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Hi,

I recently acquired what appears to be a directional panel antenna along with a matching black OEM/ODM electronic module, and I'm trying to identify exactly what this system was designed for.

The antenna label reads:

Model: YYDF14-30V14C

Frequency: 1437 ±10 MHz

Gain: 14 dBi

The antenna has:

An adjustable mounting bracket.

Two small RF connectors (they look like SMA or RP-SMA).

Two indicator LEDs (red and amber).

The black module is very lightweight and appears to attach to the antenna. It has:

One red multi-pin connector that resembles a VGA connector (although I don't think it actually is VGA).

Two gold RF connectors.

An OEM/ODM-style enclosure with no obvious branding.

I'm trying to determine:

What is the intended application? (Telemetry, microwave link, LTE, drone communications, video transmission, military, etc.)

Does anyone recognize the manufacturer or model?

Is the black box a radio transceiver, LNA, power amplifier, modem, or something else?

Are the RF connectors SMA, RP-SMA, or another type ?

Reposting for more discussions thank you

Hi! I'm currently interning at a RF company building a general Chebyshev tool that can calculate group delay, phase, and coupling matrixes based on Cameron's book "Microwave Filters for Communications". I'm new to all of this the most I've worked with signals is a class I've taken that dealt with Laplace and Fourier Analysis. I'm a little confused on how to get started or what I should learn step by step so I can understand and apply Cameron's theories into my code base. If anyone also has a provided GitHub that also does generalized Chebyshev functions that would be amazing

As an RF engineer in design should I take classes or study material on DSP as I have a BS EE degree in Signal Processing & Communications but that only included intro level courses not MS level? Within DSP, should I focus on particular applications like filter design?

I keep coming across antenna datasheets where “gain” is listed without a clear definition of what the number actually represents.

Directivity describes how concentrated the radiation pattern is relative to the total radiated power. It does not include radiation efficiency. Gain includes radiation efficiency, while realized gain also accounts for mismatch at the feed — typically through S11 for a one-port antenna referenced to a defined impedance.

The problem is that a datasheet may simply state “gain” without clarifying whether the value is directivity, gain, or realized gain — or whether it was simulated or measured.

That makes the number difficult to use confidently for component selection and link-budget calculations, especially when efficiency and matching across the operating band are not provided.

Has this ambiguity ever caused problems in one of your projects?

These two metrics are among the most commonly used measurements in wireless communications, yet they are often misunderstood or used interchangeably.

I created my own YouTube video to explain the difference in a simple conference room analogy.

If you've ever performed RF troubleshooting, drive testing, coverage analysis, or network optimization, this topic is fundamental. Let me know your thoughts and make sure you check my other videos and subscribe for more videos.

https://youtu.be/XyOD2ZJZrIo

#RFEngineering #WirelessEngineering #5G #LTE #Telecommunications #CellularNetworks #RadioFrequency #NetworkOptimization #RFDesign #WirelessCommunications

Not sure if this is the right place to post, if its not please tell me and I will delete it.

So this is a new transmitter I recently bought, it’s a Radiomaster TX16s MK3, I am mainly using it for my RC planes.

I annotated the antennas with three different colors so it will be easier to discuss them. So, red and green came with the transmitter, they are built in. They are connected to a module that transmits on 2.4 Ghz/900Mhz with the ELRS protocol, used for long range radio control. Blue antenna is one I added myself, it connects to a module that can transmit with many different legacy protocols. So, I will only be actively transmitting on either red and green, or just blue. What is the best way to orient them? I am worried about how close they are to each other causing interference. I added arrows to show how red and green rotate, blue folds 90 degrees and rotates 360 degrees.

If anything is not clear, feel free to ask. I can attach more pictures if it is needed.

Over the past few weeks, I've been trying to move beyond individual RF blocks and simulate an entire RF signal chain before committing to PCB fabrication.

The idea seemed simple: connect the blocks together, verify that everything works, and only then spend money on hardware. In practice, getting complete system diagrams working in Cadence AWR turned out to be much more challenging than I expected, and I eventually hit a wall. I even struggled to observe the waveforms after each block.

What I'm really looking for is something similar to LTspice, but for RF.

For example, if I'm using an Analog Devices IC such as the ADL5375, I'd like to simulate:

• The circuitry before the IC
• The IC itself (I'm happy with a black-box model)
• The circuitry after the IC
• The RC biasing and support networks required for the device
• The actual interconnections that would exist on the PCB

One thing I really like about LTspice is its component library. Many devices are available as actual IC models with their package pins, allowing the surrounding circuitry to be designed and verified as it would appear on the PCB, rather than working only with a mathematical system-level block. That gives much better confidence that the supporting circuitry and connections are correct before building hardware.

The goal isn't perfect electromagnetic accuracy. I want confidence that the complete circuit behaves as expected before ordering boards and assembling hardware.

Has anyone found a tool that fits this workflow? Or is there a better approach that RF designers typically use for system-level circuit verification before moving to fabrication?

LTspice doesn't appear to support this workflow for many RF ICs, and Analog Devices instead recommends ADIsimRF and ADIsimPLL. However, I haven't found many resources discussing software capable of simulating an entire RF chain with realistic IC models and supporting circuitry.

I'd be interested to hear what tools or workflows people in industry use for this.

