman; EF Johnson President, COO and board member

• Carole Perry, Chair of RCA’s Youth Activities Committee

• Dr. Ted Rappaport, Professor at New York University (NYU) in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, the Courant Computer Science department, and the NYU Langone School of Medicine; founder and director of NYU WIRELESS, a multidisciplinary research center for wireless communications and applications

• Dr. Henry Richter, formerly Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA; Vice President and Technical Director ElectroOptical Systems; and Communications Engineer for the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department

• Andy Seybold, formerly author of The Public Safety Advocate, President and Principal Consultant Andrew Seybold, Inc, (30 years)

• Alan Tilles, Law Offices of Alan Tilles, practicing in the wireless telecommunications and entertainment industries

• Marilyn Ward, Executive Director and Founding Governing Board Chair of NPSTC (National Public Safety Telecommunications Council)

We welcome additions to this new resource. Please send your suggestion, including a brief explanation as to why you feel the person is an expert or legend, to info@ radioclubofamerica.org

RCA Launches Member Spotlight on the Website

The Radio Club of America website now includes a Member Spotlight. This is a great way to introduce important people, members, and new RCA members, to the public.

Are you interested in being featured in our Member Spotlight? The Member Spotlight presents online a short feature about a current member, what they are doing, and describes their wireless interests. The member who is featured will change regularly.

If you would like to participate, please download this RCA Member Spotlight Form and return it to Amy Beckham at amy@radioclubofamerica.org. Please include your high resolution head shot (preferably 300x300), and a brief bio.

RADIO

RCA’s Training Videos “Introduction to the Wireless Industry” Are Now Available!

RCA has for developed a number of programs to assist people who are considering a career in the wireless industry. Our RCA Youth program, the Mentor/Mentee program, our Technical Symposiums, our Interview Series, and our Wireless Women program have all either assisted people considering a career, or helped those already in wireless to improve their careers.

About a year ago RCA released on its website a training slide deck entitled “Introduction to the Wireless Industry”. These slides were aimed at high school and college students, their parents, and teachers and guidance counselors. Their purpose was to inform about the many jobs available in the wireless industry, both technical and non-technical. The slides were developed by RCA President Emeritus John Facella.

Recently, based on input from the college students of one of our Board members, Prof. Julio Urbina, it was suggested that the slides be broken up into short videos that could be viewed ‘on demand’. That work has now been done. The videos are in six sections: an Introduction; Basics about Wireless; Wireless Industries; Wireless Jobs; References and More Information; and a Summary. Additionally, there is an optional quiz that may be taken.

After a short introduction followed by a simple explanation of wireless technology, the videos focus on the types of

industries and the types of jobs that are available. For example, would you know that the wireless industry requires real estate experts? The videos are available at [link], and can be viewed in any order. The slide deck remains available if people prefer that instead of the video: https://www. radioclubofamerica.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_ id=500767&module_id=544239

We believe RCA is unique in offering this free service to those considering a career in wireless.

A slide from the “Introduction to the Wireless Industry deck.

RCA Issues New Media Kit and Marketing Brochures

Reflecting an Expanding Interest

The Radio Club of America (RCA) has issued new marketing brochures and a media kit that were used in our industry shows in 2023. These are available online at https:// wwwradioclubofamerica.org/Media As we increased our presence at trade shows in 2023, we sought to update and refresh our image.

• Two new brochures target potential new members, new company involvement, new sponsors, and also refresh our message to current or returning members.

• The media kit targets company level involvement, sponsors, and advertisers; including statistics and information about RCA and its members, our publications, market reach, and program offerings, and explain the opportunities and pricing to advertise and sponsor.

in Our Offerings

Our new message focusses on the quality of our members. Remember: you are our value!!

2023 RCA ADVERTISING, SPONSORSHIP & MEDIA KIT

Radio Club of America brings

By the

Front page of the new RCA Media Kit. If you would like copies for use at trade shows or for marketing, please contact Amy Beckham.

Two new brochures focus on RCA’s value offering: trifold (left) and booklet (right). If you would like copies for use at trade shows or for marketing, please contact Amy Beckham.

RCA brings together professionals and non-professionals from every segment of the wireless industry. RCA promotes the exchange of ideas across boundaries by providing a stimulating intellectual and social environment for our members.

