Dr. Robert Woodrow Wilson Headlines the 2024 RCA Banquet
This year marks the 115th anniversary of the Radio Club of America. Dr. Robert Woodrow Wilson, who won the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of cosmic microwave background (CMB), will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
and
are featured on this year’s RCA commemorative coin.
IN THIS ISSUE:
RCA’s 2025 Banquet and Technical Symposium Details
SETI: We Can Make The Cosmic Connection
The Road to 6G
The Cosmic Microwave Background
RCA Scholarship Activities
Dr. Robert Wilson
Dr. Arno Penzias
Dr. Robert Wilson
Proceedings
2024 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
Mercy Contreras
Bruce McIntyre
Stan Reubenstein
Timothy Duffy Anthony Sabino, Jr.
John Facella P.E.
STAFF
Amy Beckham, Administrative Director
Kathy Sheridan, Membership & Order Fulfillment
Maria Olaez, Bookkeeper
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
Greetings to our RCA Members, and congratulations to our 2024 award recipients and technical symposium presenters! I hope you will enjoy the fall 2024 edition of the Proceedings of the Radio Club of America, with a special section reflecting on RCA’s history. This 115th anniversary issue reflects RCA’s growth and success this year, and over the past century.
115 YEARS OF RCA
RCA is celebrating 115 years since its founding in 1909. This has been an exciting year, filled with new activities, full involvement in annual events, and recognition of our members’ accomplishments. This issue of the Proceedings reflects upon who we are as an organization. It comes at a time of revitalization and growth. As we look back and ponder, we look forward with anticipation, inspired to reach out and grab hold of an exciting future.
For more than a century, RCA’s members have led the world with paradigm shifting innovations in wireless and new insights about wireless history. RCA continues to be a unicorn among wireless organizations, known for its special blend of professional society, industry association, and clublike atmospheres. A unicorn is a rare and special thing. It is something to value and treasure, and it needs to be nurtured to thrive. RCA is such a thing.
Since 1909, RCA has brought people together in a noncommercial setting, simply for their love of radio and wireless. The reputation of this important and historic organization tells it all. Friends and competitors alike have found RCA to be a place of mutual respect, friendship, and curiosity; a place where experimentation and new ideas are sought and welcomed, and all are asked to share and contribute. It is a place where professionals, skilled amateurs, entrepreneurs, academics, historians, businessmen, and government officials are happy to get together to talk about the leading edges of electrical and electronic communication using wireless. In the words of the legendary Professor Michael Pupin, “You love this art for its own sake and not for what profit it brings you.”
Congratulations to everyone who made RCA’s history and who are making its future. Congratulations on 115 years as the oldest and most prestigious organization in the world who fosters wireless innovation.
RCA’S 2024 BANQUET WEEKEND IN NEW YORK CITY
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 New York City for a long weekend of activities.
• The banquet is on Saturday, November 23. We will present a Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Robert Wilson for his joint discovery with Dr. Arno Penzias of evidence proving Cosmic Microwave Background radiation.
• The banquet will be preceded by the Technical Symposium during the day. We have an amazing lineup of speakers exploring wireless topics, with many celebrating the legacies and future direction of Bell Laboratories (Bell Labs centennial is in 2025).
• As a special bonus this year, we are providing tours on Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, we will venture into New Jersey to visit the InfoAge Museums, Bell Laboratories, the giant Horn Antenna where Drs. Wilson and Penzias made their discoveries, and the AT&T Science & Technology Innovation Center. On Friday we will see the NYU Wireless Laboratory. Complete information is available on the website YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER, CAPACITY IS LIMITED. Special arrangements can be made for those that live locally and wish to travel independently of the bus.
• We have added special features 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. We have a number of students committed. We will also host an RCA anniversary display of historical artifacts and documents provided by our partner organization, the Antique Wireless Association.
Please look for details in this issue of the Proceedings and on the website. We encourage all of you to come to New York City to enjoy these live, fun-filled, and inspiring activities as we network, learn, and share in the thrills of the art and science of wireless.
SOME THOUGHTS ON RCA’S RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS
These past two years have been an exciting and rewarding time for me as your president! I want to thank each and every one of you for the honor and privilege of serving you. I also want to thank RCA’s board of directors and the Sapphyre Group for their work on the many endeavors and initiatives that we undertook together. All of these things could not have happened without the many people who dedicated time, volunteered their work, and donated financial support for RCA. There are too many to list, but each and every one of you make RCA happen, and I am personally grateful to you.
RCA has revitalized itself these past two years because of all of the work we did together to improve member services, programs, industry participation, marketing and branding, website, and especially personal outreach.
Times have changed, and so have the processes and technology of social interaction. Organizations are no longer strictly evaluated on memberships. Outreach is the key, and RCA has more than 5,000 followers and active participants.
• Our programs at industry events are filled with enthusiastic newcomers and experienced hands alike.
• Our booth activity at industry shows is thriving, energetic, curious, and engaged.
• Our online programs and written communications have never been better.
• Our legendary reputation continues to attract the top scientists and inventors, experimenters, academics, and skilled amateurs.
We are far more than an amateur radio club, which has always been a misperception. Though many of our members are involved in amateur radio, our emphasis is on experimentation and exploration, and our membership reflects a wide breadth of interests. We are at the forefront of changing technology and innovation in the wireless field.
We have made great strides in our administration and the mechanisms of program delivery. Our Women In Wireless events and RCA Interviews series have attracted broad
recognition, as well as our ongoing RCA Youth Activities, RCA Scholarships, and RCA Mentorship Program.
In short, we are achieving success! Membership continues to rebound, and we have attracted new corporate memberships and sponsors. We are receiving significant attention from new companies who are interested in being associated with and participating in the world’s most prestigious and oldest wireless society.
THANK YOU AND AN INVITATION
It has been an honor to be your RCA President. I look forward to continuing my deep commitment and involvement on the board, and I plan to continue working with the many wonderful members of RCA and its leadership.
RCA is what you, the members, make of it. I would like to ask each of you to be an ambassador for the Radio Club of America. Please help nurture this special place and spread the word to encourage others to get involved!
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. The future is bright!
We look forward to seeing all of you in New York City, our birth city, this November.
DAVID BART, KB9YPD President
The Radio Club of America Inc.
We hope to see you there!
2024
TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM AND 115 TH AWARDS BANQUET
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2024
WESTIN TIMES SQUARE
NEW YORK CITY
RCA’s 2024 Banquet to Feature Nobel Laureate Dr. Robert W. Wilson
The Radio Club of America (RCA) is thrilled to announce that Dr. Robert W. Wilson will be featured at the 2024 banquet and awards ceremony in New York City. We will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the discovery of cosmic microwave background (CMB), the contributions of Bell Laboratories, and visit Dr. Wilson in person. He will present at the Technical Symposium about Bell Labs, and he will be an important part of the awards banquet.
2024 TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM & BANQUET
This year marks the 115th anniversary of the Radio Club of America. As part of our celebration, RCA is excited to welcome significant participation from Bell Labs at our events. Bell Labs’ centennial takes place in 2025. We also welcome the involvement of our friends and colleagues at IEEE. We look forward to a wonderful exploration of the best in wireless innovation at our Technical Symposium and Banquet on Saturday November 23, 2024 at the Westin Times Square in New York City.
DR. ROBERT W. WILSON1
Dr. Wilson graduated from Lamar High School in Houston, Texas in 1953 and received a BA in Physics from Rice University in 1957. He received a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from California Institute of Technology in 1962. Dr. Wilson was a scholar at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology from 1958–63, and a research fellow at the California
Institute of Technology from 1962–63. He has taught at the State University of New York since 1978. He joined the research staff of Bell Laboratories in 1963 and has been a director of radio physics research at Bell Laboratories since 1976. He also provided work for Exxon in 1957.
Dr. Wilson received the Henry Draper Medal in 1977 with Dr. Arno Penzias, received the RAS Herschel Medal in 1977, and shared the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1978 with Dr. Penzias and Dr. Pyotr Kapitsa. Drs. Wilson and Penzias received the Nobel Prize for their discovery of evidence verifying the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe. Dr. Kapitsa conducted unrelated research into low-temperature physics.
Dr. Wilson has spent a lifetime working in millimeterwave astronomy, measuring the sun’s radiation in the Earth’s atmosphere, quantifying interstellar isotopes, and investigating the properties of molecules detected in open space. Today, he continues his association with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He lives with his wife, a practicing psychiatrist, in Holmdel, New Jersey.
New York City – Host City for the 2024 Radio Club of America Banquet and Technical Symposium.
Dr. Robert W. Wilson. (Courtesy Wikipedia, Victor R. Ruiz)
Dr. Wilson is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Astronomical Society, American Physical Society, American Philosophical Society, International Astronomical Union, IEEE, International Union of Radio Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, Phi Beta Kappa Society, and Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society.
COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND2
Over the centuries, many different theories explained the origin of the universe. By the 1940s, cosmologists focused on two principal ideas to explain the creation of the universe. The steady-state theory argues that the universe has always existed and will continue without noticeable change. The Big Bang theory states that the universe was created from a single point in a massive explosion event billions of years ago.
On May 20, 1964, two radio astronomers working at Bell Labs, Dr. Robert Wilson and Dr. Arno Penzias, discovered evidence of the long-hypothesized CMB. CMB is the residual energy that began saturating the universe 380,000 years after its creation. Drs. Wilson and Penzias used Bell Laboratories’ Holmdel Horn Antenna on Crawford Hill in New Jersey for their measurements.3
The antenna was constructed as part of the Project Echo satellite program and was also used in the Project Telstar communications satellite experiments. Employing the antenna for their research, Wilson and Penzias measured faint radio waves, removing all recognizable interference from their receiver. They eliminated the effects of radar and radio broadcasting, and suppressed interference from the heat in the receiver itself by cooling it with liquid helium to −269 °C, only 4 K above absolute zero. They
Penzias and Wilson stand at the 15-meter Holmdel Horn Antenna at Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey in 1962. The antenna is 50 feet long, weighs 18 tons, and is constructed of aluminum with a steel base. It was originally used to detect radio waves reflected off Project ECHO balloon satellites. It was later used as a receiver for broadcast signals from the Project Telstar communications satellite. In 1964, Drs. Wilson and Penzias used it to discover cosmic microwave background radiation. (Courtesy NASA)
detected a low, steady, mysterious noise that was 100 times more intense than they had expected. They found it was evenly spread over the sky and was present day and night on a wavelength of 7.35 centimeters.4
After eliminating all possible sources of interference, including pigeons that were nesting in the antenna, they concluded that they had discovered CMB. CMB is a remnant of the Big Bang, a discovery that firmly established the Big Bang theory that the cosmos originated from a single point about 13.8 billion years ago.
INTERPRETING CMB RESULTS
Coincident with Wilson and Penzias’ work with the Holmdel antenna, Robert H. Dicke, Jim Peebles, and David Wilkinson, astrophysicists at Princeton University, were contemplating their own search for microwave radiation. They reasoned that the Big Bang event must have scattered the matter that later condensed into galaxies as well as releasing a tremendous blast of radiation. They theorized that this radiation should be detectable as microwaves.
Penzias’ friend Bernard F. Burke, a professor of physics at MIT, told Penzias about a preprint paper he had read that was authored by Peebles. The paper led Penzias and Wilson to realize the significance of their discovery since the radiation they detected fit the radiation predicted by the Princeton team. Dicke was invited to visit Bell Labs to see the horn antenna and listen to the background noise.
The teams decided to publish joint papers in the Astrophysical Journal Letters that were released in 1965. Dicke and his associates outlined the importance of CMB as a substantiation of the Big Bang Theory in “Cosmic Black-Body Radiation.”5 Penzias and Wilson published “A Measurement of Excess Antenna Temperature at 4080 Megacycles per Second,”6 reporting the existence of a 3.5 K residual background noise, remaining after accounting for a sky absorption component of 2.3 K and a 0.9 K instrumental component, and attributing a “possible explanation” as the one provided by Dicke in his companion letter.
In 1978, Penzias and Wilson received the Nobel Prize for Physics for their joint detection. In 2019, Peebles received the Nobel Prize for Physics, “for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology.”
SAVE THE DATE
The Radio Club of America looks forward to seeing everyone in New York City on November 23 to meet Dr. Wilson, commemorate the 60th anniversary of the discovery of CMB, and celebrate 115 years of RCA members’ innovations in wireless.
Drs.
SOURCES
1 See “Robert Woodrow Wilson, Biographical.” NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach. https:// www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1978/ wilson/biographical/ and Siegel, P. H. (March 2012). “Terahertz Pioneer: Robert W. Wilson The Foundations of THz Radio Science.” IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology. Vol. 2, Issue 2: 162–166.
2 Several sources tell the general story. See Bernstein, J. (1984). Three Degrees Above Zero: Bell Labs in the Information Age. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, Ch. 14–15.; Brush, S. G. (Aug. 1992). “How Cosmology Became a Science.” Scientific American. 267 (2): 62–70.
3 For a historical discussion about the Holmdel horn antenna, see Bart, D. and Bart, J. (2023). “Giant Horn Antennas in Space Communications.” AWA Review. 36: 135–194.
4 Wilson, R. W. Nobel Lecture, December 8, 1978, “The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation.” NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach. https://www. nobelprize.org/uploads/2018/06/wilson-lecture-1. pdf
5 Dicke, R. H.; Peebles, P. J. E.; Roll, P. J.; Wilkinson, D. T. (July 1965). “Cosmic Black-Body Radiation.” Astrophysical Journal Letters. 142: 414–419.
6 Penzias, A. A.; Wilson, R. W. (July 1965). “A Measurement Of Excess Antenna Temperature At 4080 Mc/s.” Astrophysical Journal Letters. 142: 419–421.
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2024 TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM AND 115TH BANQUET & AWARDS PRESENTATION
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23 | NEW YORK CITY
Featuring Keynote Speaker Nobel Laureate Dr. Robert W. Wilson celebrating the 60th anniversary of the discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation
REASONS TO ATTEND THE RCA BANQUET AND TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM
Innovative Learning in Wireless Technology
Dive into a wide range of wireless topics—from the latest advancements to the rich history that shaped today’s technology.
Build Connections and Strengthen Your Network
Join us in New York City to meet RCA’s members and expand your professional network.
Celebrate Industry Leaders
Honor the innovators, creators, and visionaries who make this industry unique, and recognize those shaping its future.
Support Future Leaders
Champion the next generation by supporting RCA’s youth initiatives and learning from this year’s Young Achiever Award Winner.
Explore Iconic Facilities
Join exclusive tours of the InfoAge Museums, Bell Laboratories, the Horn Antenna, AT&T Science & Technology Innovation Center, and NYU’s Wireless Laboratory.
Experience New York City
We are thrilled to host this year’s events in the Big Apple— a perfect opportunity to explore the energy and excitement of this world-famous city.
Register for the 2023 Technical Symposium and Banquet at www.radioclubofamerica.org
The Radio Club of America Board of Directors and its members would like to thank the generous 2024 sponsors. Be sure to tell them that you saw their company mentioned in the Radio Club of America Awards Program.
THANK YOU 2024 SPONSORS 2024
AWARDS PROGRAM SPONSORS
2024 RCA Awards
The Radio Club of America (RCA) proudly announces its 2024 annual award recipients and its incoming class of 2024 Fellows. Since 1935, RCA has recognized through its awards program major contributors to wireless communications.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
DR. ROBERT W. WILSON
Established in 2015, RCA’s Board of Directors recognizes very significant achievements, and a major body of work accomplished over a lifetime that has advanced the art and science of wireless wtechnology. After graduating with honors in physics from Rice University, Dr. Wilson attended the California Institute of Technology to earn a Ph.D. He became involved in radio astronomy through John Bolton, who was building the Owens Valley Radio Observatory. Working with him, Dr. Wilson helped map parts of the Milky Way, which eventually became the basis for his thesis. During this time, he married Elizabeth Rhoads Sawin; they went on to have two sons, a daughter, and four grandchildren.
Dr. Wilson’s thesis project initially focused on hydrogenline interferometry but pivoted to galactic surveys after some setbacks. John Bolton returned to Australia before he completed his Ph.D., and Maarten Schmidt, who was studying quasars, guided him through the final stages. Dr. Wilson stayed at Caltech for another year as a postdoctoral fellow to finish various projects, working closely with colleagues such as V. Radhakrishnan and B.G. Clark.
In 1963, Dr. Wilson joined Bell Laboratories at Crawford Hill, working with Dr. Arno Penzias on radio astronomy subjects. They
used equipment developed for Projects Echo and Telstar such as the Crawford Hill, Horn Antenna which they modified for precision radio astronomy measurements. In 1965, they announced the discovery of radiation which originated in the big Bang, the Cosmic Microwave Background. After the creation of Comsat led to reduced space research, he and Dr. Penzias took on other projects, including a propagation experiment using a carbon dioxide laser and designing a device called the Sun Tracker.
In 1969, they shifted to millimeterwave astronomy and made significant discoveries, including large amounts of carbon monoxide in a molecular cloud behind the Orion Nebula. This opened up the study of interstellar molecular clouds where new stars are formed. In 1976, they completed a millimeter-wave facility at Crawford Hill for both radio astronomy and satellite monitoring. Dr. Wilson directed the project, overseeing the antenna’s design and construction.
In 1978, Drs. Wilson and Penzias received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery of the CMB.
Since he retired from Bell Laboratories in 1994, Dr. Wilson has been a Senior Scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics where he is helping develop new instrumentation for the Sub Millimeter Array on Maunakea, HI. Today, Dr. Wilson lives in Holmdel, New Jersey. He balances his professional pursuits with family life, finding joy in both work and leisure.
ARMSTRONG MEDAL DR. GOUTAM CHATTOPADHYAY
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.
Goutam Chattopadhyay is a Senior Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology (Caltech)and a Visiting Professor at Caltech, Pasadena. He has been a BEL Distinguished Visiting Chair Professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India and an Adjunct Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. He received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Caltech, Pasadena, in 2000. He is a Fellow of IEEE (USA) and IETE (India), Track Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer, and the President-Elect for IEEE MTT-S for 2024.
His research interests include microwave, millimeter-wave, and terahertz receiver systems and radars, and the development of space instruments for the search for life beyond Earth.
Dr. Chattopadhyay has more than 375 publications in international
2024 RCA Awards
journals and conferences and holds more than twenty patents. He also received more than 35 NASA technical achievement and new technology invention awards. He received the NASA-JPL People Leadership Award in 2023, IEEE Region-6 Engineer of the Year Award in 2018, Distinguished Alumni Award from the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST), India in 2017. He was the recipient of the Best Journal Paper award in 2020 and 2013 by IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, the Best Paper Award for antenna design and applications at the European Antennas and Propagation Conference (EuCAP) in 2017, and IETE Prof. S. N. Mitra Memorial Award in 2014 and IETE Biman Bihari Sen Memorial Award in 2022.
DR. ULRICH L. ROHDE AWARD FOR INNOVATION IN APPLIED RADIO SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DR. JAMES BREAKALL, WA3FET
Established in 2023, this award recognizes significant contributions to innovation in applied radio science and engineering in the wireless industry to inspire future generations of wireless professionals.
Professor Jim Breakall, WA3FET, received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. He has over 50 years of experience in numerical electromagnetics and antennas. He was a Project Engineer at the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory (LLNL-Livermore, CA), and an Associate Professor at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPGSMonterey, CA). He is currently a Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering at Penn State.
Dr Breakall began his career as a graduate student at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, working on antenna analysis and radar probing of the ionosphere. At LLNL, he and his group worked on the development of the Numerical Electromagnetics Code (NEC), the first sophisticated antenna modelling program. Other significant projects that he has worked on were the designs of the HAARP facility in Alaska, both HF facilities at Arecibo, and the Kinstar low profile AM broadcast antenna. Dr Breakall (electrical) and Tim Duffy (mechanical) designed the very popular Ham Radio Skyhawk Yagi antenna, and Dr Breakall is the inventor of the Optimized Wideband Antenna (OWA).
Dr Breakall is a member of several IEEE societies, Eta Kappa Nu, International Union of Radio Science Commission B, and the IEEE Wave Propagation and Standards Committee. He has been an editor for several journals. He is a frequent speaker at the Dayton Hamvention Antenna Forum.
Dr. Breakall received the RCA Sarnoff Citation and is a Life Fellow of IEEE and an RCA Fellow. He serves as an RCA director and as the Co-Chairman and later Chairman of the RCA Technical Symposiums. He also serves on the RCA Scholarship Committee, Education Committee and Awards Committee, and Innovation Council.
WIRELESS INNOVATION AWARD EVELYN TOEES GOMEZ
Established in 2022, this award recognizes individuals who create a new concept or product to be used in the wireless industry.
2024 has been busy for Mrs. Torres-Gomez as Solaris has been working hard on their newest tower innovation. The MITT which is a mobile WiFi Tower solution that has proven to bridge connectivity gaps during disaster relief, rural connectivity and outdoor events nationwide. As you can see Evelyn is passionate about innovation and finding solutions that advance connectivity options.
She started her career as a telecommunications industry executive with Nokia Networks. She served as an Area Account Manager for Central America and led the customer account team to identify and win Nokia Networks. She led the first infrastructure deal in Central America and served as Lead Customer Manager for North America and Latin America. She received awards for decreasing product development cost by 25% while providing customer solutions ahead of schedule. Evelyn also worked as a product manager for VHA, Inc. / Novation, a medical health care provider, where she was responsible for product launches, contract negotiation, and business development.
She is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Solaris Technologies Services, LLC. Solaris is an award-winning global telecommunications U.S.
2024 RCA Awards
manufacturing company that provides innovative high-capacity mobile tower solutions also known as Cellular-on-Wheels throughout the Americas.
She also owns patents in tower design and cabling. On behalf of Solaris, she has received numerous awards for her innovation and community involvement. Evelyn currently serves on the Engineering Advisory Board of UTA College of Engineering and is heavily involved in STEM work both locally and at a collegiate level.
Evelyn has earned degrees in Business Management from Le Tourneau University in Longview, Texas and in Marketing from Mountain View College in Dallas. She resides in Irving,TX with her husband Miguel and has two children and four grandchildren. She enjoys hiking, culinary experiences, traveling, family and music of all kinds.
USN CAPTAIN GEORGE P. MCGINNIS MEMORIAL AWARD
MARIO A. VULCANO
This award recognizes service and dedication to the advancement and preservation of U.S. Naval Cryptology, as nominated by the U.S. Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association (NCVA).
Mr. Vulcano is a Master Training Specialist (MTS) with over 24 years of technician training experience, specializing in SIGINT, Cyber Operations, Electronic Warfare, and leadership. He is a dedicated instructor and course manager, responsible for graduating more
than 2,200 cryptologic warfare officers and 150 enlisted cryptologic technicians. He is currently serving as an instructor for the Cryptologic Warfare Officer Basic Course (CWOBC). He is an awardwinning professional with accolades including CIWT Pensacola Instructor of the Year and IWTC Corry Station Civilian of the Year. He is responsible for creating the Station Hypo BLOG that celebrates the history of Navy Cryptology and keeps the members of the community up to date on current events and developments. He is dedicated to the advancement and preservation of the history of U.S. Naval Cryptology, staffing the Command Display at Corry Station, which houses artifacts and documents related to the Cryptologic community dating back to WWII. He authored the Cryptologic Warfare Officer’s Guide, a document that can be found on every cryptologic capable ship in the fleet. This document has had the largest impact on the cryptologic community outside of Station Hypo.
JAY KITCHEN LEADERSHIP AWARD ROSS MERLIN
Established in 2019, this award recognizes an individual whose leadership embodies energetic advocacy, cooperation, avid interest and respect for all, and humor, and who has achieved a high level of success leading a wireless association, government agency, or commercial enterprise.
Ross Merlin is an HF radio specialist with NVIS Communications LLC after retiring from a long career
in the U.S. federal government. His federal career included many aspects of LMR and HF radio communications such as emergency response and operations, regulation, spectrum management, technical support, and program management.
As Telecommunications and Information Resources Manager of the National Disaster Medical System, his experience responding to major disasters led him to create the National Interoperability Field Operations Guide (NIFOG), used nationwide by public safety, military, and other emergency communications specialists. At FEMA he led the Wireless Program Management office, which included the FEMA National Radio SYSTEM (FNARS) and served as FEMA’s Spectrum Manager. After serving as DHS Spectrum Manager, where his work included policy and regulatory matters, he joined the DHS Office of Emergency Communications (OEC, now Emergency Communications Division, ECD), providing technical assistance nationwide through the Interoperable Communications Technical Assistance Program (ICTAP). From 2015-2021 at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), he was the Program Manager of the SHAred RESources High Frequency Radio Program (SHARES). The SHARES program provides common radio channels and procedures, as well as a nationwide HF email system, to support interoperable emergency communications for all levels of government as well as critical infrastructure and key resources.
2024 RCA Awards
EDGAR F. JOHNSON PIONEER CITATION STAN REUBENSTEIN
Established in 1975, this award recognizes longtime RCA members who have either made noteworthy contributions to the success of RCA or to the radio industry.
Mr. Reubenstein is a retired Manufacturer’s Representative. He graduated from California State University, Los Angeles and Northridge and worked in the Photo-Voltaics engineering laboratory Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena. After serving in the U.S. Army, he held positions as a sales and marketing manager at Standard Communications, Dynatel Communications, TPL Communications, and Standard Communications. He formed Aurora Marketing Company in Denver in 1977, selling it in 2016. He served as president of Radio Funding Inc. from 1987-92. He is the cofounder of the Communications
Marketing Association, serving as past president and executive committee member. Mr. Reubenstein received the CMA’s Representative of the Year Award, Pioneer Award, and Foundation Award. He is a member of APCO, ARRL Life Member (receiving the 1971 Public Service Award), Antique Wireless Association, Denver Area Council BSA (Silver Beaver Recipient 2011), QCWA (Life Member). He is a Fellow, Life Member, director, and previous officer of the Radio Club of America, serving as vice president, executive vice president and president. He received RCA’s Special Service Award and the Barry Goldwater Award.
RALPH BATCHER AWARD
MICHAEL P. MOLNAR
Established in 1976, this award is presented to an RCA member for their significant work in preserving the history of radio and electronic communications.
Mike Molnar has been an electronic hobbyist since grade school and this interest carried on through his time as an undergraduate in Physics and Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. He started his own company, Diagnostic Services Inc., manufacturing custom nuclear medicine imaging equipment in 1984. He has been designing and building nuclear medicine gamma cameras since then. These specialized instruments are used for veterinary diagnostic imaging in clinics and universities around the world, ranging from feline thyroid scans to equine bone scans.
Mike also enjoys the world of vintage radios and television. He is a founding member of the New Jersey Antique Radio Club and is a member of the Early Television Foundation where he edits their newsletter. Mike is a long-time member of the AWA and was named a fellow in 2023. He has published numerous indepth historical articles. Mike has been a prolific writer for the AWA Review. He researches and writes about radio history, and he has given
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.
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several presentations at annual AWA Conferences. He served as a primary source for research regarding the 2024 IEEE Milestone celebrating the development of the Neutrodyne Circuit at Stevens Institute. Mike received the AWA’s Taylor Award in 2019 for documentation to preserve television history and the Robert Murray Award in 2021 for excellence in research and publications.
LEE DE FOREST AWARD PROFESSOR DR MORIMI IWAMA
Established in 1983, this award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the advancement of radio communications.
RCA SEEKS YOUR HISTORICAL MATERIALS
Dr. Morimi Iwama worked at AT&T Bell Laboratories from 1961 to 1994. He served as Executive Director of Switching Systems and later as Chief Technical Officer and Vice President in the Switching Systems Business Unit of AT&T from 1992 to 1994, where he was responsible for technology planning and development.
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
Dr. Iwama earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He joined AT&T Bell Labs in 1961 after a brief tenure as an assistant professor at UC Berkeley. Dr. Iwama made significant contributions to numerous projects and programs, including communication technologies and systems for the U.S. Department of Defense, as well as commercial communication
technologies. He has a long history of promoting international collaboration on matters related to communication technologies. He is also known for his contributions to the development of the control system used for the giant horn antenna at the Andover Earth Station, as part of the Telstar Project.
Dr. Iwama has published numerous internal studies and articles for Bell Labs and AT&T and has authored many reports for the U.S. Department of Defense. His publicly available works include articles in the Bell System Technical Journal, AT&T Technical Journal, Proceedings of the IEEE, IEEE Communications Magazine, Automatica, as well as several conference presentations.
DR. ARNO A. PENZIAS AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO BASIC RESEARCH IN THE RADIO SCIENCES
DR NATHAN “CHIP” COHEN, W1YW
Established in 2023, this award recognizes his significant contributions to basic research involving RF and related subjects to inspire future generations of scientific professionals.
Dr. Nathan Cohen (“Chip”) is the founder and CEO of Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc. He is a physicist, radio astronomer, and innovator/inventor. Dr. Cohen possesses a broad scope of knowledge across many fields, which has led him down many roads throughout his career. Research and/or professorial positions held include the following institutions: Harvard; MIT; Cornell; NAIC (Arecibo); NASA-JPL and Ames; and
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Boston University (BU). Dr. Cohen was the Cornell Ph.D. student of RCA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Dr. Frank Drake, and his thesis: “Milliarcsecond Morphology of the Twin Quasar: The View Through a Gravitational Lens,” Cornell Ph.D., 1985 employed very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) for the first detailed evidence of a gravitational lens—a hot topic now in astronomy. He is a retired professor of Science and Engineering at BU; spent time as a Quant trader on Wall Street with a seat on the AMEX; is a songwriter in the music business; a SETI pioneer; and is a published science trade book author. Dr. Cohen is perhaps most noted for his contributions to the field of electromagnetics and has authored over 120 technical papers,
three books, and was awarded 94 issued U.S. patents.
He is the inventor of fractal antennas and resonators, fractal metamaterials, and the invisibility cloak, conducting basic and applied research on same, and holds the source patents in these fields.
The first public demonstration of the invisibility cloak was presented at the RCA Technical Symposium in 2012. In 2017, Dr. Cohen demonstrated “Fractal Metamaterials and the New Class of Directional Antennas” at RCA Technical Symposium. Dr. Cohen is an RCA Fellow and received RCA’s Lee DeForest and Alfred Grebe Awards. He is a former RCA Vice President.
RCA Mentorship Program
BARRY GOLDWATER AWARDRENE ALBERT STEIGLER (POSTHUMOUS)
In recognition of unique contributions to the field of amateur radio. René Stiegler was an electrical engineer, prominent radio amateur, radio personality, broadcast engineer and pioneer in the fields of land mobile radio and marine communications. When he was ten years old he was recognized by the ARRL as the youngest ham to ever receive the general class license. Amateur radio then became his lifelong passion. As a
2024 RCA Awards
successful inventor and entrepreneur he founded wireless technology companies and held several wireless technology patents. He served as the president of the Maritime Mobile Service Net for over twenty five years, the world’s oldest continuously operating amateur radio net. René founded Shipcom, LLC with Robert S. Block in 2002, which purchased and operated Public Coast Station WLO in Mobile, Alabama. The station received and transmitted tens of thousands of messages from commercial vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic and Eastern Pacific oceans using both voice and data technologies. As a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, René used station WLO to help coordinate helicopter rescue and air traffic control during Hurricane Katrina after U.S. Coast Guard facilities in Mobile and New Orleans were temporarily rendered out of service by the storm. René and Shipcom received a special commendation by the Commandant of the Coast Guard for their “Assistance to the Gulf Coast And facilitating the rescuing of over 33,000 lives in the stricken Gulf region”. In 2005 he was recognized by FEMA “to acknowledge exemplary volunteer efforts of the MMSN during preparation for rescue and recovery from hurricane Katrina and Rita. Your skilled communicators were directly responsible for saving lives of your fellow citizens”. He received a letter of commendation from Navy MARS as the Float and Overseas Operations Network member of the year in 1997 for “Your professional achievement, dedication, and significant contributions to the continuing success of the Navy Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio System…You provide a valuable service to your community and country.”
