1948 Institute News and Radio Notes 645

Books
Very High Frequency Tech- This is a new book describing laboratory
types of measuring equipment. The volume is
cation of the full text of the ten papers read
during the conference, or in the eleven addi-
niques, Compiled by the Staff interesting and usable to anyone connected tional papers in this printed report.
of the Radio Research Labora- with testing or measuring in the microwave Although much of the material in this re-
tory of Harvard University. region of the frequency spectrum. It covers port is on the common meeting ground be-
a big field thoroughly and expertly. The de- tween the meteorologist and the radio engi-
Volumes I and II scriptions are lucid, with pictures or draw- neer, thus precluding some previous study of
Published (1947) by McGraw-Hill Book ings of most of the equipments. There are meteorology and wave propagation, the pa-
Company, Inc., 330 West 42 Street, New many tables, characteristic curves, equa- pers have been arranged in an orderly and
York 18, N. Y. 1031 pages+24-page index tions, and formulas pertinent to the equip- logical sequence. Opening the conference and
+4-page bibliography. 923 figures. Price: ment being described. Only those equations the report is the descriptive paper by recent
$14.00. are included that are necessary to the under- Nobel Prize winner Sir Edward Appleton.
The two volumes comprise nearly 1100 standing of the design and operation of the Sir Edward tells much about the early dis-
pages, divided into 35 chapters. They have equipment being described. It is just the coveries of weather variations affecting radar
a modest index supplemented by a very well- book that a person engaged in microwave vision. The work and organization of the
arranged table of contents consisting of the development needs to bring him up to date Ultra-Short Wave Panel of the R.D.F. Com-
chapter headings and sub-headings under about the different methods and equipments mittee, similar to the American Committee
each chapter, which should be of material available. The paper is of good quality; the on Propagation of the National Defense Re-
assistance in locating general topics. The type, easy to read. search Council is outlined.
chapter content for both volumes is included Fourteen authors, each an expert in one The second paper on the radio wave
in Volume I and the pertinent part repeated or more fields, have contributed to write a tropospheric effects noted experimentally at
in Volume II. complete story. Although complete, it does 10 centimeters and below is co-authored by
The two volumes are the combined work not pretend to be exhaustive. There are nu- I.R.E. Vice-President R. L. Smith-Rose and
of about 40 authors, but despite some over- merous references, especially to other books Miss A. C. Stickland. Data for this paper are
lap between a few chapters, the finished prod- in the Massachusetts Institute of Technol- based on two years of continuous recordings
uct is unified and well edited. ogy Radiation Laboratory Series of twenty- over a land path of about 38 miles and one
There is no pretense that these books are six volumes, of which this is volume II. entirely over the sea for 57 miles. The gen-
a comprehensive text. The authors have The microwave region is defined as ex- eral agreement between various frontal con-
tried to summarize the work carried out dur- tending from 1 to 30,000 Mc. The word "mi- ditions of known gradient of refractive index
ing the war by the Radio Research Labora- crowave" is to be read into all the subjects and signal amplitude is shown in detail. The
tory at Harvard University and the many listed, which are discussed a chapter at a time structure and the meteorological variables
agencies which contributed to the work of as outlined below: affecting the refractive index of the lower
the Radar Countermeasures Group under Power sources, power measurements, sig- atmosphere are then discussed in detail by
Division 15, National Defense Research nal generators, measurement of wavelength, P. A. Sheppard. This paper as it especially
Council. For this reason, the books are in the frequency measurements, measurement of applies to v.h.f. propagation is probably one
nature of a technical report which gives in frequency spectrum and pulse shape, meas- of the most comprehensive published to date.
concise form a vast amount of detailed infor- urements of standing waves, impedance The phenomenon of superrefraction is
mation illustrated by excellent line drawings bridges, measurement of dielectric constants treated in accordance with mode theory and
and photographs. These are used generously (including a 4-page bibliography), cutoff- its relation to waveguides by H. G. Booker
and should be particularly helpful since they type attenuators, resistive-type attenuators, and W. Walkinshaw. Numerous propagation
offer one of the best ways of illustrating com- measurement of attenuation, directional curves suitable for qualitatively describing
plicated microwave plumbing. couplers, and r.f. phase and pattern measure- this unusual effect are presented. The great
Most emphasis is placed on three general ments. success of the mode theory is in its ability to
fields: (1) microwave receivers; (2) micro- The 9-page table of contents includes one explain transfiguration of refraction that
wave tubes; and (3) antennas. Within these line for each numbered paragraph in the takes place when decreasing the operating
fields, there is a great amount of practical text, making it easy to locate text material. wavelength. Several methods of solving the
and theoretical information about micro- The list of manufacturers in the appendix is differential equations of tropospheric refrac-
wave measurement techniques as well as of some historical interest, even though it is tion are then given by D. R. Hartree, J. G.