RCA brings together the best in wireless, free from commercial constraints, academic and professional limitations, and industry or association politics. We are not an advocacy organization, although many of our members have created new wireless industries and regulations. With a vision focused on the future while honoring the past, our new messaging states that RCA strives to encourage, educate, and engage students of all ages and professionals in a myriad of wireless careers.

RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA

RCA Achieves New Milestones in 2023

The Radio Club of America’s listserve has now reached an all-time high of 5000+ contacts!!

Our membership continues to expand, reflecting industry leadership in all areas of innovation, management, development, and other functions across a wide range of wireless professionals.

RCA’s members include top corporate management and leaders, inventors, researchers, R&D management, academics, and engineers contributing to civilian and military advances in wireless.

RCA Members Span The Country And Include International Participation

RCA membership spans all regions of the USA, with heavy concentrations in all geographic areas that have prominent high-tech and wireless industry presence

Members outside the US include Canada, UK, and Japan.

Our membership continues to expand, reflecting a strong reputation, more than a century of history, and strong participation with our industry peers (personal, corporate, and at leading associations)

HAS YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION CHANGED?

If you have recently changed your address, email, or phone number, please login to your membership page on our website to update your information, email amy@radioclubofamerica.org or call (612) 405-2012.

RCA Incubates First Mentor Program

The Radio Club of America’s first Mentoring Program launched in June of 2022 and is now just over a year and a half old. The idea was the brainchild of former RCA President John Facella with continued support by current RCA President David Bart.

John Facella tasked David Witkowski and Paul Scutieri (co-chairs of the Mentoring Program Committee) to put an operational mentoring program framework in place by June 2022. Witkowski and Scutieri got right to work rounding out a committee by enlisting and recruiting the support of RCA veteran, Carole Perry as a committee member. Perry’s many years of proven successful work with the Youth Activities Group was thought to have the potential to be a natural “feeder” to the new Mentoring Program. This feeder concept has worked out quite well, producing several prospective mentee candidates for the Mentor Program’s pipeline.

Before marketing and recruiting of mentors and mentees, the Committee concluded that we must do our due diligence. We reached out to groups with existing Mentoring Programs to learn from their early efforts, trials and tribulations. The research proved to be invaluable. Groups such as NATE (the communications infrastructure contractors association) and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) generously offered to discuss what worked for them and what did not, which shortened the learning curve quite a bit for RCA’s effort to incubate our own Mentor Program.

Once we had learned all we could through researching and speaking to other groups, Witkowski and Scutieri then worked with Amy Beckham and her RCA administrative team to put the technical and program infrastructure into place. Beckham’s team, with the Committee’s guidance, quickly designed an electronic application which currently resides on the RCA website under the Mentor Program portal. https://www.radioclubofamerica.org/content.aspx?page_ id=22&club_id=500767&module_id=526858

The Committee then worked to develop supporting program documents, including: 1) Mentor Guidelines, 2) Mentee Guidelines, 3) Overall Mentor Program Description, which are posted on the portal.

In an effort to ensure that RCA is protected from a legal standpoint, the Committee then met with RCA’s legal team (Barney Scholl and Ed Ryan) to create legal waivers that every Mentor and Mentee in the program must sign as part of the application process. This effort resulted in two program waivers: 1) a Mentee Waiver and 2) a Mentor Waiver, which also reside on the Mentor Program portal.

With the program infrastructure in place, the Committee then launched a marketing effort to announce to prospective Mentors and Mentees that this new program exists. The Committee worked closely with Beckham’s team once again to develop advertisements, press releases, marketing in RCA’s various newsletters and the overall RCA membership at large. The idea was to create, if we could, a backlog or inventory of mentees and mentors from which to source paring opportunities. We paid particular attention to building the inventory, since feedback from NATE and IEEE stressed the importance of matching the best people into good teams. We still struggle with it today as does NATE and IEEE.

Today, the Committee is proud to boast five operational Mentoring program pairs. Our plan is to grow that number by 50% in the near future.

In the pipeline for the committee as we close out 2023 and look to 2024 are the following efforts to grow the program:

1) creation of a mentoring program podcast, 2) continuing to build out our inventory of mentees and mentors, 3) grow the number of operational mentor program pairs to 10.

