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Published by Noble Publishing Corporation, Atlanta GA 24085. Second edition, 2000 (First edition 1962), 650 pages. ISBN 1-884932-13-4. Available from ARRL, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1494, USA. ARRL Order No. RETF, $75 plus shipping/handling. Order toll-free 1-888-277-5289 or QUICK ORDER online.
Review by Doug Smith, KF6DX
QEX Editor
(from Jan/Feb 2001 QEX)
It has been said that a good teacher can take the most complex of subjects and boil it down to something even a simpleton can understand. That is a potentially dangerous statement, because what knowledge is left at the end of the boiling may be sublime, yet insufficient for true understanding. Perhaps it is better to say that a good teacher is one who knows what to include in his or her lessons and what to leave out: That is why being a good teacher is so difficult.
Radio-Electronic Transmission Fundamentals is not really a new title, since the first edition was published in1962. We are glad to see that Noble have brought it back into print, though, because Whit Griffith found the above-mentioned elusive balance between theory and commonsense reasoning in his explanations of the basic workings of antennas, transmission lines and RF networks. He begins with a history of great discoveries in electromagnetism. Continuing on to fundamental electronic network theory, he assumes very little expertise on the part of the reader as he asks and answers most of the right questions about electricity. ("What is this thing called 'juice'?" "Why attach all this importance to electric and magnetic fields?")
The bulk of the work concerns itself with showing how electromagnetic field theory neatly predicts many aspects of network, transmission line and antenna behavior. It should prove interesting reading for those experimenters and engineers who want a clearer picture of what makes things tick. Graduate students and working designers may find it insightful. It is perhaps especially useful to technicians in other fields who need a concise introduction to electromagnetism.
Some of the material treats subjects that are now outmoded. For example, very few will gain from the discussion of computation using slide rules; however, an entire generation of mathematicians has grown up without knowing much about them, and even such quaint stuff may prove useful. The section on vacuum-tube transmitters remains a good introduction to the topic.
This book may be more valuable than many undergraduate texts to the electronics experimenter. It leaves out most of the mathematics, thereby avoiding the fog that is often created by rigorous derivations; but it includes just enough math to start working with RF networks and transmission systems. There is even a short chapter on calculus. It is highly recommended for those who want to take their RF knowledge beyond just a rudimentary understanding of simple circuits.
Whit Griffith, N5SU, went to MIT, then worked in the FCC's Boston field office before joining E. F. Johnson. There, he developed RF components and phasing/coupling equipment for AM directional antenna arrays. He also worked at Continental Electronics in Dallas, designing high-power transmitters and serving as their resident expert on antenna systems. He retired in the late 1980s and currently resides in the Dallas area, where he is still active on the amateur bands.
