Epitaph

 AB INITIO PERFECTUS EST

(or in plain English, this “From first principles” series is finished).

This series of technical articles for the VARC Newsletter is now concluded.  It has ranged over more than 3 decades and some 80 articles, although in the early days its publication in the VARC Newsletter was somewhat irregular.  Its original purpose was mainly to provide simple explanations for newcomers to the hobby of “how things in amateur radio worked”.  When the Novice and later the Foundation licences were introduced, some of the content was introduced to the pupils of these courses.  I have now run out of “simple things” to explain.

The series has mainly dealt with “Classical radio”, i.e. analogue circuits, systems and components rather than digital.  On the practical side it has covered Aerials to Earths, transistors and the tiniest receivable signals to Megawatt Magnetrons.  On the theoretical side it has covered the theory of semi-conductors, waves and polarisation, to the emissions and workings of the Sun.  And on the historical side it has covered “electro-mechanical” (i.e. non electronic), systems of communication using Electro-Magnetic waves, ranging from spark and arc transmitters and coherer receivers to the travelling wave tubes as used in earth satellites, and the tracking superhet receiver.

The time has now come I feel to pass the baton on to those with more up to date techniques and with better knowledge of the digital revolution which now engulfs every aspect of our lives.

Long may Amateur Radio live on together with the spirit of enquiry and experimentation which engenders it!

                             PRAECEPTOR

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