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. T

    How Can I Broadcast a Message Into Outer Space Using Radio Waves?

    Hello! I have been thinking of broadcasting a message into outer space. It sounds silly, I know, but that's just something I'd like to do for and with my niece. She's 8 years old and very interested in physics (as far as she understands it). I have some knowledge in electronics, I think I...
  2. M

    What is a Superegenerative Detector and How Does it Work?

    helo can somebody tell me how does work this circuits please, calculations and the rest
  3. R

    Counting clicks (signals) at a radio frequency receoved by a shortwave radio

    Hello. I'm an English language teacher researching the details of a class project; I use projects to develop language skills. I have a background in mechanical engineering but know little to nothing of electrical engineering, hence this post. Questions for members of this forum: Electrical...
  4. ISamson

    Electronics Building a Radio: Basics for the High Schooler in Australia

    Hello. I have been interested in radios lately and wanted to make one by myself. I know that it requires a lot of knowledge in physics and electronics, but what basics do I need to know? Frequency, antennas, voltages... Could there be any legal issues? I live in Australia. I am only a high...
  5. OldWorldBlues

    Basics of radio for a focused transmitter

    Hi there! I'm looking to create a small (max 20 foot range) radio transmitter, to direct a focused radio beam at a receiver, for the purpose of remote switching. Ideally, I would like the device to work at a relatively "exotic" frequency, as I would think there is a lot of radio noise where I...
  6. E

    Radio waves interaction with other electromagnetic waves

    when it is asked that why radio waves do not interact with the magnetic field of electric wires or magnets, people say that radio waves are not "matter" and they do not have "charge". i really can not understand this for ex think about 2 magnets. The magnet A has a magnetic field and when we put...
  7. ISamson

    Build a Homemade Radio Receiver from Common Materials

    Hello, I am interested in making a homemade radio receiver out of common materials. Do you have any suggestions or websites I could get some ideas from? Thanks. I.
  8. A

    Is there any way to modulate/change a radio wave reflection?

    Hi all, Is there any way to impart a transformation upon a radio wave's reflection from an object, such that the reflected wave is different from the original signal in some way (frequency, phase, etc.)? Not sure what this would require (maybe a constant and active coordinated interference...
  9. R

    Modern usage of non-navigational radio beacons

    How useful are non-navigational radio beacons (i.e., for determining current propagation conditions and testing) nowadays, whether microwave X band, HF, ELF, sub-mm wave, etc., considering the advent of computerized propagation modeling? Is the scarcity of non-amateur radio beacons a result of...
  10. C

    Interference of radio signals

    Homework Statement July 22,2017. Homework Statement Television and radio waves can reflect from nearby mountains or from airplanes. Such relfections can interfere with the direct signal from the station. a. Determine what kind of interference will occur when 75-MHz television signals arrive at...
  11. S

    B Can orbiting lcds replace radio towers?

    Couldnt we put lcd type filters into orbit and modulate sun/moon light to produce high definition radio/tv? Obviously it would need to be large but it seems like it wpuld be much more efficient.
  12. A

    A question about radio receivers

    Could somebody explain me why it would not be sufficient for a radio receiver of an AM signal to simply consist in two elements: A very long antenna. A speaker/headphones. The set up would be as follows, the antenna is connected to the speaker and the other part of the speaker is grounded. My...
  13. R

    Radio Carrier Signal Trouble Understanding

    I seem to have a lot of trouble understanding radio carrier signals I have read a bunch of stuff online and seen videos trying to explain it but I just can't understand it! Could some of you who understand try and give me some analogies or anything that might help me out? Thanks alot!
  14. J

    Exploring the Boundless World of EE and Science: A Scientist's Journey

    EE, and life-long science explorer and tinkerer. I look forward to reading the forum, and hopefully contributing at some point. This looks like a great forum! If we weren't limited to 5 tags here, these would have been mine: physics (duh!), relativity, nuclear, antennas, time, radio...
  15. C

    B Fast Radio Burst Pinned Down to Giant Stellar Nursery

    This appears to be a New Scientist scoop: Fast Radio Burst Pinned Down to Giant Stellar Nursery by Ken Croswell A young neutron star is probably the source of a repeating signal previously tracked to a dwarf galaxy 2.4 billion light-years away. Link: New Scientist
  16. R

    B Effect of Varying Distance on Radio Waves

    Hello - Not sure if this is the correct location for this. I've been thinking about how a radio wave would work as the transmitter travels further away from the receiver. My example is a transmitter on a spaceship traveling 60,000 kph that transmits a loop of my favorite playlist back to...
  17. M

    I want a source to study radio transceivers

    Hi friends in my class we had to study some topics out of our interest .. i tried for along time to understand them but the teacher's slides is not enough for understanding so i ask if anyone can give me sources to study the topics (the same way ) which attached as a photo note : i studied...
  18. shimun

    Transforming an Analog Radio into a Cosmos Radio Receiver: A Step-by-Step Guide

    hello folks. 1.its possible to change simple analog radio device (reciever) to cosmos radio waves reciever or just cosmos radio with relativy small price. if you know how please ilustrate it with images, thank you very much.
  19. F

    Exploring How Radio Waves Make Electrons Move

    Hi! What exactly makes electrons in the antenna move to generate an induced current which then can be encoded? Is it radio waves that hits the antenna and makes the electrons move? If so, why/how? :) All I get from this link is that "the radio waves makes the electrons wiggling back and...
  20. P

    According to Maxwell, a gamma ray can be as energetic as a radio wave (given equal E amplitudes)?

