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Here, we post articles related to antenna technology. There's always something new to learn!
10 Factors that Affect Antenna Performance
We get a lot of inquiries regarding antenna performance in various settings, one of them being, “how far will the antenna propagate?” In this post, we describe some of the many factors that affect antenna performance.
Hedy Lamarr: The Hollywood Actress Who Changed Wireless Technology
This Women’s History Month, we wanted to highlight the life and career of Hedy Lamarr, a famous Hollywood star whose lesser-known achievements include essentially laying the foundations for the spectrum-hopping technology we know today as WiFi.
Living Legends: James West and Jesse Russell
Every February, JEM Engineering honors the the African American Engineers who have made lasting contributions in STEM. This year, we’re excited to spotlight two living legends: James Edward West and Jesse Eugene Russell.
11 Ways the Antenna Industry Has Changed
In this issue, we wanted to reflect upon how the antenna industry has evolved over the past several decades.
Part II: Inspecting & Testing Antennas with UAVs
In this issue, we focus on how UAVs are used for inspecting and testing antennas. Perhaps an antenna is situated in a less-accessible area.
Part I: Taking Measurements With Drones
UAVs, also nicknamed, “drones,” are exceptional at capturing a bird’s-eye view. This is one of the reasons why they’re popular for measuring.
Part II: Signal Monitoring Techniques
Signal monitoring techniques are methods used to observe, analyze, and interpret various types of signals, such as electronic, electromagnetic, or digital signals.
Part I: Introduction to Signal Monitoring
In this issue, we will deepen our understanding of one of the fundamental components of SIGINT: signal monitoring.
Blade Antennas & Their Advantages
In a previous post, we introduced blade antennas in relation to flight qualified antennas. In this post, we elaborate on what blade antennas are, as well as their advantages.
Industry Spotlight: Concealed Antennas
In this blog post, we will explore what concealed antennas are, how they work, and some of their benefits.
An Introduction to Radar Antennas
Radar systems have a wide range of applications, including weather forecasting, traffic control, navigation, automotive systems, and aviation. In military and defense operations, a radar system can be used to detect, track, and identify objects in the air, on land, and at sea.
Honoring African Americans in STEM
February 1 marks the beginning of Black History Month. This year, we celebrate Dr. George Robert Carruthers and Annie Easely.
How Do Seasonal Changes Affect Antenna Performance?
Winter is officially in season! With its onset comes harsher weather conditions and colder temperatures. In this post, we explore how the changing seasons affect antenna performance.
The Role of Antennas in ISR
ISR stands for “intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.”
Intelligence is a broad term that refers to information gathering. Surveillance refers to closely observing a target itself, while reconnaissance mostly refers to a preliminary survey of an area to gain information.
Introduction to RF Filters
Home » Media Center » Blog » Introduction to RF FiltersA radiofrequency filter is a component that improves the performance of an antenna by allowing it to be more precise with which signals it receives. In this post, we briefly introduce RF filtering, as well as...
Improving Antenna Performance with RFoF
RF over fiber, simplified as ‘RFoF,’ is the method of converting a radio wave (RF) into light by modulating the intensity of the light source (typically a laser) with RF signal.
What is Signal Conditioning?
Signal conditioning is one of the most important components to any sensing system. In this post, we introduce the concept of signal conditioning, as well as give examples of different types of signal conditioners.
The Outlook on Flat Panel Antennas
As the name suggests, a flat panel antenna, or FPA, is a simple directional antenna that is low-profile.
5G and Beyond
It’s very likely that you’ve heard the term “5G.” 5G means much more than faster speeds for one’s mobile devices. In this post, we briefly introduce 5G and contextualize the technology’s potential in the defense sector.
Scaling Unmanned Operations for Defense
In this post, we explore some of the opportunities and challenges facing unmanned operations in the defense sector.
Artificial intelligence (AI), which manifests itself in different forms, from website chat boxes to unmanned military operations, is broadly defined as any system or machine that is designed to imitate human intelligence, in order to perform tasks and improve upon itself using the increasing amount of information it collects.
Black History Month: NASA’s Hidden Figures
This year for Black History Month, we celebrate Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Christine Darden for their perseverance despite the inequality they faced, and for their distinguished careers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), where they lent their talents to furthering aeronautics and space travel.
Corona & Multipaction Effects on Space Based Antennas
In this post, we will be discussing two types of effects that are potentially damaging to RF components: corona discharge and multipaction effects.
VSWR, Explained
In this post, we explore VSWR in further detail, as a general concept and as it relates to validating antennas.
SIGINT, ELINT & COMINT
There are many different types of antenna communications and intelligence gathering disciplines. In this post, we explain the key distinctions between SIGINT, COMINT, and ELINT.
Antennas for Maritime Applications
In this post, we will answer some of the most common questions regarding marine antennas.
Narrowband Antennas Vs. Wideband Antennas
In this post, we will be making some general comparisons between narrowband and wideband communications.
Dipoles: The Simplest, Most Common Antenna
As it’s name suggests, in its basic form, a dipole antenna consists of two conductive elements, unlike a monopole antenna, which has one.
