Speaker

November 28, 2023: Jim Marr AA6QI: Antenna Analyzers

PLEASE NOTE: Our monthly general meeting is IN-PERSON, as well as webcast on the internet. See the notes at the top of this page for details.

Our own Jim Marr AA6QI will give the presentation this month, telling us about antenna analyzers, what they do and why you might want one. This talk is Part 1 of a three-part series, consisting of (1) antenna analyzers (measuring your RF components), (2) transmission lines (getting the RF from the radio to the antenna), and (3) antenna tuners (how they do what they do). This talk is an expanded version of a talk Jim gave way back in August 2020 that he has reworked to make it more accessible to newer hams with less technical knowledge. Come find out how well he did at achieving that objective.

Jim Marr AA6QI has been licensed since 1964 (formerly WN6LOA, then WB6LOA), upgrading to Extra Class in 1989 (when 20 wpm CW was still required).  While relatively inactive during much of his working career, Jim is actively enjoying the hobby again since his retirement in 2015. Jim has a BS in Engineering and Applied Sciences, and an MS in mechanical engineering from Caltech. He spent seven years with the U.S. Navy operating submarine nuclear propulsion systems, and four years with Tetra Tech, Inc., leading their Marine Systems and Services Department. He was with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for 31 years, mainly in line and project management. A most significant experience was leading the team that reprogrammed the Galileo Jupiter Mission spacecraft while in flight to Jupiter,  simultaneously redesigning NASA’s Deep Space Network to support Galileo at Jupiter using its S-band 7 dBi low gain antenna after its X-band 43 dBi high-gain antenna failed to deploy.