RCA PRESIDENT’S AWARD CHARLES KIRMUSS
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.
Charles Kirmuss is an inventor, amateur radio operator, retired Director of a Search and Rescue team and Volunteer Firefighter, audiophile, and entrepreneur known for his contributions to the audio industry, particularly and of late, in vinyl record and Edison Cylinder restoration. To this: He is the founder of Kirmuss Audio and the inventor of the KA-RC-1 Ultrasonic Record Restoration System with record ionization that is the basis for his IP, which has gained recognition globally for its ability to restore and preserve vinyl records.
Mr. Kirmuss has been passionate about audio, electronics, photography and amateur radio since a young age, building speaker enclosures, color organs, music synthesizers, and tube amplifiers as a hobby at five years of age.
His professional career includes pioneering work in RF GPS situational awareness terminals, audio and video signal cables, and digital video and audio recorders as well as using digital and analog mediums for data and texting, most developments used within Homeland Security circles. He has also held various leadership roles, including CEO and executive and founding positions at technology companies such as GE Canada, Garda Security, Loronix Information Systems. In 1978 he worked as a technologist
at Spar Aerospace in Montreal working on the Space Shuttle’s Canada, Anik E and TDRS Satellites. Patents issued and applied for cover pre-heating of hard drives, NMEA GPS data string sets for situational awareness and text messaging, pre-event digital video and audio recording, vinyl record restoration using ionization.
Pioneer of body cameras, in addition to his technical achievements, Kirmuss is a respected speaker at global trade shows on matters of sourcing, IP protection, security target hardening as well as vinyl and Edison Cylinder manufacturing and their care, conservancy and restoration. He is a Director and Fellow of the Radio Club of America, where he supports youth programs and promotes and encourages technical education.
For a decade he has been involved with the RCA Awards Committee and has been its Chair since 2022.
RCA SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD ALAN SPINDEL
Initiated in 2000, this award is given in recognition of dedicated service to the Radio Club of America.
Alan Spindel (AG4WK) is the Senior Electrical Engineer for Ten-Tec/Alpha RF Systems in Dayton, Ohio. He develops hardware and firmware for digital HF radio data modems. He trained at the University of Tennessee and has over twenty-five years of professional experience in the telecom industry. He has worked as a broadcaster, professional tower climber, design engineer, and engineering manager. As the principal systems engineer of Mobile
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Marine Radio/Intrado/ShipCom LLC, Mr. Spindel automated the operation of one of the world’s largest commercial HF radio facilities. He was the principal engineer for the deployment of a nationwide HF radio emergency network for Public Safety Access Points (PSAPS). As a senior project manager for Smartower Systems he developed active cell tower monitoring systems. He has served as the CTO of ITG since 2005, designing interoperable radio system hardware for public safety and military customers. He is active in volunteer emergency communications and has served as the Rutherford County, Tennessee, ARES Net Manager for nearly two decades.
Mr. Spindel spearheaded the complete historical research, analysis, and summary of the Radio Club of America’s (RCA) decades-old scholarship program. He restructured and consolidated most of the
old funds into a single operating scholarship fund, the Captain Bill Finch RCA-Legacy Scholarship Fund, while coordinating with the Finch family and various RCA board members. He is also instrumental in implementing the New Century Fund to promote current scholarship award programs.
Mr. Spindel is chair of the RCA Scholarship Committee, and he was named an RCA Fellow in 2019. He received the 2021 RCA President’s Award and is a Senior Member of the IEEE.
CAROLE PERRY YOUNG PROFESSIONAL AWARD TUCKER DUNHAM
Established 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.
Tucker Dunham, KD2JPM, earned his amateur radio license in 2015. He presented in Carole Perry’s Youth Forum at the Dayton Hamvention in 2018 and again at the RCA Technical Symposium in 2018. In 2019, Tucker began attending Rochester Institute of Technology. He will be receiving a B.S. in Microelectronic Engineering in December 2024. At RIT, he has held internship positions at four different companies: Menlo Micro, Advanced Energy, Sony Electronics, and the RIT Semiconductor and Nanofabrication Laboratory. In addition to ham radio, Tucker’s other interests include astrophotography, building telescopes, restoring vintage motorcycles, and cooking.
2024 RCA Fellows
Elevation to Fellow is made by invitation only to RCA members who are in good standing for at least five years in recognition of their contributions to the art and science of radio communications, broadcast, or to RCA that are deemed outstanding by RCA’s Board of Directors. The following RCA members are elevated to Fellow status in 2024.
MICHAEL KALTER, W8CI
Michael Kalter provides executive coaching, strategic planning, operational strategy, sales leadership, and rescue plans. His work drives cultural change seeking a collaborative balance between accountability and empowerment. He was formerly President, COO, and owner of Behm Quartz Industries and Vice President and General Manager at AMSEA Fineblanking LLC, and previously worked at NUMMI (a joint venture between Toyota and GM). He is a founding member of the Sunrise Alliance. He is an avid supporter of amateur radio and RCA, leading the restructuring and rebuilding of the Dayton Hamvention that serves more than 34,000 participants annually. Michael is a member of the RCA board of directors and a past recipient of the Barry Goldwater Award.
BECKY NEUGENT
Becky entered public-safety in 1997 and has been responsible for installing CAD, radio, phone, and recording systems, and CPE equipment for managing all aspects of callhandling and radio dispatching
processes and procedures. She became an APCO Basic Public Safety Telecommunicator Course instructor and a full APCO member in 2001. Since that time, she has been actively involved in APCO at the local and international level. From 2009-2016, she served as the Alabama Executive Council Representative when she was elected as the Gulf Coast Region Board of Directors Representative for two terms. Becky holds several certifications and was honored as a Certified Public-Safety Executive from APCO International. Becky is currently the 911 Director for the Autauga County Emergency Communications District in Prattville, Alabama. In August 2023, she became the 88th President of APCO International.
STEPHEN NICHOLS
Mr. Nichols is the Executive Director of the Project 25 Technology Interest Group (PTIG). He has led the organization for the last 11 years. PTIG is a notfor-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. A graduate of Syracuse University, he has more than 40 years of experience in Land Mobile and Public Safety Radio through various product and business development positions, having worked for Thales, its predecessor organization Racal, as well as EF Johnson, Bendix King, Uniden, RELM, and Hy-Gain Electronics. Some of the notable radio products that he has helped develop include: the Hy-Gain remote control CB radio, Regency direction-finding VHF Marine radio, Uniden Cordless Flip-Phone, Bendix-King 136-174 MHz VHF portable with keypad programming & cloning, Racal 25 submersible portable, and the Thales Liberty Multi-band Multi-mode P25 radio.
Mr. Nichols is a member of The Radio Club of America, APCO, IACP, IAFC, a previous member of the APCO Commercial Advisory Board, a contributor to NPSTC, and has represented numerous manufacturers at the TIA TR-8 standards meetings. He has developed and led over 50 Project 25 technology related panels at IWCE, APCO and first responder conferences. He is a recipient of the Radio Club’s Edgar F. Johnson Pioneer Citation.
HOWARD ROSEN, VE2AED
Howard Rosen is a distinguished inventor renowned for his innovative contributions across various industries, including telecommunications, cooling and air, and medical devices. He developed an insatiable curiosity for technology at the age of eight and for years experimented and built projects from books and became passionately interested in reading biographies of inventors . His father was a TV technician and Howard learned many concepts by watching his father repair televisions. He made his first significant breakthrough at the age of 21 by developing a scanner adapted to the channel synthesizer of VHF and UHF communications transceivers in the early 1970s.
Over the years, Mr. Rosen has pioneered numerous advancements, such as the first solid-state epilation equipment, a programmable automatic telephone prefix dialer, and a brushing behavior reinforcement toothbrush. His work covers many fields including a mesh networking multi-base station cordless telephone, a solidstate CO2 gas sensor, and an apparatus for automatically blocking the transmission and identifying information concerning a telephone calling party, which was successfully marketed by RadioShack.
A notable highlight of his career was the development of an apparatus for
assessing ophthalmic patients and a method for damaging cancerous cells using radio frequency waves in conjunction with the natural temperature of cancerous tumors. Rosen also invented one of the first home satellite receivers for the North American market, which gained significant attention in the UK, leading to a partnership with Carleton Communications for the manufacturing and marketing of satellite systems in Great Britain.
Mr. Rosen also made significant strides in energy management technology for large commercial office buildings and hotels . His invention of a mesh networking system for energy management thermostats has allowed buildings to save as much as 45% on their electrical consumption, which has substantially lowered greenhouse gasses. These innovations employ intelligent algorithms based on occupant activity and body temperature monitoring, causing HVAC systems to automatically adjust to perceived comfort levels. With approximately 80 patents to his name in diverse fields, including 23 patents in smart thermostat technology and simplified user interfaces, Mr. Rosen’s ability to identify and address real-world problems has cemented his reputation as a forward-thinking inventor with an innovative spirit across vast disciplines.
Mr. Rosen’s talents go beyond invention, as he has successfully manufactured and brought many of his products to the global
marketplace, demonstrating his collaborative nature in translating innovative ideas into practical, marketable solutions. Through his inventions, Mr. Rosen not only advanced the state of technology, but also enriched people’s lives by making daily tasks easier, promoting health, and increasing energy efficiency, all which have benefitted humanity as a whole.
In 2018, he established the Howard (VE2AED) and Micheline (KM6FOH) Rosen Fund to support RCA’s operations.
DR. JULIO URBINA
Dr. Urbina is a full professor of electrical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering who has worked in radar design, digital systems and space instrumentation, analog design, software designed radio and radars, radio wave propagation, meteor detection, system integration, radio wave remote sensing and radar studies of the atmosphere and ionosphere. He has received numerous awards and was selected as a Fulbright Scholar for the 2024-25 academic year, conducting research and teaching in Lima, Peru. He is an RCA board member and has served on the RCA Technical Symposium Committee and RCA Awards Committee for many years.
Congratulations to 2024 RCA Award Winners and Fellows!
Technical Symposium
Speaker Biographies
PHOTONICS FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE
Naresh Chand Ph.D., Life Fellow IEEE Multiple Leadership Roles in IEEE
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Naresh Chand represents IEEE Photonics Society, APS-MTT and RAS in multiple leadership capacities. In 2019, he retired from the US R&D Center of Huawei Technologies in NJ where he was working on developing low-cost advanced technologies for Ultra-Broadband Optical Access Networks since 2011. Prior to this, he worked for BAE Systems (2003-11), Agere Systems and AT&T/Lucent Bell Laboratories (1986-2003), and Dept of Electronics, Government of India (1974-79). His areas of research include optical communication systems, fiber-tothe-home, RF over fiber, non-hermetic 1300-1500 nm InP lasers, reliable high power 980 nm InGaAs/GaAs pump lasers, VCSELs, HBTs, HEMTs, QWIPs, GaAs/Si and AlGaAs/GaAs MBE. He has several firsts and world records to his credit. He has authored > 180 research papers and 15 patents (issued). He did his M.Sc. (Tech) Electronics in 1974 from BITS, Pilani with Gold Medal. On a British Commonwealth Scholarship, he did his M. Eng. (1980) and Ph.D. (1983) in EE from the University of Sheffield, UK. He also did 2 years post-doctoral research at the University of Illinois, Urbana, IL. From 1974 to 1979 In the Dept. of electronics, Govt. of India, he was involved with the development of Electronic Component industry in India. Dr. Naresh Chand is a Life Fellow of IEEE.
SETI: WE CAN MAKE THE COSMIC CONNECTION
Dr. Nathan “Chip” Cohen
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Nathan “Chip” Cohen is the founder and CEO of Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc. He is a physicist, radio astronomer, and innovator/inventor. Dr. Cohen has held research and or professorial positions at: Harvard; MIT; Cornell; NAIC (Arecibo); NASA-JPL and Ames; and Boston University. He is a former professor of Science and Engineering; spent time as a Quant trader on Wall Street with a seat on the AMEX; studied astrophysics under Dr. Frank Drake (an RCA Lifetime Achievement Award winner). Dr Cohen published over 100 technical papers and holds 94 US patents. He is the inventor of fractal antennas and resonators, fractal metamaterials, and the invisibility cloak, conducting basic and applied research on these, and holds the source patents in these fields. Dr. Cohen is a Fellow of the Radio Club of America, received RCA’s Lee DeForest and Alfred Grebe Awards, and is a former RCA Vice President.
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF MEDICAL ELECTRONICS SYSTEMS
Sreeram “Ram” Dhurjaty
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Dhurjaty specializes in research, development and commercialization of medical electronics systems such as Patient and Fetal Monitors, Medical Ultrasound, CT scanner, Digital and computed radiography. He is an expert in low noise Analog Electronics for
medical devices as well as Biophotonics. He worked on the development of appropriate medical systems for developing countries that are affordable and meet the unique needs of those countries. He is an expert on high density power supplies and magnetics for medical and other applications. My several years of experience in designing and managing medical devices had equipped me to conduct critical design and robustness reviews at every stage of medical device design. As a past member of AAMI standards committees, I am conversant with standards and Risk analysis that pertain to medical devices.
DARE MIGHTY THINGS: EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE AND SEARCHING FOR NEW WORLDS
Goutam Chattopadhyay is a Senior Scientist at the NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology and a Visiting Professor at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, USA.
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Goutam Chattopadhyay is a Senior Scientist at the NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology and a Visiting Professor at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, USA. He has been a BEL Distinguished Visiting Chair Professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India and an Adjunct Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. He received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, in 2000. He is a Fellow of IEEE (USA) and IETE (India), Track Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Antennas and
Propagation, an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer, and the President-Elect for IEEE MTT-S for 2024.
His research interests include microwave, millimeter-wave, and terahertz receiver systems and radars, and development of space instruments for the search for life beyond Earth.
He has more than 375 publications in international journals and conferences and holds more than twenty patents. He also received more than 35 NASA technical achievement and new technology invention awards. He received the NASA-JPL People Leadership Award in 2023, IEEE Region-6 Engineer of the Year Award in 2018, Distinguished Alumni Award from the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST), India in 2017. He was the recipient of the best journal paper award in 2020 and 2013 by IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, best paper award for antenna design and applications at the European Antennas and Propagation conference (EuCAP)
in 2017, and IETE Prof. S. N. Mitra Memorial Award in 2014 and IETE Biman Bihari Sen Memorial Award in 2022.
THREE EVENTS THAT SHAPED MY CAREER – CRYSTAL RADIO TO TELSTAR ANTENNA
Dr. Morimi Iwama
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Morimi Iwama retired from AT&T Bell Labs as Executive Director, Switching Systems in 1994. Dr. Iwama served as chief technical officer and vice president in the Switching Systems Business Unit of AT&T from March 1992 to January 1994. In that capacity he was responsible for technology planning and development.
Dr. Iwama graduated from the University of California at Berkeley B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering. Professor Dr. Iwama joined AT&T Bell Labs in 1961 after a brief career as
professor at University of California at Berkeley.
Dr. Iwama made significant contributions to many projects and programs involving revolutionary communication technologies and systems. His contributions involved innovations and practical implementation for NASA, US Department of Defense, and commercial communication technologies.
In addition to technology contributions, Dr. Iwama is a leader in advancing technology for the benefit of humanity; he has a long track record of international contributions bringing about standard communication among countries and people around the globe.
Dr. Iwama is widely published. His confidential publications to Bell Labs and AT&T are excluded, as are his reports and work/sudies performed for the US Department of Defense under contract with Bell Labs. Dr. Iwama was heavily involved in studies in support of Department of Defense in years 1961 through 1974 and again in 1979.
THE ORIGIN OF THE NATIONAL INTEROPERABILITY FIELD OPERATIONS GUIDE (NIFOG)”
Ross Merlin
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Ross Merlin, a well-known figure in the world of emergency communications interoperability, is now an HF radio specialist with NVIS Communications LLC after retiring from a long career in the U.S. federal government. His federal career included many aspects of LMR and HF radio communications such as: emergency response and operations, regulation, spectrum management, technical support, and program management. As Telecommunications and Information Resources Manager of the National Disaster Medical System his experience responding to major disasters led him to create the National Interoperability Field Operations Guide (NIFOG), used nationwide by public safety, military, and other emergency communications specialists. At FEMA he led the Wireless Program Management Office which included the FEMA National Radio SYSTEM (FNARS) and served as FEMA’s Spectrum Manager. After a few years as DHS Spectrum Manager where his work included policy and regulatory matters, he joined the DHS Office of Emergency Communications (OEC, now Emergency Communications Division, ECD), providing technical assistance nationwide through the Interoperable Communications Technical Assistance
Program (ICTAP). From 2015 through 2021 at the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) he was the Program Manager of the SHAred RESources High Frequency Radio Program - SHARES. The SHARES program provides common radio channels and procedures, as well as a nationwide HF email system, to support interoperable emergency communications for all levels of government as well as critical infrastructure and key resources.
WIRELESS LATENCY ARBITRAGE: FROM SMOKE SIGNALS TO IONOSPHERIC TOMOGRAPHY
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Alex Pilosov is a technologist with a track record of cross-domain R&D leadership, best known for being the first to build a microwave network connecting equity markets in New York to derivative markets in Chicago. The story of how he transformed a multi-billion-dollar industry has been fictionalized in Michael Lewis’s book Flash Boys and the movie The Hummingbird Project Alex is a firm believer in R&D engineering over RFP engineering. He has consistently pushed the boundaries of innovation across a wide range of technologies, including RF, optics, and platforms like airplanes, drones, balloons, and satellites. His current endeavor is a pioneering HF ionospheric
SILENT AUCTION DONATIONS NEEDED!
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.
data transmission system, based on a custom design of low-cost, distributed, massive-MIMO phased array transmit and receive antennas, high-power amplifiers, software-defined radios, and advanced data processing algorithms capable of achieving a system gain of over 70 dB.
MILLIMETER WAVE LINKS – SIMILAR TO MICROWAVE LINKS?
Krishnamurthy Raghunandan (Raghu)
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Krishnamurthy Raghunandan (Raghu) is a senior life member of the IEEE and is a professional Engineer (P.E) with considerable experience in design and deployment of millimeter wave links. He authored the textbook An Introduction To Wireless Communication – A Practical Perspective. It was published by Springer in 2022 and approved by the IEEE communication society as a textbook for university students. In addition to working at Bell labs over a decade, Raghu has worked as a senior manager for two decades at the MTA, bringing new wireless technologies into the MTA network. He has research degree in satellite communication and provides tutorials and courses through the IEEE. Prior to joining Bell labs he worked on satellite launch vehicles and checkout systems, with considerable success –many of those satellites have been in service for decades.
Alex Pilosov
WASTE FIGURE: A NEW METHOD FOR MEASURING AND EVALUATING THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND WASTED ENERGY IN ANY COMMUNICATION NETWORK
Ted Rappaport SPEAKER
BIOGRAPHY
Ted Rappaport is a pioneer in the fields of wireless communication, radio propagation measurement, channel modeling, antennas, and software. He has made seminal contributions in radio propagation measurements, statistical and site-specific channel modeling, communications system design, and physical layer simulation. Throughout his lifetime, he has continually created revolutionary channel sounding systems and software that explore, model, design, and explain wireless communications in the modern era. His PhD at Purdue University in 1987 provided the world’s first propagation measurements inside factory buildings, and was pivotal for the creation of the world’s first IEEE Wi-Fi standard, IEEE 802.11. His propagation measurements and channel models led the US cellular telephone industry to adopt TDMA and CDMA for the first digital 2G US cellular standards. His work influenced the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to open up the world’s first mobile telephone spectrum in the millimeter wave bands in 2014-2016 as part of the FCC Spectrum Frontiers ruling, and he again led the FCC to open up spectrum in the sub-Terahertz bands above 95 GHz with the FCC Spectrum Horizons ruling in 2018-2019. The global wireless industry adopted his millimeter wave vision for 5th generation (5G) cell phone networks. He founded two businesses that were sold to publicly traded companies — TSR Technologies, Inc. which pioneered software defined radios for cellphone/ paging over-the-air intercept and the first Emergency-911 (E911) cell phone position location system, and Wireless Valley Communications, Inc., a leader in site-specific wireless deployment that ushered in the Wi-Fi and microcell/
indoor cellular revolutions, and was an advisor to Straight Path Communications which sold 5G millimeter wave spectrum to Verizon. He has authored or edited over 20 books including the best-selling textbooks on wireless communications, adaptive antennas, simulation, and millimeter-wave wireless communications. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and is in the Wireless Hall of Fame, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the U.S. National Academy of Inventors, a recipient of IEEE’s Eric Sumner Award, and a life member of the American Radio Relay League. His ham radio call sign is N9NB.
NOISE IN OSCILLATORS WITH ACTIVE INDUCTORS
Ulrich L. Rohde
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Prof. Dr. Ing. habil Ulrich L. Rohde 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.
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 of Oradea for microwave technology, an honorary professor at the BTU CottbusSenftenberg University of Technology, and professor at the German Armed Forces University Munich (Technical Informatics).
Rohde has published 400+ scientific papers, co-authored 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 Distinguish 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.
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. 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 the engineering domain, which has immensely contributed to 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.
SPACE COMMUNICATION AT BELL LABS THEN AND NOW
Peter Vetter, President of Bell Labs Core Research, Nokia
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Peter Vetter is President of Bell Labs Core Research and Bell Labs Fellow. He leads an eminent global research organization with the mission to create game changing innovations that define
the future of networks and insure portfolio leadership for Nokia’s core business.
During an international career of more than twenty-five years in research leadership mostly in fixed and mobile networks, he and his teams have realized several world-first system demonstrations and successfully transferred industry leading concepts to the business groups. He was also co-founder of an internal venture that produced the first FTTH product in Alcatel. He received the degree of Physics Engineer from Gent University (Belgium) in 1986 and a PhD with Prof. H. Pauwels in 1991. After a post-doctoral fellowship with Prof. T. Uchida at Tohoku University (Japan), he joined the research center of Alcatel (now Nokia) in Antwerp in 1993. Since 2009, he has worked at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, New Jersey, and has been on the senior leadership team of Bell Labs since 2013. He has authored over a hundred international papers and presented keynotes and tutorials at major technical industry events. He is also IEEE Fellow and Honorary Professor of KU Leuven.
THREE PIVOTAL DISCOVERIES IN RADIO ASTRONOMY AT BELL LABS, HOLMDEL
Dr. Robert Wilson
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Robert Woodrow Wilson shared half of the 1978 physics prize with Arno Penzias, his colleague at Bell Laboratories in New Jersey, for their discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation that originated in the early big bang and permeates the universe. The other half was awarded to the Russian Pyotr Kapitsa (1894–1984) for his work in lowtemperature physics.
Dr. Wilson was born in 1936, the eldest of three children, and grew up in Houston, Texas. He studied piano and played trombone in the high school band. He picked up a keen interest in electronics from his do-it-yourself father, and repaired radios and television sets for fun and spending money in his high school years. He went to Rice University, where he graduated with honors in physics with a thesis on low temperature physics. Between leaving Rice and starting his PhD at Caltech in 1957, he took a summer job at Exxon, and in those short weeks obtained his first patent for a high-voltage pulse generator for a pulsed neutron source to be used in oil well logging.
At Caltech he joined a new radio astronomy group. All astronomical objects emit radiation in the form of radio waves, allowing radio astronomers to study aspects of objects and materials not visible with optical telescopes. He mapped the Milky Way for his thesis. After gaining his PhD in 1962 he remained at Caltech for a year as a postdoctoral fellow. He then took a job at Bell Labs Crawford Hill lab in 1963, joining Arno Penzias, who had been there about two years. Bell had built a sensitive horn-reflector antenna for use with the first communications satellite, the Echo Balloon. Using it, Penzias and Wilson made their discovery of background radiation in 1964. The horn-reflector has very little pickup of radiation from the earth allowing a direct measurement of the brightness of the region of sky it was pointed at. At the
initial operating wavelength of 7 cm, the sky was expected to have a very low brightness. However, they found a high level of background ‘radio noise’ and their measurements showed that it was uniform in all directions. This radiation matched that expected from calculations of the early Big Bang. Using satellites designed for the purpose, scientists have since derived our earliest picture of the universe from this cosmic microwave background radiation. With much better theoretical understanding, many properties of our universe have been derived from that picture.
In 1970, he, Penzias and Keith Jefferts incorporated a sensitive Bell Labs mixer in a receiver for the NRAO 36’ radio telescope in Arizona. They discovered several interstellar molecules, starting with CO and its isotopes 13CO and C18O. These molecules have been instrumental in discovering and understanding the structure and dynamics of molecular clouds, the places where stars are formed. Wilson was later project leader for a millimeter-wave facility at Crawford Hill that was used for astronomy and satellite communications research. Wilson currently works at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics where he designs instrumentation for their SubMillimeter Array, extending the millimetre-wave work to shorter wavelengths and higher spatial resolution.
Wilson married Elizabeth Sawin in 1958. They have two sons, a daughter and four grandchildren.
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1:40 – 2:05 p.m. - “Photonics for National Defense”
Presented by Naresh Chand Ph.D., Life Fellow IEEE
2:05 – 2:30 p.m. - “Three Events that Shaped My Career – Crystal Radio to Telstar Antenna”
Presented by Dr. Morimi Iwama
2:30 –2:55 p.m. - “Millimeter Wave Links – Similar to Microwave Links?”
Presented by Krishnamurthy Raghunandan
2:55 – 3:15 p.m. - Break
3:15 – 4:15 p.m. - “Three Pivotal Discoveries in Radio Astronomy at Bell Labs, Holmdel”
Presented by Robert Woodrow Wilson
4:15 – 4:40 p.m. - “The Origin of the National Interoperability Field Operations Guide (NIFOG)”
Presented by Ross Merlin
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David Bart, President, Radio Club of America
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RCA’S AWARDS BANQUET CELEBRATES THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF DR. ROBERT WILSON
EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Robert Wilson will be receiving the Radio Club of America Lifetime Achievement Award at its November 23, 2024 Awards Banquet. The following autobiography/biography was written at the time that Dr. Robert Wilson received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1978. It was later published in the book series Les Prix Nobel/ Nobel Lectures/The Nobel Prizes. The information is sometimes updated with an addendum submitted by the Laureate. It is reprinted here in its entirety at Dr. Wilson’s request to share it with RCA. For further information, see https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1978/wilson/ biographical/. A copy of Dr. Wilson’s Nobel Lecture is available at https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2018/06/ wilson-lecture-1.pdf.
My grandparents moved to Texas from the South after the U.S. Civil War and settled on small farms in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. Both families emphasized education as the way to improve their children’s lives and both my parents managed to graduate from college. After receiving an M.A. in chemistry from Rice University, my father worked for an oil well service company in Houston. I was born on January 10, 1936. Two sisters followed, three and seven years later.
I attended public school in Houston. I took piano lessons for several years, and in high school, I played trombone in the marching band. I remember especially enjoying two seasonal activities: ice skating with the Houston Figure Skating Club in the winter and visiting an aunt and uncle’s farm in west Texas in the summer.
During my pre-college years, I went on many trips with my father into the oil fields to visit their operations. On Saturday mornings I often went with him to visit the company shop. I puttered around the machine, electronics, and automobile shops while he carried on his business. Both of my parents are inveterate do-it-yourselfers, almost no task being beneath their dignity or beyond their ingenuity. Having picked up a keen interest in electronics from my father, I used to fix radios and later television sets for fun and spending money. I built my own hi-fi set and enjoyed helping friends with their amateur radio transmitters, but lost interest as soon as they worked. My high school career was undistinguished except for math and science. However, having barely been admitted to Rice University, I found that I enjoyed the courses and the elation of success and graduated with honors in physics. I did a senior thesis with C.F. Squire building a regulator for a magnet for use in low-temperature physics. Following that I
had a summer job with Exxon and obtained my first patent. It covered the high-voltage pulse generator for a pulsed neutron source in a downhole well-logging tool.
Following Rice, I went to Caltech for a Ph.D. in physics, without any strong idea of what I wanted to do for a thesis topic. For the first year, I lived in the Athenaeum (faculty club) where I became acquainted with a small group of graduate students and visiting faculty members, with whom I often dined and went on weekend outings. When the end of my second quarter approached, I needed a trial research project. David Dewhirst, a Cambridge astronomer and one of the Athenaeum group, suggested that I see John Bolton and Gordon Stanley about radio astronomy. The situation seemed perfect for me. John had come to Caltech to build the Owens Valley Radio Observatory, and the heavy construction was finished. Radio astronomy offered a nice mixture of electronics and physics.
My introduction to radio astronomy was, however, delayed for a summer. I returned to Houston to court and marry Elizabeth Rhoads Sawin, whose spirit and varied interests have added much to my happiness during our twenty-year marriage.
The following year I took my first astronomy courses and went to the observatory during school breaks. That summer John Bolton asked me to join him in observing some of the bright regions on a radio map of the Milky Way which had been made by Westerhaut. By the end of the summer, this project had expanded to making a complete map of that part of the Milky Way which was visible to us. When it was time to measure our chart records and start drawing contour maps from the data, John set up a drawing board in his office and worked with me on the project. This was typical of John. Whatever the project, whether digging a hole, surveying, laying cables, observing, or reducing data, John would work along with the others. His interest in our map-making and the location of the drawing board kept me at the map-making task instead of designing the next piece of equipment, which would have been my natural inclination.
Our first son, Philip, was born during my fourth year at Caltech. He had many trips to the Owens Valley Radio
Dr. Robert Wilson circa 1978.
Observatory, the first at the age of two weeks. He and Betsy were readily accepted at the observatory. My thesis project was to have been hydrogen-line interferometry, but when the first plans for a local oscillator system didn’t work out, I used the galactic survey as the basis for my thesis. John Bolton returned to Australia before I completed my Ph.D. Maarten Schmidt, who had previously done galactic research and was currently working on quasars, saw me through the last months of thesis work. I remained at Caltech for an additional year as a postdoctoral fellow to finish several projects in which I was involved. The project of setting up and running the Owens Valley Radio Observatory was very much a community effort. At one time or another, I worked with all of the staff and other students and learned from all of them. My collaborations with V. Radhakrishnan and B.G. Clark were especially fruitful. I also had the opportunity to meet many of the world’s astronomers who visited Caltech.
Drs. Penzias and Wilson stand at the 15-meter Holmdel Horn Antenna at Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey in 1962. The antenna is 50 feet long, weighs 18 tons, and is constructed of aluminum with a steel base. It was originally used to detect radio waves reflected off Project ECHO balloon satellites. It was later used as a receiver for broadcast signals from the Project Telstar communications satellite. In 1964, Drs. Wilson and Penzias used it to discover cosmic microwave background radiation. (Courtesy NASA)
In 1961, H.E.D. Scovil at Bell Labs offered to help us make a pair of traveling-wave maser amplifiers for the interferometer. V. Radhakrishnan got the job of going to Bell Labs to make our masers. I had wanted to go, but had not yet completed my degree work. I worked with Rad on that project, though, and developed a good feeling toward Bell Labs which was later a strong influence on my decision to take a job there.