Anatomy of a Vivaldi Antenna
The Vivaldi antenna, also known as a tapered slot antenna, is a type of linear-polarized planar antenna invented by Peter Gibson in 1978…
Introduction to the Biconical Antenna
The phrase “biconical antenna” describes a broadband antennas that are made up of two roughly conical conductive objects, that are nearly touching at their points. Because of their configuration, they can also be referred to as “bowtie” or “butterfly” antennas.
AESAs: Active Electronically Steered Arrays
AESA stands for Active Electronically Scanned Array or Active Electronically Steered Array.
Fractal Antennas, Explained
While fractals antennas have many complexities that can be discussed at length, in this post, we will examine the basics of fractal antennas.
What is a Smart Antenna?
The textbook definition of a smart antenna is “an antenna array with digital signal processing algorithms, which identify spatial signatures.” Using these spatial signatures, the smart antenna calculates beamforming vectors, which are then used to track and locate the antenna beam on a mobile or target.
Black History Month 2021
As a minority-owned business, JEM Engineering proudly celebrates Black History Month.
Advancements in Aerospace Antenna Design
With the latest advancements brought upon by more research and development, aerospace antenna design has continued to steer away from traditional manufacturing materials and methods.
Large Bandwidths in Small Packages: Spiral Antennas
Spiral antennas are a type of frequency independent antenna first introduced in the 1950s. Their spiral design allows them to be relatively small.
Radiofrequency Test Fixtures
Dielectric (non-conductive) materials, such as foam and wood, for example, are ideal for test fixturing.
Intro to Antenna Polarization
The polarization of an antenna is loosely defined as the direction of the electromagnetic fields produced by the antenna as energy radiates away from it.
Microstrip Antennas: The Basics
Microstrip antennas were patented in 1955, although their origins trace back to 1953. They became more commonplace in the 1970s.
Frequency Bands & Applications
The textbook definition of a frequency band is an interval in the frequency domain, delimited by a lower frequency and upper frequency. The International Telecommunication Union has assigned designations to these intervals.
What are Genetic Antennas?
First appearing in the 1990s, genetic antennas, also known as “evolved antennas,” resemble intricately bent paperclips attached to a radio frequency connector.
The Many Forms of a Flight-Qualified Antenna
In order for an antenna to be qualified for mounting onto a non-stationary ground plane, it has to meet stricter vibration testing standards than it would for stationary mounting.
Remote Radiofrequency Testing
JEM Engineering offers all of our customers the added convenience of performing remote radiofrequency testing.
Loop Antennas: Design Overview
Loop antennas come in many forms, but their overarching distinction is that they are relatively simply constructed, yet very versatile.
Antenna Development & Environmental Testing
Antenna environmental testing is a crucial part of its qualification.
What is Beamforming?
The term beamforming refers to a method of directing a wireless signal towards a specific receiving device, whereas the alternative would be allowing the signal to spread in all directions from a transmitter the way it naturally would.
Antenna Miniaturization
As the phrase suggests, antenna miniaturization is the process of replicating an antenna’s functionality while reducing its physical size.
What is a Magnetic Flux Channel Antenna?
Years ago, JEM Engineering developed the Magnetic Flux Channel Antenna. Now, the company has a series of these types of antennas, nicknamed MFC Antennas.
An Introduction to Jammers
As the name suggests, jamming antennas, (aka jammers) are specifically used to interfere with radio noise or signals. In electronic warfare (EW) these interference are meant to disrupt control of a battle.
Antennas: A History
In honor of our seventeenth anniversary, we invite you to take a look at some major research developments and trends in antenna history over the past century.
Honoring Black Engineers
JEM Engineering is a minority owned company and in honor of Black History Month we would like to shine light on two Black engineers who have made an impact in the world of engineering.
Which Testing Chamber? TATF vs. SNF
JEM Engineering boasts two antenna testing chambers at our facility in Laurel, MD, within easy reach of both Baltimore and Washington DC.
STEM with JEM
Did you know that National STEM Day falls on the 8th of November each year? That’s because the abbreviation “NOV8” actually stands for “INNOVATE.”
Reshaping Antenna Design with 3D Printing
As we discussed in a previous post, before we can manufacture, we must prototype. For this step in the process, we are beginning to explore additive manufacturing, or as it’s more commonly known, 3D printing.
An Overview of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles — and their Antennas
An unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, refer to a vehicle that is able to fly remotely, either with some sort of controller or autonomously. An unmanned aircraft system, or UAS, includes not only the UAV, itself but also the person on the ground controlling the flight, as well as the system in place that connects the two of them.
An Introduction to RF Testing
RF testing is used to measure a variety of different antenna attributes. In this post, we discus a few ways in which rf testing can help determine if your device is performing the way it should.
Antenna 101: Types & Applications
In this article, we take a look at some of the different antenna types, and what applications they can be used for.
Why I Chose a Career in STEM
In celebration of STEM Day (November 8) we asked our CEO, Nancy Lilly, and our Director of Antenna Development, Victor Sanchez, why they decided to pursue a career in STEM, and this is what they said…
The Makings of a Reliable Antenna
Every product, specialty or off-the-shelf, must be designed, tested, and perfected by a team of experts, so that the end-user can be assured of its reliability. The same applies to antenna design.
Qualification Capabilities – Are Your Antennas Up to the Test?
Like with most products, an antenna’s outstanding performance in the field must be preceded by outstanding performance in the lab.