data on the performance of particular sys- admittedly not complete. Michel, and P. Nicolson. Much of this work
tems. ALLEN F. POMEROY was carried out on the differential analyzer
These books are definitely not for the be- Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc. at the University of Cambridge.
ginner, but the design engineer and the re- New York, N. Y. The next five papers deal largely with
search and development worker should find meteorological effects upon radar operation
many instances where these books will serve and vision. J. W. Ryde discusses the calcu-
as invaluable reference handbooks. lated attenuation and the intensity of radar
E. D. McARTHUR Meteorological Factors in Ra- echoes expected from fog, cloud, rain, snow,
and hail. Two shorter papers illustrate the
Research Laboratory
General Electric Company
dio-Wave Propagation current status of radar storm detection. Of
Schenectady 5, N. Y. Published (1947) by the Physical Soci- particular interest is the paper by C. S.
ety, 1 Lowther Gardens, Prince Consort Hurst of the Meteorological Office (British
Road, London S.W.7, England. 325 pages Air Ministry) on radio climatology. This is a
+1-page foreword. 171 figures and 30 tables. study and mapping of those regions about
61 X92 inches. Price 24s, obtainable only di- the surface of the earth where abnormal ra-
Techniques of Microwave rectly from "the publisher. dio propagation may be anticipated. Climat-
Measurements,Edited by Carol The Physical Society of Great Britain
has made available to nonmembers of the
ic conditions and radar observations are cor-
related for the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea,
G. Montgomery Society this report of a conference on radio Gulf of Aden, etc. The use of standard
Published (1947) by McGraw-Hill Book meteorology held jointly with the Royal meteorological information in estimating
Company, Inc., 330 West 42 Street, New Meteorological Society-on April 8, 1946. the probability of super- or subrefraction is
York 18, N. Y. 922 pages+11-page index Much of the knowledge of meteorological ef- shown.
+5-page Appendix+xix. 627 illustrations. fects upon radio frequencies from 30 to The report also includes papers on meth-
6X9 inches. Price $10.00. 20,000 Mc. is contained, either in the publi- ods of deducing the refractive-index profile
 646 PROCEEDINGS OF THE I.R.E. May
of the lower atmosphere, radar observations stants can be adjusted to yield perfect fit at itself are first taken up. Then the measure-
in New Zealand, vertical distribution of ra- a finite number of preselected points. ment of an impedance is considered, both
dar field strengths, and several papers on the Many, and perhaps most of the synthetic when connected directly to the slotted line
dielectric properties of water vapor and methods for rational design of bar linkages and when connected through a long attenu-
anomalous dispersion at very-high radio fre- which are described in this volume, are novel. ating cable. In the latter case, formulas are
quencies. Their use is amply illustrated with ingenious given which do not require a prior knowledge
A three-part proposal for a standard ra- and thoroughly discussed examples. How- of the propagation constant and characteris-
dio atmosphere is also included. Workers will ever, it is clear that the volume is not in- tic impedance of the long cable. These for-
find the alternative standard atmospheres in- tended as a text and is written primarily for mulas are next rearranged so that the elec-
teresting, inasmuch as they differ from the the specialist in the field. On the whole, the trical constants of a cable may be calculated
standard American atmosphere of 60 per cent subject matter should be of particular inter- in terms of its input impedance when several
relative humidity. It is shown that the as- est to those who are in quest of methods for known loads are connected to it. The use of
sumed NACA k of 4/3 at all heights be- generating functions with a degree of ac- the Smith chart is briefly covered.
tween sea level and 1500 meters is in error. curacy that is unobtainable with electronic Many topics which ought to be treated
A standard atmosphere of 80 per cent rela- devices. in a book of this type are not even mentioned.