I joined Bell Laboratories at Crawford Hill in 1963 as part of A.B. Crawford’s Radio Research department in R. Kompfner’s laboratory. I started working with the only other radio astronomer, Arno Penzias, who had been there about two years. Our early radio astronomy projects are described in my Nobel lecture.
With the creation of Comsat by U.S. Congress, Bell System satellite efforts and related space research were reduced. In 1965 Arno and I were told that the radio astronomy effort could only be supported at the level of one full-time staff member, even though Art Crawford and Rudi Kompfner strongly supported our astronomical research. Arno and I agreed that having two half-time radio astronomers was a better solution to our problem than having one fulltime one, so we started taking on other projects. The first one was a joint project – a propagation experiment on a terrestrial path using a 10.6µ carbon dioxide laser as a source. Following that, I did two applied radio astronomy projects. For the first, I designed a device we called the Sun Tracker. It automatically pointed to the sun while it was up every day and measured the attenuation of the
sun’s cm-wave radiation in the earth’s atmosphere. Since, as we expected, the attenuation was large for too much of the time for a practical satellite system, I next set up three fixed-pointed radiometers at spaced locations to check on the feasibility of working around heavy rains.
In 1969, Arno suggested that we start doing millimeterwave astronomy. We could take the low-noise millimeterwave receivers which had been developed at Crawford Hill by C.A. Burrus and W.M. Sharpless for a waveguide communication system and make an astronomical receiver with them. We planned to use it at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s new 36-foot radio telescope at Kitt Peak in Arizona. Our observations began in 1969 with a continuum receiver. The next year, K.B. Jefferts joined us, and with much help from C.A. Burrus at Crawford Hill and S. Weinreb at NRAO we made a spectral line receiver at 100–120 GHz. We were excited to discover unexpectedly large amounts of carbon monoxide in a molecular cloud behind the Orion Nebula. We quickly found that CO is widely distributed in our galaxy and so abundant that the rare isotopic species 13C16O and 12C18 O were readily measurable. We soon observed a number of other simple molecules. Our major efforts were directed toward isotope ratios as a probe of nucleogenesis and understanding the structure of molecular clouds.
In 1972, S.J. Buchsbaum, who was our new executive director, revived an earlier proposal and suggested that we build a millimeter-wave facility at Crawford Hill. It was to be used partly for radio astronomy, and partly to monitor the beacons on the Comstar satellites which AT&T was planning to put up. I was project director for the design and
construction of the antenna and was responsible for the equipment and programming necessary to make it a leading millimeter-radio telescope. The winter of 1977–78 was our first good observing season with the 7-meter antenna and I am looking forward to several more years of millimeter wave astronomy with it.
We still live in the house in Holmdel which we bought when I first came to Bell Laboratories. Our two younger children were born here, Suzanne in 1963, and Randal in 1967. We have come to enjoy the eastern woodlands and I now look forward to skiing and outdoor ice skating with my family and associates in the winter. I spend many evenings reading or continuing the day’s work, but I also enjoy playing the piano, jogging, and traveling with the family.
EDUCATION AND MARRIAGE
• B.A. 1957 Rice University “with honors in Physics”
• Ph.D. 1962 California Institute of Technology.
• Married 1958 Elizabeth Rhoads Sawin.
EMPLOYMENT
• Caltech, Research Fellow 1962-1963.
• Bell Laboratories 1963-
• Member of Technical Staff 1963-1976.
• Head Radio Physics Research Department 1976-
• Adjunct Professor, State University of New York (SUNY) 1978-
MEMBER
• American Astronomical Society
• International Astronomical Union
• American Physical Society
• International Union of Radio Sciences
• American Academy of Arts and Sciences
HONORS
• Phi Beta Kappa
• Sigma Xi
• Henry Draper Award 1977
• Herschel Medal 1977
[EDITOR’S NOTE: The list of memberships and honors is shown as it is reported on the Nobel Prize website. It does not reflect all of Dr. Wilson’s activities and honors.]
Robert Woodrow Wilson–Biographical. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2024. Thu. 26 Sep 2024. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1978/wilson/ biographical/
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RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA INTERVIEW WITH DR. ROBERT WILSON ON THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND RADIATION
Interviewers: David Bart and Dr. Ajay Poddar 1
EDITOR’S NOTE: May 20, 2024, marked the 60th anniversary of the discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation by Dr. Robert Wilson and Dr. Arno Penzias at Bell Laboratories. The Radio Club of America interviewed Dr. Wilson about this historic event and his career in science. The following transcript memorializes our discussion, hosted by David Bart, President of RCA, and Dr. Ajay Poddar, the 2023 recipient of RCA’s Armstrong Medal.
[David Bart] Thank you for joining us. We have transcribed this discussion with Dr. Robert Wilson, who collaborated with Dr. Arno Penzias to discover evidence of cosmic microwave background radiation, which supports the Big Bang theory about the universe’s origin. Dr. Wilson will receive the Radio Club of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the November 2024 banquet.
I am joined by Dr. Ajay Poddar who received the Radio Club of America’s Armstrong Medal in 2023. My name is David Bart. I am the current president of the Radio Club of America.
Dr. Wilson, we are pleased to celebrate the 60th anniversary of your discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation. Congratulations to you and to everyone who contributed to this amazing discovery in 1964 that changed humanity’s understanding of the universe.
[Dr. Robert Wilson] Hello Dave and Ajay, and by the way, Bob is just fine. We all know each other.
[David] Very well then, Bob, some of our readers may not be familiar with your work. Can you briefly describe your major areas of interest and research, and can you briefly describe the essence of your discovery with Dr. Penzias regarding cosmic microwave background radiation as evidence supporting the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe?
[Bob] I think Karl Jansky2 may have been behind some of this. Art Crawford3 and Karl Jansky came to Bell Labs
at the same time. They even roomed together for a while. Jansky discovered that there was radio frequency radiation coming from the center of the Milky Way galaxy, which was sort of the ‘invention,’ if that’s the right word, of radio astronomy. This was in the Depression, and people were working short hours. There was the feeling that they had to concentrate on Bell System things, so I think there was a feeling among the group that Jansky’s discovery was not properly followed up. So, when Bell Labs built this marvelous receiving system for the Echo Project, they knew that it could do things in astronomy that had not been previously achieved. So, Bell Labs went out and hired Arno Penzias4 and me to undertake research, and they gave us support to do it.
Art Crawford who built the 20-foot horn reflector antenna (at Holmdel, New Jersey) understood antenna theory. He and Dave Hogg made measurements of horn reflectors. They compiled all this background information about what the antenna should be able to do, which let us know what a precise measuring instrument it was. That precision was the key, or we probably would not have paid any attention to the excess noise that we detected. Nor would we have tried to make the measurements we were making. We knew
(Left to right) Dr. Robert Wilson, David Bart, and Dr. Ajay Poddar.
A timeline of the expanding universe. Space, including hypothetical non-observable portions of the universe, is represented by the circular sections. On the left, a swift, dramatic expansion occurs in the inflationary epoch (the Big Bang). At the center, the expansion accelerates. Today’s state of the universe is shown at the right. This is an artist’s concept; neither time nor size are scaled. (Courtesy NASA/WMAP Science Team)
from this background work on horn-reflector antennas which had already been done that we ought to be able to measure some property of the sky independent of the Earth around us.
There was one thing in the late 1930s that Jansky did to make yet another measurement of radio astronomy, but other than that, I don’t think anyone at Bell Labs or later the Crawford Hill Annex had undertaken any serious radio astronomy research. But, they had developed and applied the appropriate technology for doing satellite work. They had already worked on the Echo Project, and Project Telstar was still going on. Telstar was still active. In fact, the horn reflector’s adaptation to Telstar was the reason we started our work at 4 gigahertz. Bell Labs installed a receiver for Telstar on the horn reflector, and that was a very good thing. Because that is a frequency at which the Galaxy is not very bright; so, when we found the excess radiation, it was clearly excess, and a very precise instrument was necessary to do this measurement. We were looking to see potentially if there was a halo around our galaxy, which was generating radiofrequency radiation. Arno constructed a very accurate load, which supplied a reference noise source, and I made the receiver, which could accurately compare the antenna signals to the reference noise source. We did this because we understood that the antenna was reliable, and what came out of it ought to be what was in the sky and not something else.
We discovered that the sky was brighter than we had any reason to expect. Extrapolating from lower frequencies, or higher frequencies, we expected to see something near zero. We were planning to make measurements at a lower frequency, where we expected to see something; but it looked like that would be impossible because at the high
frequency, we were expecting to see nothing. Instead, we saw something that, although it sounded pretty small, was really overwhelming in that it was much, much too bright. We thought of everything we could that might cause these findings, and we ruled out almost everything that might be causing it.
When Arno happened to talk to Bernie Burke one day, neither of them later remembered what the original conversation was about, but towards the end, Bernie said, “what’s going on with your crazy experiment?” Arno told him that we had detected all this excess noise at our reference frequency. We expected to measure zero, and we could not understand the background noise. Arno and Bernie had been on an airplane going to some meeting in Canada. Bernie had been asking what we were going to do, and when Arno said we were going to look for a halo around the Galaxy or at least measure the minimum brightness of the Galaxy, Bernie said, “you’re wasting your time. There is no halo around the Galaxy.” Fortunately, we didn’t pay attention to these comments.
Anyway, Bernie had heard a talk from someone at Princeton about the expectation that there would be such radiation left over from the Big Bang. There was an important competing theory at the time. The Steady State theory and the Big Bang theory were the two possibilities for the origin of the universe. The rough idea of the Steady State is that as the universe expands, new matter is created, and later, new stars are created, so the
The Holmdel Horn Antenna, formerly owned by Bell Telephone Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey. In 1989 the Antenna was designated a National Historic Landmark. This type of antenna is called a Hogg horn antenna, invented by D. C. Hogg at Bell Laboratories in 1961. It consists of a flaring metal horn, with a reflector mounted in the mouth at a 45° angle. It is a parabolic antenna fed off-axis. This design has a very broad bandwidth; its aperture efficiency can be calculated accurately; and the horn shields the antenna, so it picks up very little thermal radio noise from the ground. Since it is no longer being used, the antenna has been rotated so its aperture is facing the ground, to keep rainwater out. On April 20, 2024, the antenna became part of Dr. Robert Wilson Park in Holmdel Township. (Courtesy Bell Laboratories)
universe looks the same now, and will still look the same ten billion years from now.
Sir Fred Hoyle was one of the leading proponents of the Steady State theory. My one cosmology course during my Ph.D. work was taught by Fred Hoyle. It seemed philosophically nice to have everything stay the same. Well, unfortunately, it requires some new physics. Our measurements confirmed the Big Bang theory, that the universe began as a tiny, dense, fireball about 13.8 billion years ago. Since that original event, the universe beginning as just a single point, it has expanded, and it continues stretching and growing ever larger.
[Dr. Ajay Poddar] I realize it was long ago, but can you tell us what it was like to be notified and receive the Nobel Prize? This must have been a jaw-dropping event in your life. How did your families and colleagues react?
[Bob] Of course Betsy, my wife, was not surprised. There were people, however, who I had not kept informed about what we were doing. Those people were taken by surprise.
Years earlier the New York Times broke the news that we had made the discovery. It just happened that my dad was visiting us. He lived in Houston, and we were in New Jersey. We were not subscribers to the Times. But while we were making breakfast the next morning, my dad went to the pharmacy in Holmdel, in the Village, and bought a New York Times. He brought it back and there on the front page of the Times was the picture of our antenna and the start of an article about our discovery. That was a great time for father and son. I had not kept him up to date. Yeah, I don’t think he knew this was coming.
My initial attitude was that well, this explanation is a possibility, but there may be some other explanation. Walter Sullivan with the New York Times sort of pushed me over into thinking well, I better learn some cosmology – that this seems to be the real explanation the world is talking about.
[Ajay] You stayed at Bell Labs for decades. Did you understand the strengths of the unique collaborative environment that existed when you were there, or were these something you came to understand with experience and appreciate over time?
[Bob] When I was a graduate student at Caltech, we worked a little with some of the people at Murray Hill who invented and perfected the traveling wave maser amplifiers. I worked some with that. In 1961, H. E. D. Scovil offered to help us make a pair of traveling wave maser amplifiers for the interferometer. I did not actually go to Bell Labs because I had to finish my thesis, but Venkatraman Radhakrishnan got the job of going to Bell Labs to make our masers. He came back with great stories of how things worked at Bell Labs. I wanted to go, but I had not yet completed my degree work. I worked with Rad on that project, though, and I developed a good feeling toward Bell Labs, which later became a strong influence on my decision to take a job there.
[David] In most cases, major innovation depends upon fruitful collaboration with others. Your teamwork with Dr. Penzias and others at Bell Labs over a long career is well known. What are some of the key elements that are necessary to create and nurture collaborative efforts in science? What are some of the challenges you faced, and what solutions did you find?
[Bob] I certainly learned a lot from my Bell Labs colleagues. I don’t think I ever tried to compete with them, but you know, I could watch Charlie Burrus put together a millimeter wave diode, see how it works, and understand it. And, that was certainly helpful in using it when we worked with the Kitt Peak Observatory people, or somewhere else, and there was a problem. That understanding was very useful.
(Courtesy Kit August)
Well, I think one of the marvelous things about Bell Labs is that people were encouraged to contribute across department lines. In a university, there is often a group in a department, and they work together. They are pretty much rewarded for the things they do in their group. At Bell Labs, if you contribute to someone way over somewhere else, that could be part of your annual review, and you would be rewarded for it. People were very willing to share their expertise, and Bell Labs was full of people who had ‘written the book.’ Well, I certainly had parts of projects that I did myself, but I think it was more often in some sort of collaboration, one way or another. One of the other marvelous things about Bell Labs was the idea that when something comes up you get to the bottom of it. You don’t just brush it off if it doesn’t seem very important, of course, but if it is really unimportant, then it doesn’t count. But people were allowed to, we were allowed to spend – I don’t know – a year and a half or so investigating this funny noise that we had found without people saying, well, “why don’t you get busy and do something useful?”
[Ajay] Following up on this, Bell Labs has evolved over the decades and under different corporate owners. Do you see a continuation today of many key cultural features that fostered and promoted an innovation-oriented work environment that existed when you were there?
[Bob] Bell Labs often produced ideas that were impractical with the present technology. But in the future, well, you never knew, like the original idea for cell phones. No one in 1946 could have made a communication thing that would fit in my pocket. Impossible, right? But exploring those ideas and being ready as technology develops is a wonderful thing. Who would have known all the things we would do with the
Dr. Robert W. Wilson at the inauguration of the Dr. Robert Wilson Park in Holmdel, New Jersey.
phone that now sits in my pocket? It is not until you make it and let people start working with it that you really begin to see the potential. The guys at Apple came up with a good idea, and now that has really turned into a marvelous thing. I am sure the original cell phone people did not understand where it would all lead.
John Pierce was a big influence on being ready. There is a wonderful story about John Pierce and J. J. Coupling, which was Pierce’s pseudonym as a science fiction writer. A couple of years before the Russians launched Sputnik, he wrote an article about the possibilities of radio repeaters in orbit. In other words, communication satellites. I credit Pierce and Bell Labs for being ready when satellites became possible. They were ready to do something with the technology. He started a lot of different things at Bell Labs. He didn’t finish many of them, but he started a lot. He would get other people involved. He would go around planting ideas in the right place, and a lot happened because of him. That is what an executive ought to do. He sets the tone and direction.
Another one of the marvelous things about Bell Lab’s management was that so many people were scientists who had come up in their careers at Bell Labs. They knew that they could and should trust the people at the working level to have new ideas. John could plant ideas, but he trusted the people down there to work with them, or if the people down there had ideas, he took them seriously.
The other thing is that the research was funded from sort of a tax on the telephone bill – a one or two percent tax on everyone’s telephone bill from AT&T ran to Bell Labs. It provided a steady source of funding. You didn’t have to write proposals every year to keep your funding going. You could think about your work instead. This was much more productive than being a professor.
[Ajay] Let’s shift gears and talk a little bit about you. What made you decide to pursue a career in science? Who encouraged and influenced you? Were there any defining moments that pointed you in this direction?
[Bob] My dad was the first person in his family to go to college. Although he was a chemical engineer, the operation he was managing used a certain amount of electronics. Somehow – and I wish I could go back and ask him the questions – he learned the electronics he knew. He was an inveterate do-it-yourselfer. He would fix lots of things around the house, and he included me in all of this. I learned that if there was almost anything around the house that broke, and if I was careful, I could take it apart, probably discover the problem, fix it, and put it back together. Usually, it would work.
During the Second World War, electronic parts were scarce because they were all used in the war effort. Our family radio broke down; one of the output tubes blew out, and my dad could not get a replacement. He actually changed the circuit so it could use a different pair of tubes which he could get. Anyway, he passed on to me this understanding of electronics. I started making a crystal set as a very young kid. He let me use his soldering iron, his test equipment, and later work on radios with lethal voltages inside. He brought home magazines that I could read and learn more. I remember one particular magazine was aimed at radio technicians who fixed radios for a living. There was a repeating article about a fictional radio shop and problems that came in. The article talked about how they solved the problems. I think I learned a lot about problem-solving just by reading that stuff.
[Ajay] Do you have any advice for students and young professionals about pursuing their interests, careers, work, and life?
[Bob] Get interested in something. Start reading about it or finding people who know about it and talk to them. I think that’s a good way to learn and know about how to find very good ideas. When I was a first-year graduate student, I guess I had done what I would not recommend – that is – I picked a good school without any idea of what thesis projects might be there. So, I started looking around. I was living in some rooms at The Faculty Club called the Atheneum at Caltech. A British astronomer from Cambridge was there and another Brit. We got friendly and did things. For instance, over Thanksgiving, we went to the Grand Canyon and walked down and back up. We did a number of things together. David Dewhirst started hearing about my interest in radio and electronics. He told me about the new project at Caltech building a radio interferometer. I ended up joining the group and doing my thesis on this. He introduced me to Professor John Bolton, and that led to the beginning of my interest in astronomy.
[Ajay] Is Astronomy a subject people can actually begin to do at any age?
[Bob] You probably need some physics background, but yes, it is. Astronomy, I think, is one of the more approachable STEM subjects, and it deals with things that many of us understand, at least in a rough sort of way.
[David] What qualities do you think a successful scientist needs to possess? When you interact with students or young professionals, what do you look for as outstanding
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qualities that might be fostered to help them blossom into successful scientists?
[Bob] Well, it is about inspiring and leading young people toward a productive life. It’s good that the teachers recognize new ideas from the students, and applaud them, rather than just trying to push facts into the students. In my present job, I also enjoy some of the other people up at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. I enjoy having students and postdocs around who indeed are a source of new ideas or new approaches to things. Maybe I am a little stuck, and it is good for them to push me in a new direction. But I think I also can lead them somewhat toward productive things. So, well, I still enjoy doing science. That is the key, enjoy what you do.
[Ajay] Your wife Betsy is also a successful professional. What is the key to your long relationship?
[Bob] This partnership is the most important in life. We love and respect each other. We talk. We share ideas. We share companionship. We share our family. We mutually support each other. We are both lucky. I hope other young people can be so fortunate to find someone to share their life with.
[Ajay] You have shared many adventures and many places in your life pursuits, where is your favorite place?
[Bob] Well, I think probably Crawford Hill was the place that I enjoyed the most. I can’t think of another place where I learned more, and it’s right here where I live. I love to return and visit whenever I can.
[Ajay] I am delighted that Holmdel Township preserved the location and the horn antenna, and that they are going to restore it to make a park there. The park is named for you. That is very exciting and comforting to know.
[Bob] Exciting. Yes. And humbling.
[David] Bob and Ajay, thank you for sharing your thoughts today. Bob, congratulations on your many achievements and on receiving RCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. It has been an honor to spend some time with you. I and the other members of the Radio Club of America look forward to seeing you, as well as our other award recipients and presenters, at RCA’s 2024 Technical Symposium and Banquet. We anticipate an exciting and engaging weekend!
That’s it for us from the Radio Club of America. We hope you have enjoyed this discussion with Dr. Robert Wilson and Dr. Ajay Poddar. We wish everyone all the best.
[Editor’s Note: This interview and written transcript were prepared in the summer and fall of 2024. Dr. Wilson has been interviewed by many others in this timeframe, including IEEE and IEEE HKN. Some of this content may appear in multiple venues.]
ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS
Dr. Robert Wilson is an astronomer who, with Dr. Arno Penzias, discovered cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) in 1964 while performing research at Bell Laboratories using the horn antenna in Holmdel Township, New Jersey. They received the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics for this discovery. Dr. Wilson retired from Bell Laboratories in 1994, becoming a senior scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has received many awards for his work, including the Henry Draper Medal.
David P. Bart is the current President of the Radio Club of America, Chair of RCA’s Publications Committee, Editorial Director of the RCA Proceedings, and a Fellow. He has received numerous awards for his work involving the history of electrical and electronic communications. He also serves as a vice president of the Antique Wireless Association and Treasurer of the IEEE History Committee. Dr. Ajay Poddar received the Radio Club of America Armstrong Medal in 2023. He is Chief Scientist with Synergy Microwave, a Full Professor with Oreada University, Romania; a guest lecturer with Technical University, Berlin; and an academic advisor board member of the Don Bosco Institute of Engineering, Mumbai, India.
SOURCES
1 Special thanks to Dr. Kit August for her contributions and work with the authors on this interview.
2 Karl Guthe Jansky was an American physicist and radio engineer at Bell Laboratories who in 1933 first announced his discovery of radio waves emanating from the Milky Way in the constellation Sagittarius. He is considered one of the founding figures of radio astronomy.
3 Arthur Crawford at Bell Laboratories worked on measuring techniques, propagation, and antenna studies in the ultra-short wave and microwave fields. (Arthur Crawford is unrelated to the family for which Crawford Hill was named, which became part of the Bell Laboratories Annex near the Bell Laboratories Complex in Holmdel, New Jersey.)
3 Arno Penzias was an American physicist and radio astronomer. Along with Robert Woodrow Wilson, he discovered the cosmic microwave background radiation, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1978.
DISCOVERY OF COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND RADIATION
Dr. Robert Wilson and Dr. Arno Penzias received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1978 for discovering evidence of cosmic microwave radiation (CMB) using the Bell Laboratories Horn Antenna located on Crawford Hill in Holmdel Township, New Jersey. This discovery provided evidence of the Big Bang theory of the creation of the universe approximately 13.7 billion years ago.
In 1933, Karl Guthe Jansky, known as the father of radio astronomy, who was then a young engineer with Bell Laboratories, announced that he had received radio waves from the center of our Milky Way galaxy. His work helped establish the beginnings of radio astronomy.
Thirty years later, Bell Laboratories employed Dr. Penzias and Dr. Wilson to perform research on astronomical radio waves in connection with the Project Echo satellite experiments.
In spring 1964, a brief paper by Soviet astrophysicists
A. G. Doroshkevich and Igor Novikov discussed CMB as a detectible phenomenon. Also in 1964, Dr. David Todd Wilkinson and Dr. Peter Roll working for Dr. Robert Dicke at Princeton University began constructing a Dicke radiometer to measure CMB.
Drs. Penzias and Wilson also built a Dicke radiometer that they intended to use for both radio astronomy and satellite communication experiments. On May 20, 1964, they made their first measurement clearly showing the presence of signals they could not account for. After receiving a telephone call from Crawford Hill to discuss the detection, Dicke said “Boys, we’ve been scooped.”
A meeting between the Princeton and Crawford Hill groups determined that the Holmdel Horn Antenna detection was indeed due to microwave background radiation. Drs. Penzias and Wilson received the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery.
Copy of the first measurements of cosmic microwave background radiation on display at Bell Laboratories Murray Hill. (Courtesy David Bart)
Dr. Robert Wilson (left) and Dr. Arno Penzias (right) and the Holmdel Horn Antenna in 1964. (Courtesy Bell Laboratories)
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Dr. Robert W. Wilson’s acceptance speech for his 1978 receipt of the Nobel Prize in Physics is reprinted courtesy of Nobel Prize.Org. See Award ceremony speech. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2024. Thu. 10 Oct 2024. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1978/ceremony-speech/>
THE COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND RADIATION
Nobel Lecture, 8 December, 1978
by ROBERT W. WILSON Bell Laboratories Holmdel, N.J. U.S.A.
1. INTRODUCTION
Radio Astronomy has added greatly to our understanding of the structure and dynamics of the universe. The cosmic microwave background radiation, considered a relic of the explosion at the beginning of the universe some 18 billion years ago, is one of the most powerful aids in determining these features of the universe. This paper is about the discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation. It starts with a section on radio astronomical measuring techniques. This is followed by the history of the detection of the background radiation, its identification, and finally by a summary of our present knowledge of its properties.
II. RADIO ASTRONOMICAL METHODS
A radio telescope pointing at the sky receives radiation not only from space, but also from other sources including the ground, the earth’s atmosphere, and the components of the radio telescope itself. The 20-foot horn-reflector antenna at Bell Laboratories (Fig. 1) which was used to discover the cosmic microwave background radiation was particularly suited to distinguish this weak, uniform radiation from other, much stronger sources. In order to understand this measurement it is necessary to discuss the design and operation of a radio telescope, especially its two major components, the antenna and the radiometer1.
a. Antennas
An antenna collects radiation from a desired direction incident upon an area, called its collecting area, and focuses it on a receiver. An antenna is normally designed to maximize its response in the direction in which it is pointed and minimize its response in other directions.
The 20-foot horn-reflector shown in Fig. 1 was built by A. B. Crawford and his associate? in 1960 to be used with an ultra low-noise communications receiver for signals bounced from the Echo satellite. It consists of a large expanding waveguide, or horn,with an off-axis section parabolic reflector at the end. The focus of the paraboloid is located at the apex of the horn, so that a plane wave traveling along the axis of the paraboloid is focused into the receiver, or radiometer, at the apex of the horn. Its design emphasizes the rejection of radiation from the ground. It is easy to see
from the figure that in this configuration the receiver is well shielded from the ground by the horn.
A measurement of the sensitivity of a small hornreflector antenna to radiation coming from different directions is shown in Fig. 2. The circle marked isotropic antenna is the sensitivity of a fictitious antenna which receives equally from all directions. If such an isotropic lossless antenna were put in an open field, half of the sensitivity would be to radiation from the earth and half from the sky. In the case of the hornreflector, sensitivity in the back or ground direction is less than l/3000 of the isotropic antenna. The isotropic antenna on a perfectly radiating earth at 300 K and with a cold sky at 0 o K would pick up 300 K from the earth over half of its response and nothing over the other half, resulting in an equivalent antenna temperature of 150 K. The horn-reflector, in contrast, would pick up less than .05 K from the ground.
This sensitivity pattern is sufficient to determine the performance of an ideal, lossless antenna since such an antenna would contribute no radiation of its own. Just as a curved mirror can focus hot rays from the sun and burn a piece of paper without becoming hot itself, a radio telescope can focus the cold sky onto a radio receiver without adding radiation of its own.
h. Radiometers
A radiometer is a device for measuring the intensity of radiation. A microwave radiometer consists of a filter to select a desired band of
Fig. I The 20 foot horn-reflector which was used to discover the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation.
Fig. 2 Sensitivity pattern of a small horn-reflector antenna. This is a logarithmic plot of the collecting area of the antenna as a function of angle from the center of the main beam. Each circle below the level of the main beam represent a factor of ten reduction in sensitivity. In the back direction around 180 the sensitivity is consistently within the circle marked 70, corresponding to a factor of 10-7 below the sensitivity at 0.
frequencies f o11owed by a detector which produces an output voltage proportional to its input power. Practical detectors are usually not sensitive enough for the low power levels received by radio telescopes, however, so amplification is normally used ahead of the detector to increase the signal level. The noise in the first stage of this amplifier combined with that from the transmission line which connects it to the antenna (input source) produce an output from the detector even with no input power from the antenna. A fundamental limit to the sensitivity of a radiometer is the fluctuation in the power level of this noise.
During the late 1950’s, H. E. D. Scovil and his associates at Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill were building the world’s lowest-noise microwave amplifiers, ruby travelling-wave masers 3 These amplifiers were cooled to 4.2 K or less by liquid helium and contribute a correspondingly small amount of noise to the system. A radiometer incorporating these amplifiers can therefore be very sensitive.
Astronomical radio sources produce random, thermal noise very much
like that from a hot resistor, therefore the calibration of a radiometer is usually expressed in terms of a thermal system. Instead of giving the noise power which the radiometer receives from the antenna, we quote the temperature of a resistor which would deliver the same noise power to the radiometer. (Radiometers often contain calibration noise sources consisting of a resistor at a known temperature.) This “equivalent noise temperature” is proportional to received power for all except the shorter wavelength measurements, which will be discussed later.
c. Observations
To measure the intensity of an extraterrestrial radio source with a radio telescope, one must distinguish the source from local noise sources - noise from the radiometer, noise from the ground, noise from the earth’s atmosphere, and noise from the structure of the antenna itself. This distinction is normally made by pointing the antenna alternately to the source of interest and then to a background region nearby. The difference in response of the radiometer to these two regions is measured, thus subtracting out the local noise. To determine the absolute intensity of an astronomical radio source, it is necessary to calibrate the antenna and radiometer or, as usually done, to observe a calibration source of known intensity.
III.PLANS FOR RADIO ASTRONOMY WITH THE 20-FOOT HORNREFLECTOR
In 1963, when the 20-foot horn-reflector was no longer needed for satellite work, Arno Penzias and I started preparing it for use in radio astronomy. One might ask why we were interested in starting our radio astronomy careers at Bell Labs using an antenna with a collecting area of only 25 square meters when much larger radio telescopes were available elsewhere. Indeed, we were delighted to have the 20-foot horn-reflector because it had special features that we hoped to exploit. Its sensitivity, or collecting area, could be accurately calculated and in addition it could be measured using a transmitter located less than 1 km away. With this data, it could be used with a calibrated radiometer to make primary measurements of the intensities of several extraterrestrial radio sources. These sources could then be used as secondary standards by other observatories. In addition, we would be able to understand all sources of antenna noise, for example the amount of radiation received from the earth, so that background regions could be measured absolutely. Traveling-wave maser amplifiers were available for use with the 20-foot horn-reflector, which meant that for large diameter sources (those subtending angles larger than the antenna beamwidth), this would be the world’s most sensitive radio telescope.
My interest in the background measuring ability of the 20-foot hornreflector resulted from my doctoral thesis work with J. G. Bolton at
Caltech. We made a map of the 31 cm radiation from the Milky Way and studied the discrete sources and the diffuse gas within it. In mapping the Milky Way we pointed the antenna to the west side of it and used the earth’s rotation to scan the antenna across it. This kept constant all the local noise, including radiation that the antenna picked up from the earth. I used the regions on either side of the Milky Way (where the brightness was constant) as the zero reference. Since we are inside the Galaxy, it is impossible to point completely away from it. Our mapping plan was adequate for that project, but the unknown zero level was not very satisfying. Previous low frequency measurements had indicated that there is a large, radio-emitting halo around our galaxy which I could not measure by that technique. The 20-foot horn-reflector, however, was an ideal instrument for measuring this weak halo radiation at shorter wavelengths. One of my intentions when I came to Bell Labs was to make such a measurement.
