The Electronics of Radio

Meets and surpasses my expectations. I'm a painting contractor. Not a lab tech by any stretch. I am an AMATEUR radio enthusiast. This is the text I've been waiting for. The author has put it all together in a creative, accessible format for "hams" like me. I have3 purchased the companion QRP transceiver on which much of this material is based. I'd recommend doing this but the author's presentation is so clear and simple to understand (with a little hard work by the reader of course!) that the book is useful even with out the "rig". This will keep me busy and learning for years to come. Rutledge clearly respects and understands the history, the hobby, the profession, and the CRAFT of electronics and electronic communication. Kudos to the author for this innovative approach.

I am only rating this book at four stars because (1) I feel it has greater applicability and interest to those who practice the black art of RF theory and/or are avid amateur radio QRP [low power] enthusiasts and (2) the underlying NorCal 40A amateur radio kit is currently unavailable. If you are in the group mentioned and/or avail yourself of the resource cited below, then you will want to consider spending the $65 asking price for the book. As mentioned, this book is based on a QRP kit -- the NorCal 40A transceiver -- and, as of this writing, it is no longer available. The NorCal 40A was a kit designed by Wayne Burdick, N6KR, of Elecraft fame and kitted by the Northern California QRP club. It was taken over/licensed/willed to Bob Dyer, K6KK, of Wilderness Radio and sold for about $175 until Wilderness Radio ceased to exist. (Or, at least, it disappeared.) Consequently, one will have to go some to have a practical project to model a great deal of the book's contents. If you are a serious student of RF engineering and electronics, you may want to hesitate in purchasing this book. Fortunately, however, the Yahoo QRP Tech group run by Chuck Adams, K7QO, has gotten permission to reproduce this project from Wayne and has obtained the Gerber files to reproduce the circuit board. Moreover, Chuck and his doughty band have discovered a source for these boards from a company in China -- allpcb.com -- who will ship you ten boards for under $6 per order. So, that will get you part of the way there. Additionally, Chuck offers a series of videos on assembling the NorCal 40A as well as other resources on his website. (Search You Tube for "K7QO".) To realize a kit, of course, you must (1) order the boards, (2) scrounge the parts, and (3) assemble the kit. Fortunately, a lot of these problems are overcome by joining QRP Tech on Yahoo and mingling with the friendly folks there. I would go into more detail here but it would be wasteful. But I would hasten to add that the totality of the experience -- joining Yahoo QRP Tech, pulling together the kit with their help, and using Professor Rutledge's book will bootstrap you well into the electronic theory of amateur radio RF design and engineering. Not an EE degree in the discipline but certainly enough detail to be comfortable with the electronics involved.

If you're looking for a technical, but readable, introduction to the history and theory of radio electronics this is a good choice.

Outdated book, but it teaches you the basics of Radio Electronics. arrived in perfect condition.

If you are interested in learning or reviewing radio electronics, I highly recommend this book. The math is not too advanced. The concepts and examples are clearly explained on a level from engineering to the interested layman. Rutledge does a grate job of merging the old technology with that of the 21st century. I also bought "The Science of Radio"by Paul J. Nahin. This is also a great read.

Just started this book but so far I'm loving it. Practical and application!

Speaking from the view of an electronics technician who later became an educator (BS in Secondary Ed - U of TN 1980), I believe it accomplishes its purpose for being published (>90%)! Knowing there are no perfect books or authors and one book can not teach you everything about such a complex technical subject, The Electronics of Radio is a very well written and orgainized book. However, having built one of the ORIGINAL NorCal 40 transceivers kitted by the Northern California QRP Club (years before the book was written), and having used this radio to make hundreds of contacts across the US and Canada as KD4ZPA & KS4RT, I would recommend the following books be read first! Basic Radio: Understanding the Key Building Blocks by Joel R. Hallas and published by the ARRL. Basic Radio describes radio theory in a much simpler, non engineering, manner. Its first few pages gives the background for basic communications almost 200 years ago and without boring the reader continues to give good examples, diagrams, and illustrations as radio communications progressed through the years up to today's modern digital communications equipment. For a more in depth study of basic electronics, I recommend, electronics DeMYSTiFieD by Stan Gibilisco and pubished by McGraw Hill. Both of these authors are college teachers (Professors), but do a very good job of making what could be boring reading at times, very interesting and engaging. Very little higher level math is required, but both books teach the same concepts in a more easily understood manner than is possible through a book like, The Electronics of Radio. Either or both of these books will make understanding The Electronics of Radio easier! Have more questions, my email, is ks4rt@hotmail.com.

A very well written book for the field.

As customary with Cambridge Press, the binding and the layout are above reproach. A bit of a breezy touch upon the topic of EM and antennas, but otherwise a very good exposition of all the subjects plaguing a RF design engineer.

Excellent book and service

Dieses Buch erläutert am Beispiel des NorCal 40 CW Transceivers die gesamte HF-Schaltungstechnik. Der NorCal ist auch noch zu haben (Internet) Leider nur in Englisch, aber ein "muss" für jeden ersthaften QRPler und HF-Bastler. Sehr sehr empfehlenswert!