tive humidity is more applicable to the Brit- LOTFI A. ZADEH Some of the omitted topics are the design of
ish Isles, while an atmosphere of linear v.p. Columbia University the measuring line and detector, the effect of
has the facility of being usable at much New York 27, N. Y. discontinuities, the dependence of the meas-
greater heights-becoming completely dry ured impedance on the method of connection
at 3900 meters. of the slotted line to the load, waveguide
The report does not contain an index, measurements, and the resonance-curve
which somewhat hinders its use as a refer- I. Ionospheric Research at Col- method.
ence volume. However, at this writing it is lege, Alaska, July 1941-June The authors make a number of dubious
the most complete work in this field that is 1946, by S. L. Seaton, H. W. rule-of-thumb generalizations which are
available. Engineers engaged in v.h.f. of mi- likely to confuse the less advanced reader.
crowave propagation problems will find it ex- Wells, and L. V. Berkner Descriptions of some of the methods are not
ceedingly interesting and useful. clear, but in these cases the numerical exam-
OLIVER P. FERRELL II. Auroral Research at College, ples show what is intended.
Radio Magazines, Inc.
342 Madison Ave.
Alaska, 1941-1944, by S. L. An elementary knowledge of transmis-
sion-line theory, hyperbolic functions, and
New York 17, N. Y. Seaton and C. W. Malich complex number operations is assumed.
Carnegie Institution of Washington Pub- Since the book does not give a complete or
lication 175. 396 pages+vi. 24 figures. 8, rigorous treatment of transmission-line
XI1 inches, $1.85 in paper cover, $2.35 in measurements, it is not suitable as a text-
Computing Mechanisms and cloth cover. book. To the reader who is doing the sort of
Linkages, by A. Svoboda (Ra- Three hundred and thirty-five pages of
tables present hourly values of ionospheric
work in which the authors are interested,
this book may serve as a valuable guide for
diation Laboratory Series) results, giving the measured critical frequen- laboratory work. The more advanced radio
Published (1947) by McGraw-Hill Book cies of the F2, F1 and E regions, the virtual engineer will, however, find the book of little
Company, Inc., 330 West 42 Street, New heights of the F2 and the F1 regions, and the value except as an incomplete collection of
York 18, N. Y. 299 pages+52-page appendix minimum recorded frequency. Fourteen formulas.
+6-page index +xii pages. 178 figures. 6 X9 pages of tables present the results of zenith SEYMOUR B. COHN
inches. Price $4.50. auroral intensity measurements. 20 Prescott St.
This volume, which is number twenty- Comprehensive descriptions of the in- Cambridge, Mass.
seven in the Radiation Laboratory Series, struments and instrumental procedures are
contains little on the subject of computing given. Results are discussed, with special re-
mechanisms in general, and much on the so- ports on the subjects of Polar Radio Dis-
called bar-linkage computers. These, as the turbance During Magnetic Bays, Vertical Understanding Vectors and
name implies, consist of a system of rigid Distribution of Electrons, and Measurements Phase, by John F. Rider and
bars connected to each other through pivots of Height of Maximum Electron Density. Seymour D. Usland
and/or slides. The types of linkages which The material is clearly presented, and a
are considered in this volume cannot perform good list of references is included. This pub- Published (1947) by John F. Rider Pub-
the operations of integration and differentia- lication is of special interest to those dealing lisher, Inc., 404 Fourth Avenue, New York
tion, and hence are essentially function with problems of ionospheric wave propaga- 16, N. Y. 149 pages+3-page index+1-page
generators. tion. bibliography+vi pages. 75 figures. 5 X7;
The first seven chapters of the volume HAROLD 0. PETERSON inches. Price, paper bound, 99 cents; cloth
are devoted to development of methods for RCA Laboratories bound, $1.89.
design of bar linkages with one degree of Riverhead, N.Y. This book was written for the man lack-
freedom; that is, having one input and one ing technical training and serves as an intro-
output terminal. The methods evolved are duction to the use of arrows in the pictorial
mainly graphical in nature and resolve ulti- representation of problems involving alter-
mately to adjustment of the parameters of High Frequency Measuring nating currents. The authors confine the text
the linkage through a systematized process Techniques Using Transmis- to the discussion of the two-dimensional vec-
of trial and error. Extensive tables appended tor used in the representation of the alter-
at the end of the volume make the task of sion Lines, by E. N. Phillips, nating currents, voltages, and impedances.