Stay tuned for our next Mentor Program article which will contain actual quotes from Mentors and Mentees on their experiences within the program and how it has impacted them both professionally and personally.

RCA Mentoring Program Committee co-chairs, David Witkowski and Paul Scutieri.

RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA

BOOK REVIEW

Wireless Wars by Jonathon Pelson

Reviewed by John Facella

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following book has been suggested as interesting reading or as a useful resource. The following review does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by RCA. We welcome suggestions and recommendations from RCA’s members regarding books to share with RCA’s membership. The scope can include technical, regulatory, or other subjects. We encourage you to send your suggestions to David Bart at jbart1964@gmail.com for publication in a future issue of the Proceedings.

Wireless Wars is published by BenBella Books, was copyrighted in 2021, and has the ISBN listing of 978-1-953295-61-3. The list price on the book jacket is $27.95 in the U.S. The author Jonathan Pelson worked for Lucent Technologies during the telecom boom of the 90s, and later worked developing a global wireless strategy for British Telecom. He traveled to China as a result of these positions. His point of view is as a business person, not an engineer, so he introduces 5G technology in a way that non-technical types can absorb. Today, he works as the chief commercial officer with Rampart Communications, a company that has a secure wireless technology that uses “unitary braid division multiplexing”. Mr. Pelson has an economics degree from Dartmouth and an MBA from the University of Virginia. I interviewed Mr. Pelson on September 12, 2023, and that interview is available on the RCA You Tube channel. His website provides more information: https://www.wireless-wars.com/

The book is organized into 5 parts, each with 4 to 9 short chapters, and a total of 272 pages for the body of the book. It has 8 pages of photographs and 19 pages of notes. Chapters are relatively short; most are around 6 to 10 pages. Hence, I found the book an easy read because of the way the author broke the material up. He uses the vehicle of sidebars in gray in some places to provide additional detail, which I found helpful.

The book details how U.S. and other Western telecommunications companies ceded their leadership in telecommunications by giving away at little to no cost their expertise to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) companies, all in the hopes of gaining entry to a very large untapped (at the time) market. That happened during my time at Motorola, which opened factories in China. The book focuses largely on Huawei, a $120 billion company, and to a lesser extent ZTE. He explains many of the other forces that contributed to this reversal of leadership,

including flawed management consultant analyses, bad acquisitions, impossibly low prices for projects performed by CCP companies, the dot com bubble, a short-term focus on profits instead of maintaining technological leadership, and the pandemic.

As he recounts the history of our involvement with CCP companies, many interesting facts come to light. For example, having been barred from providing cellular equipment to the larger U.S. cities, Huawei went after projects in rural America. But alarmingly, per chapter 19, Huawei’s projects were all located close to sensitive government sites. Another observation includes the number of industry notables who were initially against doing business with CCP companies, but later were hired by China as consultants who supported purchasing CCP company products. Chapter 20 details how people such as former CT Senator Joe Lieberman, Samir Jain (a former senior director of cybersecurity policy), Sir Mike Rake (the former chairman of British Telecom), and former U.K. prime minister David Cameron, were attracted to high salary jobs promoting CCP suppliers of telecommunications.

In chapter 24 he makes a very important point that has caused much misunderstanding by both politicians and businesses. Classical economics teaches that global trade is generally good if the partners are mutually dependent and can trust one another. However, the CCP view is that they are in a trade war with the U.S. and the West. The head of Huawei told his employees that “the company has entered a state of war” in a February 2020 speech. Mr. Pelson points out how telecommunications is a unique industry because it interconnects all levels of society and all countries. 5G is especially worrisome, because if implemented as originally imagined, it will connect homes, businesses, vehicles, machines, medical devices, such that anyone that hacked into the ‘Internet of Things” (IoT) will be able to turn important devices on and off, change date sets, and

generally create mayhem from afar. He explains in chapters 27 and 28 why it is so dangerous to source 5G equipment from untrusted foreign companies. Of especial interest to RCA members is a sidebar in chapter 28 explaining that the first hack of a wireless signal goes way back to Marconi in 1903. And in chapter 31, Pelson quotes RCA’s Honorary Member Marty Cooper.

