The AM Forum

THE AM BULLETIN BOARD => QSO => Topic started by: WA3VJB on March 28, 2007, 06:28:49 AM



Title: Early research material
Post by: WA3VJB on March 28, 2007, 06:28:49 AM
Alan Kline over on a broadcast email reflector posted this information, and yes, you can spend all day picking around on there. Wow. For a quick sample of a given book, suggest hitting the "text" version, the smallest file type among the variety of formats they've used to scan them in.
The Internet Archive (www.archive.org) has just opened a *huge* section
of scanned PDF books. This is similar to the Google project, only the
Archive is doing a much better job, IMHO. Anyway, go to
www.archive.org/details/americana and enter "radio", "television", or
"broadcasting" in the search window to find a treasure trove of early
books. Most are from the 1920's, 30's, 40's, and 50's--primary sources
for research... Be warned that these are very, very large files--this
is definitely *not* a site for dial-up users...

Here's one from 1922. I love the approach.
To the non-technical
reader the transmission of speech and music with no visible
means of intercommunication is somewhat of a mystery.
While it is mysterious it is no more mysterious than the
production and recognition of light, for radio and light waves
are of exactly the same nature. The relation of radio and
light waves is the same as that existing between red and blue
light, it is merely a matter of frequency. Of course the
" colors " of the radio spectrum are invisible as far as the
human eye is concerned and the radio receiver is nothing
more than an artificial eye sensitive to these extremely low-
frequency " colors."


Title: Re: Early research material
Post by: Steve - WB3HUZ on March 28, 2007, 02:13:14 PM
As Arthur C. Clarke once quipped, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."


Title: Re: Early research material
Post by: W2XR on March 28, 2007, 02:56:27 PM
Steve,

I've been posting that quote of Arthur C. Clarke as part of my signature here on the Forum for months!

As I am sure you are aware, that quote is known as Clarkes Third Law.

Here are his First & Second Laws:

Clarkes First Law: "When distinguished but elderly scientists state that something is possible they are almost always right; when they say something is impossible, they are very probably wrong".

Clarkes Second Law: "The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is by venturing a little way past them into the impossible".

Clarkes Third Law (and my personal favorite): "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic".

Clarke was indeed a very great man, in my humble opinion.

73,

Bruce


Title: Re: Early research material
Post by: W3LSN on March 28, 2007, 06:15:00 PM

Clarke was indeed a very great man, in my humble opinion.



Not "was",  "IS".    The man is still alive.

73, Jim
WA2AJM/3


Title: Re: Early research material
Post by: KB2WIG on March 28, 2007, 07:04:38 PM
.


Title: Re: Early research material
Post by: N3DRB The Derb on March 29, 2007, 07:29:07 AM
damn, if I had known cyclop eyed octopus armed dudes were such chick magnets, I would have had them installed years ago!!one

hmmmm upon closer examination, that thing looks like he be violatin the dude and she wants a threesome.  :P


Title: Re: Early research material
Post by: W3SLK on March 29, 2007, 09:14:37 AM
Bruce said:
Quote
Clarke was indeed a very great man, in my humble opinion.


I had the chance to meet Arthur C. Clarke when I went to Sri Lanka in 1983. Nice guy. He first started writing books about diving. When we were there, he was on the phone with Paramount Pictures about '2010' sequel.


Title: Re: Early research material
Post by: W2XR on March 29, 2007, 10:14:17 AM
Yup, Sir Arthur C. Clarke is still very much alive; my incorrect use of "was". I believe he turned or will turn 90 years old this year. He was born in 1917. Thanks Jim/WA2AJM, for correcting me on this!


A little Clarke trivia: The term "Clarke Belt" is sometimes used to describe the orbit utilized by communications satellites in a geosynchronous orbit, and this was named in his honor.

73,

Bruce

AMfone - Dedicated to Amplitude Modulation on the Amateur Radio Bands