carrying out such processes considerably sim- W. G. Sterns, and N. J. Ga- They do not attempt to discuss the subject of
pler than usual. mara three-dimensional vectors, and rightly so,
The last two chapters of the volume con- since it would not be wise to open the reader
tain much interesting material on design of Published (1947) by John F-Rider, Pub- to confusion in so elementary a book. It
bar linkages, with two degrees of freedom. lisher, Inc., 404 Fourth Avenue, New York might have been better, however, to point out
Here the author introduces the notion of 16, N. Y. 58 pages. 23 figures. 11X8} the difference between a true vector and the
"grid structure" and demonstrates that all inches. Price $1.50. vectors (or phasors, a term which might have
functional relationships z =f(x, y) which Measurement techniques and design been employed by the authors to good ad-
possess "ideal grid structure" can be mech- formulas for use with a slotted coaxial line vantage) wh'ich are used in the representa-
anized by using a differential and two or are presented in this book. The measurement tion of a.c. values.
more transformer linkages. Also, a gauging of velocity of propagation, attenuation, and The authors have done an excellent job
process is described whereby the linkage con- characteristic impedance of the slotted line of discussing a difficult subject in a simple
1948 Institute News and Radio Notes 647
and clear manner which may be understood would make disparaging remarks, and this The paper and printing are in accordance
by a reader with very little mathematical one is of no mind to do so. The book is well "with the authorized economy standards,"
background. After an introduction to vec- planned and clearly written. Indeed it is and therefore leave much to be desired. The
tors and the co-ordinate system employed, evident that, added to the careful instruc- quality of paper is of an inferior grade which
the multiple representation of two-dimen- tions and detailed circuit diagrams of this is bound to suffer from continued use of the
sional vectors and their addition, subtrac- book, sufficient interest is all that is required charts. Furthermore, not one sheet of blank
tion, multiplication, and division are dis- to build and operate a high-grade amateur note paper was included for use by the
cussed. Multiplication and division are rep- radio station. reader in recording or mounting additional
resented mathematically in the polar form, KNOX MCILWAIN reference data.
while addition and subtraction are worked Hazeltine Electronics Corporation In spite of its shortcomings, the collec-
out graphically. No attempt is made by the 5825 Little Neck Parkway tion is a valuable tool for the radio designer,
authors to introduce the complex notation, Little Neck, L. I., N. Y. and the benefits gained by its use considera-
which is probably beyond the level for which bly overshadow the slight inconveniences
the book is written. which are brought about by the British
A final chapter on applications, with nomenclature.
particular stress on the important applica- Radio Data Charts, by R. T. MURRAY G. CROSBY
tions to frequency modulation, concludes the 65 Peg's Lane
book. Beatty, Revised by J. McG. Riverhead, L. I., N. Y.
Throughout the book the actual applica-
tion of the two-dimensional vectors to radio
Sowerby, Fourth Edition, Sec-
circuits and their representation of phase is ond Impression
emphasized. Published (1947) by Iliffe & Sons, Ltd.,
NATHAN MARCHAND Dorset House, Stamford Street, London, "Electromechanical and Elec-
301 West 108 Street
New York 25, N.Y.
S.E.1, England. 93 pages. 44 abacs. 81XI1 troacoustical Analogies," by
(D4to). Price: 7/6 (Postage Sd). Obtainable Bent Gehlshoj
from U. S. booksellers at $2.00.
This is a collection of nomograms or Published in English (1947) by The
"Abacs" which is a revision of the original Academy of Technical Sciences, Oster Vol-
collection first published in 1930. gade 10, KBH,K, Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Radio Handbook, Eleventh The general idea of the nomogram is very 141 pages+1-page index. 81 figures, 64X9
Edition, by R. L. Dawley and useful to the engineer since it saves much inches. Price 12 Crowns (Danish).
