What is Radio: Definition and 691 Discussions

Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connected to an antenna which radiates the waves, and received by another antenna connected to a radio receiver. Radio is very widely used in modern technology, in radio communication, radar, radio navigation, remote control, remote sensing and other applications.
In radio communication, used in radio and television broadcasting, cell phones, two-way radios, wireless networking and satellite communication among numerous other uses, radio waves are used to carry information across space from a transmitter to a receiver, by modulating the radio signal (impressing an information signal on the radio wave by varying some aspect of the wave) in the transmitter. In radar, used to locate and track objects like aircraft, ships, spacecraft and missiles, a beam of radio waves emitted by a radar transmitter reflects off the target object, and the reflected waves reveal the object's location. In radio navigation systems such as GPS and VOR, a mobile receiver accepts radio signals from navigational radio beacons whose position is known, and by precisely measuring the arrival time of the radio waves the receiver can calculate its position on Earth. In wireless radio remote control devices like drones, garage door openers, and keyless entry systems, radio signals transmitted from a controller device control the actions of a remote device.
Applications of radio waves which do not involve transmitting the waves significant distances, such as RF heating used in industrial processes and microwave ovens, and medical uses such as diathermy and MRI machines, are not usually called radio. The noun radio is also used to mean a broadcast radio receiver.
Radio waves were first identified and studied by German physicist Heinrich Hertz in 1886. The first practical radio transmitters and receivers were developed around 1895–1896 by Italian Guglielmo Marconi, and radio began to be used commercially around 1900. To prevent interference between users, the emission of radio waves is regulated by law, coordinated by an international body called the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which allocates frequency bands in the radio spectrum for different uses.

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  1. H

    Exploring AM Radio Waves and Mountains

    I'm curious why can AM radio waves be heard on the other side of a mountain from where they are propogated and FM not? Thanks
  2. Ivan Seeking

    We are Borg: Coming soon to your nearest Radio Shack

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4059011.stm
  3. A

    Ham Radio? KB3HTS Seeks Fellow Hams

    Hello, I was just wondering if anyone around here is a Ham/ interested in amateur radio at all. I got my ticket two years ago when I was sixteen but don't operate much lately due to college and the horrible reception you get in the average dorm. KB3HTS
  4. I

    X Rays vs. Radio Waves - Danger to Humans.

    Ok, so we all know that the shorter the wavelength, the higher the frequency, and the higher the photon energy for EM radiation. How does this relationship explain why X rays are highly dangerous to living things, and radio waves are not? Thanks in advance.
  5. W

    Building a Spark Gap Radio Transmitter

    Hey i was wondering if anyone had any sites on how to build a Spark Gap Radio Transmitter, i need to do this for history to show how marconi invented the radio. Thanks- Andrew
  6. H

    HELP - IBMath Vectors HW - Radio Transmitters

    Please help with problems please! All questions need to be solved using vectors. See enclosure for questions :biggrin: Thank you! Or go to: http://img128.exs.cx/img128/9089/questions2.jpg
  7. N

    Digital Radio Interface

    Hi, I'm trying to design a low-cost digital radio interface to communicate with a robot. I'm not interested in exchanging a lot of data, or doing it at high speeds. This design will work well if I can get even 300 baud out of it since I never exchange more than about 1K bytes during a...
  8. A

    Car Radio Waves & Doppler Effect: Disruption?

    if a car with a radio is moving at some speed and it receives radio waves shouldn't these waves get Doppler shifted and the radio signal be disrupted?
  9. I

    Radio Appearance at infidelguy.com

    There is an archived program of an interview I conducted with Dr. Kaku about a year or so ago. We discussed worm holes, alien life, god, dimensions and more.. Check it out, on the front page here: http://www.infidelguy.com
  10. deckart

    A radio beacon @ the speed of light.

