Customer Reviews

Practical Radio Frequency Test and Measurement: A Technician's Handbook

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As contributing editor and technical consultant to Mobile Radio Technology magazine I try to keep up with the latest books on radio and RF in general. I have never seen a Joe Carr book that was anything less than very good. This one is excellent. He knows the subject matter and writes in a practical, down-to-earth way that technicians can relate to. If you need to increase you knowledge of RF this book is for you. I highly recommend it! Harold Kinley (WA4GIB).

This book is a truly outstanding reference for the RF laboratory. (It is so good, that I'm thinking about buying a second copy just in case I ever lose the first) Although this book says it is a "technician's handbook", I think engineers and technicians alike will find this book invaluable. If you are a young engineer, this book will answer all of the "stupid" questions you're afraid to ask your more senior colleagues. If you are a senior engineer, this book will help you remember how to perform that obscure receiver benchmark measurement. You really can't lose with this book.

This is my first Joseph Carr book and I am totally hooked.
Being a new ham and with no EE background, I find this book to be very clear and easy to understand, even for newbies like myself.

To fully grasp the ideas inside I would guess being a ham
helps. With basic college EE background this book sure is
a breeze to read. This is also a good handbook in case you forget RF fundamentals.

I am looking forward to buying more Josheph books.

frank chen, bx2ah, taipei

I think it has the makings of a good handbook. However, I think the author should have had it reviewed by his RF colleagues. Being no RF expert, I was able to pick out several obvious mistakes. A few gems: Pg. 64, "Velocity factor (v) of 0.80, which means that the wave propagates along the line at 8 - 10 the speed of light". Pg 284, Hot S22 Methods, Lists all the S parameter formulas but leaves out S22.

Several times in the book, Joseph Carr tries to point out the significance of the Third-order intercept point with variations of the same graph along with variations of the same description. I would rather have settled for one in depth explanation. By the way Joseph, just how do you come up with the straight-line equation for the 3rd Order Response?

There were some good examples on plots using the Smith Charts. However, the graphs were barely legible.

Good GENERAL test guidance throughout, with handy formula to tie you back into the theory of what is actually happening. Although there are some of Joe Carr's books I don't like, this is one I definately do and highly recommend for anyone involved in the testing of RF devices, especially those which have to test and work with a diverse product set.

For more in depth circuit analysis, see Chris Bowicks "RF Circuit Design" or for more basic info, check out Jon Hagen's "RF Electronics". If you need PCB guidance, head over to Tim Williams "The Circuit Designers Companion" and if you need more magnetic or HAM type info definately get Jerry Sevicks "Transmission Line Transformers".

Handy guide for thinking though testing procedures for RF devices. Gives an analytical walthough of a device. Covers a lot of the scenarios that often come up when checking out a device. Would have liked a few more details, but this book serves its purpose as a practical guide.

Provide you the basic measurement technique. Topics are discussed clearly and followed by block diagrams for easy understanding

This book is not exactly what I was looking for. I finished school a few months ago and needed a book as a quick reference to use various measuring equipment that I am not familiar with for my new job. However, it IS a good book with a lot of useful information in it. If you are in school or need to use formulas frequently, this book would be great for you!!

I have a BS in electronics technology. I know alot about digital electronics, but RF frequency is something I know little about. This book is definitely not meant for a beginner to the RF world. I am totally lost.