[SEDXC] Fwd: [QRP-L] John Kraus, W8JK SIlent Key :^(=

[Ed Tanton]

>John Kraus, W8JK died a the age of 94 today.
>
>Kraus, a creative thinker, made several significant contributions to the
>antenna world in general and Ham Radio in particular. A professor at Ohio
>State University, he also contributed significantly to radio astronomy.
>
>Prior to his invention of the W8JK antenna in the mid 30s, it was commonly
>thought that to get more gain from an antenna it had to be made bigger and
>bigger. Kraus realized that by placing elements closer together and forcing
>a phase shift that gain could be realized from an antenna much smaller than
>conventional arrays at the time. This was not generally accepted thinking
>among the professional EE community at the time and he had difficulty
>publishing professionally, so he published it in Radio magazine, a
>forerunner to the present CQ magazine. The W8JK antenna was a popular
>antenna for many years, in many forms and derivatives, including the ZL
>special and W7EL's field day special.
>
>Kraus invented the helix antenna after seeing the then new Traveling Wave
>Tube (TWT) amplifier demonstrated at an OSU seminar. The TWT uses a tightly
>wound helix to amplify by traveling waves of electrons. Kraus asked the
>lecturer if the helix radiated. The lecturer replied no, that the
>circumference was too small. Kraus realized that the larger helix might make
>an effective circularly polarized antenna. Kraus went home that evening and
>wound one with a larger circumference and the helix antenna was born. The
>helix antenna has been a main stay of the space community since its
>inception.
>
>Kraus also invented the corner reflector antenna after realizing that the
>method of images could be implemented physically. It was a widely used
>antenna for UHF TV and point to point microwave transmission for many years.
>
>Kraus also invented the Big Ear radio telescope at OSU after realizing that
>electrically steering an antenna was far simpler than moving giant dishes.
>
>Kraus was the author of "Antennas", an excellent textbook on antennas. It is
>still in print, in the second edition, more than 50 years after its initial
>publication. He will be missed. - Dr. Megacycle KK6MC/5
>
>
>______________________
>James R. Duffey KK6MC/5
>Cedar Crest NM 87008 DM65
>
>______________________________________________________________
>QRP-L mailing list
>Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/qrp-l
>Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>Post: mailto:QRP-L at mailman.qth.net

73 Ed Tanton N4XY <n4xy at earthlink.net>

Ed Tanton N4XY
189 Pioneer Trail
Marietta, GA 30068-3466

website: http://www.n4xy.com

All emails <IN> & <OUT> checked by
Norton AntiVirus with AutoProtect

LM: ARRL QCWA AMSAT & INDEXA;
SEDXC NCDXA GACW QRP-ARCI
OK-QRP QRP-L #758 K2 (FT) #00057

--------------------------------------------------
"He that gives up a little liberty to gain
temporary security will lose both and
deserve neither".
--Benjamin Franklin

"Suppose you were an idiot ...
and suppose you were a member of
Congress...  but I repeat myself."
--Mark Twain
--------------------------------------------------