In Part V, “Taking it Back”, Mr. Pelson provides 5 chapters detailing out a number of suggestions to government and industry in reversing our loss of telecommunications leadership. In chapter 33, Mr. Pelson talks about the U.S. innovators in 5G and their technologies – which should be of especial interest to RCA members. I leave it to the reader to consider these ideas.

OVERALL RECOMMENDATION

I highly recommend this book. I enjoyed the book; it was an easy read. It delves into the technology only lightly, so it can be read and understood by non-

technical people. RCA members will learn a great deal about how we got to where we are, and why 5G is different. Mr. Pelson avoided another trap for authors: the book is not political or biased.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

John Facella has a 35+ year career in wireless, including working for Motorola and their largest competitor Harris (now L3 Harris), and a national wireless consulting company. He has been the chief of executive of several small high tech companies, and served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. He graduated from Georgia Tech with a BSEE degree. He also has an MBA in marketing and international business, is a registered professional engineer, and is a Fellow and President Emeritus of the Radio Club of America. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not an official opinion of RCA.

BOOK REVIEW

This is How They Tell Me the World Ends by Nicole Perlroth

Reviewed by John Facella

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following book has been suggested as interesting reading or as a useful resource. The following review does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by RCA. We welcome suggestions and recommendations from RCA’s members regarding books to share with RCA’s membership. The scope can include technical, regulatory, or other subjects. We encourage you to send your suggestions to David Bart at jbart1964@gmail.com for publication in a future issue of the Proceedings.

This review is on This is How They Tell Me the World Ends, by Nicole Perlroth. The book is published by Bloomsbury Publishing, was copyrighted in 2021, and has the ISBN listing of 978-1-63557-605-, and it is also available as an ebook. The list price on the book jacket is $30.00. The author is a cyber-security journalist for the New York Times, and is a lecturer at the Standford Graduate School of Business. She has degrees from Princeton and Stanford. Her website is: https://thisishowtheytellmetheworldends.com/

The book is organized into 7 parts, each part having 2 to 5 chapters. The body of the book is 406 pages, and it contains 61 pages of notes documenting sources and other details. Most chapters are 10 or more pages long. There are no photographs, perhaps because most of her interviewees wanted to hide their identities. The book is a long read, but contains much information that the average person will not be aware of regarding how the dark world of hackers works and has evolved over the years. Ms. Perlroth is not a technical person, and she does not have a cyber security background. She learned her material the hard way, by attempting to network in a segment of society that normally keeps everything a secret. Hence, she spent 7 years researching the information, likely went down some dead ends in the process, and interviewed over 300 people.

This book is about the cyber arms trade, and the cyber-weapons race. She starts off recounting how the Russians shut down Ukraine’s systems in retaliation for their Revolution of Dignity in 2014. The intrusion caused government agencies, railways, the power grid, ATMs, and their post offices to shut down. This is what a cyber-attack can do to another nation.

In subsequent chapters Perlroth explains “zeroday attacks” (attacks on previously unknown vulnerabilities in software or hardware, which are bought and sold on the Dark Web and other places by hackers and by countries.)

She explains in Chapter 7 how the Russians hacked our typewriters with electromechanical bugs that would transmit information as it was being typed, making it possible to read our sensitive dispatches before they were encrypted. As a result, the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and others began to focus on ‘hacking the end points’ where the messages are still in the clear. She gives multiple examples of why software applications of thousands or millions of lines of code can never be assured of not having hidden trap doors or other bugs in them, because of the sheer size of the code base. For example, the first version of the Linux operating system contained 176,000 lines of code; by 2011 it would be over 15 million lines. In another example in the same chapter, NSA security chiefs felt that they could have 100% confidence in a software application that was under 10,000 lines of code, because the size of the code was small enough to thoroughly test. To check this theory, they had a group of NSA PhDs, cryptographers, and electrical engineers look at an application of less than 3,000 lines of code, that had a devious implant in it. The team of experts was unable to find the implant!

In chapter 13 she describes a secretive Israeli company called NSO that found a way to hack into smart phones with spyware via a stealth over the air installation that did not require the target to click on anything. This spyware was called Pegasus. Once installed on a smartphone, the user of the hack could get all kinds of information from a target’s phone.

Chapters 13 and 15 discuss how hacking cell phones was lauded as an accomplishment within the hacking community. These are the only direct mentions of wireless related issues in the book.