In 1963, a maser at 7.35 cm wavelength 3 was installed on the 20-foot horn-reflector. Before we could begin doing astronomical measurements, however, we had to do two things: 1) build a good radiometer incorporating the 7.35 cm maser amplifier, and; 2) finish the accurate measurement of the collecting-area (sensitivity) of the 20-foot horn-reflector which D. C. Hogg had begun. Among our astronomical projects for 7 cm were absolute intensity measurements of several traditional astronomical calibration sources and a series of sweeps of the Milky Way to extend my thesis work. In the course of this work we planned to check out our capability of measuring the halo radiation of our Galaxy away from the Milky Way. Existing low frequency measurements indicated that the brightness temperature of the halo would be less than 0.1 K at 7 cm. Thus, a background measurement at 7 cm should produce a null result and would be a good check of our measuring ability.
After completing this program of measurements at 7 cm, we planned to build a similar radiometer at 21 cm. At that wavelength the galactic halo should be bright enough for detection, and we would also observe the 21 cm line of neutral hydrogen atoms. In addition, we planned a number of hydrogen-line projects including an extension of the measurements of Arno’s thesis, a search for hydrogen in clusters of galaxies.
At the time we were building the 7-cm radiometer John Bolton visited us and we related our plans and asked for his comments. He immediately selected the most difficult one as the most important: the 21 cm background measurement. First, however, we had to complete the observations at 7 cm.
IV. RADIOMETER SYSTEM
We wanted to make accurate measurements of antenna temperatures. To do this we planned to use the radiometer to compare the antenna to a reference source, in this case, a radiator in liquid helium. I built a switch
which would connect the maser amplifier either to the antenna or to Arno’s helium-cooled reference noise source5 (cold load). This would allow an accurate comparison of the equivalent temperature of the antenna to that of the cold load, since the noise from the rest of the radiometer would be constant during switching. A diagram of this calibration system 6 is shown in Figure 3 and its operation is described below.
Fig. 3 The switching and calibration system of our 7.35 cm radiometer, The reference port was normally connected to the helium cooled reference source through a noise adding attenuator.
a. Switch
The switch for comparing the cold load to the antenna consists of the two polarization couplers and the polarization rotator shown in Fig. 3. This type of switch had been used by D. H. Ring in several radiometers at Holmdel. It had the advantage of stability, low loss, and small reflections. The circular waveguide coming from the antenna contains the two orthogonal modes of polarization received by the antenna. The first polarization coupler reflected one mode of linear polarization back to the antenna and substituted the signal from the cold load for it in the waveguide going to the rotator. The second polarization coupler took one of the two modes of linear polarization coming from the polarization rotator and coupled it to the rectangular (single-mode) waveguide going to the maser. The polarization rotator is the microwave equivalent of a half-wave plate in optics. It is a
NOISE LAMP
piece of circular waveguide which has been squeezed in the middle so that the phase shifts for waves traveling through it in its two principal planes of linear polarization differ by 180 degrees. By mechanically rotating it, the polarization of the signals passing through it can be rotated. Thus either the antenna or cold load could be connected to the maser.
This type of switch is not inherently symmetric, but has very low loss and is stable so that its asymmetry of .05 K was accurately measured and corrected for.
b. Reference Noise Source
A drawing of the liquid-helium cooled reference noise source is shown in Figure 4. It consists of a 122 cm piece of 90 percent-copper brass waveguide connecting a carefully matched microwave absorber in liquid He to a room-temperature flange at the top. Small holes allow liquid helium to fill the bottom section of waveguide so that the absorber temperature could be known, while a mylar window at a 30” angle keeps the liquid out of the rest of the waveguide and makes a low-reflection microwave transition between the two sections of waveguide. Most of the remaining parts are for the cryogenics. The gas baffles make a counter-flow heat exchanger between the waveguide and the helium gas which has boiled off, greatly extending the time of operation on a charge of liquid helium. Twenty liters of liquid helium cooled the cold load and provided about twenty hours of operation.
Above the level of the liquid helium, the waveguide walls were warmer than 4.2 K. Any radiation due to the loss in this part of the waveguide would raise the effective temperature of the noise source above 4.2 K and
Fig. 4 The Helium Cooled Reference Noise Source.
must be accounted for. To do so we monitored the temperature distribution along the waveguide with a series of diode thermometers and calculated the contribution of each section of the waveguide to the equivalent temperature of the reference source. When first cooled down, the calculated total temperature of the reference noise source was about 5 K, and after several hours when the liquid helium level was lower, it increased to 6 K. As a check of this calibration procedure, we compared the antenna temperature (assumed constant) to our reference noise source during this period, and found consistency to within 0.1 K.
C. Scale Calibration
A variable attenuator normally connected the cold load to the reference port of the radiometer. This device was at room temperature so noise could be added to the cold load port of the switch by increasing its attenuation. It was calibrated over a range of 0.11 dB which corresponds to 7.4 K of added noise.
Also shown in Fig. 3 is a noise lamp (and its directional coupler) which was used as a secondary standard for our temperature scale.
d. Radiometer Backend
Signals leaving the maser amplifier needed to be further amplified before detection so that their intensity could be measured accurately. The remainder of our radiometer consisted of a down converter to 70 MHz followed by I. F. amplifiers, a precision variable attenuator and a diode detector. The output of the diode detector was amplified and went to a chart recorder.
Fig. 5 Our 7.35 cm radiometer installed in the cab of the 20 foot horn-reflector.
e. Equipment Performance
Our radiometer equipment installed in the cab of the 20-foot horn-reflector is shown in Fig. 5. The flange at the far right is part of the antenna and rotates in elevation angle with it. It was part of a double-choke joint which allowed the rest of the equipment to be fixed in the cab while the antenna rotated. The noise contribution of the choke-joint could be measured by clamping it shut and was found to be negligible. We regularly measured the reflection coefficient of the major components of this system and kept it below 0.03 percent, except for the maser whose reflection could not be reduced below 1 percent. Since all ports of our waveguide system were terminated at a low temperature, these reflections resulted in negligible errors.
V. PRIOR OBSERVATIONS
The first horn-reflector-travelling-wave maser system had been put together by DeGrasse, Hogg, Ohm, and Scovil in 1959 7 to demonstrate the feasibility of a low-noise, satellite-earth station at 5.31 cm. Even though they achieved the lowest total system noise temperature to date, 18.5 K, they had expected to do better. Fig. 6 shows their system with the noise temperature they assigned to each component. As we have seen in Section IIa,
S IDE OR
Fig. 6 A diagram of the low noise receiver used by deGrasse, Hogg, Ohm and Scovil to show that very low noise earth stations are possible. Each component is labeled with its contribution to the system noise.
the 2 K they assigned to antenna backlobe pickup is too high. In addition, direct measurements of the noise temperature of the maser gave a value about a degree colder than shown here. Thus their system was about 3 K hotter than one might expect. The component labeled T s in Fig. 6 is the radiation of the earth’s atmosphere when their antenna was aimed straight up. It was measured by a method first reported by R. H. Dicke 8. (It is interesting that Dicke also reports an upper limit of 20 K for the cosmic microwave background radiation in this paper - the first such report.) If the antenna temperature is measured as a function of the angle above the
horizon at which it is pointing, the radiation of the atmosphere is at a minimum when the antenna is directed straight up. It increases as the antenna points toward the horizon, since the total line of sight through the atmosphere increases.Figure 7 is a chart recording Arno Penzias and I
7 A measurement of atmospheric noise at 7.35 cm wavelength with theoretical fits to the data for 2.2 and 2.4K Zenith atmospheric radiation.
Fig.
made with the 20-foot horn-reflector scanning from almost the Zenith down to above the horizon. The circles and crosses are the expected change based on a standard model of the earth’s atmosphere for 2.2 and 2.4 K Zenith contribution. The fit between theory and data is obviously good leaving little chance that there might be an error in our value for atmospheric radiation.
Fig. 8 is taken from the paper in which E. A. Ohm 9 described the receiver on the 20-foot horn reflector which was used to receive signals bounced from the Echo satellite. He found that its system temperature was 3.3 K higher than expected from summing the contributions of the components. As in the previous 5.3 cm work, this excess temperature was smaller
the temperature was found to vary a few degrees from day to day, but the lowest temperature was consistently 22.2 ± By realistically assuming that all sources were then contributing their fair share (as is also tacitly assumed in Table II) it is possible to improve the over-all accuracy. The actual system temperature must be in the overlap region of the measured results and the total results of Table II, namely between 20 and The most likely minimum system temperature was therefore
Fig. 8 An excerpt from E. A. Ohm’s article on the Echo receiver showing that his system temperature was 3.3K higher than predicted
than the experimental errors, so not much attention was paid to it. In order to determine the unambiguous presence of an excess source of radiation of about 3 K, a more accurate measurement technique was required. This was achieved in the subsequent measurements by means of a switch and reference noise source combination which communications systems do not have.
VI. OUR OBSERVATIONS
Fig. 9 is a reproduction of the first record we have of the operation of our system. At the bottom is a list of diode thermometer voltages from which we could determine the cold load’s equivalent temperature. The recorder trace has power (or temperature) increasing to the right. The middle part of this trace is with the maser switched to the cold load with various settings of the noise adding attenuator. A change of 0.1 dB corresponds to a temperature change of 6.6 K, so the peak-to-peak noise on the trace amounts to less than 0.2 K. At the top of the chart the maser is switched to
Fig. 9 The first measurement which clearly showed the presence of the microwave background. Noise temperature is plotted increasing to the right. At the top, the antenna pointed at elevation is seen to have the samt noise temperature as the cold load with 0.04 db attenuation (about 7.5K). This is considerably above the expected value of 3.3K.
the antenna and has about the same temperature as the cold load plus .04 dB, corresponding to a total of about 7.5 K. This was a troublesome result. The antenna temperature should have been only the sum of the atmospheric contribution (2.3 K) and the radiation from the walls of the antenna and ground (1 K). The excess system temperature found in the previous experiments had, contrary to our expectations, all been in the antenna or beyond. We now had a direct comparison of the antenna with the cold load and had to assign our excess temperature to the antenna whereas in the previous cases only the total system temperature was measured. If we had missed some loss, the cold load might have been warmer than calculated, but it could not be colder than 4.2 K - the temperature of the liquid helium. The antenna was at least 2 K hotter than that. Unless we could understand our “antenna problem” our 21 cm galactic halo experi-
ment would not be possible. We considered a number of possible reasons for this excess and, where warranted, tested for them. These were:
a. At that time some radio astronomers thought that the microwave absorption of the earth’s atmosphere was about twice the value we were using - in other words the “sky temperature” of Figs. 6 and 8 was about 5 K instead of 2.5 K. We knew from our measurement of sky temperature such as shown in Fig. 7 that this could not be the case.
b. We considered the possibility of man-made noise being picked up by our antenna. However, when we pointed our antenna to New York City, or to any other direction on the horizon, the antenna temperature never went significantly above the thermal temperature of the earth.
c. We considered radiation from our galaxy. Our measurements of the emission from the plane of the Milky Way were a reasonable fit to the intensities expected from extrapolations of low-frequency measurements. Similar extrapolations for the coldest part of the sky (away from the Milky Way) predicted about .02 K at our wavelength. Furthermore, any galactic contribution should also vary with position and we saw changes only near the Milky Way, consistent with the measurements at lower frequencies.
d. We ruled out discrete extraterrestrial radio sources as the source of our radiation as they have spectra similar to that of the Galaxy. The same extrapolation from low frequency measurements applies to them. The strongest discrete source in the sky had a maximum antenna temperature of 7 K.
Thus we seemed to be left with the antenna as the source of our extra noise. We calculated a contribution of 0.9 K from its resistive loss using standard waveguide theory. The most lossy part of the antenna was its small diameter throat, which was made of electroformed copper. We had measured similar waveguides in the lab and corrected the loss calculations for the imperfect surface conditions we had found in those waveguides. The remainder of the antenna was made of riveted aluminum sheets, and although we did not expect any trouble there, we had no way to evaluate the loss in the riveted joints. A pair of pigeons was roosting up in the small part of the horn where it enters the warm cab. They had covered the inside with a white material familiar to all city dwellers. We evicted the pigeons and cleaned up their mess, but obtained only a small reduction in antenna temperature.
For some time we lived with the antenna temperature problem and concentrated on measurements in which it was not critical. Dave Hogg and I had made a very accurate measurement of the antenna’s gain 10 , and Arno and I wanted to complete our absolute flux measurements before disturbing the antenna further.
In the spring of 1965 with our flux measurements finished 5, we thoroughly cleaned out the 20-foot horn-reflector and put aluminum tape over the riveted joints. This resulted in only a minor reduction in antenna temperature. We also took apart the throat section of the antenna, and checked it, but found it to be in order.
By this time almost a year had passed. Since the excess antenna temperature had not changed during this time, we could rule out two additional sources: 1) Any source in the solar system should have gone through a large change in angle and we should have seen a change in antenna temperature. 2) In 1962, a high-altitude nuclear explosion had filled up the Van Allen belts with ionized particles. Since they were at a large distance from the surface of the earth, any radiation from them would not show the same elevation-angle dependence as the atmosphere and we might not have identified it. But after a year, any radiation from this source should have reduced considerably.
VII. IDENTIFICATION
The sequence of events which led to the unravelling of our mystery began one day when Arno was talking to Bernard Burke of M.I.T. about other matters and mentioned our unexplained noise. Bernie recalled hearing about theoretical work of P. J. E. Peebles in R. H. Dicke’s group in Princeton on radiation in the universe. Arno called Dicke who sent a copy of Peebles’ preprint. The Princeton group was investigating the implications of an oscillating universe with an extremely hot condensed phase. This hot bounce was necessary to destroy the heavy elements from the previous cycle so each cycle could start fresh. Although this was not a new idea” Dicke had the important idea that if the radiation from this hot phase were large enough, it would be observable. In the preprint, Peebles, following Dicke’s suggestion calculated that the universe should be filled with a relic blackbody radiation at a minimum temperature of 10 K. Peebles was aware of Hogg and Semplak’s (1961) 12 measurement of atmospheric radiation at 6 cm using the system of DeGrasse et al., and concluded that the present radiation temperature of the universe must be less than their system temperature of 15 K. He also said that Dicke, Roll, and Wilkinson were setting up an experiment to measure it.
Shortly after sending the preprint, Dicke and his coworkers visited us in order to discuss our measurements and see our equipment. They were quickly convinced of the accuracy of our measurements. We agreed to a side-by-side publication of two letters in the Astrophysical Journal - a letter on the theory from Princeton 13 and one on our measurement of excess antenna temperature from Bell Laboratories 14 . Arno and I were careful to exclude any discussion of the cosmological theory of the origin of background radiation from our letter because we had not been involved in any of that work. We thought, furthermore, that our measurement was independent of the theory and might outlive it. We were pleased that the mysterious noise appearing in our antenna had an explanation of any kind, especially one with such significant cosmological implications. Our mood, however, remained one of cautious optimism for some time.
VIII. RESULTS
While preparing our letter for publication we made one final check on the antenna to make sure we were not picking up a uniform 3 K from earth. We measured its response to radiation from the earth by using a transmitter located in various places on the ground. The transmitter artificially increased the ground’s brightness at the wavelength of our receiver to a level high enough for the backlobe response of the antenna to be measurable. Although not a perfect measure of the structure of the backlobes of an antenna, it was a good enough method of determining their average level. The backlobe level we found in this test was as low as we had expected and indicated a negligible contribution to the antenna temperature from the earth.
The right-hand column of Fig. 10 shows the final results of our measurement. The numbers on the left were obtained later in 1965 with a new throat on the 20-foot horn-reflector. From the total antenna temperature we subtracted the known sources with a result of 3.4 ± 1 K. Since the errors in this measurement are not statistical, we have summed the maximum error from each source. The maximum measurement error of 1 K was considerably smaller than the measured value, giving us confidence in the reality of the result. We stated in the original paper that “This excess temperature is, within the limits of our observations, isotropic, unpolarized, and free of seasonal variations”. Although not stated explicitly, our limits on an isotropy and polarization were not affected by most of the errors listed in Fig. 10 and were about 10 percent or 0.3 K.
10 Results of our 3965 measurements of the microwave background. “Old Throat” and “New Throat” refer to the original and a replacement throat section for the 20 foot hornreflector.
New Throat
Old Throat
Fig.
At that time the limit we could place on the shape of the spectrum of the background radiation was obtained by comparing our value of 3.5 K with a 74 cm survey of the northern sky done at Cambridge by Pauliny-Toth and Shakeshaft, 1962 15 . The minimum temperature on their map was 16 K. Thus the spectrum was no steeper than λ 0.7 over a range of wavelengths that varied by a factor of 10. This clearly ruled out any type of radio source known at that time, as they all had spectra with variation in the range λ 2.0 to λ 3.0 . The previous Bell Laboratories measurement at 6 cm ruled out a spectrum which rose rapidly toward shorter wavelengths.
IX. CONFIRMATION
After our meeting, the Princeton experimental group returned to complete their apparatus and make their measurement with the expectation that the background temperature would be about 3 K.
The first confirmation of the microwave cosmic background that we knew of, however, came from a totally different, indirect measurement. This measurement had, in fact, been made thirty years earlier by Adams and Dunhan 16-21 . Adams and Dunhan had discovered several faint optical interstellar absorption lines which were later identified with the molecules CH, CH+ , and CN. In the case of CN, in addition to the ground state, absorption was seen from the first rotationally excited state. McKellar 22 using Adams’ data on the populations of these two states calculated that the excitation temperature of CN was 2.3 K. This rotational transition occurs at 2.64 mm wavelength, near the peak of a 3 K black body spectrum. Shortly after the discovery of the background radiation, G. B. Field 23 , I. S. Shklovsky24 ,and P. Thaddeus 25 (following a suggestion by N. J. Woolf), independently realized that the CN is in equilibrium with the background radiation. (There is no other significant source of excitation where these molecules are located). In addition to confirming that the background was not zero, this idea immediately confirmed that the spectrum of the background radiation was close to that of a blackbody source for wavelengths larger than the peak. It also gave a hint that at short wavelengths the intensity was departing from the 1 dependence expected in the long wavelength (Raleigh-Jeans) region of the spectrum and following the true blackbody (Plank) distribution. In 1966, Field and Hitchcock 23 reported new measurements using Herbig’s plates of Oph and Per obtaining 3.22 ± 0.15 K and 3.0 ± 0.6 K for the excitation temperature. Thaddeus andClauser 25 also obtained new plates and measured 3.75 ± 0.5 K in Oph. Both groups argued that the main source of excitation in CN is the background radiation. This type of observation, taken alone, is most convincing as an upper limit, since it is easier to imagine additional sources of excitation than refrigeration.
In December 1965 Roll and Wilkinson 26 completed their measurement of 3.0 ± 0.5 K at 3.2 cm, the first confirming microwave measurement. This was followed shortly by Howell and Shakeshaft's 27 value of 2.8 ± 0.6
K at 20.7 cm22 and then by our measurement of 3.2 K ± 1 K at 21.1 cm 28 . (Half of the difference between these two results comes from a difference in the corrections used for the galactic halo and integrated discrete sources.) By mid 1966 the intensity of the microwave background radiation had been shown to be close to 3 K between 21 cm and 2.6 mm, almost two orders of magnitude in wavelength.
X. EARLIER THEORY
I have mentioned that the first experimental evidence for cosmic microwave background radiation was obtained (but unrecognized) long before 1965. We soon learned that the theoretical prediction of it had been made at least sixteen years before our detection. George Gamow had made calculations of the conditions in the early universe in an attempt to understand Galaxy formation 29 . Although these calculations were not strictly correct, he understood that the early stages of the universe had to be very hot in order to avoid combining all of the hydrogen into heavier elements. Furthermore, Gamow and his collaborators calculated that the density of radiation in the hot early universe was much higher than the density of matter. In this early work the present remnants of this radiation were not considered. However in 1949, Alpher and Herman 30 followed the evolution of the temperature of the hot radiation in the early universe up to the present epoch and predicted a value of 5 K. They noted that the present density of radiation was not well known experimentally. In 1953 Alpher, Follin, and Herman 31 reported what has been called the first thoroughly modern analysis of the early history of the universe, but failed to recalculate or mention the present radiation temperature of the universe.
In 1964, Doroshkevich and Novikov 32 33 had also calculated the relic , radiation and realized that it would have a blackbody spectrum. They quoted E. A. Ohm’s article on the Echo receiver, but misunderstood it and concluded that the present radiation temperature of the universe is near zero.
A more complete discussion of these early calculations is given in Arno’s lecture. 34
XI. ISOTROPY
In assigning a single temperature to the radiation in space, these theories assume that it will be the same in all directions. According to contemporary theory, the last scattering of the cosmic microwave background radiation occurred when the universe was a million years old, just before the electrons and nucleii combined to form neutral atoms (“recombination”).The isotropy of the background radiation thus measures the isotropy of the universe at that time and the isotropy of its expansion since then. Prior to recombination, radiation dominated the ‘universe and the Jeans mass, or mass of the smallest gravitationally stable clumps was larger than a cluster of Galaxies. It is only in the period following recombination that Galaxies could have formed.
ANGLE BETWEEN INSTRUMENT DIRECTION AND SITE OF MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE (DEGREES)
Fig. 11 Results of the large scale isotropy Experiment of Smoot, Gorenstein and Muller showing the clear cosine dependence of brightness expected from the relative velocity of the earth in the background radiation. The shaded area and arrows show the values allowed by the data of Woody and Richards (This figure is reproduced with permission of Scientific American.)
In 1967 Rees and Sciama 35 suggested looking for large scale anisotropies in the background radiation which might have been left over from anisotropies of the universe prior to recombination.
In the same year Wilkinson and Partridge 36 completed an experiment which was specifically designed to look for anisotropy within the equatorial plane. The reported a limit of 0.1 percent for a 24 hour asymmetry and a possible 12 hour asymmetry of 0.2 percent. Meanwhile we had re-analyzed an old record covering most of the sky which was visible to us and put a limit of 0.1 K on any large scale fluctuations.37
Since then a series of measurements 38 39 40 have shown a 24-hour anisotropy due to the earth’s velocity with respect to the background radiation. Data from the most sensitive measurement to date 41 are shown in Fig. 11. They show a striking cosine anisotropy with an amplitude of about .003 K, indicating that the background radiation has a maximum temperature in one direction and a minimum in the opposite direction. The generally accepted explanation of this effect is that the earth is moving toward the direction where the radiation is hottest and it is the blue shift of the radiation which increases its measured temperature in that direction. The motion of the sun with respect to the background radiation from the data of Smoot et al. is 390 ± 60 km/s in the direction R. A., 5o Dec. The magnitude of this velocity is not a surprise since 300 km/s is the orbital velocity of the sun around our galaxy. The direction, is different, however yielding a peculiar velocity of our galaxy of about 600 km/s. Since other nearby Galaxies; including the Virgo cluster,
have a small velocity with respect to our Galaxy, they have a similar velocity with respect to the matter which last scattered the background radiation. After subtracting the 24-hour anisotropy, one can search the data for more complicated anisotropies to put observational limits on such things as rotation of the universe 41 . Within the noise of .001 K, these anisotropies are all zero.
To date, no fine-scale anisotropy has been found. Several early investigations were carried out to discredit discrete source models of the background radiation. In the most sensitive experiment to date, Boynton and Partridge 42 report a relative intensity variation of less than 3.7 x 10-3 in an 80” Arc beam. A discrete source model would require orders of magnitude more sources than the known number of Galaxies to show this degree of smoothness.
It has also been suggested by Sunyaev and Zel’dovich43 that there will be a reduction of the intensity of the background radiation from the direction of clusters of galaxies due to inverse Compton scattering by the electrons in the intergalactic gas. This effect which has been found by Birkinshaw and Gull 44 , provides a measure of the intergalactic gas density in the clusters and may give an alternate measurement of Hubble’s constant.
XII. SPECTRUM
Since 1966, a large number of measurements of the intensity of the background radiation have been made at wavelengths from 74 cm to 0.5 mm. Measurements have been made from the ground, mountain tops,
airplanes, balloons, and rockets. In addition, the optical measurements of the interstellar molecules have been repeated and we have observed their millimeter-line radiation directly to establish the equilibrium of the excitation of their levels with the background radiation45. Fig. 12 is a plot of most of these measurements 46 . An early set of measurements from Princeton covered the range 3.2 to .33 cm showing tight consistency with a 2.7 K black body 47-50 . A series of rocket and balloon measurements in the millimeter and submillimeter part of the spectrum have converged on about 3 K. The data of Robson, et al. 51 and Woody and Richards 52 extend to 0.8 mm, well beyond the spectral peak. The most recent experiment, that of D. Woody and P. Richards, gives a close fit to a 3.0 K spectrum out to 0.8 mm wavelength with upper limits at atmospheric windows out to 0.4 mm. This establishes that the background radiation has a blackbody spectrum which would be quite hard to reproduce with any other type of cosmic source. The source must have been optically thick and therefore must have existed earlier than any of the other sources, which can be observed.
The spectral data are now almost accurate enough for one to test for systematic deviations from a single-temperature blackbody spectrum which could be caused by minor deviations from the simplest cosmology. Danese and DeZotti 53 report that except for the data of Woody and Richards, the spectral data of Fig. 12 do not show any statistically significant deviation of this type.
XIII. CONCLUSION
Cosmology is a science which has only a few observable facts to work with. The discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation added one - the present radiation temperature of the universe. This, however, was a significant increase in our knowledge since it requires a cosmology with a source for the radiation at an early epoch and is a new probe of that epoch. More sensitive measurements of the background radiation in the future will allow us to discover additional facts about the universe.
XIV. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The work which I have described was done with Arno A. Penzias. In our fifteen years of partnership he has been a constant source of help and encouragement. I wish to thank W. D. Langer and Elizabeth Wilson for carefully reading the manuscript and suggesting changes.
REFERENCES
1. A more complete discussion of radio telescope antennas and receivers may be found in several text books. Chapters 6 and 7 of J. D. Kraus “Radio Astronomy”, 1966, McGrawHill are good introductions to the subjects.
2. Crawford, A. B. Hogg, D. C. and Hunt, L. E. 1961, Bell System Tech. J., 40, 1095.
3.DeGrasse, R. W. Schultr-DuBois, E. 0. and Scovil, H. E. D. BSTJ 38, 30.5.
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5.Penzias, A. A. 1965, Rev. Sci. Instr., 36. 68.
6.Penzias, A. A. and Wilson, R. W. 1965 Astrophysical Journal 142. 1149.
7. DeGrasse, R. W. Hogg, D. C. Ohm, E. A. and Scovil, H. E. D. 1950, Proceedings of the National Electronics Conference. 15, 370.
8. Dicke. R. Beringer R. Kyhl, R. L. and Vane, A. V. Phys. Rev. 70, 340 (1046).
9,Ohm, E. A. 1961 BSTJ, 40, 1065.
10. Hogg, D. C. and Wilson, R. W. Bell system Tech J., 44, 1019.
11. c.f. F. Hoyle and R. J. Taylor 1964. Nature 203, 1108. A less explicit discussion of the same notion occurs in [29].
12. Hogg, D. C. and Semplak, R. A. 1961, Bell System Technical Journal. 40, 1331 .
13. Dicke, R. H. Peebles, P. J. E. Roll, P. G. and Wilkinson, D. T. 1965, Ap. J., 142. 4 14.
14.Penzias, A. A. and Wilson R. W. 1965, Ap. J.. 142, 420.
15. Pauliny-Toth, I. I. K. and Shakeshaft, J. R. 1962, M. N. RAS.. 124, 61.
16. Adams, W. S. 1941, Ap. J. 93, 11.
17.Adams, W. S. 1943, Ap. J., 97, 105.
18.Dunham, T. Jr. 1937, PASP, 49, 26.
19.Dunham, T. Jr. 1939, Proc. Am. Phil. Soc., 81, 277.
20.Dunham, T. Jr. 1941, Publ. Am. Astron. Soc., 10, 123.
21.Dunham, T. Jr. and W. S. Adams 1937, Publ. Am. Astron. Soc., 9, 5.
22.McKellar, A. 1941, Publ. Dominion Astrophysical Observatory Victoria B. C. 7, 251.
23. G. B. Field, G. H. Herbig and J. L. Hitchcock, talk at the American Astronomical Society Meeting, 22-29 December 1965, Astronomical Journal 1966, 71. 161; G. B. Field andJ. I,. Hitchcock, 1966, Phys. Rev. Lett. 16, 8 17.
24. Shklovsky, I. S. 1966, Astron. Circular No. 364, Acad. Sci. USSR.
25.Thaddeus, P. and Clauser, J. F. 1966, Phys. Rev. Lett. 16, 8 19.
26. Roll, P. G. and Wilkinson, D. T. 1966, Physical Review Letters, 16, 405.
27. Howell, T. F. and Shakeshaft, J. R. 1966, Nature 210, 138.
28.Penzias, A. A. and Wilson R. W. 1967, Astron. J. 72, 315.
29.Gamow, G. 1948, Nature I62 680.
30.Alpher, R. .4. and Herman, R. C. 1949, Phys. Rev., 75, 1089.
31. Alpher, R. A. Follin, J. W. and Herman, R. C. 1953, Phys. Rev., 92, 1347.
32.Doroshkevich, A. G. and Novikov. I. D. 1964 Dokl. Akad. Navk. SSR 154, 809.
33. Doroshkevich, A. G. and Novikov, I. D. 1964 Sov. Phys. Dokl. 9, 111 .
34. Penzias, A. A. The Origin of the Elements, Nobel Prize lecture 1978.
3.5. Rees, M. J. and Sciama, D. W. 1967, Nature, 213, 374.
36.Partridge, R. B. and Wilkinson, D. T. 1967, Nature, 215, 7 19.
37.Wilson, R. W. and Penzias, A. A. 1967, Science 156, 1100.
38.Conklin, E. K. 1969, Nature, 222, 97 I.
39.Henry, P. S. 1971, Nature, 231, 516.
40.Corey, B. E. and Wilkinson, D. T. 1976, Bull. Astron. Astrophys. Soc., 8, 351.
41. Smoot, G. F. Gorenstein, M. V. and Muller, R. A. 1977, Phys. Rev. Lett., 39, 898.
42.Boynton, P. E. and Partridge, R. B. 1973, Ap. J., 181, 243.
43.Sunyaev, R. A. and Zel’dovich, Ya B 1972, Comments Astrophys. Space Phys., 4, 173.
44.Birkinshaw, M. and Gull, S. F. 1978, Nature275 40.
45. Penzias, A. A. Jefferts, K. B. and Wilson, R. W’. 1972, Phys. Rev. Letters, 28, 772.
46. The data in Fig. 11 are all referenced by Danese and Dezotti 45 except for the 13 cm measurement of T. Otoshi 1975, IEEE Trans on Instrumentation and Meas. 24 174. I have used the millimeter measurements of Woody and Richards 48 and left off those of Robson et al47 to avoid confusion.
47.Wilkinson, D. J. 1967, Phys. Rev. Letters. 19, 1195.
48. Stokes, R. A. Partridge, R. B. and Wilkinson, D. J. 1967. Phys. Rev. Letters, 19, 1199.
49. Boynton, P. E. Stokes, R. A. and Wilkinson, D. J. 1968, Phys. Rev. Letters, 21, 462.
50.Boynton, P. E. and Stokes, R. A. 1974, Nature, 247, 528.