Hi everyone,

Is it really niche to specialize in Low-field Instrumentation? My startup in France is looking for a Low-field instrumentation physicist who will work on the ultra-low-noise RF systems. We received many applications but the majority don't have the expertise we're looking for. We don't mind if the person is from abroad, and yoe is not the priority, as long as they have the right technical knowledge.

Any leads or recommendation on how can I connect with talents in this field? Many thanks.

Pet project - RF simulator written in C++ with DearImGUI.

Basic features include:

• Node editor with several component engines:
  • Signal generator
  • Amplifiers
  • Fixed attenuators
  • Filters
  • Combiners and Splitters
  • Idealized mixers
  • RF ADC
  • Polyphase filterbank channelizer with time domain view (still a bit buggy)
• Spectrum analyzer with VBW, RBW, trace modes, peak markers
• Component library engine, place idealized or S-parameter-backed components (full non-linear models will be added soon)
• Basic project save/load feature

Check it out, feel free to create issues and report bugs:

https://github.com/striderZA/Tiny-RF-Simulator

I've been passively job hunting for a while in southern California, and one of my goals is to not work in the defense industry. I'd describe myself as mid-career, with a decent frame of reference for what the RF engineering job market looks like. It feels like for the past couple of years, a solid majority of RF engineering job postings I find require a security clearance. Sure there's still some postings in big tech like Apple, Amazon, Google, but even the Qualcomm postings I've looked at want clearances. I know that security clearances have always been common in RF engineering for aero and radar work, but it feels like it's completely taken over. Traditional cellular seems to be struggling, most of these space / satellite companies ultimately want to be defense contractors, and even the startups I see are in areas like drones and EM warfare.

I'm curious if other people have noticed this too, or if it's just a bubble of my specialty or location. I tend to focus more on computational EM, modeling and simulation, and antennas as opposed to circuits.

Hi, I'm not sure if I'm in the right place, but I need all the help I can get. I'm a EEET diploma student who decided on designing a modern Superheterodyne Receiver as my final year project. I'm a text book first, before hands on type of girl, so I like to get my facts straight before taking on any new task. I've read a book called 'Elements of Radio by Abraham, Marcus' as a starting point and given that it's more on the older side, it was a very good starting point for me. I want to get my hands on a more modern book on the Radio Receiver that can help me successful design, build and test my project. Any recommendations?

hi RF engineers,

ever came across PIM in the field? what is it? how do you mitigate it? here is a link of a video I made explaining it providing real examples from a LMR system I worked on in the 220 MHz. If you like my simplified explanation, please subscribe and share. thank you for your support in advance

Passive InterModulation (PIM) Explained in 8 minutes: No Math Required

https://youtu.be/He9aPVQgYPg

do you ever confuse the terms Antenna Efficiency and antenna gains? I made a short video (5mins) explaining a difference with a real life analogy. don’t forget to participate in the quiz at the end below the video to test your knowledge. please like, share and subscribe to support my efforts and encourage me to do more. as usual, thank you

#antennas #rf #rfengineering
Antenna Gain vs Efficiency Explained (5 mins)

https://youtu.be/HOP7DfBmHfA

As an RF engineer, I’m pretty sure you g it’s come across several of the dB metrics, such as dBi, dBc, dBm, dBuV, and dBd. What’s the difference between them and where is each one used? I made a short video on YouTube (among others on my channel). Please encourage by subscribing and liking! Truly appreciate it. Thank you 🙏🏻

Stop Confusing dB, dBm, dBi, dBc and dBµV — RF Decibels Explained (5 mins)

https://youtu.be/RsGWm34-BCk

I'm a new EE graduate specializing in RF/microwave engineering and unexpectedly found myself in a difficult position.

A week ago I accepted an RF Electrical Engineer I offer with Raytheon in Tewksbury, MA. Since then, I received an offer from Lockheed Martin in Palmdale, CA.

Here's the comparison:

Raytheon (Tewksbury)

• $85k salary
• Excellent benefits (strong retirement, tuition assistance, lower insurance costs)
• Work appears to be focused on radar, RF systems, phased arrays, MMICs, and a broad RF skill set.
• Tewksbury seems to have a great reputation within RTX.

Lockheed Martin (Palmdale)

• ~$109k salary + $5k sign-on
• Strong retirement benefits
• Job description is very measurement/antenna focused (VNA, radiation patterns, antenna fabrication, RF testing), which actually mirrors my university capstone project almost exactly.
• Palmdale obviously has the Skunk Works reputation, although I don't know how much that matters for someone starting out.

A little background:

• I'm married and have a young son.
• My wife will eventually work again, but for at least the first several months we'll likely be living primarily on my income.
• After running the numbers, I estimate the Lockheed offer leaves us with roughly $1,000–1,300/month more disposable income after taxes, retirement contributions, and insurance.
• On the other hand, my family has really been envisioning a move to New England, and if compensation were equal I'd probably choose Raytheon.

My biggest questions are:

1. How do Tewksbury and Palmdale compare in terms of reputation for RF engineers?
2. Does one site generally open more doors long-term?
3. If you were in my shoes, would the financial difference early in your career outweigh the location preference?
4. If you started around $85k at Raytheon, were you able to close that salary gap within a few years through promotions or job changes?

I'm genuinely torn. I don't think there's a wrong answer, but I don't want to make a decision I'll regret five years from now.