Ms. Perlroth then explains how the proliferation of zero-day attacks, and other hacks, is boomeranging around the globe. For example, in chapter 18 we learn that in early 2018 Israel and the U.S. had sent malware into Iran’s oil networks. A few months later,

in August of 2018, Iran used the same malware, Shamoon, to hit Saudi Aramco, the richest oil company, to destroy 30,000 computers and destroy all of the company’s data in its business systems. No one thought at the time that Iran had that level of cyber sophistication.

In chapter 18, she also talks about how the “Shadow Brokers” in 2016 managed to hack into NSA’s own networks and steal their cyber spying tools. She discusses the zero-day exploits that could break through firewalls sold by Cisco and other companies. No one in NSA had considered what would happen if their tools were stolen – hubris of the highest order! The Shadow Brokers then released what they stole to the world! A bit later we learn that someone broke into the CIA’s vault and stole hacking tools used by the CIA between 2013 and 2016, and then publicly released them.

In the last chapter, Epilogue, she makes many recommendations, both to the industry, and to ordinary users. We learn that open-source software makes up 80-90% of most software today, and high-end cars utilize over 100 million lines of code. She advocates the use of either two-factor or multifactor authentication, and possibly dispensing with passwords altogether. Perlroth believes we are on the edge of a cyber catastrophe, and people at every level need to do something now.

I agree with her. After reading through her very thorough account of the mysterious world of hackers and government security agencies, one is left with the feeling that no agency or system is safe from being hacked. This includes notable personalities like German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Michelle Obama, and a wide range of companies and agencies; from Google, Sony, and RSA Security to NSA, the CIA, and the Pentagon. The possibility of a major cyber incident shutting down all of our critical infrastructure, or starting a war, is very possible, leaving all of us vulnerable.

The book suffers from a few flat spots however. First, I think her suggested remedies in the Epilogue might have been better presented in a prioritized list format, and perhaps organized as suggestions for the government, for companies, and for private citizens, followed by details. Second, she provides political commentary in a number of places. Not only is this distracting if you don’t agree with her conclusions, but some of her statements have since proven to be wrong because of later revelations. Pelson’s book notably does not make this latter mistake. As Sergeant Joe Friday used to say in the TV show Dragnet, ‘just the facts ma’am’.

OVERALL RECOMMENDATION

I recommend this book for those that want to learn more about cyber security, perhaps after reading Jonathan Pelson’s book, which focuses primarily on wireless 5G. Although Ms. Perlroth did not come from the cyber security world, she has amassed a huge amount of history and facts about this space that impacts everyone. Although the book is a long read, the issues presented provide an important background to anyone in technology or business who needs to keep their data secure.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

John Facella has a 35+ year career in wireless, including working for Motorola and their largest competitor Harris (now L3 Harris), and a national wireless consulting company. He has been the chief of executive of several small high tech companies, and served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. He graduated from Georgia Tech with a BSEE degree. He also has an MBA in marketing and international business, is a registered professional engineer, and is a Fellow and President Emeritus of the Radio Club of America. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and not an official opinion of RCA.

Explore the ‘World of Wireless’

There are many different interesting facets of the wireless communications world. RCA’s ‘World of Wireless’ web page has links to multiple places, ideas, articles, and videos that may be of interest to you. Links include: Hot Topics, Fascinating Information, Interesting Articles, Short Wave Listening, Wireless Museums and more! If you know of anything that could be included here, please contact us. Learn more at www.bit.ly/RCAWorldofWireless

BOOK REVIEW

Probing the Sky with Radio Waves: From Wireless Technology to the Development of Atmospheric Science by Chen-Pang Yeang

Reviewed by David Bart, President, Fellow, Life Member

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following book has been suggested as interesting reading or as a useful resource. The following review does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by RCA. We welcome suggestions and recommendations from RCA’s members regarding books to share with RCA’s membership. The scope can include technical, regulatory, or other subjects. We encourage you to send your suggestions to David Bart at jbart1964@gmail.com for publication in a future issue of the Proceedings.

When you consider the history of electrical and electronic devices, no other development has had a greater impact on society’s communication than the discovery and development of radio. Its use in communication of voice, images, and now digital information for news, entertainment, space exploration, and location identification have literally altered human society. The growth from wired telegraphy to wireless communication involved changing notions of an electromagnetic universe and ultimately hinged on using and only later understanding the ionosphere.