51. Robson, E. I. Vickers, D. G. Huizinga, J. S. Beckman.J. E. and Clegg, P. E. 1974, Nature 251, 591.
52. Woody, D. P. and Richards, P. L. Private communication.
53. Danese, L. and DeZotti, G. 1978, Astron. and Astrophys.. 68, 157.
SETI: WE CAN MAKE THE COSMIC CONNECTION
PART 1: COSMIC COMMONALITIES
Dr. Nathan “Chip” Cohen, Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first part of a two-part article. The second part will appear in the spring issue of the Proceedings of the Radio Club of America.]
Since 1960 (Drake, 1961) humanity has been searching for signals from extraterrestrial civilizations, implementing various research efforts, measurements, and analyses—all without success. To date, no evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) has been detected despite decades of dedicated searches (e.g. the Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence, SETI). In this series of two papers, we intend to show that the obstacles to transmission and reception across a cosmic link are relatively few, and they are well-understood; and further, that such links across the galaxy are achievable with the standard, costeffective technologies that have been available to us for decades. The lack of success in SETI efforts might indicate a scarcity of intelligence on a cosmic scale or could simply highlight our prior inability to execute observational programs and analyses that optimize the chances of detecting ETI signals. Here, we summarize how to be ‘intelligent’ in this search—either succeeding in detecting ETI or concluding that intelligence with the will to communicate is rare in the cosmos.
In Part 1, we focus on the transmission (Tx) and reception (Rx) ‘cosmic commonalities’ for establishing a cosmic (path) link, emphasizing how understanding these commonalities can maximize detectability while posing unexpected challenges in the process. The cosmic link and detection require an in-depth grasp of these shared challenges.
In Part 2, we will quantify the cosmic link, requirements for information content, pattern use and recognition issues related to both Tx and Rx, and an invariant pattern recognition technique for detection known as DIPR, which can use artificial neural nets (ANN) to optimize detection via leveraged knowledge of the cosmic commonalities. We will note that solar powered phased array antennas called ‘aperture engines’—akin to typically-sized solar cell farms—can enable us to detect ETI across the galaxy, with equivalent Tx aperture engines at the ETI end of the link.
BAD NEWS AND GOOD NEWS
The universe is vast; even if life is abundant, we know that at least one species must be at the peak of intelligence. But how large is that pool of intelligence?
Frank Drake (see below) was the first to express this question using a simple equation (see, for example, Drake, 1993) involving concatenated probabilities, which we now know as the Drake equation, as shown. Modern factors in the Drake equation include the number of stars; the fraction of stars with planets; the fraction of planets that are suitable for life; the fraction of planets with life; the fraction with intelligence; a weighting for the lifetime of an ETI; and so on.
A notable aspect of the Drake equation is the sheer number of stars it considers. In our own Milky Way galaxy, there are many hundreds of billions of stars, and there are countless galaxies. This abundance of stars serves as a potential source for life in the Drake equation. However, the data needed to specify the Drake equation is often illposed, meaning that much of it relies heavily on educated guesses. As a result, sensitivity analyses are limited to the assumptions within the calculations, which can yield estimates ranging anywhere from (besides us) 1 to over
Fig. 1. The late RCA Lifetime Award winner Frank Drake contemplating the equation that bears his name (Seth Shostak, SETI Institute).
1,000,000+ intelligent civilizations inside our own Milky Way galaxy. None of these extremes can be ruled out with the current knowledge we have of the universe.
This could be considered good news, as the possibilities seem promising.
However, given the vast number of stars in the universe, the distances between them are truly astronomical. From this arise three key restrictions:
1. When observing objects at great distances, we are inherently looking back in time;
2. Communication with ETI cannot be duplex, as the time delays can range from dozens to hundreds of thousands of years or more;
3. The enormous distances mean significant path losses, which in turn necessitate great effective radiated power (ERP) to be detected.
These challenges represent the downside of the vastness of space.
To put things in perspective: the closest stars are approximately 4 light years away. The Milky Way, our galaxy, spans more than 200,000 light-years across, and the nearest galaxies are millions of light-years away. On the positive side, there are more than 200 billion stars in the Milky Way, with an average distance between stars of roughly 10 light years. These stars are often grouped by gravitational forces into formations such as clusters, pinwheels, and halos, for example.
Therefore, while there may be a handful—or even a significant number—of ETIs in our galaxy, they would only be capable of simplex communication, and the path loss would be immense. Furthermore, most stars are located in other galaxies, which are so distant that they become impractical candidates for SETI.
How then do we optimize a signal to ensure it can be detected? Are there universal attributes that can be recognized and exploited by both transmitters and receivers?
THE DETECTION IMPERATIVE: SHARED STRATEGY ON THE COSMIC LINK
The term “SETI” is, in a way, misleading. The true objective is not just the search for extraterrestrial intelligence but the detection of intelligent signals—the search is merely the mechanism for achieving detection. Therefore, optimizing a signal for detection becomes crucial. Are there universal characteristics on the cosmic path of the link that any and all cosmic transmitters and receivers can identify and exploit to facilitate communication across cosmic distances?
It is important to understand that SETI is not a guessing game; it is a detection challenge. It assumes an interest in sharing one’s existence to parties unknown, but who have the intelligence to figure out how to communicate on a cosmic link. For example, hiding signals is straightforward; however, the goal is not cosmic privacy, but transparency: one seeks to achieve maximum signalto-noise ratio (SNR) across a cosmic path link, making it easier for signals to stand out and be detected.
Basically, SETI provides a ‘detection mode’ scenario. Consequently, concepts like ‘techno-signatures’, ‘leakage’, and ‘high bit rate modulation’ schemes are highly unlikely candidates for successful SETI, even on a one-way transmission. Of course, while ETI may have a lot to say, the detection scenario invokes bare simplicity: presumably, the information content in the transmission, while simple, will guide us to a matched filter, high bit rate mode that would otherwise not be easily detected and be transmitted at different frequencies from a detection mode.
As to maximum SNR, take visible light lasers, for instance. While they are a potential transmission method, their effectiveness is hindered by cosmic noise—in this case ambient light—from the brightness of the star they are associated with—a feeble signal superimposed on significant built-in noise. This raises the question: at what wavelength regime can we find the minimum cosmic noise background? This is a fundamental question that
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extends to broader considerations: what are the natural characteristics of cosmic environments that allow effective detection strategies on both transmitting and receiving sides? What are the cosmic commonalities that help establish such links?
Given the vast distances involved, signal dilution becomes a critical factor. The ERP of the transmitter, as well as the gain and sensitivity of the antenna and receiver systems, are key factors in overcoming this dilution. Both the transmitter and the receiver must exploit shared knowledge of the cosmic ‘path’—including the inherent cosmic noise—to optimize both transmission and reception. Here, we explore these shared characteristics that need to be understood and addressed to achieve successful path link detection.
WATER HOLE SNR AND DETECTION EFFICIENCY
The universe is filled with continuous and discrete sources of electromagnetic emissions, including natural phenomena such as the remnant radiation from the Big Bang, electrons spiraling in magnetic fields (e.g., synchrotron radiation), and various thermal mechanisms. As a result, space is not completely dark; it ranges from the faintest of grays to blindingly bright, depending on where in the electromagnetic spectrum one looks. Fortunately, in the radio frequency range between roughly 1 GHz and 10 GHz, in other words at microwave RF frequencies, there is a natural lull in cosmic noise. This region is referred to as the ‘water hole’ (see Morrison et al., 1971) because spectral lines of hydrogen (H) and hydroxyl (OH) lie prominently within it. The ‘water hole’ provides a frequency range where the natural cosmic noise floor is at its lowest, giving the best opportunity for signals to be transmitted and received with minimal natural noise limitations.
The water hole’s minimum noise floor is a universal and measurable quantity across at least our galaxy and neighboring galaxies. This makes it an ideal candidate for intelligent communicators seeking to maximize their chances of being detected—a common passband range for
a cosmic path link. By transmitting and receiving within this frequency range, rather than in infrared, visible light, or other wavelengths, we can achieve the highest possible detectability due to minimal background noise.
NARROW BANDWIDTHS (CHANNELS) AND RAYLEIGH IMPOSTERS
Given that the water hole is a large passband range with minimal noise, the next question is: what is the most effective way to transmit a signal to ensure it can be easily received? The obvious and correct answer is to concentrate all available power into a narrow frequency ‘channel’, effectively creating a delta function for power at a specific frequency. This approach maximizes the SNR, as described by Cocconi and Morrison(1959). It also does not require prior knowledge of a matched filter, unlike the more complex methods such as spread spectrum communications. This narrow channel approach is somewhat akin to using Morse code (continuous wave or CW) as utilized by amateur radio operators on Earth, but with a much narrower channel width that is sub-Hertz rather than 10s or 100s of Hertz in frequency.
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Fig. 2. The Cosmic Water Hole—the Microwave Spectral range with minimum cosmic noise.
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Nurse Call Systems Integration
Coverage Maps
Simulcast Radio Design
Site Selection Process
System Performance and Auditing
FCC and ETA Certification Testing
The challenge with narrow-bandwidth, single-channel transmissions is the sheer number of potential channels that need to be monitored. If we use a channel width of, say, 0.1 Hz, and the water hole spans 10,000 MHz, there are more than a hundred billion possible channels to search at any given time in a particular direction. Also, the duty cycle of the signal is unknown, though it can be assumed to be greater than the inverse of the channel width—say, around 100 seconds.
While the water hole has a low noise floor, there are additional thermal noise components from the receiver and antenna that add to comprise the observed Rx noise in each independent channel. In other words, the texture of the noise floor is set by the statistics of noise, not just its overall smooth baseline from the cosmic component. Since noise follows various statistical forms, at any given time, some channels will have strong noise, and some will have little noise. Detection, in part, is deemed to be a high pass filter with a threshold above this statistically dominated noise floor.
With this enormous number of channels, the noise statistics follow a Rayleigh distribution due to the narrow passband of each channel. Unlike Gaussian Bell-curves, Rayleigh distributions have an elongated “tail,” beyond 10 times the RMS noise (or ‘sigma’), connoting many channels where noise can appear significantly louder than the average. Out of billions of independent channels, it is expected that thousands may manifest with 10, 14, or 20+ sigmas purely due to noise. This creates false positives—or ‘Rayleigh imposters’—which can be mistaken for actual signals. Typical Bayesian analysis might suggest that a signal exceeding 10 sigma threshold is likely to be real, but this approach can be misleading.
Previous SETI searches often used a threshold of 20 sigma or more to mitigate false positives caused by Rayleigh imposters. However, this can also lead to excluding real signals, as some true transmissions may appear similar to strong Rayleigh noise. This would likely not arise if the noise was Gaussian distributed, as the threshold would be far lower.
Thus, channels may pose the advantage of being delta functions which yield the most intense signals, but the statistical noise inherent to defining detection also will follow a somewhat problematic increase based on Rayleigh noise statistics.
DOPPLER: THE INEVITABILITY OF COSMIC CHIRPS
Signals are redundant, while noise is unique. This means that a real signal should be observable in the same channel over time, provided it is not a Rayleigh imposter. In practice, SETI signals will inevitably recur at different frequencies due to the Doppler effects induced by planetary rotation.
Under typical conditions, the modest velocity of planetary rotation would have a negligible effect on signal frequency of nominal bandwidth. However, given the extremely narrow bandwidths required for SETI, even small planetary velocities—at both, or at either end of the cosmic link— changes can be significant.
The frequency drift caused by a planet’s rotation will be sinusoidal and depend on the aspect angle between the
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
Fig. 3. A Rayleigh Distribution of noise. Note that a high threshold still engenders many noisy channels.
Experienced | Thorough | Reliable
transmitter and receiver. The drift of frequency—easily many channels over course of minutes, for example—will look linear in the frequency-time plot but will also have an acceleration component, curving the drift.
In essence, SETI signals drift, and over time, SETI signals will chirp.
A simple example, well representative of a possible exoplanet, is one with an 8-hour day which has the following for the chirping drift:
Even when correcting for Earth’s rotation, perfect alignment is often not feasible due to the dynamic nature of planetary movements. In SETI, we generally have no prior information about where to look or where to beam transmissions. SETI is essentially a probability game focused on star clusters. In the case of sub-Hertz frequency channels, the signal may be received in adjacent channels over time, and integration over hours or days to reduce receiver noise is impractical because of the frequency drift away from the initial channel. Instead, Doppler effects effectively set a dwell time of several hundred seconds or less for any given channel. High duty-cycle observations of a specific area of the sky may lead to an alleged detected signal that then drifts in frequency and disappears, mimicking noise and appearing as a Rayleigh imposter. This is likely the explanation for the many alleged SETI ‘discoveries’ that could not be later reproduced.
One potential solution involves using signal processing techniques to model the expected sinusoidal frequency drift. This approach, which was detailed in 1990 (Cohen, 1993), showed that detecting a narrowband signal on a cosmic scale requires extensive modeling to track frequency changes over time.
The modeling process involves capturing detection candidates in frequency-time space and combining power from adjacent channels. Surprisingly, this method allows the receiver noise to be reduced by accumulating intensities across several channels over time. The result is akin to a ‘connect the dots’ approach, which can follow the path of a drifting signal through frequency-time space, although the solution is inherently degenerate; that is, the solution is not unique.
Most optimization problems are built upon the assumption that the best solution is the one that corresponds to physical reality. This is not the case here. The slope of the ‘accumulation of received power’ line has many variations of the slope capable of receiving the same power. This occurs because not all of the drifting channels will be linear in the connect-the-dots scenario, due to an acceleration of the planet’s Doppler as it rotates. Several accumulations of power lines can be consistent with the data, because the noise may dominate in some channels, and others will drop below a threshold. Yet only one corresponds to the actual sinusoid of drift of the Tx signal.
The following diagram illustrates this. Each peak represents a different slope and offset from a starting position for the connect the dots line. The power accumulated through integration along this slope is shown as a spike, for different slopes and different initial channel points for the accumulation. Note that about the same accumulated power arises for very different slopes.
The likelihood that any candidate detection will be fleeting appears, at first glance, to be very high. Failure to have redundancy of detection at a later time will prevent an assertion of detection. It thus is possible to momentarily detect a signal. But its lack of redundancy is problematic because the drift model cannot be uniquely determined. In essence, you can’t predict, with any degree of certainty, where to expect it at a later time.
A signal that does not return is not a signal. The question becomes: has it returned at a slightly different set of channels, a change caused by the Doppler effect, and where should we expect to find them at a later time? Multiple slope variations may lead to a similar outcome of accumulated power for detection, and thus it would
Fig. 5. Degeneracy of solutions for Accumulated Power.
Fig. 4. Doppler drift of channels.
seem there is no unique way to predict where a signal will appear next for a monochromatic signal.
BLINKERS: SCINTILLATION AND A POLYCHROMATIC COMB
Another limitation of cosmic propagation that can be turned to our advantage is scintillation (Cohen, 1993). While interstellar space is often considered a vacuum, it contains a very tenuous plasma spread over extremely long distances. Any narrowband transmission through such a medium will be subject to scintillation, also known as fading or QSB in terrestrial radio propagation. This effect, from multipath, causes the signal intensity in a given channel to vary over time in a quasi-random manner. It blinks. In doing so, a signal will appear and disappear when the SNR is marginal, complicating or thwarting detection.
For water hole frequencies, the time scales of scintillation can range from minutes to hours, and the effect can be dramatic—with changes of intensity exceeding 10 dB not uncommon. However, approximately 40% of the time, scintillation can magnify signal intensity, providing gains of 3-10 dB. Thus, while a signal in one channel might be deeply faded, another transmitted channel—perhaps hundreds of MHz away—might experience a significant increase in intensity.
An unexpected solution to these issues arises if we allow transmissions to be polychromatic instead of monochromatic. Cohen and Charleton (1995) showed that if several channels are spread sparsely across the water hole, rather than being limited to a single channel at a given time, significant advantages emerge.
Dividing the power among multiple narrowband channels might seem counterproductive but the opposite is true. The enhancement provided by scintillation is enough to overcome the dilution of dividing power across bands. As a result, at least one of the polychromatic channels will have an intensity exceeding what would be expected without scintillation.
Of course, there are diminishing returns with an excessive number of channels. Cohen found that dividing the transmission into 3 to 6 such bands guarantees
enhancement in at least one band at any given time. The channels are distributed sparsely, likely in a random fashion, forming a “frequency comb” within the water hole. For example, arbitrarily, there could be channels at 1400 MHz, 1799 MHz, and 1999 MHz. Many other combinations are possible. The arrangement does not need to be regular or deterministic, but there should be a sufficient frequency separation (roughly 10% or more) to ensure that scintillation effects are not correlated across channels.
This polychromatic strategy offers the key advantage that guarantees at least one band will achieve the expected or greater intensity even with scintillation
SUMMARY PART 1: COSMIC COMMONALITIES AND THE SETI CHALLENGE
This paper outlines how successful cosmic communication depends on understanding shared astrophysical conditions, or “cosmic commonalities.” These conditions are crucial for optimizing a detectable link across vast cosmic distances. We emphasize a few key strategies to improve our chances of detecting extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI).
First, transmitting within the “water hole”—a specific radio frequency range (1-10 GHz) with minimal cosmic noise—maximizes the detectability of signals. This range provides the best opportunity for signals to stand out against background noise.
Using a “frequency comb” approach, transmitting across 3 to 6 distinct narrowband channels within the water hole, dramatically enhances the likelihood of detection. Due to cosmic scintillation, one of these channels is likely to experience a boost in intensity, increasing the chance of successful signal detection.
We also account for the Doppler effect, where planetary rotation causes frequency drift. To detect ETI signals, receivers must address this drift to avoid missing potential signals.
These core strategies—transmitting in the water hole, using a frequency comb of narrow channels, and
Fig. 6. Blinking from scintillation can kill a detection above the noise floor.
Fig. 7. Polychromatic comb assures detection.
managing frequency drift—define how we can improve SETI’s success in detecting extraterrestrial signals.
In Part 2, we will describe the methods and tools to further utilize these cosmic commonalities, leveraged to reveal the relative ease of detection in SETI.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to express my deep gratitude to my colleagues and mentors during my years in SETI, including Frank Drake, Kent Cullers, Paul Feldman, Tommy Gold, Philip Morrison, and Barney Oliver, who have all since passed away. Their insights and guidance have been invaluable, and while my career eventually led to a different set of “interesting problems,” SETI never veered far from my thoughts. This two-part paper reflects my key contributions they inspired, and I hope it will motivate new generations to advance SETI to a true science — one built beyond, presently, a single data point, in cosmic isolation: a sometimes intelligent, species.
REFERENCES
Cocconi, G.; Morisson, P. (1959). “Searching for Interstellar Communications,” Nature. 184 (4690): 844–846.
Cohen, N. (1993). “Blinkers and Drifters: Strategies for Optimum Time Segmenting of Multipath and/or Doppler Drifting Monochromatic Signals,” in Third Decennial USUSSR Conference on SETI, (Seth Shostak,ed) p.89-102 (Pub. Astr. Soc. Pacific, San Francisco).
Cohen, N.; Charleton, D. (1995) “Polychromatic SETI”, in Progress for the Search of Extraterrestrial Life, (Seth Shostak,ed.), p. 313-324 (Pub. Astr. Soc. Pacific, San Francisco).
Drake, F. (1961), “Project Ozma,” Physics Today, 14, 140-142.
Drake, F. (1993). “A Brief History of SETI”, in Third Decennial US-USSR Conference on SETI, (Seth Shostak,ed.) p.11-17 (Pub. Astr. Soc. Pacific, San Francisco).
Morrison, P.; Billingham, J.; Wolfe, J. (1971), in SETI, p.69 (NASA- Ames, CA).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Nathan “Chip” Cohen is the founder and CEO of Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc. He is a physicist, radio astronomer, and innovator/inventor. Dr. Cohen has held research and or professorial positions at: Harvard; MIT; Cornell; NAIC (Arecibo); NASAJPL and Ames; and Boston University. He is a former professor of Science and Engineering; spent time as a Quant trader on Wall Street with a seat on the AMEX; studied astrophysics under Dr. Frank Drake (an RCA Lifetime Achievement Award winner). Dr Cohen published over 100 technical papers and holds 93 US patents. He is the inventor of fractal antennas and resonators, fractal metamaterials, and the invisibility cloak, conducting basic and applied research on these, and holds the source patents in these fields. Dr. Cohen is a Fellow of the Radio Club of America, received RCA’s Lee DeForest and Alfred Grebe Awards, and is a former RCA Vice President.
IEEE AND STEVENS INSTITUTE UNVEIL MILESTONE ACHIEVEMENT PLAQUE CELEBRATING THE NEUTRODYNE CIRCUIT
By David Bart
On October 19, 2024, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and Stevens Institute of Technology (Stevens Institute) held a dedication ceremony to unveil a new Milestone Achievement plaque celebrating the Neutrodyne Circuit. The proposal effort involved many Radio Club of America (RCofA) members and celebrated one of RCofA’s legendary members and their achievements.
BROAD-BASED PROPOSAL EFFORTS
The IEEE Milestone proposal team had an unusually large number of participants. Kit August led the team of four proposers to document the achievement and obtain the participation of Stevens Institute. IEEE Region 1 Director and Regional Historian, Bala Prasana and Ram Dhurjaty, respectively, worked with the IEEE History Center and IEEE History Committee to resolve questions and help coordinate the arrangements. Region 1 Section Chair Hong Zhao arranged the dedication ceremony. IEEE History Center Director Michael Geselowitz and Milestone Administrator Robert Colburn navigated the process, together with IEEE History Chair David Michelson. David Bart was the IEEE Milestone Advocate.
DEDICATION CEREMONY
The dedication ceremony had been delayed as a consequence of Covid but finally took place, following the centennial of the invention in 1922. The program included presentations by:
• Victor Lawrence, IEEE Fellow
• Jean Zu, Lore E. Feiler Dean, Schaefer School of Engineering and Science, Stevens Institute
• Hong Zhao, Chair, IEEE North Jersey Section
• Bala Prasanna, Director, IEEE Region 1
• Nariman Farvardin, President, Stevens Institute
• Barrett Hazeltine, Professor Emeritus, Brown University
• Robert Dent, Past Chair, IEEE History Committee
• Michael Molnar, Project Engineer, Diagnostic Services, and Principal Historian for the Milestone
Michael Molnar served as an important source of historical information used in the preparation of the Milestone. He brought an exhibit of Neutrodyne and Hazeltine–related items to the dedication, including four radios, a copy of Hazeltine’s 1924 textbook, and a copy of Stevens Institute Electrical Laboratory Notes from 1903. He also presented a biography of Louis Hazeltine, explaining the significance of the Neutrodyne circuit in making radio much more accessible as a new communications technology, and identifying the legacy of Hazeltine to Stevens Institute and the world.
Unveiling the Milestone plaque. Louis Hazeltine’s son (right) and grandson (second right) were present.
Proposers and others involved with the Neutrodyne
Michael Molnar explains his display of Neutrodyne-related items.
Milestone.
Some of the presenters (left to right): Victor Lawrence, Jean Zu, Hong Zhao, Nariman Farvardin, Barrett Hazeltine, Michael Molnar.
LOUIS HAZELTINE
Louis Alan Hazeltine (1886-1964) was an engineer and physicist, and the inventor of the Neutrodyne circuit. He was the founder of the Hazeltine Corporation.
Hazeltine attended the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, majoring in electrical engineering. Upon graduation in 1906, he accepted a job with General Electric Corporation. He returned to Stevens to teach, eventually becoming chair of the electrical engineering department in 1917. Following U.S. entry into World War I, Hazeltine became a consultant for the United States Navy, later serving as an advisor to the U.S. government on radio broadcasting regulation, and later, holding a position on the National Defense Research Committee during World War II.
communication due to its unevenness, noisy operation (squelches and squawks and signal interference were common), and intermittent service.
The Neutrodyne Circuit emerged from Hazeltine’s work performed during World War I for the U.S. Navy. Hazeltine designed the new circuit on paper (a first versus the trialand-error approaches commonly in use at the time) and devised numerous technical improvements. The result was the Navy Model 1420 radio that included:
• Shielded compartments to divide the radio circuitry
• Isolation of the primary and secondary tuning
• Use of a built-in Moorhead VT24 tube
• Grounded dead-end coil windings
• Adjustable Tickler for regeneration
• Grounded dial shafts
• Optimized coil design with coils installed at specific angles
• Shockproof tube sockets
In 1918, Hazeltine designed a U.S. Navy receiver for use on destroyers, the SE 1420, that enjoyed long usage. In 1922, he adopted and expanded his concepts to design a receiver suitable for broadcast reception, known as the Neutrodyne (see below), which was introduced in 1923. The following year, he founded the Hazeltine Corporation. Hazeltine temporarily left Stevens in 1925, lived in Europe for two years to study mathematics and art history in France, and returned to the U.S. In 1933, he returned to Stevens as a Professor of mathematical physics and continued teaching until 1944. During World War II, he served as a consultant to the Office of Scientific Research and Development. After the war, he contributed to the development of television and provided consulting work for Hazeltine Corporation.
Hazeltine received 36 patents during his career. He was a mentor and colleague of Harold Wheeler, who wrote a biography entitled Hazeltine the Professor published in 1978. Hazeltine died in 1964 at the age of 78.
Hazeltine was highly regarded as an electrical engineer, educator, and inventor. He served as president of the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) in 1936, which later merged with the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) to form IEEE. He published a textbook, Electrical Engineering, in 1924 and numerous professional articles.
THE NEUTRODYNE CIRCUIT
Until the 1920s, tune radio frequency (TRF) receivers were difficult to operate, since each circuit had to be individually tuned to the same frequency, and they were prone to oscillating. The oscillations caused noise interference that impeded the listening experience. In essence, radio was confined to skilled amateurs with technical knowledge who understood and worked with their radios for reception. The general public was limited in its ability to broadly participate in this new form of
• Use of coupling coil shields.
Hazeltine reconceived the electrical circuits used in TRF radios of the era. These circuits created parasitic oscillations that mixed with the carrier wave in the detector, creating heterodynes (beat notes) in the audio frequency range, that were heard as whistles and howls from the speaker. Hazeltine’s innovation added a circuit
Louis Alan Hazeltine (courtesy Wikimedia).
Excerpts from Hazeltine’s Radio Club of America paper about the Neutrodyne.
to each radio frequency amplifier stage, which fed back a small amount of energy from the plate (output) circuit to the grid (input) circuit with the opposite phase which canceled (“neutralized”) the feedback that was causing the oscillations. This effectively prevented the highpitched squeals that had plagued early radio sets. Further, the simplification and standardization of radio operation down to a box with three scaled dials permitted easy use by the general public. Widespread and rapid adoption laid the foundation for the expansion of commercial radio.
The radio boom of the 1920s was on! A group of more than 20 companies soon joined together as the Independent Radio Manufacturers Association to license the circuit from Hazeltine and manufacture Neutrodyne receivers.
Louis Alan Hazeltine was awarded U.S. Patent No. 1450080, “Method and electric circuit arrangement for neutralizing capacity coupling”; filed August 7, 1919; granted March 27, 1923. The term “Neutrodyne” was coined by Willis H. Taylor, Jr. an attorney specializing in patents. Originally the term was used by the IRMA members to find a solution for various patent litigation to separate Hazeltine’s circuit from other claims. In the beginning, IRMA members included F.A.D. Andrea (FADA), Freed-Eisemann, and Garod. The term Neutrodyne was used as a trademark as soon as the first radio receivers were launched in the market by FADA in 1923. By 1927, ten million of these receivers had been sold to consumers in North America.
Beginning in 1926, advances in vacuum tube manufacturing and the adoption of screen grids in the tubes started making it possible to build TRF receivers that did not need neutralization. Edwin Armstrong’s superheterodyne circuit became available using the new tubes, making radio receivers more practical. The TRF circuit, including the Neutrodyne, became obsolete by the 1930s. Yet, many of the principles in the Neutrodyne circuit continue as a critical concept used in radio receivers today. Neutrodyne neutralization techniques continue to be used in other applications to suppress parasitic oscillation, such as in RF power amplifiers in radio transmitters.
RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA
Hazeltine was an active member of the RCofA, serving as president from 1946–1947. He received RCofA’s Armstrong Medal in 1937. He was a Fellow of the AIEE, IRE (and RCofA. His work was the subject of numerous articles in the Proceedings of the Radio Club of America for the remainder of the 20th century:
• “Losses and Capacity of Multi-Layer Coils” (1917)
• “Discussion of Professor L. A. Hazeltine’s Paper on “Losses and Capacity of Multilayer Coils” (1917)
• “Bulb Oscillators for Radio Transmission” (1920)
• “Why No Receiver Can Eliminate Spark Interference –Report of The RCA Committee on Interference” (1923)
• “Tuned Radio Frequency Amplification With Neutralization of Capacity Coupling” (1923)
• “Hazeltine Lanac System of Navigation And Collision Prevention” (1947)
• Book Review: “Hazeltine the Professor” by Harold A. Wheeler (1947)
• Obituary: “Dr. Louis Alan Hazeltine” (1964)
• Book Review: “The Early Days of Wheeler and the Hazeltine Corporation–Profiles in Radio and Electronics” by Harold Alden Wheeler (1982)
• “E.H. Armstrong–The Edison Medalist” (1990).
Several RCofA members played a significant role in the Milestone proposal process, and many were present and participated in the Milestone dedication ceremony. Of note:
• Michael Molnar (Milestone Historian, and the 2024 recipient of RCofA’s Batcher Award for historical research and preservation)
• Kit August (Milestone Proposal Leader)
• David Bart (Milestone Advocate)
• Ram Dhurjaty (IEEE Regional Historian)
• Ajay Poddar (IEEE Section and Regional Leadership)
IEEE MILESTONES
The IEEE Milestones program honors significant technical achievements in all areas associated with IEEE, including engineering, computer sciences and information technology, physical sciences, biological and medical sciences, mathematics, technical communications, education, management, and law and policy. The program is directed by the IEEE History Committee and is administered through the IEEE History Center. IEEE Milestones recognize technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity found in unique products, services, seminal papers, and patents. They honor the achievement, rather than a place or a person. To date, 275 Milestones have been dedicated worldwide. Inventions are not typically recognized unless they represent a new way of thinking about or working with technology, thereby qualifying them as a technical achievement.
SOURCES
U.S. Patent No. 1450080, Louis Alan Hazeltine, “Method and electric circuit arrangement for neutralizing capacity coupling”; filed August 7, 1919; granted March 27, 1923.
Hazeltine, L. A. “Tuned Radio Frequency Amplification With Neutralization of Capacity Coupling”, Proceedings of the Radio Club of America, Mar. 1923.
Louis Alan Hazeltine “Scanning the Past”, Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 81, No. 4, April 1993.
May, M. “From Figures to Fame: Professor Louis Alan Hazeltine Finds that the Algebraic Unknown Quantity, X, Equals Fame, Fortune, and the Neutrodyne”, Radio Broadcast, Vol. 7, No. 4, Aug. 1925.
Molnar, M. “More Then One Hundred Years of Neutrodyne,” IEEE Milestone Dedication of the Neutrodyne Circuit, Oct. 19, 2024.
Proceedings of the Radio Club of America (articles noted herein).
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 Vice President and Fellow of the Antique Wireless Association. He has received numerous awards for his work involving the history of communications.
1920s demonstrations of the Neutrodyne by Louis Hazeltine.