    I just read of an idea to send a craft outside our solar system using the various stellar bodies to sling shot it and also create a way for it to continually accelerate. In which case it would eventually near the speed of light. So in fifty years it could send us pictures and what not of faraway...
  11. I

    Understanding AM/FM Radio Stations

    I have come to understand the meaning of the terms "am" and "fm" as different kinds of radio emissions. Sadly, I have not understood the meaning of the numbers used to identify certain radio stations. If someone could tell me, it would be fantastic. :smile: I've been dying to know. :tongue2:
  12. J

    Crystal radio in the infrared?

    Could a crystal radio use a lead sulfide or lead selenide antenna an pick up in the infrared?
  13. J

    Can Infrared Crystal Radios Self-Power Like Solar Cells?

    Can a crystal types radio be made to work in infrared? With an antenna of lead sulfide or lead selenide perhaps?
  14. P

    How can I build a radio tuned to 120.55 Mhz using a simple circuit?

    How would u make a radio that's tuned into 120.55 Mhz? or any frequency? I thought you would fallow this formula... (120.55 * 10^6 Hz) = 1/(2 pi sqrt(LC)), where L is the inductence, and C the capacitor. well i figured a 1 micro (10^-6) Henry inductor and a 1.743 pF (10^-12) would create...
  15. Z

    Receiving AM Radio Signals from Philadelphia

    AM radio -- please help! Hello, Here is some background info. I don't know if it is all necessary to find a solution but here it is anyway: I am currently living in State College, PA. I would like to be able to listen to an AM radio station broadcasting from Philadelphia, PA...
  16. U

    Mysterious Radio Keyring: Unlock Mysteries Today!

    Ok, I saw this guy trying to unlock his car with his radio controlled keyring with no luck, he put the device next to his head and it worked. The keyring was the same distance to the car in both cases give or take 1/4 meter. Would the same happen if you put the keyring next to a conductive metal...
  17. M

    Stargazing Working with a radio telescope

    Through my school, I'll be working with a radio telescope. I was wondering if you guys had any ideas or suggestions of cool things that I could research or observe with the radio telescope. Thanks!
  18. R

    Build a Crystal Radio - Needed Parts & Where to Find Them

    has anyone here ever built a crystal radio? what parts would i need and where can i get them? in the physics forum they said one could be constructed to run off the radio waves themselves, which is the kind i would like to build. thanks
  19. K

    Can AM Radio Waves Pass Through Glass Better Than FM?

    can AM radio waves pass through glass been than FM radio waves? please explain why/how and how this can be shown in an experiment thx :)
  20. M

    How is a radio signal turned into an image?

    Im not talking about TVs, but radio astronomy. We receive signals from say a distant star and turn it into a picture, but how?
  21. T

    Radio Tuner without an inductor coil

    A friend and I are trying to build a radio controlled airplane, but an LCR circuit tuner would be too heavy. Does anybody know of a way to make a tuner without an inductor coil? Any help would be appreciated.
  22. C

    Solve Radio Inductor Problem: Find Frequency for 12V, 2.2mA, 4.6mH

    A radio inductor. Please help! Hello. I am seeking immediate help with a problem I have. Here is the problem: A Radio Inductor. You want the current amplitude through a inductor with an inductance of 4.60 mH (part of the circuitry for a radio receiver) to be 2.20 mA when a sinusoidal...
  23. A

    XM Radio vs. Sirrus: Which Satellite Radio Service is Best?

    Hello everyone I was curious if anyone was a user of satelite radio? If so, may you comment on it? I am curious what are the advantages of XM Radio vs Sirrus?
  24. Ivan Seeking

    Radio search for ET draws a blank

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3567729.stm
  25. Ivan Seeking

    Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) and Amateur Radio

    http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/
  26. B

    Solve Radio Filter Problem Using Ohm's Law & Kirchhoff's Rule

    sorry for my bad english, but this problem is translated from french. In this problem, i have to make a low-pass AM radio filter using the following information: frequency: 130 kHz Condensor Capacity: 12 nF This filter must be installed in parallel with the synthesisor. It says to use...
  27. A