Chen-Pang Yeang’s book Probing the Sky with Radio Waves: From Wireless Technology to the Development of Atmospheric Science outlines the development of commercial, amateur, and military uses of radio waves, focusing on developments between 1900 and 1935. It includes explanations about experimental and theoretical research on radio-wave propagation in the atmosphere and focuses on our understanding of the ionosphere.

The author has the background to tell the story. He is a faculty member at the University of Toronto’s Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology. He also has a background in electrical engineering and radio-wave propagation.

Probing the Sky with Radio Waves discusses how military and commercial radio communications have developed into personal and commercial mobile services over more than a century. He describes the earliest development of radio beginning approximately 1900, moves through commercial radio broadcast expansion beginning in 1920, and then outlines how radio and then television reported news and current events in real time and later in high-definition color. The story bridges the mutual developments of wireless technology and atmospheric science, and it continues through the development of satellites that

link our homes to the rest of the world. He highlights how other industries are also dependent upon radio for navigation, such as locating aircraft and ships and now automobiles and military hardware.

The study of radio emissions from space and the use of radar to study Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces has led to a wide range of applications. All of this derives from James Clerk Maxwell’s unification of electricity and magnetism into the concept of the electromagnetic wave. Heinrich Hertz and later Guglielmo Marconi’s propagation of radio waves took these concepts and made them into a technology for commercial uses. All of these technical applications progressed much faster than our understanding of electromagnetism. Further, most of the breakthroughs ultimately derived from observation and experimentation, with significant contributions from amateur radio operators and professional academics and commercial developers.

Yeang postulates that the monumental discovery that allowed the development of the radio spectrum ultimately involved our grasp of the ionosphere, its make-up, and its processes. In the end, it was the advances in radio ionospheric propagation research that transformed atmospheric science from an observational endeavor into an experimental science. It also yielded new theories, experiments, and instruments to better understand the atmosphere’s constitution, the origin of atmospheric electricity, and how the sun and geomagnetism shape the Earth’s atmosphere.

Yeang argues that it was experimentation which brought about our understanding of radio propagation, frequency, amplitude, the effects of time of day and year, surface diffraction, skip zones, and polarization. Many of those experiments were conducted at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, the US Naval Research Laboratory, the National

Bureau of Standards (now NIST), and the Universities of Cambridge and Manchester in the UK. Amateur radio operators, relegated to less commercially desirable portions of the radio spectrum, proved that propagation over very long distances that were well beyond the horizon could be achieved with low power. The book devotes an entire chapter to amateur experimentation, the birth of the shortwave era, and the transatlantic experiments of 1921. The Radio Club of America is mentioned numerous times in the book, although it does not appear in the index.

Probing the Sky with Radio Waves covers considerable history and delves into the broader sociology of the effects on society from the development of this technology. Portions of the book encompass more theory and include include the evolution of key schools of thought and important partial differential equations to explain concepts of electromagnetism and the history of magneto-ionic theory. Pick your poison and read; there is plenty of material for both the general audience and the more scientifically trained.

Reviews of this book have been positive. Reviewers have applauded the author’s discussion about the

THE BOOK SHOP

‘mutual shaping’ of science and technology. That shaping occurs in a diverse array of cultures, local and international, that have made discovery possible by joining mathematics, theory, experimentation, military, civilian, corporate engineers, inventors, and amateurs.

The book is a good one for those interested in the discovery and development of the radio spectrum.

Probing the Sky with Radio Waves From Wireless Technology to the Development of Atmospheric Science. Chen-Pang Yeang. The University of Chicago Press, July 2, 2013. ISBN: 978-0226015194. Hardcover, 384 pages.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

David Bart is the current President of the Radio Club of America, Editor of the RCA Proceedings, and an RCA Fellow. He is also the Treasurer of the IEEE History Committee and a Director and Fellow of the Antique Wireless Association. He has received numerous awards for his work involving the history of communications.

