It seems we all have a collection of notes and diagrams that we refer to for solving problems or for unique situations. Don't keep them to yourself, share them with the industry. Everyone can benefit from these little problem-solving devices and gadgets. Radio magazine wants to hear from you. Send your Engineer's Notebook ideas to radio@penton.com. Remember, your submission may count towards SBE recertification points.
Also, if you have a problem and you can't find a solution, let Radio magazine know. Our staff of technical consultants and authors have considerable experience in every technical aspect of radio.
Section index | Audio | RF | Electronics/General | FCC & FAA | Software |
Audio
Linear Digital Audio Data Rates and Storage
Need to figure the necessary storage sapce for audio files? Use these equations to make it easy.
Passive Audio Attenuators
Learn to design T and H pads or use our handy calculator.
AES3 Passive Converters
Build passive AES3 balanced-to-unbalanced and unbalanced-to-balanced converters.
Baking Magnetic Recording Tape
Temporarily restore old tape for playback.
Lattice Combiner/Splitter
Build a lattice combiner/splitter.
Western Electric 111C and 119C Transformer Information
Pinouts and schematics for these popular, high-quality audio transformers.
RF
AM Radial Sniffer
Find copper radials in an AM antenna system with a field-intensity meter. These tips show you how.
RF Resources Online
Online converters, tables and charts for radio broadcasting.
SWR Calculator
A Java applet that calculates SWR based on the specified forward and reflected power levels.
Determine AM Modulation with an Oscilloscope
Use an oscilloscope to determine the modulation of an AM transmitter.
SCA Primer for Broadcasters (2002 edition)
FM subcarrier services can be source of revenue for an FM station. They can also be a source of aggravation if not maintained properly.
Shielded-Loop AM Antenna
Build a shielded-loop AM antenna.
Variation on the Shielded-Loop AM Antenna
A variation on the antenna's construction.
Electronics/General
TCP/IP Port Numbers
In TCP/IP and UDP networks, a port is an endpoint to a logical connection and the way a client program specifies a specific server program on a computer in a network.
IP Subnets
A handy reference of IP subnets.
Two Momentary Switches to a Maintained Switch
Turn two momentary closures into a single maintained contact.
Time Calculations with a Calculator
Adding and substracting time isn't difficult if you know the secret. No special calculator is required.
Resistor Color Codes
A convenient color-code chart to determine a resistor's value.
DTMF Information and Examples
Dual tone multi-frequency tones are used for telephony and many remote control applications. This page covers the basics of the DTMF standard and provides playable audio samples.
Commonly Used Conversions
This handy collection of formulas and Java converters will help any radio engineer.
Tower Light Alarm Circuit
This pseudo-binary circuit allows a single remote-control telemetry channel to indicate several variations on circuit status.
FCC ID Number Lookup
Identify computer cards and other electronic components by their FCC ID number.
Tower Light Flasher Failure Alarm
A simple interface and flash-failure circuit to interface to a station's remote control.
Electrical Concepts and Practices - a Primer
A collection of articles from Radio magazine's sister publication EC&M.
Braided Shield Cable Preparation
A simpler, cleaner method of preparing a braided shield for a connector.
Push-on/Push-off Switch
Turn a momentary closure into a maintained contact.
FCC and FAA
Reporting a Tower Light Outage to the FAA
When a tower is not properly lit because of a light outage, the tower owner is required to notify the FAA. Here's how you do it.
Unattended Operation - FAQ
Click here to read more: www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/bickel/noonehome.html
FCC Radio Frequency Interference Manual
The FCC has prepared a guide to help troubleshoot consumer interference problems.
Software
Continental Electronics E-Slide
E-Slide is an electronic sliderule program for the Radio broadcast engineer.
Endec Remote
Endec Remote 1.0.2 is a utility to remotely control a Sage Endec from a Windows PC via a serial or IP connection using a serial-to-Ethernet adaptor at the Sage unit.
Javascript Clock
Insert this Javascript code into your Web page to display the computer's time and date in a form that follows the mouse.
StarGuide Relay Logger
A utility to help diagnose contact closure and configuration errors for a StarGuide broadcast satellite receiver. ZIP file.
Toolbox.exe
A package of programs for radio broadcast engineers, including FM or STL path calculation, maximum AM DA MP calculation, FCC upper/lower common point/ND base current calculations, power change schedule for up to 14 months, calculate field/loop ratios for AM DA systems, fresnel zone clearance calculator, and more.