    Help! How to Solve Math Methods Problem Involving Radio Transmitter & Railway

    I'm in IB math methods, working on a project and I can't seem to figure out what to do with this problem. A radio transmitter sends signals to a railway which run along a straight track. When a set of coodinate axes is used to represent this system, the transmitter is at R(1,0), and the track...
  28. A

    Detecting radio wave intensity at a point

    Hi, i was interested in a detector that could measure the intensity of a radio wave of a particular frequency, at a point. Either by using a capacitor or a radio diode (or any other way). If such a devise exists please tell me where I can find one, if not any advise on how I might be able to...
  29. jimmy p

    Unraveling the Length of Photon in Radio Waves

    I doubt that my physics teacher (who is coincidentally Mark2711 on this forum) has found out the answer for this question that he was wondering about , so i have decided to take the initative and ask. We know that photons are the quantas of energy in the electromagnet spectrum. Well we know...
  30. D

    Find Radio Frequency Without Tuner: Is It Possible?

    If you have a radio and it is tuned to a specific freq, is it possible to find out what that freq is without touching the radio? I have this radio that has a button that tunes to an unknown freq when press. I can't seem to tune to the unknow freq. with other radio. is it special or something...
  31. M

    Understanding the Bonding and Uniqueness of Radioactive Elements

    SO I am doing a Powerpoint for my Science class. Well anyways maybe you guys could help me out a bit. Which kind of bondings to Radio Active Elemenets (actinide and Lanthonide) use, and why? And what is so unique about Radio Active Element. If anyone could respond to this tonight I...
  32. benzun_1999

    Creating Radio Waves and Micro Waves: Seeking Help

    hi all, Can anyone tell me a easy way to create radio waves,micro waves reciver and emiter? I hope someone will help me. -benzun all for God.
  33. G

    Receiving power Via radio transmission

    i was reading an article about the new RFID tags that could replace ATM cards. these tags respond to query via a radio tranmission. the tag then uses the power that was in the initial radio transmission to reply back to the system. how are the tags using the power from the transmission? can...
  34. wolram

    Exploring the Limits of Radio Signals

    it has always seemed incredible to me how little power it takes to transmit radio signals over vast distances,i have read about how these signals are self sustaining, i was wondering how long a signal could retain its information, could it go clear across the galaxy?
  35. E

    Understanding How an Analog Radio Tuner Works

    hey guys, can you find any links on the web that discusses how a analog radio tuner works... i'm talking about in the level of an electronics and communications engineer...an in-depth study and discussiion would be highly appreciated... is this related to an RL circuit?
  36. Ivan Seeking

    Radio Tag Debut Set for This Week: Wired.com

    http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,60408,00.html
  37. C

    What is particle spin , and does it have anything to do with radio activity?

    What is particle "spin", and does it have anything to do with radio activity? I keep hearing about the "spin" of sub-atomic particles like such-and-such particle has a spin of 1/2 or 1. I heard even some have a spin of 2. And it also seems that I have heard that some radioactive particles have...
  38. frankR

    Radioactive Decay: Calculating Age of Archaeological Sample

    Libby's observation that all the carbon in the world's living cycle is kept uniformly radioactive through the production of C-14 by cosmic radiation led to his development of the radioactive carbon dating method. Samples of carbon in the life cycle have been found to have a disintegration rate...
  39. Rockazella

    Visible light is an EM wave just like radio waves are

    Im not sure of this, but visible light is an EM wave just like radio waves are, right? If I am right, does that mean mirrors reflect all ranges of EM waves, radio included? Also what is it about a mirror that reflects photons?
  40. FZ+

    Mysterious Pulsing static on FM Radio - What is it?

    I'm not sure where to post this. On my FM radio (yes, I am pretty old fashioned), if you tune it to be slightly out of a station or if there is a weak signal or something, you can distinctly here a strange pattern of interference in the background. This consists of a rapid pulsing of white...
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