The following books have been suggested as interesting reading or as useful resources, and edited descriptions from the publishers are provided. These books have not been reviewed, and RCA is not advertising or endorsing the books or their authors. We welcome suggestions and recommendations from RCA’s members regarding your book suggestions to share with RCA’s membership. The scope can include technical, regulatory or other subjects. We encourage you to send your suggestions to David Bart at jbart1964@gmail.com for publication in a future issue of the Proceedings.

Fundamentals of Mobile Data Networks provides a comprehensive and systematic introduction to the theory and practice of mobile data networks. It covers basic design principles and explains analytical tools for network performance evaluation. Its focus on system-level resource management teaches how state-ofthe-art network design can enable flexibly to enhance efficiencies in

the management and trade-off of various resources such as spectrum, energy, and infrastructure investments. Topics covered range from traditional elements such as medium access, cell deployment, capacity, handover, and interference management, to more recent cuttingedge topics such as heterogeneous networks, energy and cost-efficient network design, and a detailed introduction to LTE (4G). Numerous worked examples and exercises illustrate the key theoretical concepts and help you put your knowledge into practice, making this an essential resource whether you are a student, researcher, or practicing engineer.

Fundamentals of Mobile Data Networks. Guowang Miao, Jens Zander, Ki Won Sung, Slimane Ben Slimane. Cambridge University Press, April, 2016. ISBN: 9781107143210. Hardcover, 322 pages.

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.

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 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.)

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.

READY TO INVEST IN THE FUTURE?

Thanks to our sleek new RCA website, opportunities to host innovative virtual programs and more new ways to connect with RCA members, being an RCA sponsor is a better-than-ever investment in the future.

Details are coming soon. If you can’t wait, contact Karen Clark, Sponsor Committee Chair at kjclark33@comcast.net to get a sneak peek!

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.

Logo and URL on RCA website

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Half page ad in Proceedings, logo in Aerogram

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6 tickets to Tech Symposium

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2 Banquet and Tech Symposium tickets

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The RCA is offering a variety of new sponsorships in 2021 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):

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WEBSITE

You can pay online at www.radioclubofamerica.org or call Karen Clark at kjclark33@comcast.net 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

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

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

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.

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

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

Would you like to be listed in the next issue of the Proceedings?

Contact RCA at (612) 405-2012 or Amy@radioclubofamerica.org to reserve space.

ANTIQUE WIRELESS ASSOCIATION

Robert Hobday, Director

David Bart, Board of Directors

PO Box 421

Bloomfield, NY 14469

PHONE: (847) 542-9873

jbart1964@gmail.com

www.antiquewireless.org

Preserving the Past for Posterity

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.

PANTHER PINES CONSULTING

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

PHONE: (978) 799-8900

pantherpinesconsulting@gmail.com

www.pantherpinesconsulting.com

Communications & Management

Consulting

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

RADIORESOURCE MEDIA GROUP

Paula A. Nelson-Shira, Owner

7108 S. Alton Way, Building H Centennial, CO, 80112

PHONE: (330) 792-2390 x112

FAX: (330) 792-2391

pnelson-shira@RRMediaGroup.com

RRMediaGroup.com

Information leader on wireless communications since 1984.

ROYAL COMMUNICATIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Maggie Lynch, President 3135 Coachman Ct. Oceanside, CA 92056

PHONE: (760) 529-9518

sales@royal-communications.com

royalcominc.com

Specializing in the sales and service of Barrett High Frequency, Single Sideband transceivers that are dependable and easy to use.

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

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

UTILITY TELECOM 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

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.

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 ®

WIRELESS TOWERS, INC.

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 INDUSTRY EVENTS

2023 RCA BANQUET AND TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM

November 18, 2023 Denver, CO

MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS: CONNECTED IMPACT

Feb 26–29, 2024 Barcelona, Spain

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IWCE 2023

March 25–38, 2024 Orlando, FL

CONNECTIVITY EXPO

May 14–16, 2024 Atlanta, GA

Please drop us a line and help organize an RCA booth. We are ready to come to you!!

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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/join to learn more about the benefits of membership!

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 login to your membership page on our website to update your information, email amy@radioclubofamerica.org or call (612) 430-6995.

HEADQUARTERS OFFICE

ADDRESS:

13570 Grove Drive #302 Maple Grove MN 55311

PHONE: (612) 430-6995

EMAIL: amy@radioclubofamerica.org

WEBSITE: www.radioclubofamerica.org