RF Shorts - Sept. 23, 2010


The article Soldiers show some ingenuity during tests of next-generation radiosdescribes how soldiers tested the new Rifleman Radio at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. In the story, Major Bill Venable described some of the techniques employed. "To boost coverage, soldiers applied the simple rule that the higher an antenna, the longer its range, and they hung one of the devices from a blimp, or aerostat, and sent it up several thousand feet so it hovered over the exercise area," he said.

The Washington Post obituary for John D. Goeken described the life of this extraordinary technology entrepreneur. While the name may not be familiar to you, he first worked as a radio repairman, then--with only a high-school diploma and what he learned about microwave technology in the Army Signal Corps.--founded Microwave Communications to create an independent radio network for truckers traveling between St. Louis and Chicago. It eventually expanded into a nationwide communications network. Goeken was a co-founder of MCI and worked to dismantle AT&T's long-distance monopoly. In 1975 he founded Airfone, the first commercially successful pay telephone service for aircraft. He died Sept. 16 at the age of 80 in Joliet, Ill.

Raleigh, N.C.'s WRAL-TV and Antennas Direct held a free antenna give-away last weekend. They planned to give away about 300 free antennas, valued at about $75 each. WRAL-TV held the event at the North State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, N.C. Events like these are a great way to let the public know free TV is still available and create interest in it.

Your comments and news items are always appreciated. Email me at dlung@transmitter.com.

Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.