1940s Portable Radio Is A Suitcase

The meaning of the word portable has changed a bit over the years. These days something has to be pretty tiny to be considered truly portable, but in the 1940s, anything with a handle on it that you could lift with one hand might be counted as portable electronics. Zenith …read more

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Astronomers hope to search for radio waves broadcast from dead planets orbiting dead stars

In about five billion years’ time, the Sun will grow into a red giant, probably swallowing the Earth and putting an end to any and all life that’s still kicking then. As this material is shed off, the Sun itself will become a small, dim, whit… Continue reading Astronomers hope to search for radio waves broadcast from dead planets orbiting dead stars→

Powerful new telescope joins the search for possible laser pulses from aliens

Statistically, it’s pretty much a given that alien life is out there somewhere, whether that’s Martian microbes or highly intelligent life beaming comms through the cosmos. While the Curiosity rover is poking around in the dirt for the former… Continue reading Powerful new telescope joins the search for possible laser pulses from aliens→

3D Printing An Old-School Coherer

Coherers were devices used in some of the very earliest radio experiments in the 19th century. Consisting of a tube filled with metal filings with an electrode at each end, the coherer would begin to conduct when in the presence of radio frequency energy. Physically tapping the device would then …read more

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Adding LoRa Long Range Radio To Smartphones And Connected Devices

Would you add another radio to your smartphone? No, not another WiFi or cellular radio; a smartphone already has that. I’m talking about something that provides connectivity through ISM bands, either 433 or 915 MHz. This can be used where you don’t have cell phone coverage, and it has a …read more

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Astronomers close in on the fast radio burst mystery by tracing new signal to distant galaxy

Strange signals known as fast radio bursts (FRBs) are one of the most intriguing mysteries of modern astronomy, so the more of them we can locate, the closer we get to figuring what causes them. Now we’re a step closer to solving the riddle, … Continue reading Astronomers close in on the fast radio burst mystery by tracing new signal to distant galaxy→

Vintage Philco Radio Looks Stock, Contains Modern Secret: A Raspberry Pi

Antique radio receivers retain a significant charm, and though they do not carry huge value today they were often extremely high quality items that would have represented a significant investment for their original owners. [CodeMakesItGo] acquired just such a radio, a Philco 37-11 made in 1937, and since it was …read more

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The Backbone Of VHF Amateur Radio May Be Under Threat

A story that has been on the burner for a few weeks concerns a proposal that will be advanced to the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2023. It originates with French spectrum regulators and is reported to be at the behest of the Paris-based multinational defence contractor Thales. The sting in …read more

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An SDR Transceiver The Old-School Way

Software-defined radios or SDRs have provided a step-change in the way we use radio. From your FM broadcast receiver which very likely now has single-application SDR technology embedded in a chip through to the all-singing-all-dancing general purpose SDR you’d find on an experimenter’s bench, control over signal processing has moved …read more

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Astronomers pinpoint location of mysterious radio signal across the universe

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are one of the most puzzling mysteries of the space age. These one-off, millisecond-long signals pour in from all corners of the cosmos, and so far nobody’s been able to figure out what causes them or where they’re ev… Continue reading Astronomers pinpoint location of mysterious radio signal across the universe→