Military electronics history

[K6JEK]

This talk is about the history of Silicon Valley but it has a long, interesting section on electronic warfare of WWII, German radars, Allied stuff etc.  There is also a nice section on cold war electronics.  

It's a video of a talk given at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.   It's long. Skip the first ten minutes to get to the stuff.

http://steveblank.com/secret-history/

I found this as I was looking around, irritated by an article about the history of Silicon Valley that said it really started in the '80's with a culture formed around hobby computers.  What rubbish.  

Anyway I really enjoyed this talk.  Some of the  classified stuff that was happening in my backyard during the Cold War was really something.

[Steve - K4HX]

Good vid!

I guess it should be called High Tech Valley.

[W3SLK]

Talking about Silicon Valley, it could have very well ended up here in the Susquehanna Valley. You see, some time back Merck, started what was called ESD, or Electronic Silicon Division. They made some very pure silicon wafers back in the mid-60's early 70's. The reason it didn't pan out? It seems Motorola approached them in the early 70's and stated they were going to get into the pharmaceutical business. In short, Merck blinked and closed down their ESD production. Ultimately laying off ~200 people. How do I know this. Because it was made here. They recently found some silicon ingots and had it analyzed. From what was told to me is that it is as good or better than what is being produced today.

[w3jn]

A great read is "History of Electronic Warfare" published by the Association of Old Crows.  The first volume details WWII EW work and there's a lot of good reference material for mil radio enthusiasts.  It's particularly interesting how the Hallicrafters S-36/S-27 receivers got pressed into military service.

http://www.amazon.com/Instruments-Darkness-History-Electronic-1939-1945/dp/1853676160

You can get copies on eBay cheaper.

[K6JEK]

A great read is "History of Electronic Warfare" published by the Association of Old Crows.  The first volume details WWII EW work and there's a lot of good reference material for mil radio enthusiasts.  It's particularly interesting how the Hallicrafters S-36/S-27 receivers got pressed into military service.

http://www.amazon.com/Instruments-Darkness-History-Electronic-1939-1945/dp/1853676160

You can get copies on eBay cheaper.

Thanks for the reference.  I remain amazed by some of the capabilities developed by both sides in WW II and especially by us (I guess because that's what we're beginning to know about) during the cold war. Finding USSR radar locations from their reflections off the moon?  Wow. Really?

About Silicon Valley elsewhere in the US like Susquehanna Valley. It may happen yet that is if China doesn't squash us first. Silicon Valley has been a victim of its own success with crazy prices for housing, bad traffic especially during the dot-com craziness, and like all of California suffers from our maddening bad and seemingly intractable state government. I know at least one major Silicon Valley company that is expanding in the Research Triangle of North Carolina while contracting here.  Maybe that's a sign.

[W1RC]

I remain amazed by some of the capabilities developed by both sides in WW II and especially by us (I guess because that's what we're beginning to know about) during the cold war. Finding USSR radar locations from their reflections off the moon?  Wow. Really?

That was back when the USA was Number One in technology, popular culture and production of goods and materials, no question.  And I firmly believe we can still be Top Dog again but we have to put aside petty political differences and work together towards that goal, regardless of political philosophy.  This is the only way it is going to happen.