Associates time and calculation labor. The charts are This monograph is a well-written survey
most useful to a radio receiver designer, but of the principles and applications of the elec-
Published (1947) by Editors and Engi- are also commendable for student use since trical circuit analogies of mechanical and ac-
neers, Ltd., 1300 Kenwood Road, Santa many of the nomograms present a physical coustical systems. Electrical engineers will
Barbara, Calif. 508 pages+4-page index. 568 picture of what would otherwise be a com- agree that it is convenient to analyze dy-
figures. 1 12 X 841 inches. Price $3.00. plex formula difficult to comprehend. namical problems both qualitatively and
Here, for the radio amateur, is a feast from The nomograms are all-inclusive and quantitatively by studying an electrical cir-
soup to nuts. Starting with elementary in- cover practically all the possible features of cuit having analogous equations. If the step
structions on the practice of code and with receiver design. The charts start with such involving the sketching and scaling of the
electrical theory for the veriest tyro, the con- simple relations as frequency vs. wavelength, analogous circuit is made simple, the power
tents cover the various types of communica- and Ohm's Law, and progress to compli- of the method is immeasurably increased.
tion circuits, both f.m. and a.m., up to and cated subjects such as band-pass intermedi- The author covers three main areas, me-
including magnetron and klystron circuits ate-frequency transformer design and other chanical analogies, acoustical analogies, and
on the one hand, and to radiation theory and problems which would normally require the electromechanical transducers. In the case of
directional antennas on the other. As stated use of one or more complex formulas. mechanical systems, he points out the ad-
in the introduction, the work includes fre- The subject of radio-frequency coil de- vantages of admittance and impedance dia-
quencies from 3.5 to 500 Mc. The treat- sign is quite thoroughly covered. It includes grams, respectively. In the case of the
ment is aimed at the radio amateur, "par- the change of inductance and increase of ra- former, the topological similarity between
ticularly for the serious amateur." This dio-frequency resistance due to the shielding the mechanical system and the analogous
portion of the book, which is quite practical cans surrounding the coil. The 'Universal electrical circuit is discussed. This fact makes
but necessarily superficial in its treatment, Selectivity Chart" is easy to use and pro- it possible to draw an analogous circuit sim-
occupies the first 200 pages. vides a convenient short-cut method of de- ply by inspection. By a process of network
There follow 67 pages of reference data signing tuned transformers. dualization, the impedance diagram which
including quite complete tables of receiving The nomograms on transmission lines, is generally favored for analysis of charac-
and transmitting tubes and their characteris- giving Q, resonant impedance, and length of teristics may be derived. Applications of
tics of interest to the amateur. a capacitance-loaded quarter-wave resonant the techniques to numerous examples with
The next 163 pages contain practical in- line are a convenience to the designer of both lumped and distributed constants are
struction in the building of equipment neces- receivers for the higher radio-frequency given.
sary to a station, with many photographs to ranges. The second section applies the methods
illustrate good mechanical practice in both There are a considerable number of of analogy to acoustical systems, with ex-
chassis and wiring layout. This is followed by shortcomings brought about by the differ- amples including filters, microphones, and
an interesting section of 28 pages on the con- ence between British and American prac- earphones. In the final section on electro-
version of surplus war equipment for ama- tices. The terms "short wave," "medium mechanical transducers, analogous networks
teur use. The rest of the book is a buyer's wave," etc., are used inconsistently with fre- for electromagnetic speaker drives, moving
guide giving sources of components required quency terms such as 'very high," "high," armatures, and piezoelectric transducers are
for building the equipment described. The etc. Outstanding in these differences is the discussed.
question-and-answer section included in use of meters in place of feet, such as in "mi- This monograph is written clearly and its
some previous editions is omitted. There is cro-micro-farads per meter." The wire table illustrations are well drawn. It should be
considerable question whether the new and given, and wire sizes used in the nomograms, particularly useful to students in electrical
larger format is an improvement, since it is are the British "Standard Wire Gauge, " engineering interested in how to generalize
doubtful if many amateurs will carry the which is different from the American-used the scope of their circuit theory. It is also
book around in a briefcase and the larger Brown & Sharpe gauge. Furthermore, in the of use to engineers who are called upon to
book is somewhat more tiring to hold. case of power-transformer design, British design dynamical systems.
Being in its eleventh edition, the book ob- makes of transformer core iron are used and JOHN R. RAGAZZINI
viously fills a wide need broadly and well. It the charts assume a power frequency of 50 Columbia University
would be a temerarious reviewer indeed who cycles only. New York 27, N. Y.