CURRENT PERSPECTIVES: THE ROAD TO 6G: POLITICAL, LEGAL, AND ECONOMIC HEADWINDS
By David Witkowski
In the late 2010’s, the wireless telecommunications industry was buzzing with anticipation that 5G, the 5th generation of mobile communications, would enable new technologies and foster the development of new business opportunities. As we reach the halfway point on our 5G journey, it is obvious that we made less progress than was hoped, and that the road ahead will be long and filled with obstacles. How did this happen, and what might happen as we continue down this road?
FRAMEWORKS FOR STANDARDIZATION
Approximately every ten years, the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R), operating under the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations, issues the next-generation framework for mobile communications. IMT-2020 was the framework for 5G, and IMT-2030 will be the framework for 6G. In response, technical standards organizations create specifications that meet or exceed the ITU-R framework. In parallel with the ITU-R process, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) an international collaboration of seven telecommunications standards organizations, creates the specifications for mobile telecommunications technology that meets or exceeds the ITU-R framework. For IMT-2010, the 3GPP specification is Long-Term Evolution (LTE). For IMT-2020, the 3GPP specification is New Radio (NR). These processes occur with input from academia and professional organizations, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). From the public’s perspective, cellular generations are discrete, changing approximately every ten years. In reality, the 3GPP “parallel release” strategy is more incremental and granular. It adds new features and stabilizes previously introduced features on a release schedule that occurs every twelve to twenty-four months. As of this writing (September 2024) we are in 3GPP Release 18. We will move to 3GPP Release 19 in September 2025. Each 3GPP release combines the outputs from various working groups focused on different aspects of the market, use cases, or technology.
Prior to 5G, 3GPP releases were fairly simple. Mobile cellular networks enabled people to make voice calls, send text messages, and to access the internet. Beginning with 5G, ITU-R defined a new vision for mobile cellular that serves not only people but machines. It envisioned a hyper-connected future, where mobile cellular networks would enable machine-to-machine and human-to-machine communications across wide areas, the so-called “Internet of Things” (known as “IoT”). It envisioned that 5G should enable extremely low-latency communications for real-time systems, such as augmented reality and virtual reality. In 2019, the promise of a 5G future seemed bright indeed. Half a decade later, with the concept of 6G looming, we are struggling against headwinds to realize the 5G vision. What are these headwinds?
HEADWINDS
When defining next generational frameworks for standardization, and their associated technical specifications, participants consider both expected future needs and current-generation limitations. 3GPP LTE for 4G overcame 3G’s data transmission limitations and paved the way for smartphones, but 3GPP defined LTE years before Google and Apple created the Android and the iPhone in the late 2000s. Despite criticism that 4G was “a solution in search of a problem,” LTE became a massive success because of smartphones. In Silicon Valley parlance, smartphones were the “killer app” that validated and created a market for LTE. In fact, early LTE networks were quickly overwhelmed by the smartphones that made it successful. To date, 5G’s killer app remains elusive, and it is notable that this year’s Mobility Report from Ericsson states that year-over-year growth in data usage is slowing down.
An LTE radio cannot serve more than 150 devices at any given time, so at the dawn of the smartphone era, cellular carriers scrambled to build additional sites, seeking to add capacity to keep up with demand. 5G radios fix that problem, and conversion to 5G RAN is the current focus for all major U.S. carriers. On average, device throughput is up nearly 5x since 2019. This likely accounts for the slowdown reported by Ericsson. Most users simply do not need gigabit speeds while they are mobile. There are few
positives in the 5G mid-decade story, but delivering mobile broadband, often above 100 megabits-per-second, across a wide area is one of the highlights.
FUTURE STEPS AND ROADBLOCKS
Given that 5G’s killer app remains elusive, some industry leaders now suggest that we pause and hold off on 6G’s implementation. I am one of those arguing for a pause. While others argue we should defer 6G for market and investment ROI reasons, I argue that we should pause because every time we “add a G” we engender a fresh round of opposition from anti-wireless activists. It may be the case that people simply need more time to get used to new technologies. Consider that in the late 19th century, some people were terrified of electricity and electric lighting. Linda Simon’s excellent book Dark Light: Electricity and Anxiety from the Telegraph to the X-ray describes this history in detail.
In the early 2010s, the rush to build cellular sites (known in regulatory terms as Wireless Communications Facilities or “WCFs”) ran headlong into opposition from residents and activists concerned about both aesthetic impacts and
the health effects of electromagnetic sources emanating from newly announced LTE technologies. Opposition to LTE WCFs further increased after 2015, when the industry shifted its strategy from high-level “macro tower” WCFs capable of delivering wide-area coverage, to low-level “small cell” WCFs that add network data capacity. Ten years later, we are once again fighting, this time against opposition to 5G technologies. If, and when, 6G comes down the road, we will fight again.
STRANGE DAYS AHEAD – TWO KEY EVENTS
Given that part of my company’s business model is built on providing expert witness services for electromagnetic safety. I find it odd that I might argue against a neverending cycle of cellular generations. Indeed, this cycle has, and will, provide us with a bottomless well of clients and projects. Unfortunately, the never-ending cycle is both giving rise to, and feeding on, larger forces.
As a scientist and engineer, I prefer to keep politics out of the equation. We work across party lines with planning commissions, city councils, county boards, and other local governments. Permitting and approval of WCFs at the local
Figure 1 - 3GPP Release 19, Major Topics for Radio Access Network (Image: 3GPP).
level is not usually a partisan question. Unfortunately, two events at the national level potentially bear on the expansion and success of 5G and beyond networks. (Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. Nothing in this article can be considered any form of legal advice. Proceed accordingly.)
The first event was the entrance of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. into the 2024 presidential race. His subsequent endorsement of Donald Trump’s second term bid, and the potential that RFK, Jr. may get appointed to head up a federal agency could be a significant result. RFK, Jr. has been, and continues to be, a vociferous opponent of wireless technology. He bases his concerns on populist ideas and concepts about the safety of electromagnetic energy on public health, and looks skeptically upon the body of evidence produced by academia and international standards bodies. The organization he founded, Children’s Health Defense, was a co-petitioner in the case Environmental Health Trust v. FCC. This case sought to overturn the FCC’s decision in 2019 that maintained their prior guidance on radiofrequency emissions levels for human safety. The FCC’s decision was, in my opinion, wholly appropriate, given that the FCC derives the vast
majority of its safety guidance foundation from the IEEE’s C95 family of standards, the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), and the work of the National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP). NCRP is a non-profit established by the U.S. Congress in 1964 to provide recommendations and guidance on topics of electromagnetic safety. (Disclaimer: I am a member of the IEEE International Committee for Electromagnetic Safety, which produces the C95 family of standards. I am also a member of the IEEE Committee on Man and Radiation, and a member of the ARRL RF Safety Committee.)
The D.C. Circuit Court’s three-judge panel did not place an injunction on the FCC’s 2019 order, but they did rule that the FCC violated the Administrative Procedures Act and directed the FCC to come back with an evidentiary record that supports the rationale for their 2019 order. The FCC did not seek an en banc review from the full D.C. Circuit Court, but the FCC has also not yet responded to the D.C. Circuit Court’s directives.
The second event was the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo
Figure 2 - RFK, Jr.’s mantra “Make America Healthy Again” was prominent at a September 2024 rally (Photo: X/@mtaibbi)
Loper Bright overruled the longstanding doctrine of Chevron Deference, which had directed courts to defer to federal agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes if those interpretations were reasonable. In the 1996 Telecommunications Act, the U.S. Congress gave the FCC power to set nationwide standards, measurement processes, and methods for evaluation of electromagnetic safety. Court challenges to this authority over EMF safety failed primarily under Chevron Deference, since the FCC was considered to be an expert on the topic. Loper Bright opens the FCC’s authority on regarding issues of electromagnetic safety to a direct challenge. The FCC no longer benefits from the Chevron doctrine, and it has not yet resolved the D.C. Circuit Court’s order in Environmental Health Trust v. FCC.
FUTURE RISKS
Narrating the classic Twilight Zone television show, Rod Serling would famously begin with “Picture if you will…” So, with apologies to Rod, picture if you will the world of 2025. RFK, Jr. is appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services and confirmed by the Senate. Secretary Kennedy declares that, under Loper Bright, and because the FCC never responded to the D.C. Circuit Court’s ruling in Environmental Health Trust v. FCC, the FCC no longer has sole authority over electromagnetic safety. An executive order is then signed by President Trump, backing Kennedy’s declaration.
Given his past activism, Secretary Kennedy is skeptical of the science provided by the IEEE, ICNIRP, NCRP, or any other experts. After all, these are the same groups that provided the FCC with evidence for their flawed 2019 ruling, are they not? The process of developing a new national electromagnetic safety standard becomes, as most things now do, a political circus. The anti-
wireless Environmental Health Trust, and their flock of regional pseudoscientific activist groups, now have a real shot at crafting federal law, making it nearly impossible for cellular carriers to obtain siting permits. Local governments, egged on by local activist groups, begin setting their own RF safety standards based on populist opinion and pseudoscience.
And while all of this is happening… The ITU-R introduces 6G. What could possibly go wrong?
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. He 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 IEEE International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety, as a member of the IEEE Committee on Man and Radiation, and a member of the ARRL RF Safety Committee. He is the author of several books and many articles about the state of the industry.
PAPER COPIES OF RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA TECHNICAL PROCEEDINGS – FREE (while they last)
Just pay shipping - or to eliminate shipping charge, come to AWA in Bloomfield, NY and pick them up
Acoustics and Microphone Placement in Broadcast Studios Part I Dreher May 1928
Acoustics and Microphone Placement in Broadcast Studios Part II Dreher June 1928
THE A-B-Cs of Amplifier Circuits Crom Sept 1928
Measurements on Broadcast Receivers Hull Oct 1928
Measurement & Design of Audio Frequency Transformers Johnson Nov 1928
High Power Output Tube Weaver Dec 1928
Characteristics of Filament Type Rectifiers Wise Jan 1929
Servicing Radio Receivers Aceves Jun 1929
Characteristics of Audio Transformers Turner Sept 1929
Grid Suppressor Circuit Harris Oct 1929
Circuit Combinations that Provide Uniform Signal Selection Uehling Nov 1929
Screen-Grid Tubes for Audio Frequency Amplifiers Glauber Feb 1930
Pentode Tube Henney Mar 1930
Practical Television System Replogle May 1930
Equipotential Indirectly Heated Cathode for Receiver Tubes Allen July 1930
Adjustable Tone Compensation Improves Audio Amplifiers Aceves Sept 1930
Broadcast Program Protection Brown Oct 1930
Proving Lab for Radio Receivers Reinken Nov 1930
The “Stenode” Robinson Dec 1930
Multicoupler Antenna System for Apartment Buildings Amy April 1931
Design & Construction of Standard Signal Generators Franks May 1931
Design of a Complete Television System Huffman July 1931
Synchronization of Westinghouse Radio Stations WBZ & WBZA Gregory Aug 1931
Continuity Testing in Radio Service Work Rider Nov 1931
Auditorium Sound Adsorption Balance Schlenker Dec 1931
Portable Speech Input Eqpt for Remote Control Broadcasting Lyon July 1932
Voice Recording for Industrial & Social Uses White Sept 1932
Short-wave Transoceanic Telephone Receiving Eqpt Polkinghorn Nov 1932
Antenna Transmission Line Systems for Transmission Reception Brigham Jan 1933
Radio Servicing Instruments from Engineering Viewpoint Miller May 1933
Correlations on Class C Radio Amplifiers Davis Nov 1933
Photronic Cell & Control Pierce Jun 1934
Continued on next page.
Carrier Deviation in FM Transmitters Thomas Aug 1941
Includes Orbital Beam Multiplier Tube for 500 MC Amplification Ferris “ Includes Inductive-Output Tube Applications Dow “
Impedance Measurements over a Wide Frequency Range Packard Apr 1942
Wire Transmission of News Pictures Hancock Dec 1942
Taming the High Frequency Signal Generator Van Beuren Dec 1943
Cathode Ray Tube Applications Christaldi Nov 1945
Audio Distortion in Radio Reception Minter Jan 1946
Radio Detector Operating Characteristics Armstron year 1948
Saturable Reactor Considerations Shepard year 1950
Direct Drive Horizontal Scan System Thalner year 1950
Traffic Capacity of Distance-Measuring-Equipment Hirsch year 1950
RF Transmission Lines & Wave Guides Winlund year 1951
Multiplexed Transmission of FM Broadcast Signals Armstrong year 1953
Armstrong – The Hero as Inventor (Article from Harpers) Dreher Apr 1956
Teleglobe Pay-TV System Kamen Apr 1963
Reliability & Maintainability of Electronic Devices Calabro Jul 1963
New York Fire Communications Rheinhardt Nov 1963
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Print these 2 pages and mark the desired issues. Proceedings are free, but shipping charges are the responsibility of the recipient. Shipments to a US address are $1 (for the envelope) plus $1 per Proceeding for shipping. AWA’s mailing address for your order form and check is: AWA c/o RCA Proceedings, PO Box 421, Bloomfield, NY 14469 check should be made out to AWA. Please include your mailing address on the form. Proceedings will be mailed within 2 weeks of receipt of your order & check. For international destinations, email a list of desired Proceedings (RCA-proceedings@ antiquewireless.org ) and we will reply with a US$ price for your international shipment.
ANTIQUE
WIRELESS MUSEUM REBRANDS TO AWA
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES MUSEUM
The Antique Wireless Museum, in Bloomfield, New York, announced its transformation into the AWA Communication Technologies Museum. This strategic rebranding reflects AWA’s commitment to preserving not only the rich history of communication technologies but also embracing the dynamic evolution and key role of communication in the digital age.
Founded with a passion for preserving the heritage of communication technologies, the museum has been a beacon for enthusiasts, scholars, and innovators alike. Over the years, the collection has grown to encompass a diverse array of innovator’s devices, their devices, stories, and documentation showcasing the remarkable journey of human ingenuity in connecting the world.
As AWA embarks on this new chapter as the AWA Communication Technologies Museum, the mission remains unchanged – to educate, inspire curiosity, foster learning, and celebrate the remarkable advancements in communication technologies that have shaped our past and continue to define our future.
Visitors can expect the same immersive experience they have come to love, with interactive exhibits, educational programs, and engaging events that highlight the pivotal
role of communication technologies in shaping societies and cultures worldwide.
The decision to rebrand reflects AWA’s dedication to honor its roots in preserving the legacy of wireless communication pioneers.
The new name, AWA Communication Technologies Museum, better encapsulates the breadth and depth of the collection and AWA’s vision for the future.
Whether you are a seasoned enthusiast, a curious student, or simply intrigued by the fascinating history of communication, there is something for everyone at the AWA Communication Technologies Museum.
The Museum is located at 6925 Route 5, Bloomfield, NY 14469. It is open for visitors on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information about the museum and upcoming events, please visit AntiqueWireless.org or contact Robert Hobday at President@AntiqueWireless.org.
The RCA website is the go-to place for RCA news and events.
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We’ll See You There! 2024 TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM AND 115 TH AWARDS BANQUET
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2024
WESTIN TIMES SQUARE
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Dr. Robert Woodrow Wilson Becomes Eminent Member of IEEE Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE–HKN)
On September 17, 2024, Dr. Robert W. Wilson was elevated to Eminent Member of IEEE Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE–HKN). The ceremony was held at the AT&T Science & Technology Innovation Center & Museum in Middletown, New Jersey. The event included a ceremony, lunch, networking, and a museum tour. Dr. Wilson’s elevation was celebrated together with a posthumous recognition of Dr. Arno Penzias, who was named an Honorary Eminent Member.
Drs. Wilson and Penzias discovered evidence of cosmic microwave background in 1964, which provided strong support for the Big Bang theory of the origins of the universe. They received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1978 for their discovery.
IEEE–HKN EMINENT MEMBERS
Eta Kappa Nu established the Eminent Member recognition in 1950 as the honor society’s highest membership classification. It is conferred upon those select few whose attainments and contributions to society through leadership in the fields of electrical and computer engineering have resulted in significant benefits to humankind. Since 1950, only 148 individuals have been selected to receive this honor.
In addition, the society offers the recognition of Honorary Eminent Members, recognizing deceased practitioners of electrical or computer engineering who otherwise meet all the qualifications for being honored as an Eminent Member, but who were not named during their lifetimes. Honorary Eminent Members include Thomas Edison, Edwin H. Armstrong, John V. Atanasoff, Alexander Graham Bell, Walter H. Brattain, Philo Farnsworth, Grace Murray Hopper, Irving Langmuir, Robert Noyce, David Packard, and now Arno A. Penzias.
120 YEARS
The IEEE–Eta Kappa Nu honor society for engineers is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year. Founded in
IEEE–HKN event invitation.
(Left) Dr. Robert W. Wilson’s acceptance speech at the IEEE–HKN induction ceremony. (Right) Cake cutting at the IEEE-HKN Eminent Member induction and celebration of IEEE–HKN’s 120th anniversary. (Courtesy David Bart)
October 1904, IEEE–HKN recognizes academic experience as well as excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. Inductees are chosen based on their technical, scientific, and leadership achievements. There are now more than 270 IEEE–HKN chapters at universities around the world. IEEE–HKN includes the Eta Chapter of IEEE professionals who are inducted based on their accomplishments.
RECOGNIZING PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
IEEE-HKN has more than 200,000 members around the world. Although focused primarily on students, membership extends beyond just students. Professional members are individuals who have set themselves apart through their outstanding work and contributions to the IEEE fields of interest. Among them are 23 former IEEE presidents as well as a who’s who of engineering leaders and technology pioneers including GM Chief Executive Mary Barra, Google founding CEO Larry Page, and Advanced Micro Devices CEO Lisa Su.
Last year, more than 100 professional members were inducted into IEEE-HKN. Professional membership must be earned. Candidates must demonstrate outstanding scholarship, impeccable character, and a dedication to lifelong learning and service. Membership is based on the candidate’s record of contributions to the field, demonstrated leadership, and community service. Professional candidates must be invited or nominated.
For more information, see the IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu website.
SOURCES
IEEE–Eta Kappa Nu website, https://hkn.ieee.org/; K. Pretz, “IEEE’s Honor Society Expands to More Countries,” The Institute, IEEE Spectrum, May 3, 2024.
IEEE Antenna and Propagation Society, Communication Society, Computer Society, and IEEE Region 1 Team
Up to Celebrate the 60th Anniversary 1st Measure of Cosmic Microwave Background
The IEEE Antenna and Propagation Society Chapter Activity Committee, Communication Society, Computer Society, and IEEE Region 1 cosponsored an event on May 20, 2024, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first measurement of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB).
Dr. Robert Woodrow Wilson, Nobel Laureate, along with the community, commemorated the 60th anniversary of the initial measurement of CMB, a pivotal discovery providing evidence supporting the Big Bang Theory about the origins of the universe. The event was held
at the AT&T Laboratories Science and Technology Innovation Center & Museum in Middletown, New Jersey.
STEM students had a unique opportunity to attend a luncheon where they could meet and interact with leaders and luminaries, igniting their passion for future scientific discoveries. A STEM activity offered a chance to view historical recordings of scientific inventions at Bell Labs and engage in meet-and-greet sessions.
The formal program included Nokia Bell Laboratories copresident Peter Vetter and other luminaries who spoke about the tradition of Bell Labs, the research of Drs. Wilson and Penzias, and Dr. Wilson himself who described the discovery and the aftermath. Many people from Bell Labs attended, including those who participated in the Project Echo and Telstar experiments of the early 1960s and others who worked with Dr. Wilson over the course of his career at Bell Labs.
“When Penzias and Wilson discovered cosmic microwave background radiation, it was reasonable to suspect that it was fossil radiation from the ‘big bang’. Support for
AT&T entrance with the Spirit of Service and 60th Anniversary.
Dr. Wilson meeting with students.
Dr. Wilson describing the discovery at the 60th anniversary.
this interpretation came from a number of investigations of the shape of the spectrum, which soon showed that it was indeed that which would be expected for a body with a temperature of 3 degrees. This provided solid support for the view that background radiation is the fossil remains of the ‘Big Bang’; other interpretations are possible, however, even if they lack detailed theoretical backgrounds. The discovery of Penzias and Wilson was a fundamental one: it has made it possible to obtain information about cosmic processes that took place a very long time ago, at the time of the creation of the universe.” (Nobel Prize Website)
A number of Radio Club of America representatives were present at the event, including Howard Rosen, Dr. Jim Breakall, Dr. Ajay Poddar, David Bart, Margaret Lyons, Dr. Kit August and others
Peter Vetter, co-president Nokia Bell Labs, described the importance of the anniversary.
Dr. Giovanni Vannucci presented Dr. Wilson with a copy of the first
Members of RCA with Dr. Wilson at the event.
Photos from IEEE AP-S Antenna and Propagation Society.
Dr. Ulrich Rohde Receives IEEE-USA Entrepreneur Achievement Award for Leadership in Entrepreneurial Spirit
By Paul Lief Rosengren
Dr. Ulrich Rohde has received the IEEE-USA Entrepreneur Achievement Award for Leadership in Entrepreneurial Spirit — for his contribution to science, and his proven track record at taking innovative thinking and pioneering research to bring new products to the market. In addition to starting companies and creating thousands of jobs, Rohde has served as a mentor to students, entrepreneurs and educators in multiple countries. Rohde is a partner/owner of Rohde & Schwarz, headquartered in Munich, Germany; and he is founder of Synergy Microwave (manufactures signal generations and signal processing electronics), and Compact Software (develops and markets an innovative microwave CAD tool) — both located in New Jersey.
James Breakall, Professor, Electrical Engineering at Penn State University endorsed the nomination, stating, “Rhode is a truly prodigious and accomplished researcher and technology developer, one of the rare ones who combine theory, computation and hardware to take basic research ideas through to marketable fielded systems.” He added, “I find his body of work and personal attributes inspiring.”
Rohde’s many accomplishments include:
• Developing PC-based, robust microwave CAD (computeraided design) tools for industrial and defense applications (his CAD tools have been used by more than one million engineers to understand, design and optimize circuits up to 50 GHz range)
• Coining the term, “software-defined radio (SDR),” the first public software radio initiative; and developing radios for police and security organizations
• Introducing ultra-wideband (UWB) technology for unknown signal detection, interference identification, spectrum monitoring, spectrum clearance, and signal-search over wide frequency ranges
• Developing oscillators, synthesizers, mixers, frequency multipliers, phase antennae for ships and surveillance (his inventive techniques were the foundation of modern sensors design)
• Designing, developing and commercializing more than 500 different categories of test and measurement equipment, using high-performance time-keeping devices
• Creating products to overcome the frequency drift in optical fiber (Rohde was a strong advocate of optical communications and optical network solutions to address speed and bandwidth issues)
Dr. Ajay Poddar, past Chair, IEEE North Jersey Section, nominated Rohde. Poddar wrote that despite his busy business schedule, “Dr. Rohde has been organizing IEEE events (monthly technical IEEE meetings, workshops, Young Professional and Women in Engineering events) at his company for more than 20 years. He has organized numerous IEEE technical panel sessions and workshops, engaging student volunteers, and motivating them for engineering study.” He also noted that Dr. Rohde hired 100plus students from IEEE events.
Rohde has authored more than 400 papers on a wide range of subjects, holds more than 50 patents, and has published 16 books. Breakall added, “Through the years, his books have become true industry standards; and the books are regarded as principal references on these topics by many engineers, globally.”
Rohde is an IEEE Life Fellow, and a member of the IEEE Technical Committee for HF, VHF, and UHF Technology; IEEE Signal Generation and Frequency Conversion; and IEEE AP-S SIGHT (Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technology).
In honor of Rohde’s five decades of scientific contribution, IEEE has established three awards in his name:
• IEEE Ulrich L. Rohde Innovative Conference Paper Awards on Antenna Measurements and Applications
• IEEE Ulrich L. Rohde Innovative Conference Paper Awards on Computational Techniques in Electromagnetics
• IEEE Ulrich Rhode Humanitarian Technical Field Project Award
Dr. Ulrich Rohde
Rohde holds professorships in electrical engineering and microwave engineering in the United States, Germany, India and Romania. He was awarded several honorary Doctorate degrees — such as Dr. H.C. from the Technical University of Klausenburg in Germany; and Dr. H.C. from University of Grosswardein in Romania. In addition, he earned a Ph.D. from Clayton University in the United States; a Dr. Engineering from the Technical University of Berlin; and a Dr. Engineering from Brandenburg University Cottbus, Germany. Rohde is the past Chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Advisory Board, at New Jersey Institute of Technology.
A virtual awards ceremony for this and several additional awards was held on 28 August. IEEE-USA’s Awards and Recognition Committee administers IEEE-USA Awards. The IEEE Awards Board and the IEEE Board of Directors approve them.
Nominations for the 2024 IEEE-USA Awards are now open and will be accepted through 15 September. For information on IEEE awards, past winners, and helpful videos on how to develop a nomination, visit the Awards and Recognition page at the IEEE Website.
[Reprinted Courtesy of IEEE USA Insight, July 24, 2024.]
RCA Teams With Other Clubs to Promote Wireless Education
The Radio Club of America partnered with the North Shore Radio Club (NSRC) as well as the Antique Radio Club of Illinois (ARCI) and the Antique Wireless Association (AWA) to promote a free course in radio theory and operation. This class was intended to provide background information that would assist in studying for Amateur Radio licensing tests. It was not designed to teach the tests; instead, it provided a general background in radio theory. This was a rare opportunity to gather online and work together.
At RCA’s request, the instructor, Richard Davidson of the NSRC (https://ns9rc.org/) generously offered to provide his well-known background class for radio licensing. The online class ran during September in twohour sessions over four weeks. It was taught in an integrated format geared toward teaching concepts rather than simply walking through test preparation books and questions. The class was available for all students seeking Technician, General, and Extra Class licensing or for those simply interested in building their background in radio. Over 60 students from around the world participated. Some were working on licensing, some already had their licenses,
and some simply wanted to learn the material. The course included interactive diagramming features and lectures.
Rich has been teaching for over 20 years and won the 2004 ARRL Herb Briar Instructor of the Year award for his teaching methods. Prerequisites included the study of the appropriate ARRL license manuals and Q&A manuals for each student’s level of interest.
Rich Davidson providing instruction in radio theory.
RCA Participates Numerous Industry Events in 2024
The Radio Club of America was actively involved in many events throughout 2024, attending an industry conference or trade show approximately every 7 weeks. We reconnected with old friends, made new connections, and successfully refreshed and strengthened our market presence. Our new booth consistently attracted attention, complemented by updated brochures and marketing materials.
Here is a list of events where RCA participated (in alphabetical order):
✔ APCO International
✔ Hamcation
✔ Hamvention
✔ IEEE Commemorative Events (no booths)
✔ International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE)
✔ Our new RCA tote bags were a big hit, with many attendees carrying them throughout the events.
✔ At APCO, we hosted a well-attended meatballs and sangria networking party.
✔ At IWCE, we organized a popular taco fiesta networking event.
✔ RCA sponsored the IWCE Keynote Breakfast’s Women in Communication Panel, co-sponsored by Tait Communications and Etherstack. The panel discussion, “The Future with AI: A Women in Communications Panel and Continental Breakfast,” featured Susan Ronning (ADCOMM Engineering LLC), Cheryl Giggetts (CTA Consultants), Kinuko Masaki (VoiceBrain), and Alison Kahn (NIST). This event saw a full house.
✔ Our RCA booth was highly active at both shows.
RCA also maintained a strong presence at Hamcation and Hamvention, spearheaded by Carole Perry and her team
of volunteers who support RCA Youth programs, as well as RCA’s leadership involvement in both events.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we plan for 2025, RCA is evaluating new events and potential audiences, considering involvement with different industry associations. We value your input! If you think RCA should attend more science-focused events, such as IEEE conferences, we will need sponsors to help cover costs. If there are other trade shows you think we should attend, let us know! Your support with sponsorships or assistance with entry requirements would be greatly appreciated.
Ultimately, RCA will go where our members want us to, with your help and commitment.
Are you interested in helping lead RCA into the future? Would you like to raise awareness about RCA and its unique offerings? We need your input on which shows to attend and your assistance in staffing or visiting the RCA booth.
Please contact Amy Beckham at Amy@radioclubofamerica. org with your ideas or to volunteer.
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.
RCA’s booth and volunteers at IWCE: (Standing L-R) Ernie Blair, Charles Kirmus; (Seated L-R) David Bart, Stan Rubenstein, Amy Beckham.
RCA Scholarship Activities Grow in 2024
In May 2024, the Radio Club of America Scholarship Committee announced the recipients of its 2024 scholarship awards. These scholarships are awarded to students at institutions of higher education that have wireless communication programs. The recipients, and associated scholarship funds, for 2024 are:
RCA CAPTAIN BILL FINCH LEGACY AWARDS
• Capitol Technology University
John and Mary Dettra Scholarship Fund
• Fairleigh Dickinson University
The Fred Link Fund
• Georgia Tech
The Barone-DiBlasi-Facella Scholarship Fund
• Metropolitan State University of Denver
The Brownson Fund
• Montclair University School of Communications and Media
The Poppele-Endres Fund
• Stevens Institute of Technology
Buller/Meyerson/Biggs Fund
• University of Cincinnati
The Finch Fund
RCA NEW CENTURY FUND AWARDS
• The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science & Art
The New Century Fund
RCA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The Radio Club of America scholarship program was founded decades ago by inventor, wireless pioneer, and RCA Fellow Captain Bill Finch to fulfill the mandate set out by the RCA charter which states that the purpose of the organization is:
“… to study and contribute to the development of radio communication programs and provide a scholarship fund for needy and worthy students for the study of radio communications.”
Over the years, RCA members and/or their families have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to create named funds in honor of loved ones that help students committed to the development of their studies pursuing degrees in the related fields of wireless communications. Scholarship funds are completely separate from the RCA’s general operating fund, and only the interest/dividends from these funds are
used for grants to RCA-served institutions. Donations are tax-deductible and an endowment of ten thousand dollars or more allows the donor to create a named scholarship fund and to choose the institution destined to receive committee scholarship grants. Our goal is to encourage and help create the next generation of wireless innovators, engineers, broadcasters, and executives.
Recipients of RCA scholarship grants also receive a free 2-year student membership in the club. Students from all over the country have benefited from our scholarship program. Some of the schools whose students are currently receiving RCA scholarship committee grants include Capitol Technology University, Cooper Union University, Georgia Tech, Michigan Technological University, Montclair State University, North Dakota State, the State University of New York, Virginia Tech, and the University of Texas.
PARTICIPATION OF QCWA
In July 2024, RCA gratefully received an important contribution from the Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA) in support of RCA’s scholarship activities. The close relationship between RCA and QCWA has been a valuable source of encouragement for radio and wireless innovators, educators, and amateurs. Over many decades this partnership has been a wonderful example of respect, support, and friendship.
QCWA’s mission includes promoting friendship and cooperation among Amateur Radio (Wireless) operators who were licensed as such at least a quarter of a century ago. It operates exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes, and more specifically to promote interest in Amateur Radio Communications and the advancement of the electronic art; to use the reservoir of knowledge and experience represented within the membership of QCWA for the benefit of all Radio Amateurs, and the furtherance of the Public welfare through Amateur Radio Communications; to support scholarship(s) for deserving Amateurs pursuing higher educational objectives; to encourage participation in QCWA chapter meetings and local amateur radio and public interest groups.
Further inquiries about RCA Scholarships can be addressed to chairperson Alan Spindel at scholarships@ radioclubofamerica.org.
