Introduction
Radio development entails movement from wireless telegraphy to more advanced ways of programming. Many people have contributed to Radio development with Edwin Armstrong being the most credited for advancing many features of the Radio. Edwin Armstrong was born in the year1890 in the city of New York. He was a student in the University of Columbia and upon completion of his training; he became a professor in the same university. Armstrong has had a profound influence on the Radio and his inventions have affected the media, especially the Radio. He was among the pioneers of the broadcasting industry and was passionately dedicated to the enhancement of radio technology (Dominick).
Discussion
Armstrong initiated three significant innovations that have improved the presentation of performance in today’s Radio. The three inventions include rejuvenation, super heterodyne circuit and finally, the wide-band FM (Frequency Modulation).
The year, 1912, marked his first innovation known as the rejuvenation or feedback circuit. The circuit involved passing received radio indicators through a radio pipe for almost 20,000 times in a second. This increased the energy of the received radio indicators and enabled radio broadcasts to have a broader range. It also improved wireless radio information transmission since it could intensify weak radio indicators without alteration. Rejuvenation, which Armstrong defined as the use of positive response, increased the frequency of received radio indicators to the extent that they could be recognized without headsets. It thus proved more efficient compared to the radio receivers of that era.
His services as a radio officer resulted to the initiation of the super heterodyne circuit. The invention enabled radio listeners to obtain information from distinct radio stations. The innovation and development of the circuit also made radio receivers, the chief communication tools of the time, more susceptible and selective. Before the circuit’s discovery, radio indicators often superseded and meddled over one another and this made them ineffective. The circuit thus made radio receivers simpler to use, and this replaced the long process of tuning controls on radiophones. This technology is still beneficial in the contemporary society.
The super heterodyne circuit as invented by Edwin Armstrong made use of heterodyning to translate received radio indicators to a predetermined intermediate frequency, which could be easily processed as opposed to the former radio transmitter frequency. Armstrong invented the circuit as a way of overpowering the deficiencies associated with the use of early triodes. This was different from the early radio transmission, which was only focused towards making transmitted signals perceptible.
Unlike old radio circuits, which are only involved in making received signals clear, super heterodyne circuits determine the strength of transmitted signals and this leads to linear improvement in the real carrier wave. Armstrong’s super heterodyne receivers have effectively substituted former receiver designs. The circuit provides greater sensitivity, constant frequency, and selectivity. When compared with other circuits such as the Tuned Radio Frequency Circuit (TRFC), super heterodyne circuit provides greater stability since an oscillator is more easily recognized than an amplifier. The circuit also operates at low amplitudes and can thus provide confined pass bands when compared to TRFC circuits. However, the circuit is difficult to operate and thus needs high-qualified personnel.
In 1917, Armstrong continued with his efforts of making long distance dissemination of information feasible. It is during this time that he discovered the “Super heterodyne circuit,” which enhanced the capacity to receive radio indicators thus allowing for better selectivity and intensification. This is mostly applied in the contemporary society where after switching on a Radio, one expects his favorite station to play first. This is different from the past where fading and static radio problems were common especially in local radio stations. During these days, the notion of automatically switching on ones favorite radio station was impractical.
Through Armstrong, radio listeners can choose a particular station and play it loudly so that they can have maximum fun. The super heterodyne circuit also made the functioning of Radio receivers simpler by eliminating the usage of various tuning controls. This has made modern Radios more susceptible and selective (Dominick).
Armstrong’s radio contributions were enhanced through the fact that he was never contented with his early innovations. He, therefore, always sought to advance them. For instance, while his innovation of the rejuvenation circuit played a big role in the early radio, it had one disadvantage. The circuit had a static disadvantage in that it augmented both radio and interference indicators. These became severe in the summer when mechanical storms developed “static seasons” as described by radio operators. As a result, Armstrong became dedicated to eradicating stoical problems in radio response though this took him a lot of time.
In 1933, Armstrong’s attempts improved the broadcasting technology. He invented the FM band, which substituted the AM band. Early radio stations were made up of AM stations. During this time, Radio listeners could only listen to two broadcasting stations, that is, NBC and CBS. The stations were subject to several kinds of atmospheric destruction. Indeed, some newspaper articles of the time had a predictor on the radio page to assist listeners in forecasting how stations would follow each other.
Armstrong’s FM innovation solved all the problems associated with the AM. For instance, the frequencies of FM waves stay constant and this has made FM more resistant to noise since differences in frequencies of FM waveform can be eradicated in its receivers by devices known as amplitude limiters. In FM radio indicators, much energy is found in its sidebands while in AM wave bands, a small portion of the total power is found in its sidebands with much of it being exploited in the carrier. In FM radio systems, the power of broadcasted indicators depends on the frequency of the uncontrolled carrier indicators and is therefore constant. This is different from AM systems where transmitted energy depends on the amplification index. As a result, FM is more advantageous than AM since its mode of information transmission is quite clear.
FM’s wavelength is short and the amplitude is high. As a result, FM is not affected by activities caused by man such as traffic jams or even activities with natural origins. Information passed through FM radio stations is susceptible to minimal distortion. This is because the waves are less vulnerable to obstructions from buildings and other human activities. Since FM radio operates at high frequencies, it carries more data compared to AM radio, which operates at low frequencies.
It should further be noted that FM waves have low radiated power and well defined regions for a specific transmitter power. The development of the wide band FM has provided Radio listeners with a dynamic experience, better sound features, and conformity compared to the Amplitude Modulation (AM). Armstrong’s invention of the wide band FM was quite momentous. FM enabled the diffusion and clarity of a broader range of acoustic frequencies compared to AM. It further solved the problem of static audio, which was a major problem facing the AM.
Armstrong’s Radio inventions have led to the current electronic technology operating in Radios. His innovations revolutionized Radio communications and are still in use in the modern Radio performances. Armstrong also invented the “Lee De Forests Audio.” In his research, he realized that the device would undulate upon increase in Radio response. As a result, the device could not only recognize and intensify radio signals but could broadcast them as well. His study and experimentation with the AudioNet improved radio reception and the functioning of spark gap transmitters. Radio indicators were improved through rejuvenation to the extent of human hearing without the usage of headphones.
Conclusion
Armstrong’s inventions are very influential in the modern radio technology. Research shows that his three major innovations, that is, the rejuvenation circuit, the super heterodyne circuit, and the wide band FM are crucial components of nearly all modern telecommunications internationally. His innovations, therefore, have formed the basis of modern radio technological advancements. He is, without doubt, the founding father of the broadcasting industry and thus deserves respect from the contemporary society.
I feel that Edwin Armstrong stimulated improvements in the Radio. His inventions have positively changed the broadcasting industry since nearly all modern Radio receivers make use of his three innovations. His inventions have made the functioning of Radio receivers simpler by eliminating the usage of various tuning controls.
Works Cited
Dominick, Joseph. Dynamics of Mass Communication: Media in Transition. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2010. Print.