Marc Franco wrote:
Howard,
I don't think Steve Cripps is a ham (maybe he was at one point), but he seems to have a nice opinion of amateur radio. However, there are many other RF PA experts that are also hams, like Fred Raab W1FR (Solid State Radio Engineering, Krauss-Bostian-Raab), and Nathan Sokal, WA1HQC, the inventor of the class-E amplifier. They regularly write for QEX and they also attend the IEEE microwave symposium. In fact, these three experts were in San Francisco when the PA competition took place.
I asked Nathan to give us a discount on his amplifier design tools and simulators. He gave us a 95% discount. We are purchasing all of his tools in the new fiscal year.
The IEEE microwave symposium also has a ham radio social meeting. It was started in Philadelphia in 2003 by K2UYH, and has steadily grown since then. Next year it will take place in Hawaii. It will probably include a key note speaker, and a 23 cm EME operation. The refreshments are usually provided by engineering companies owned by hams.
Jim! We should have a design meeting in conjunction with the IEEE meeting. ;-).
73, Marc N2UO
Bob N4HY