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
BOOK REVIEW
Arthur Collins, Radio Wizard by Ben W. Stearns
Reviewed by John Facella, P.E., RCA President Emeritus
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, movies, and videos to share with RCA’s membership. The scope can include technical, regulatory, fiction, 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.
Like most RCA members, I was generally familiar with the Collins Radio Company of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. While I was doing microwave systems design many years ago with Motorola, Collins microwave equipment was a competitor. Also, most radio amateurs are familiar with the Collins ‘S’ product line as the ‘Cadillac of amateur radio equipment’. As a young U.S. Army Signal Corps officer, I was responsible for an overseas MARS station that had a KWM-2 transceiver.
The book Arthur Collins, Radio Wizard opened my eyes to the many other product lines and technical achievements of Arthur Collins and his company. I received the book as a Christmas present from my son-in-law and his family (his grandfather was a Collins’ employee), and I have enjoyed learning more about Collins Radio and its founder.
The book is a long read at 389 dense pages. The book includes a one-page list of patents and a several-page index of the people mentioned in the main text. The book is published in a relatively small font, so the pages are dense! There are four sections of pictures with eight sides of pictures in each section. The book was published in 2002. It is available in a softcover edition and a Kindle edition. Prices for used books range from about $9 and new from about $30 at Amazon and other booksellers. The ISBN is 097164160-9.
The book has an introduction and 19 chapters, broadly organized as follows:
• Introduction
• Chapters 1–8, on the early history of Arthur and his company
• Chapters 9–16, on some of the major product lines
• Chapters 17–19, on when Arthur’s departure from Collins after the Rockwell purchase and on some of the interesting people that worked there with a perspective on his legacy.
The author Ben Stearns worked for the company from 1962 to 1977, mostly in public relations in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa location. Hence the author’s perspective is that of an insider who liked both the company and its CEO. As a result, there are many details about the personalities of the various managers and Arthur Collins himself. However, Mr. Stearns was not a technical expert, and in a few places, there are technical errors that RCA members will pick up on. Despite these minor hiccups, the book was an interesting but long read.
Arthur Collins was born in 1909 and lived until he passed away from a stroke in 1987 at age 77. Collins started off getting his amateur radio license in 1923 at age 14, receiving the call letters 9CXX. He was an avid reader and devoured every book and magazine he could find about wireless. Like Thomas Edison, Arthur never finished high school and never graduated from college. However, because of his intellectual curiosity, he often possessed more specific knowledge and a better overall vision of the wireless industry than his degreed employees.
As a teenager, he built a superior amateur radio station for the time, and in 1925, he successfully communicated multiple times with the MacMillan expedition to northern Greenland. This was the beginning of Arthur’s quest to build technically advanced and reliable communications equipment. A few years later in 1933, he loaned three transmitters to the Commander Richard E. Byrd expedition to Antarctica, providing them with excellent communications as well.
During the Great Depression of the early 1930s, he formed a company to build amateur radio transmitters that were superior to those available at the time.
World War II transformed Arthur’s company from one primarily making broadcast and amateur transmitters, to a multi-faceted electronics company with many product lines. During the war, the company had 3,700 employees.
Collins’ major product lines included:
• Amateur radio, and pioneering work with single sideband (SSB)
• Commercial use of SSB transceivers for aircraft and the military, which included technical achievements in using mechanical filters for both transmission and reception of SSB signals, the Collins Autotune antenna tuner for the high frequency (HF) bands, and the permeability tuned oscillator (PTO)
• Avionics, which included many types of navigation devices including the V-Bar Flight Director that enabled full instrument landings in inclement weather
• AM broadcast transmitters, including the use of class B amplifiers (as opposed to class A operation that was more common in the 1930s), some of which were used in the mid-1930s for state police networks and in the 1950s and 1960s by the Voice of America
• Microwave point-to-point radios and systems that carries wide bandwidth baseband signals for long-distance telephone calls, and voice and data for pipelines and railroads
• Space communications, including satellites, tropospheric scatter, and early experiments with moon bounce
• Data communications, including the development of the Kineplex data modem—this was the first use of multiple carriers to send data over various types of wired and wireless networks (it overcame selective fading, a special problem on HF radio links)—work by Collins’ engineers also set the standards for modem speeds still used today (2400 bps, 4800, etc.)
• Computer systems, namely the C-Systems, which contributed to the demise of the company.
Because the author chose to highlight each of the major product lines in separate chapters, there is inevitable duplication among the chapters because some of the staffing and technical discussions overlap. However, for someone primarily interested in one product area, this approach makes it relatively easy to just read those chapters. For example:
• For those interested in HF SSB (high-frequency single sideband) communications and amateur radio, they may wish to focus on Chapters 1, 2, 8, and 10
• Military, WW2, and Strategic Air Command buffs will find Chapter 3, and parts of Chapters 4, 8, 10, and 15 interesting
• Arthur’s awards are discussed in Chapter 6, including the Armstrong Medal he received from RCA in 1977
• Aviation types will find Chapter 9 and parts of Chapter 15 of interest
• Collins work in space is covered in parts of Chapters 7 and 11
• Broadcast endeavors are covered in Chapter 12
• Chapter 15 covers the C-System project that includes a case study on biting off more than you can do effectively
• For those interested in management style, Chapters 4, 5, 13, 15, and 16 offer many insights.
Collins Radio did well as a company, and at one point was ranked #196 in the Fortune 500. It employed over 24,000 employees at multiple locations throughout the U.S. A major reason for this was Arthur Collins’ desire to only offer products of the highest quality and reliability that had distinctive advanced features not found elsewhere. Collins’ equipment was therefore pricier than their competitors, but customers were willing to pay the premium because of Collins’ reputation.
The author seems fairly objective in his treatment of Arthur Collins. Stearns makes it clear that Arthur was a very unique wireless genius, always well-read and up-to-date on the subjects, even compared to his university-degreed engineering employees. Arthur had a very ‘hands-on’ approach, and he would often assist project teams if they had a thorny problem (they did not always appreciate this!). For most projects Arthur was the technical visionary, pointing teams in the direction he thought the product should go, then stepping out of the way, but periodically checking on progress. He insisted that employees be available almost every day and at all hours to complete projects on time and with the quality and features he had mapped out. The book has many stories of Arthur calling people in the middle of the night to join him at the factory because he had an idea or a solution. This included holidays! While many of the managers and engineers did not like this, they stayed at Collins because of the technical excellence of the products and the high level of intelligence of the other employees. The author suggests that Arthur could at times be gruff and abrupt with his employees, but he also had a soft side.
One gets the feeling that Arthur was probably more suited to be the chief technology officer (CTO) than the chief executive officer (CEO). Like many genius founders that I have known, Arthur was stubborn, and although most of the time he was right in his thinking, he was not right all the time. This came to a head with the C-Systems project.
Correctly anticipating the industry shift from analog to digital technology, the company built the C-8400 computerized message-switching system in the early 1960s. It was initially sold to ARINC, a company that provided communications to the airlines, and later to railroads, banks, airlines, and the government. A total of 31 systems were sold. Computers in Cedar Rapids handled hundreds of thousands of messages a day, 24 hour and 365 days a year. These system demands required even more attention to reliability within the company. However, after three years of profitable sales, Arthur decided to abandon the C-8400 system in favor of a newer and bigger
idea. The author suggests that abandoning the profitable C-8400 system before Collins could produce a replacement was a major mistake. The C-System was a forerunner of modern computer technology. He was ahead of his time and ahead of most of the staff. Ultimately, the C-System’s high cost, and large size made it difficult to fund.
Arthur wanted to develop a large computer system that would run all of Collins’ product lines and factories. His vision was that one computer system would accept sales orders, manage the parts and finished goods stocks, coordinate and document engineering development, process orders and provide the necessary parts to manufacturing, track shipping of products to customers, and manage billings. The C-System project went on from 1965 until 1971. Before the C-Systems project, the company had no real digital computer expertise, so all the knowledge and skills had to be either brought in, or existing employees had to be retrained.
Instead of starting small and building and testing the various modules of the C-Systems one by one, Arthur was impatient to achieve his grand vision. He poured millions of dollars into research and development, and hundreds of workers were committed to the project. Even worse, he seemed oblivious to how this one project consumed so much of the company’s resources. It placed a huge financial strain on the company, both because it consumed resources, but also because it stole resources from other more profitable product lines.
The C-System project was never sufficiently developed to be a viable system to sell, and hence never resulted in any profitable revenue. Arthur ignored the warnings of his senior managers, and many became afraid to bring up any negatives about a project that was too big at the time to succeed. Today we would call such a system an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, and companies such as JD Edwards, Oracle, Sage, and SAP (and many others) are in this business – but they have the advantage of very powerful processors and servers for data storage that did not exist at the time. Arthur was not wrong in his vision, but he was far ahead of his time in 1970 trying to do this with 16-bit processors! Unfortunately, he did not listen to his advisors. I learned many other interesting things in this book.
• King Radio, another avionics company, was started by Edward J. King who left Collins
• Robert Cox, another of Arthur’s many capable engineers and managers, left Collins in 1968 because the C-System project caused him to lose confidence in Arthur’s leadership
• In the spring of 1969, Ross Perot and his company EDS tried to acquire Collins Radio. Arthur was determined to not let that happen, but he became aware of the company’s vulnerability to a hostile takeover.
• Collins developed an internal human resources program to identify high-potential young employees called the Astronaut Program (Motorola and the U.S. Army had similar programs years ago).
This book offers insight into how a very smart inventor and entrepreneur can become too single-minded and lose a sense of reality about the business implications of putting ‘too many eggs in one basket.’ Arthur was finally ousted in 1971 when Rockwell International bought Collins. At first, Arthur was allowed to remain as CEO, but Rockwell soon replaced him. In later years, Arthur formed another company, Arthur Collins Inc., and hired a few of his old employees, but this company ran out of money and sold very few products.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in communications and radio. The company was involved in so many key projects from the 1930s to the 1960s that it was an essential part of the industry at that time.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
• A three minute trailer for a video “The Collins Story: Connecting the Moon to the Earth”, is found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i1AFVAosk4
• A host of information on Arthur Collins and his company can be found at the non-profit Arthur A Collins Legacy Association website: https://www.arthurcollins.org/ There are many other videos, trailers, historical documents, radio amateur QSL cards, etc. on this site.
• A YouTube video of 13 minutes was produced in 2023 which documents Collins Radio’s contributions to WWII. It is interesting to watch and adds perspective to the book. Go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oFNZyatNB8
• In a future issue of the RCA Proceedings, I will review another book about Collins, The First 50 Years: A History of Collins Radio Company and the Collins Divisions of Rockwell International.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
John Facella has a 35+ year career in wireless, including working for Motorola and their largest competitor Harris (now L3 Harris), a national wireless consulting company, and for his own engineering consulting company. He has also been the chief 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, 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 official opinions of RCA.
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BOOK REVIEW
NIFOG by Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Reviewed
by
David Bart, RCA President
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, movies, and videos to share with RCA’s membership. The scope can include technical, regulatory, fiction, 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.
The National Interoperability Field Operations Guide (NIFOG) is published as a technical reference designed to support incident communications. The most current release is Version 2.01 dated March 2022. It can be purchased online, but it is often distributed free at tradeshows such as APCO and IWCE. NIFOG is published by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (CISA). Later copies sold online may show 2024 as the publication date, but these are simply reprints of the March 2022 edition. Look for Version 2.01 as the applicable release. To download or request copies of NIFOG, please visit the CISA website
NIFOG contains considerable information for both first responders as well as radio and wireless operators and enthusiasts. This version is the 14th year for NIFOG, which is updated on a regular basis. It is a compilation of communication information that public safety practitioners across the country have recommended. Due to the changing technical and regulatory nature of incident communications and information technology, it is considered an ongoing work in progress.
New content in Version 2.01 includes material about information technology, emergency wireless carrier services, interference management, encryption, and cybersecurity. For those not familiar with interoperability and mutual aid communications, begin with the section “How to Use the National Interoperability Field Operations Guide.”
NIFOG is a reference guide for public safety radio technicians and communications planners. NIFOG provides a listing of land mobile radio
(LMR) frequencies that are often used in disasters or other incidents where radio interoperability is required. It also provides other information developed by CISA that is deemed valuable to emergency communicators. NIFOG’s information can be used when programming channels in radios. It recommends that these channels are always pre-programmed as permitted by the applicable regulations rather than waiting until a disaster is imminent or occurring to first undertake the programming efforts.
This pocket-sized guide includes radio regulations, tables of radio channels, and technical information. The guide is considered ideal for those establishing or repairing emergency communications in a disaster area. This latest edition, Version 2.01, is spiral bound for easy use, printed in vibrant color on waterproof paper, and spans 190 pages.
Since NIFOG is a technical reference for communications planning in disaster response. It includes rules and regulations for nationwide and other interoperability channels, tables of frequencies and standard channel names, and other material. NIFOG identifies the interoperability channels most likely to be programmed in the radios of first responders from other disciplines or jurisdictions. NIFOG is also a useful tool for information technology specialists since it provides information related to networking infrastructure and cybersecurity.
NIFOG is considered a living document, that is continually refined to update the latest technical information needed for incident communication strategies. It is more than a mere listing of land mobile radio frequencies vital for disaster response.
It is intended by CISA as a comprehensive manual for emergency communicators. It provides a treasure trove of knowledge for radio technicians, communications planners, and IT specialists, offering essential data on interoperability channels and networking infrastructure crucial for securing and streamlining communications in any crisis. It includes regulations (FCC, NTIA, NLECC, and others), information about emergency wireless carrier services, satellite services, and information technology practices, as well as cybersecurity tactics and responses, and even medical procedure protocols.
Finally, there is a NIFOG App. The eNIFOG app gives users easy access to NIFOG information, offering a content index with shortcuts to reference sections, tables, figures, or images. Navigation links allow users to jump directly to regional quick references and to bookmark their Favorites, customizing their personalized access to critical information. eNIFOG can be downloaded and taken into the field as an offline reference for use without a cellular or data connection. Web Links for eNIFOG are available at the Apple app store (iOS) and Google Play (Android).
Some of the online reviews about NIFOG comment that this is an indispensable resource for both first responders and amateur radio operators. It provides all the frequencies and other information that might be necessary if things go bad and there is a need to make contacts using emergency radios.
I highly recommend obtaining a copy of this interesting publication.
The National Interoperability Field Operations Guide (NIFOG). Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Version 2.01, March 2022. Spiral-bound softcover, 190 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 Vice President and Fellow of the Antique Wireless Association. He has received numerous awards for his work involving the history of communications.
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. DONOR GIFT:
RADIO CLUB OF AMERICA’S 115TH ANNIVERSARY
To commemorate the 115th anniversary of the Radio Club of America, the Proceedings is publishing a historical set of materials related to RCA’s early history and featuring a century of member contributions to paradigm-changing technologies in communications.
THIS SPECIAL SECTION INCLUDES:
The Philosophical Origins of The Radio Club of America on Its 115th Anniversary
By David Bart
Congratulations to RCA Members & Awardees For Their Contributions to Changing Paradigms Over 115 Years – By David Bart
In the Beginning: Some RCA Board Issues between 1919 and 1920 - By John Facella
The Philosophical Origins of the Radio Club of America on Its 115th Anniversary
By David Bart
INTRODUCTION
Founded in 1909, by the 1920s, a unique organization came into prominence to foster and support the remarkable wireless innovations of its members. The Radio Club of America (RCofA)1 set itself apart by focusing on bringing together professional, amateur, academic, and entrepreneurial individuals to share their interests, accomplishments, and knowledge in the burgeoning field of radio.
RCofA possessed some aspects of a professional association, but its members rejected the influence of commercial interests upon its operation. RCofA’s members prioritized the exchange of ideas and supported independent innovation and experimentation. They shared their mutual excitement and exploration of new developments in radio. All were respected for their contributions to the conversation.
A club by design, RCofA operated in many ways as a fraternal society. The collaboration, mutual respect, and joint interests of RCofA’s members bore fruit. RCofA’s
members made major contributions to developing new forms of wireless communication. Some became world-renowned; others made smaller contributions; some preserved history; others managed the organization. Together, they shared a fraternal experience filled with enthusiasm, energy, and mutual respect.
RCofA’s members helped create a new technology and changed the world in which we live. Wireless communication brought the world into people’s private lives and daily environments. Their innovations forever altered the way people lived, learned about, and interacted with each other and with the outside world at ever greater distances. These innovations enabled mobility, altered the sense of place and location, changed the concepts of privacy, and helped create a world of 24-hour/7-day access to individualized and shared instantaneous information.
Today, RCofA celebrates its 115th anniversary as it continues to promote innovation, experimentation, and the exploration of wireless subjects. This paper commemorates the achievements of RCofA and its members by exploring the philosophical origins of the organization.
Fig. 1. HMS Titanic’s radio room: (left) computer graphic recreation (Parks Stevenson), and (right) the original equipment at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. (James Cameron expedition, U. S. District Court)
THE DAWN OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS
Just eight years after the Titanic sank in 1912, the world had changed. New global trends and an explosion of public and commercial interests in radio emerged. Recreations of the radio room of the Titanic offer a glimpse of the technology approximately 115 years ago. That technology is preserved in similar artifacts of the era and on the Titanic itself at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean (see Fig. 1).
Two historic photos capture the world of radio before World War I (WWI). The equipment was bulky, technical, and limited in its abilities. The use of that equipment required knowledge, training, persistence, and luck to overcome a diverse range of issues and limiting factors. These included variable atmospheric conditions that were not understood, poor signal quality, weak and disbursed transmission, limited reception, and poor sound reproduction through headphones. Voice communication remained only experimental or occurred as occasional novelty demonstrations.2 Radio communication remained primarily based in wireless telegraphy and depended on signals that were blasted into space by high-voltage electrical charges and sparks (see Fig. 2 and Fig. 3).3
Several organizations existed before WWI that addressed the interests of wireless telegraphy, wireless telephony, wired telegraphy, and the experimental projects of early radio enthusiasts. Professional associations and international organizations emerged from both the electric power industry and the telegraph industry, which shared and disseminated professional knowledge and practices, but those organizations struggled to recognize “radio” as a new field.4 Some of the more prominent organizations included:
• International Telegraph Union (formed in 1865).
• Society of Telegraph Engineers – today’s Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE, British) (1871).
• American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) (1884).
• Society of Wireless Telegraph Engineers (1907) and The Wireless Institute (1909) merged to form the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) (1912). IRE later merged with AIEE to form today’s Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) (1963).
Less formal clubs and amateur societies also emerged where people could meet, share information, disseminate knowledge, learn about technical information, and glean new ideas about the opportunities for radio.5 To some degree, these organizations existed to form the social networks of their day. Some of the more prominent organizations from that era which continue to survive today included:
• Junior Aero Club of the U.S., today’s Radio Club of America (formed in 1907/1909).
• Wireless Institute of Australia (1910).
• Wireless Club of Great Britain (1911).
• London Wireless Club, today’s Radio Society of Great Britain (1913).
• Amateur Radio Relay League (1914).
WWI changed everything. The need for effectively and quickly communicating on the battlefields and at sea to issue commands, to share information, and to stay apprised of battlefield and naval conditions, drove the need for thousands of trained and skilled radio operators. Those applications, the equipment, and the training influenced the growth of radio into the post-war world of the 1920s (see Fig. 4). For example:6
Fig. 2. Assistant radio operator Harold Bride at the Marconi Wireless radio station aboard the HMS Titanic. (Picture taken on Apr. 11, 1912, by Francis Browne, Wikimedia Commons)
Fig. 3. Radio room on the HMS Olympic, sister ship of the HMS Titanic. (Wikimedia Commons)
• Rapid technological changes occurred, spurred by the need for rugged, dependable equipment capable of signaling and reception at greater distances.
• The U.S. Naval Radio Reserve was established in 1917, formalizing the scope of training and delivery of thousands of skilled men for service.
• The first large-scale military educational centers were established, dedicated to advanced training for thousands of radio operators.
• Centralized and coordinated recruiting and training produced a technical workforce with standardized practices who returned to society by 1920.
• More than 500,000 men, 30,000 officers, and 10,000 radio operators were enlisted and trained by the U.S. Navy in 18 months (including many RCofA members).
By 1920, voice transmissions and phonograph music were beginning to be heard by amateurs and experimenters with more frequency.7 The terms “radio” and “broadcasting” became generally understood to be the transmission of voice and music by electromagnetic radiation. The older term “wireless telegraphy” increasingly became obsolete in the United States.8 One hundred years later, the word “wireless” is back in fashion, encompassing any form of electrical or electronic communication that is not tethered to a fixed power source or audio frequency transmission line.9 Today, the word radio embraces any form of electromagnetic communication using radio waves as they are defined within the radio spectrum.10
The stage was set by 1920 for an organization to emerge that would connect professionals, academics, entrepreneurs, and skilled amateurs: those who wanted both to share
leading-edge technical information and to acknowledge the achievements being made. This would be a place “to mingle and to fraternize on the one common level of good fellowship.” The focus would be on “sincere goodwill,” and would emphasize “the pioneer, the lone researcher, the staunch amateur, the independent inventor;” while fostering a “spirit of independent investigation and scientific research.”11
RCOFA WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROMOTE COOPERATION
RCofA was formed in 1907 as the Junior Aero Club of the United States. In 1909, it was reorganized as the Junior Wireless Club, Ltd., reflecting its new focus on wireless telegraphy and telephony. In 1911, the name was changed to the Radio Club of America. Membership expanded to include amateur wireless operators and professional radio engineers. RCofA operated as a blend of professional society and amateur experimenter’s association, bridging the gap between the amateurs and professionals. RCofA intentionally remained a smaller fraternal society dedicated to promoting personal cooperation among those interested in the advancement and study of radio communications—in contrast to the orientations of the IRE and its successor the IEEE, who each became large international professional organizations.12
RCofA’s Constitution states its purpose was “The promotion of cooperation among those interested in scientific investigation in the art of Radio communication.” Thus, by definition and custom, RCofA was not, and is not today, a professional association, a formal society, or a marketing or advocacy organization. It was and is meant to be more open and less formal, notwithstanding the long tradition of its formal dinners. Consider the words of RCofA President Ernest V. Amy (see Fig. 5) on the 50th anniversary of RCofA in 1959. He was president from 1926 to 1928. In 1959, he looked back and summarized the organization’s purpose as follows:
“Let the Club continue to distinguish itself from the purely scientific and technical societies by its freedom of speech and less commercial atmosphere in the interchange of ideas, with a sustained effort to provide social rallying opportunities for its members with suitable recognition or awards from time to time to those whose achievements entitle them to special distinction in the ever-expanding science of radio and its allied fields.”13
RCofA emerged from an open, unregulated, and enthusiastic period in wireless that existed before WWI. During RCofA’s first decade, 1909–1919, RCofA evolved from a club of teenage enthusiasts to a group of serious adult innovators. These years were marked by many noteworthy accomplishments, for example:14
Fig. 4. U.S. Navy Recruitment Bureau poster, Charles Buckles Falls, 1918. (Authors’ Collection)
• 1910: RCofA members helped defeat the Depew Bill in the U.S. Congress that limited radio operations and preserved amateur operator rights.
• 1912: RCofA published one of the first radio call books in the country, identifying radio operators and stations and facilitating interconnected communication among all radio enthusiasts.
• 1915: RCofA managed a transmitting station at the Ansonia Hotel in New York City for Admiral Fletcher, U.S. Navy.
• 1916: John Grinan broke radio transmitting records with the first amateur transcontinental relay to the U.S. West Coast from his station 2PM in New York City.
• 1917–1919: Civilian radio operations were suspended in the United States during WWI. Major Edwin Howard Armstrong invented regenerative circuits for the U.S. Army Signal Corps, returning to civilian life after the war as a hero in the radio/wireless field.
The war years were particularly formative for RCofA in the transition from a boys’ experimental club to an adultoperated organization comprised of top-tier innovators. During the war, all members who were of age enlisted in one branch of the service or another. Practically all were officers “in charge of important operations, such as radio aircraft, radio schools, laboratories, field service, etc.”15
RCOFA EMPHASIZED EXPERIMENTATION
From the beginning, RCofA focused on experimentation. In 1909, 14-year-old W.E.D. Stokes (see Fig. 6) founded RCofA in New York City with other teenage boys. They were supported by their parents and encouraged by Emma Lillian Todd,16 a New York City-based aeronautical entrepreneur and inventor who was the first woman in the world to design airplanes, and who was also an early advocate of wireless.17 The initial name of the group was the Junior Aero Club of the United States as it began to form in 1907 and was organized in 1908. The group met in Todd’s living room/ workshop/studio at 131 West 23rd Street in New York City. Soon, Professor Reginald Fessenden “appeared on the scene,” and at his suggestion, the members “turned their attention to the study of wireless.”18 The group shifted its focus and, at Todd’s suggestion, decided to form a completely different club. At the first meeting of the newly formed Junior Wireless Club on January 2, 1909, Todd was elected honorary president, and she named
the new organization; Fessenden was elected consulting engineer. The Junior Aero Club turned over its treasury to the new organization at that same meeting.19 The new club then began meeting in The Ansonia Hotel on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The hotel was originally built by W.E.D. Stokes’ family, heirs to the Phelps-Dodge copper businesses, and shareholders in the Ansonia Clock Company.20
RCofA addressed all things “radio,” which was the new term for both wireless and voice communication through the airwaves.21 In 1910, Stokes garnered headlines when he, at ten years of age, and others addressed the U.S. Senate to help prevent a ban on amateur radio by commercial interests. Their actions contributed to the defeat of the Depew Bill that sought to limit amateur and other noncommercial and nonmilitary radio operations, thereby preserving amateur operator rights.22
RCofA’s emphasis on experimentation led to many seminal papers being presented for discussion at its meetings. These were later published in its journal, the Proceedings of the Radio Club of America. RCofA’s growing membership soon attracted adult participation and included several IRE founders as well as notable industry leaders, such as Prof. Michael I. Pupin, Robert H. Marriott, Alfred N. Goldsmith, John V. L. Hogan, and David Sarnoff. Edwin Howard Armstrong served as president from 1916 to 1920.23
The club’s membership rapidly expanded and became a home for independent-minded communications visionaries. Interest in the club, then and now, grew from its reputation for providing extremely high-quality personal networking opportunities with a smaller group of high-caliber people interested in and involved with wireless innovation. Over the next century, they advanced a diverse range of wireless technologies, contributing to the development of two-way, amateur, and broadcast radio; television broadcasting; paging, wireless voice, data, and messaging; and modern cellular and digital communications.24
It is difficult to put into perspective the wide range of contributions made by RCofA members or participants at RCofA’s meetings over more than a century. The following names (in alphabetical order) and accomplishments provide a sample of notable people involved at RCofA, giving a glimpse into the nature of its membership.25
Fig. 5. Ernest V. Amy. (Proc. of RCofA)
Fig. 6. W.E.D. Stokes, Jr. in 1926. (Proc. of RCofA)
• Edwin H. Armstrong – key radio circuits
• Jack Binns – first Marconi wireless distress rescue
• Martin Cooper – Motorola handheld cell phones
• Lee De Forest – audion radio tube, sound film
• Alan B. DuMont – cathode ray tube
• Prof. Reginald A. Fessenden – radio transmission
• Paul Godley – mobile radio
• Frank Gunther – shortwave radio
• John Louis Hazeltine – neutrodyne circuit
• John V. L. Hogan – single dial tuning
• Harry Houck – Armstrong’s collaborator
• William Lear – electronics and Lear jet
• Fred M. Link – two-way radio
• Robert H. Marriott – first president of the IRE
• Morgan O’Brien – founder of Nextel
• John Poppele – transmitters and Voice of America
• David Sarnoff – Radio Corporation of America (RCA)
• Contributors (many) to FirstNet emergency communications systems.
RCA Members in Radio’s 100 Men of Science
Michael Idvorsky Pupin
Immigrant, inventor, teacher
Reginald Aubrey Fessenden American pioneer in wireless
John Stone Stone
Albert Wallace Hull
John Vincent Lawless Hogan
Sharpened the wireless tuners
Prolific inventor of electron tubes
Invented a uni-control tuner
William Dubilier Master craftsman in condensers
Raymond A. Heising Extended the use of electron tubes
Edwin Howard Armstrong
Louis Alan Hazeltine
Inventor of revolutionary radio circuits
Inventor of the Neutrodyne
Alfred Norton Goldsmith Engineer, inventor and teacher
Harold Henry Beverage Explorer of the wavelengths
Stuart Ballantine Radio physicist and inventor
Clarence Weston Hansell Radio transmitter designer
Richard Howland Ranger Pioneer in radiophotos
Allen Balcom DuMont Skilled in electronics
RCOFA’S MEMBERS ARE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS
Orrin E. Dunlap, Jr. was the radio editor of the New York Times from 1922 to 1940 until he joined the executive staff of Radio Corporation of America. He authored Radio’s 100 Men of Science in 1944.26 This book identifies the major contributors to radio’s early development. The selection and information were based on interviews and correspondence with leaders in the field and Dunlap’s own research. Assessments were made about who played important roles or who affected radio with “radical change or entire change [and who] drove stakes along the pathways of progress [or] erected mileposts.” Each person was “a pioneer in his particular field–an originator of a new device or a new method…that exhibited a profound influence.” Fifteen of the one hundred men selected were members and fellows of Radio Club of America, and almost half of them received RCofA’s Armstrong Medal (see Table 1).
RCofA’s recognition of its members’ achievements came in stages. RCofA inducted Honorary Members as its earliest form of award recognition. In its first 50 years, RCofA inducted only eight Honorary Members. Two were inducted in the 1920s: Michael Pupin and David Sarnoff (see Fig. 7). By 1959, the list of inducted Honorary Members included Alfred Goldsmith, John Hogan, Robert Marriott, Michael Pupin, Henry Round, David Sarnoff, John Stone Stone, and Professor Jonathan Zenneck. Of these, only Goldsmith, Hogan, Round, and Sarnoff were still alive in 1959 to talk about the early days of radio.
Edwin Armstrong received a special commemorative certificate in 1935, recognizing his seminal work in the field, much of which had been accomplished in WWI and through the 1920s. This was the first award-type recognition made by RCofA. Armstrong Medals were not bestowed until 1937. The first Armstrong Medal was awarded to Louis Hazeltine, largely for his work conducted in the 1920s.
Harold Beverage received the second in 1938 for his work, which also began in the 1920s.
Fig. 7. Radio Club of America Honorary Members inducted in the 1920s: (left) Michael I. Pupin, 1926; (right) David Sarnoff, 1926. (Proc. of RCofA)
Table 1. Radio Club of America members and a brief description of them in Radio’s 100 Men of Science.
Nearly 100 years later, RCofA presents numerous medals and awards recognizing a diverse range of achievements in wireless innovation. The Lifetime Achievement Award, established in 2015, now accompanies the Armstrong Medal as the highest recognition available from RCofA for a body of work in wireless.27
RCOFA’S CULTURE OF SHARING OF INFORMATION
RCofA started producing the Proceedings of the Radio Club of America in 1913. This publication was the primary print vehicle for sharing ideas and discussion topics. It originally included article reprints as well as original articles written for RCofA.
The Proceedings and the meetings fostered a culture of sharing information; openly, and often among friendly competitors who were interested in respectfully thinking about the ideas. Much of the early history of RCofA and its
culture of respect and admiration is explained in special issues of the Proceedings that were produced as anniversary yearbooks on the 25th, 50th, and 75th anniversaries of the organization’s founding in 1909.
