Maryland Filter Guy

sometimes informative, sometimes funny, always interesting

To Machine or not to Machine, that is the Question

Are you getting your filters and multiplexers from a well-rounded, full-featured manufacturer? Do you feel as though you are not getting the full story on their manufacturing processes? If so, I am here to help. Today, I’ll discuss the Machine Shop aspect of our operation at Reactel ...

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European Microwave Week 2023 Preview

Though not meteorologically correct, I think we can all agree that September is the beginning of Autumn, and with that the attention of the Microwave world turns to European Microwave Week (EuMW).  This year’s Conference is in Berlin, Germany, from September 17 to September 22, with a clever theme of ...

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SmallSat 2023 Recap

Here is the Maryland Filter Guy’s quick reacap on the recently completed SmallSat Conference at Utah State University. The Exhibition portion of SmallSat kicked off at 11am on Monday. Traffic on the show floor was impressive as everyone is accustomed to the odd (to me) starting time for the first ...

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SmallSat 2023 Preview

The calendar turns to August and the Small Satellite world focuses its attention on Logan, UT, for the Small Satellite Conference – better known as SmallSat2023 (smallsat.org).  Reactel is exhibiting for the third consecutive year and looks forward to building on the success of past Conferences.  You can find us ...

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IMS2023 Wrap-Up

IMS2023 was a smashing success for Reactel and Maryland Filter Guy.  The Reactel booth was humming with activity the entire time and we left with many new opportunities.  As I see it, this was the IMS returning to normal after several years of inconsistency.  Reports are that there were over ...

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IMS2023 Day 1 Update

Quick update on Day 1 in San Diego.  IMS2023 kicked off with a bang for Reactel; our booth was buzzing with activity from the opening at 9:30am until the close at 5:00pm.  It was a day full of Partner meetings, customer visits and new opportunities.  Many thanks to everyone who ...

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IMS2023 Mini-Preview

It’s early June, and the thoughts of the RF & Microwave world turn toward IMS.  IMS2023 takes us to San Diego this year, with the Conference kicking off on June 11th.  IMS is THE event for industry, academia and engineering enthusiasts worldwide to gather, learn and reconnect.  The hard-working folks ...

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RF Power at High Altitude

Power is an interesting topic with filters and that interest turns to concern when the filter must operate at high altitudes.  This post is not a comprehensive research paper; it is just a brief discussion of the thought behind designing filters for high-altitude use.   RF power will be “effectively greater” at ...

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What’s in a Name?

Shakespeare wrote in Romeo and Juliet, “What’s in a name?  That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”  I think he means that it does not matter what something is called; what’s important is that it exists.  Or something like that – I’m an ...

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Filter Topologies

Have you ever asked yourself, “why did Jim quote me a cavity filter when I was sure a discrete component filter was what I wanted”? In this post, I’ll detail several different filter topologies and reasons for using them.  In advance, however, please understand that this is a general discussion ...

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