The Proceedings tell the story of RCofA and its members in news and articles who wanted to share information and document their work and achievements. Early articles were simply single reprints, copied to enable discussion of the ideas at meetings. The Proceedings has transformed and expanded from these single articles per issue into a full publication containing RCofA club news, industry news, announcements, feature articles, and special issues covering broader topics; and over time, it has preserved a historical record of these activities.
For example, one hundred years ago, the decade of the 1920s yielded 175 articles from many contributors who were technical and entrepreneurial leaders in the radio
Over a Century of RCA Logos
RCA has used many logos over more than a century of operation. RCA’s original emblem (this is the original word used to describe it) was adopted on January 20, 1912: a diagonal white “RCA” with a lightning bolt within a rectangular black background. The club’s emblem and a matching club pin were designed by one of its founding members, Frank King, and they were unanimously accepted.
Note, the founding of RCA and the adoption of the RCA emblem both predate the Radio Corporation of America that was formed in 1919 as a reorganization of the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America (commonly called “American Marconi”). Radio Corporation of America initially operated as a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation, and United Fruit Company. Over time, it too would use a lightning bolt that was incorporated into the tail of a circle logo that underlined the letters ‘RCA’, which was adopted in 1929. That well-known circle logo was adopted twenty years after RCA, our club, was formed and seventeen years after our club adopted its RCA lightning bolt emblem!
field. Many authors published more than once during the decade, some as many as three, four, or five times. Sorting the articles by subject matter reveals that the content encompassed club functions as well as new theories, reprints of articles from other journals, and discussions about regulation. The range of technical subjects was broad, covering most of the major areas of radio development during the decade (see Table 2).
A closer look at the featured articles, focusing on technical subjects only, reveals that the range of material was broad, covering every major aspect of radio operation. Subjects with five or more articles published during the decade emphasize foundational work in circuits (30%), receivers (18%), and tubes (18%). Other topics included test equipment, broadcast and transmission subjects, and, by the late 1920s, speakers (see Table 3).
Over the ensuing decades, many authors, editors, and assistant editors contributed to the Proceedings. Together, they guided its subject matter and changed its format. They selected the number of papers published in each issue based, in part, on their success in recruiting a range of innovators who provided something to share with their
knowledgeable audience. The stage had been set in the 1920s for a bright future. One hundred years later, the Proceedings continues to publish information about the club, its members, and leading discoveries in wireless innovation.
REFLECTIONS ON RCOFA’S PHILOSOPHY
So, what exactly is RCofA’s philosophy? This question was addressed in a 1923 article about the organization written for Radio Broadcast magazine.
“Perhaps the word “club,” in this case, is unfortunate. A club is a place for good fellowship, true; and that describes the Radio Club of America, which has already stimulated good fellowship in radio and more specifically among its members. In that sense, the word stands.
But in the case of this group of young men, there has been something more than a club atmosphere. With the serious intentions of its members, the thoroughness of the papers and discussions marking its meetings, and the scientific value of its experiments and tests, the word “club” is almost a misnomer. This organization might well call itself a scientific society, although it does retain that spirit of fellowship which goes with the usual meaning of club.”28
Table 2. Articles published, sorted by topic, in the Proceedings from 1920–1929.
RCofA “originated as an amateur organization with a scientific purpose” “to propagate the art of radio telegraphy and telephony in all its branches.”29 Thus, RCofA essentially operated and continues to function today as a blend of professional society and experimenter’s association. RCofA’s founder, W. E. D. Stokes, explained in 1950 that “The most important characteristic of our club is its atmosphere of scientific research within the framework of non-commercialized friendships…where radio problems and advanced ideas are freely discussed without fear of business competition.”30
RCofA’s focus was, and is, different than the much larger IRE and its successor, the IEEE. RCofA never intended to become a large, international, professional organization, or one closely associated with corporate interests. RCofA’s focus remained on the individual and experimentation. Consequently, many seminal papers were shared among important industry leaders who participated in RCofA’s meetings. The candid environment of mutual interest and support and the openness of its members fostered a strong sense of exploration and innovation.31
Over the years, RCofA’s members included Nobel Prize winners, IRE and IEEE medalists, major innovators, renowned academics, and the leaders of giant corporations as well as self-taught highly qualified amateurs. Its egalitarian orientation welcomes and respects all for their contributions and interests, regardless of the level of commercial success. At its peak, RCofA numbered approximately 1,100 members. Even today with just under 900 members, the club intentionally wants to stay small compared to other large industry associations. RCofA values its fraternal nature, with many of its members becoming lifelong friends who know that they may never have met in larger, but more narrowly focused, professional
settings. Perhaps this is why, when so many other wireless associations and industry organizations have disappeared or merged over the past century, RCofA has continued intact since its founding in 1909.
Historically, RCofA was a 100% volunteer organization centered in New York City. Today, a professional association management firm in Minneapolis performs many administrative and coordinating tasks and works with RCofA’s volunteer board and its volunteers. RCofA is still considered a fully voluntary association. Its programs return to New York City on alternating years and venture across the country in the other years. RCofA also participates in activities that are held in conjunction with many international wireless industry conferences.32
Professor Pupin captured the essence of RCofA in 1926 at its 17th annual banquet, stating “You love this art for its own sake and not for what profit it brings you.”33 Thus, RCofA’s members purposely seek to reach out and explore new horizons simply because they are interested to see where they lead.
George Eltz, Jr. (see Fig. 8), RCofA’s president in 1915, summarized his view of the role and importance of RCofA at its 25th anniversary banquet in 1934, stating:
“In no engineering association is the spirit of growth, the urge to seek new pastures as strongly emphasized as in the Radio Club of America, Inc. Founded in 1909 by a group of schoolboys whose sole bond, when the club was formed, rested in their interest in “Wireless”, the club has continued ever since with that bond as its strongest and greatest asset. If the founders of this club and its early membership bequeathed anything to the club, it was this spirit of unrestrained curiosity and willingness to reveal to others without hesitation the results of personal experiments in the beloved art. There is no other radio association quite like the Radio Club, no other group quite so free of the commercial taint, old and young, we are amateurs when we meet in the Radio Club, let us remain so.”34
One hundred years later, the philosophy remains essentially the same. Dr. Marty Cooper (inventor/developer of the Motorola cell phone) summarized a modern view of this philosophy upon the centennial of RCofA in 2009, stating:
“We, the members of the Radio Club of America, are an eclectic group. We are engineers and scientists, marketers and businesspeople, lawyers and regulators, professionals and amateurs, lobbyists and educators military people and administrators - and not infrequently, combinations of these.
Table 3. Pie chart showing key subjects published in the Proceedings from 1920–1929.
Fig. 8. George Eltz, Jr. (Proc. of RCofA)
We share an interest in radio, its history, its evolution, and its technology. We support the objectives of our Club, the scholarships, the collegial meetings, and the preservation of the history of radio.”35
Dedications written for RCofA’s anniversary and special publications capture this mission of RCofA, reaffirming that RCofA is “Dedicated to: ‘The Spirit of Good Fellowship and the Free Interchange of Ideas Among All Radio Enthusiasts.’”36
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 Vice President and Fellow of the Antique Wireless Association. He has received numerous awards for his work involving the history of communications.
ENDNOTES
1 “RCofA” is adopted as the acronym for the Radio Club of America to distinguish it from the international radio company the Radio Corporation of America, known widely as “RCA.”
2 Douglas, S., Listening In, (New York: Times Books, Random House, 1999) pp. 51–53, 55-56; Douglas, S., Inventing American Broadcasting 1899–1922, (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology, 1987) Ch. 8.
3 Ibid.
4 Bart, D. and Bart, J., “Origins of the IEEE Medal of Honor,” Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 106, Issue 7, July 2018, pp. 1255–1266. See also McMahon, A., The Making of a Profession: A Century of Electrical Engineering in America, (New York: IEEE Press, 1984) pp. 128–132 and McMahon, A., “Corporate Technology: The Social Origins of the AIEE,” Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 64, Issue 9, Sept. 1976, pp. 1383–1390.
5 Ibid.
6 Bart, D. and Bart, J., “The Naval Radio School At Harvard: A New Era in Military Training,” AWA Review, Vol. 30, 2017, pp. 223–256.
7 Douglas, 1987, p. 293.
8 Ibid., p. xxix; Douglas, 1999, pp. 48–49; Bart, D., “Origin of the Word “Radio”,” Proceedings of the RCofA, Spring 2022, pp. 56–59.
9 Wireless (noun)-1a: telecommunication (such as wireless telegraphy or radiotelephony) involving signals transmitted by radio waves rather than over wires, also: the technology used in radio telecommunication; 1b: access to a wireless Internet network. Wireless (adjective)-1: having no wire or wires specifically: operating by means of transmitted electromagnetic waves a wireless remote, 2a: of or relating to radiotelephony, radiotelegraph, or radio, a wireless phone; 2b: of or relating to data communications using radio waves. Merriam-Webster Dictionary, www.merriam-webster.com, accessed Sep. 27, 2024.
10 Cooper, M., “The Evolution That Sparked a Revolution: An Informal But Personal History of Radio, From One of the Industry’s Pioneers,” Urgent Communications, Nov. 1, 2009; Ellingson, S. W., Radio Systems Engineering (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2016) pp. 1–4.
11 Jacquet, L. “The Heritage of the Radio Club of America,” 50th Anniversary Golden Yearbook, (New York: Radio Club of America, 1959) pp. 4–6.
12 Bart and Bart, July 2018, pp. 1255–1266.
13 50th Anniversary Golden Yearbook, (New York: Radio Club of America) 1959, p. 160.
14 Burghard, G., “A History of the Radio Club of America 1909-1934,” Proceedings of the RCofA, 1934 Article Reprint. This article was reprinted in RCA’s 50th Anniversary Golden Yearbook and the 75th Anniversary Yearbook. See also Burghard, G., “Eighteen Years of Amateur Radio,” Proceedings of the RCofA, July 1923, pp. 3–11.
15 Ibid, p. 29.
16 Depending on the historical source, Ms. Todd’s name is spelled as either “Lilian” or “Lillian.” The Junior Wireless Club, Limited (Radio Club of America) Secretary’s Book reflects “Lillian.” This article adopts “Lillian” based on the Secretary’s Book
17 Walsh, E., “E. Lilian Todd: Lawyer, Inventor, And The Unlikely CoFounder of the Radio Club Of America,” Proceedings of the RCofA, Spring 2021, pp. 45–52; Bart, D., “Introduction to the Radio Club of America,” Comprehensive Index to the Proceedings of the Radio Club of America for 1913–2013, Radio Club of America, 2014, pp. vii–x.
18 Stokes, W.E.D., “The Radio Club of America” in “The Story of the First Trans-Atlantic Short Wave Message,” Proceedings of the RCofA, 1BCG Commemorative Issue, Oct. 1950, pp. 66–67.
19 Junior Wireless Club, Limited (Radio Club of America) Secretary’s Book, Jan. 2, 1909, pp. 2–4.
20 Supra Note 14.
21 Supra Note 7 and Note 8.
22 Burghard, A History, 1934, pp. 16–18.
23 Bart, D., “Notable RCA Inventors and Developers from the RCA Proceedings,” Comprehensive Index, 2014, pp. xix–xx.
24 Ibid.
25 Ibid.
26 Dunlap, Jr., O., Radio’s 100 Men of Science (New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1944).
27 Additional information about RCofA’s awards can be found at www.radioclubofamerica.org.
28 Burghard, A History, 1934, p. 35. E. Lillian Todd is not mentioned, notwithstanding her initial support in helping to establish RCA (see Note 12 and Note 16).
29 Burghard, A History, 1934, p. 36.
30 Supra Note 14.
31 Bart, D. and Bart, J., “Documenting Discovery,” AWA Review, Vol. 27, 2014, pp. 221–248 (Part II).
32 Additional information can be found at www.radioclubofamerica.org.
35 M. Cooper, “An Opinion, Congratulatory Letter, Radio Club of America Platinum Jubilee Yearbook, DVD, 2009.
26 “Dedication,” 50th Anniversary Golden Yearbook, 1959, p. ii.
Congratulations to RCA Members & Awardees For Their Contributions to Changing Paradigms Over 115 Years
By David Bart
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines a “paradigm shift” as “an important change that happens when the usual way of thinking about or doing something is replaced by a new and different way.” The Cambridge dictionary defines “paradigm shift” as “a time when the usual and accepted way of doing or thinking about something changes completely.”
A paradigm shift occurs when underlying assumptions and modes of normalcy are reexamined and altered. When a new paradigm’s dominance is established, normality returns, and the focus becomes solving puzzles within the new paradigm. RCA members and awardees have directly changed wireless communication paradigms for 115 years.
SAMPLE RCA CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIETAL PARADIGM SHIFTS
Period Sample Accomplishments
Founding of RCA 1909-1910
1912 to 1930s
WWI
1920s & 1930s
• Youth leadership (W.E.D. Stokes et al)
• Female inventor leadership (Lillian Todd)
• Congressional testimony about wireless laws by youth (W.E.D. Stokes et al)
• Wireless on ships and planes
• Circuitry for wireless radio development
• AM radio
• Transatlantic communication
• FM radio
• Shortwave radio
• Broadcasting networks develop
1930 to 1980s
WWII
• Mobile two-way radio systems
• Radar
• Proximity fuse
• Walkie talkie
1939 to 1960s
• Electronic television
1960s and after
• Space vehicle communication
• Space research
Paradigm Change
• Female leadership before the 19th amendment (1920)
• Female scientific and industry leadership
• Testimony by U.S. youth in a legislative hearing
• Radios improve safety and response times, benefitting passengers and crews and increasing public confidence in transportation
• Wireless communication is possible on a larger scale, permitting communication at a distance separated from landlines
• Two-way radio separates more and more people from landline communications
• Broadcasting – from one to many – opens communication but also risks the control of ideas and misinformation
• New means of transmission lay many foundations for a range of technical advances and new concepts of ways to overcome distance
• Networks provide more entertainment and news choices, and some degree of personalization
• Police, fire, EMS, businesses, railroads, etc. move away from wired telegraph and wired telephones to communicate in the field with central dispatchers, improving access, safety, and efficiency
• Advances in radar tracking sets the stage for ideas leading to autonomous vehicle management and control
• Proximity fuse sets the stage for remote detonation and control at a distance
• Portable communications on the battlefield provides a model for individual mobile communication
• Broadcasting of visual images into the home opens new ways to see the world, perspectives on viewing the world, and ideas about the individual – initially in black and white, but by the late 1960s in color
• Space vehicle communication allows humans to reach farther into the universe and farther back in time with spacecraft, radio telescopes and arrays
• We are not alone (SETI)
SAMPLE RCA CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIETAL PARADIGM SHIFTS
Period Sample Accomplishments
1960s and after
• Space vehicle communication
• Space research
1970s & 1980s
1980s
1990s
2012 & 2017
• Wireless telephony
• Cable television
• Fractal and other small antenna systems
• FirstNet
2010s
2020s
• Invisibility cloaking
• Broadband
• 4G and 5G
• Millimeter wave
Paradigm Change
• Space vehicle communication allows humans to reach farther into the universe and farther back in time with spacecraft, radio telescopes and arrays
• We are not alone (SETI)
• Mobile, accessible communication is available anywhere
• Elimination of control by big 3 networks and FCC opens the range of access to communicating ideas and viewpoints
• Size compression and increased capabilities enable ever more adaptive uses of fractal concepts, opening up new fields in wireless and other areas
• Development of one nationwide network, yields improved interoperability of public safety communication, better reliability, and provides data capabilities similar to those available to citizens and businesses
• Is anything really there, or is it hiding?
• Millimeter wave allows more connections and faster speeds in close areas such as stadiums, train stations, etc., further compressing time and space
• The mobile phone becomes a computer and a telephone with ever increasing speed, enabling human sensors, thousands of customized apps, early use with artificial intelligence, medical devices and other developments – leading to the cell phone becoming part of human identity.
In the Beginning: Some RCA Board Issues between 1919 and 1920
By John Facella, P.E., RCA President Emeritus
During some personal research into the Radio Club of America’s (RCA) early history, I came upon some photocopies of early handwritten board of directors’ minutes. These were provided to me a few years ago, thanks to Mercy Contreras, who had a box of files from Fred Link, who was a prior president of RCA for 23 years. Thanks to Mercy who thought to save these valuable files, I was able to read through the minutes from 1919 until 1920. RCA was founded in 1909 by a group of junior high school boys, who were mentored by Miss Lillian E. Todd, an early female aviation pioneer. These minutes represent a snapshot of RCA during the 10 years after its founding; when the “boys” had largely grown up, and were joined by other experts in wireless, including Major Edwin H. Armstrong, who was president during some of this period. This article intends to present a brief overview of some issues that the RCA board dealt with at the time. Not every issue or every discussion is discussed here, but those that I have selected are reflected in the RCA board minutes. Some of the issues may surprise our members. Other issues may give confidence to current and future officers and board members to know that similar experiences occurred early on in our club’s history.
The photocopied minutes will be added to the rest of the RCA archives, which are archived by the Antique Wireless Association in their library in Bloomfield, New York, near Rochester.
A note of caution to readers: Remember the context of the times when reviewing historical documents. The period 1919 to 1920 occurred in the shadow of World War I (WWI) that just ended in 1918. Many men came back injured. Women’s suffrage had just been approved by Congress on June 4, 1919, and the 19th amendment to the Constitution was then ratified on August 18, 1920. Pittsburgh radio station KDKA transmitted the nation’s first commercial broadcast on November 2, 1920, that announced the results of the Harding-Cox presidential race. The “Roaring Twenties” was getting underway, with its speakeasies and Prohibition. Ironically, Prohibition was created by the 18th Amendment in 1920, which was promoted largely by women through the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. So, these were early days for radio and RCA. Looking backward, modern viewers must be careful in judging past times by the mores of our current society. Therefore, it is not my intention to criticize or judge in
any way the RCA officers and directors of the past, when documenting their issues and actions of over 100 years ago. I am merely conveying the history.
Not every board meeting or every issue addressed at those meetings has information recorded in the minutes. Many board meeting minutes lacked the issues that appeared to be of historical interest. Last names were primarily used, and often a person’s given name is not recorded, or sometimes only an initial is provided, which is not always consistent in the records. Any omissions or errors are solely mine.
Finally, my comments are reflected in [brackets]. I found the following extracts interesting or important:
FROM THE RCA BOARD MINUTES: 1919
Board of Directors’ Minutes (BOD) 3 June 1919: A discussion was held regarding a membership application from a lady. The BOD decided that “the time has not yet arrived for a female member”.
[Author’s note: I found with interest that the Antique Wireless Association’s AWA Journal (Autumn 2018, Vol 59, No. 1) features on the front page a picture of Edith Eliot Rotch in her ham shack in 1924. The back page shows six wireless instructors during WWI, and three of them were “Boston area society women.” Ms. Rotch became so good at Morse code that together with the District One Radio Inspector, she judged the code-sending events at the 1922 Boston Radio Show. So, it would be a mistake to assume there were no women of the time interested in wireless.]
BOD 16 October 1919: At this time RCA had 116 paying members, of which 75% were regularly paying members. Dr. Harold Beverage (known for the Beverage Antenna or the Wave Antenna) is accepted as a member.
Several female applications were discussed, and the board decided that the present policy restricted membership to males, and the Secretary should write a personal letter to each female applicant explaining that.
A discussion about publishing the Proceedings included a suggestion that the American Radio Relay League’s QST magazine publish the Proceedings, and a statement that RCA is in no position to produce its own publication.
The board will arrange a dinner for President Armstrong on the occasion of his return to normal activities in the U.S. [He was in France during WWI].
BOD 12 December 1919: Mr. [Louis] Pacent moves that the club pin and the name “Radio Club of America” be copyrighted.
A typed draft Memorandum of Agreement between RCA and QST magazine is found at this point in the papers.
FROM THE RCA BOARD MINUTES: 1920
BOD Special Meeting 5 January 1920: This meeting was held to nominate officers for 1920. The minutes note the meeting was poorly attended. President Armstrong viewed “the crisis in Club history which makes the coming few months, therefore, making (sic) the renomination of present officers a consideration worthy of comment.” The possibility of amending the Constitution was also discussed. The results of the election established the officers for 1920 as follows: Armstrong for President, [Louis] Pacent for Vice President, [Ernest V.] Amy for Treasurer, Styles for Corresponding Secretary, [Walter S.] Lemmon for Recording Secretary, and 3 directors: [T.] Johnson, [Paul F.] Godley, and [Harry] Sadenwater.
BOD 13 March 1920: The new group of officers takes over. The board elected two additional directors as provided by the Constitution: [George] Burghard and [A.A.] Hebert. The club now has 5 officers and 5 directors. After the election of the officers and directors, the president is to appoint the chairmen of the 3 standing committees.
Mr. Johnson suggests that the Board be increased to 15 because of the rapidly increasing membership. The Board unanimously agrees with this suggestion, and the idea will be made as a future amendment to the present Constitution.
Between March and April 1920, under new business, the applications of Mr. Robinson, Miss Brown and Miss Regan are tabled. Also, under new business a notation was made by Mr. Pacent regarding “social” [committee?] of himself and Mr. DiBlasi.
A discussion of affiliated clubs concluded that at present, RCA will restrict its “activities to the present geographical locality.” [i.e. the NYC area]
BOD 22 April 1920: A petition was received from 12 members asking the Board to consider raising the number of Directors from ten to fifteen. The petition was signed by Armstrong, Barone, Cahn, Cranp, Cronkhite, DiBlasi, Gibson, Pacent, Sadenwater, Sanford, Sellersdorff, Styles. An amendment to the Constitution expressing the idea of the petition was drawn up and will be sent to the membership for a vote.
The RCA office location is in the New York City telephone directory as 150 Nassau St., Room 1121.
BOD 29 June 1920: The application of Hugo Gernsbach was tabled indefinitely. [This is ironic, considering Gernsbach was well known later on for his publications documenting the schematics and repair procedures for radio equipment.]
The RCA office is now listed in the NYC telephone book as Beekman 5810.
BOD 21 September 1920: Members and guests first met at the Campus Restaurant before the meeting began. A discussion was held about possibly creating a prize for the first transatlantic wireless communication [by amateurs]. A committee of three is appointed to look into this.
BOD 12 November 1920: The contract with QST magazine was renewed. This will continue to allow QST to publish within its pages the RCA Proceedings.
A poster committee was appointed to better notify members of forthcoming RCA meetings.
The Transatlantic Prize Committee is investigating the claims of Mr. Robinson to have radiophoned (sic) Scotland. [Note that in this time frame, most amateur transmissions were via Morse code (CW) and not voice. Therefore, if true, such a phone transmission would be significant given that to date no CW transmission had yet been verified.]
BOD 17 December 1920: The Transatlantic Prize Committee is still actively investigating Mr. H. Robinson’s (2QR) claim to have made a radiotelephone transmission that was received in Scotland.
FROM THE RCA BOARD MINUTES: 1921
BOD 9 February 1921: The officers that were elected for 1921 were as follows: Burghard President, Horle Vice President, DiBlasi Treasurer, Lemmon Recording Secretary, McMann Corresponding Secretary. Directors were: Amy, Pacent, Cronkhite, Godley, Eltz, Brown, and Spaugenberg.
Letters were sent by the Transatlantic Prize Committee to Scotland to try and verify the claim of Mr. Robinson.
The Committee on Papers stated that [Raymond A.] Heising would be presenting one on modulation. In another action, Heising’s application for membership was approved.
BOD 3 March 1921: It was decided that at present RCA could not affiliate with the ARRL [ARRL had requested this in a previous BOD meeting.]
[Minton] Cronkhite was appointed to look into RCA affiliating with the United Engineering Societies. [The UES was founded in 1904 thanks to the support of Andrew Carnegie. It comprised many of the major engineering societies of the time, including the AIEE that would become the IEEE. Today the UES is now called the United
Engineering Federation. [For more information see https:// www.uefoundation.org/the-uef-story.]
Committees were appointed for: Publications, Affiliation, Transatlantic Prize, Papers, Awards, Posters [for publicizing the meetings in the NYC area].
Next BOD meeting is not dated – maybe April? Mr. [Larry] Horle heads a committee to investigate other radio clubs affiliating as section and to use the RCA name.
A committee was appointed to look into affiliating with the Executive Radio Council [the ERC was investigating interference issues in the NYC area]. The RCA committee would see if RCA members were members of other organizations, if they operated experimentally if they were interested in [radio] relay work, etc. Committee members were Horle, Eltz, DiBlasi.
[At this time there were apparently some complaints about RCA member J.O. Smith.] The board discussed the desirability of having Mr. Smith be present at a special board meeting to decide his case.
Next BOD meeting is not dated – maybe June? The board decided to close the case of Mr. J.O. Smith indefinitely. A committee to improve the social side of the club to be led by DiBlasi. [It is possible that the members were looking for more than just technical meetings now.]
The application of Miss Regan was rejected because the admission of a woman was “against the spirit of the ByLaws and Constitution.”
Next Board meeting is not dated – unknown date?
A suggestion was made to negotiate with the New York Athletic Club. In return for two complete wireless stations to be erected by RCA, the NYAC would in turn provide club quarters at the City Club House.
The Transatlantic Prize Committee reported that they were having problems in finding a Mr. Benzi in Scotland [who supposedly was the recipient of Mr. Robinson’s radiotelephone transmission from the U.S.]
It was decided for RCA to affiliate with the Executive Radio Council.
BOD 8 July 1921: The Affiliation Committee was to look into possibly affiliating with western clubs.
It was decided to let the members vote on a Constitutional amendment regarding male and female members of RCA.
BOD 22 September 1921: The New York Athletic Club wants more details on RCA’s proposal to establish radio sets in NYC and on Travers Island. Pacent and McManus are to form a committee to look into the feasibility of supplying and operating the radio sets.
[Travers Island is in Westchester County, 16 miles north of the Manhattan City House. Its 33 acres beside the Long
Island Sound provides swimming, boating, rowing, yachting, and tennis. It was named for Wall Street tycoon, yachtsman and New York Athletic Club president William Travers, who guided its purchase in 1888.]
Horle suggests that the RCA name be copyrighted, if not already done. [Note this was first brought up at the Board meeting of Dec. 12, 1919.]
The Affiliation Committee has interviewed organizations in Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Washington. Chicago is now a chapter of RCA.
Brown and Lemmon to head a committee to investigate having RCA publish its own Proceedings.
Lemmon submitted a letter of resignation from his role as Editor of the Proceedings, but it was not accepted by the board.
Now follows some typed pages:
Page 1: This document explains the RCA Expansion Policy by creating branches in other locations. The branch organization would bear the RCA name plus the name of the city, county, or state in which it was located. The local organization would adopt the same constitution. A local section could be established if 10 people agree. All dues for membership in the local organization would go to the parent RCA, 25% in January, April, July, and October. [The dues wording is confusing as written in the document, but it appears the intent was that all annual dues from the local organization would be passed on to RCA in quarterly installments.] The president of the local section would automatically become a member of the RCA board.
[Some of these provisions have persisted to the present day in the By-Laws. The use at the time of two terms – section and branch, is confusing, and it is not clear if there was meant to be a distinction. In June 2022 the By-Laws were extensively revised and the term Chapter was used instead of section or branch.]
Pages 2 & 3: This document is a Memorandum of Agreement to have the RCA Proceedings published by the ARRL’s QST magazine. The agreement expires on 31 December 1922 and was signed by W.S. Lemmon, Chair of the RCA Publications Committee, and K. B. Warren, QST’s editor.
Four pages: This is a typed-out RCA Constitution. It provides for the Annual Meeting to be on the first Saturday evening after 1 January. Monthly meetings are to be held on the first Saturday except in July and August. Much of the wording is retained in the current Constitution.
That concludes my summary of the documents found in the “Record of Minutes, Board of Directors, Radio Club of America, from January 1, 1917 to March 1, 1921, by Walter S. Lemmon, Recording Secretary.
CALL FOR PAPERS & EDITORIAL COMMENTS
The Proceedings of the Radio Club of America is known for bringing you a wide mix of papers, ranging from sophisticated technical material to historical surveys of subjects related to electronic communications. RCA also is known for fostering discussion and sharing the viewpoints of its members. RCA is therefore issuing a call for papers and editorial comments for publication in upcoming issues of the Proceedings
The Proceedings is published semi-annually, and has been issued since 1914. The Proceedings is considered to be the first publication geared to promoting and sharing the intellectual development of all aspects of radio and wireless communications. Coverage has expanded to include relevant articles encompassing science, technology development, marketing and regulatory topics. We seek articles from knowledgeable engineers, professionals, academics and amateurs who are participating in building future applications, as well as those who want to document the history of relevant technologies.
As a fellow reader of the Proceedings, we would like you to author an article or editorial for publication. We welcome “early work,” even if it is still in the process of being drafted. RCA offers a unique opportunity for you to get an early reaction to important work now underway in wireless communications. It is also a unique opportunity to air your views, inviting commentary and response from the membership.
Please submit an abstract (1-3 paragraphs) including the title, author(s) and contact information, a synopsis of the material to be published, and a note as to why you think the subject is interesting or important to the wireless industry. Authors of papers selected for publication in the Proceedings may be given an opportunity to present at one of the RCA’s upcoming events, such as the annual Technical Symposium. (Note: participants are responsible for their own travel expenses to RCA events.)
We seek interesting or important technical articles, editorials and discussion pieces in any of the following areas:
• Antennas and supporting structures (i.e., towers)
• Broadband communications
• Broadcast
• Cellular telephony
• FirstNet
• Ham (amateur) radio
• Land mobile radio
• Long-Term Evolution (LTE)
• Military communications
• Regulatory topics
• Robotics
• Satellites
• 4G/5G Cellular
• Semiconductors, LED or other devices supporting wireless communications
• Any other wireless/radio technologies
Please send abstracts for articles and editorials to be published in the Proceedings to: John Facella at pantherpinesconsulting@gmail.com with copies to David Bart at jbart1964@gmail.com.
Please send abstracts for potential presentation topics at RCA events to: John Facella at TechSymp2018@radioclubofamerica.org.
For general questions about RCA, an article idea or submission, please contact Amy Beckham at Amy@radioclubofAmerica.org.
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.
Logos on event banners at Tech Symposium and Banquet
Logo on Banquet PowerPoint
Logo in commemorative Banquet program
Logo and URL on RCA website
Full page ad in Aerogram and Proceedings (full membership distribution)
Company logo on signage supporting Young Achievers Company logo in Proceedings
Inclusion in all commerials and soundbites during Symposium
Branding on all Symposium videos on RCA YouTube channel
Half page ad in Proceedings, logo in Aerogram
Lanyard with logo
Quarter page ad in Proceedings logo in Aerogram
Table signage
6 tickets to Tech Symposium
Logo on speaker podium
Event signage
Exclusive networking opportunity
Logo on cocktail napkins
VIP cocktail named after you
7’ x 7’ step and repeat backdrop featuring your logo and RCA logo
2 Banquet and Tech Symposium
tickets
Social media branding
Special pre- and post event recognition
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):
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.
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
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.
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.
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
2024 RCA BANQUET AND TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM
November 23, 2024
Denver, CO
MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS: CONNECTED IMPACT
March 3-6, 2025
Barcelona, Spain
IWCE 2024
March 17-20, 2025
Las Vegas, NV
CONNECTIVITY EXPO
May 12-14, 2025
Chicago, IL
DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE A GREAT FIT FOR RCA?
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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!
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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.
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