    According to the old thery of light the energy carried by by a wave is proportional to the amplitude of the electric field not to the frequency as Planck proposed, so an eletromagnetic radiation in the gamma spectrum carry the same energy as a radio one if their amplitude is the same? They only...
  21. Poetria

    Solving for C in terms of L: Find C in RLC Circuit for 950kHz Station

    Homework Statement You are building a simple passive AM radio using a series RLC circuit with an voltage source of V sin(omega*t) and the voltage drop V_R across the resistor as the system response. You would like to know the relations between the values of R,L,and C in order to tune to a...
  22. Shubham Jaydeokar

    A Space Radio Software: Get Help from Experts Now!

    Hello Experts, This is @Shubham Jaydeokar, and today I'm going to post a question regarding a software named Space Radio. I have been working on my project of making a receiving setup for listening to the audio signals sent by ISS at 145.800MHz. According to AA2TX@amsat.org, Anthony Monteiro, I...
  23. dlgoff

    Save on Radio Shack Parts Before They're Gone - Up to 70% Off!

    I stopped by Radio Shack and picked up some parts since they're going out of business. I bought mainly plugs and connectors but also a soldering iron and some 50 Ω coaxial cables. Normal price total would have been $104.28. Out of business price total w/tax was $30.57. They're open half a...
  24. eigenmax

    Radio Tube Mystery: Solving the Buzzing Buzzer

    I recently got a 5 cm high radio tube from a old radio in my house. It has 9 pins ,arranged in a C shape at the base, a getter at the top and parallel metal plates inside. I decided to use my GMC-300E plus ,Geiger counter to check if it had a thoriated cathode. It did not. Just for fun, I two...
  25. Chronos

    B Could neutrinos be the key to successful SETI communication?

    This paper; https://arxiv.org/abs/1702.03301, A VLA Search for Radio Signals from M31 and M33, discusses the results [null] of a VLA search for narrow band radio emissions from the Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies. The focus was on narrow band signals because these are the only radio signals...
  26. shihab-kol

    Can the Doppler Effect Cause Changes in Radio Wave Frequency?

    I have learned that the Doppler effect causes a change in wavelength (and thus frequency) in all types of waves Suppose there is a radio station transmitting waves of frequency 90 kHz and the antennae in my car is tuned to that frequency. Then I start to accelerate and thus I am changing my...
  27. A

    Future of Analog in Amateur Radio

    I know that the trend in commercial radio is towards digital. Suppose we go to all digital radio. My question is specifically about amateur radio. Will it still be legally possible for HAMs to operate analog radio systems? Any indications at all from the FCC or similar bodies outside the USA on...
  28. ilyasse

    Differences Between Radios & Antennas for CCNA

    hello people . i don't know if this is the right place to ask , but I'm studding for my cisco ccna and now I'm learning more about radio waves and wifi networks and i fall in love with the subject , what i don't understand is what's the difference between a radio and a antenna , because i asked...
  29. L

    Comparing Radio Waves: Short Wave vs. Phone/Radio

    Homework Statement Flat harmonic electromagnetic wave propagates in the positive direction in vacuo axis y. Vector electromagnetic energy flux density is given by: S(y,t)=Sm *cos(wt-ky)2.Wave value: k=(2*π)/λ=0.41 m-1,Amplitude Sm=26 W/m2.Compare this wave with another wave. Homework Equations...
  30. Cool4Kat

    Book about the History of Electricity

    Hi there, My name is Kathy and I am writing a book about the history of electrical discoveries. I am writing the book for adults who have limited (or no) science backgrounds with a lot of personal details (like Bose who liked to give electric kisses to attractive women, or Alexander Bell's...
  31. L

    B Earth's Radio Bubble: Alien Civilization Unaware of Human Existence

    I've been reading about this interesting topic today. So the first radio signals emitted from the Earth are about 110 light years away from Earth now. Most authors point out that an advanced alien civilization only 125 light years away would have no idea of our existence. Fair enough, but the...
  32. I

    Determining the Correct Radio Frequency

    I am building a project where an object will be fitted with an RF transceiver and where it will face wooden walls as obstacles, with constant thickness "t". I am trying to look for an equation that would give the appropriate radio frequency that I would need to generate to have a radio wave...
  33. R

    Q factor of an AM radio RLC circuit

    Homework Statement Suppose you want to use a series RLC circuit to tune in your favorite AM radio station which broadcasts at a frequency of 1.20 MHz. You would like to avoid the obnoxious easy listening station which broadcasts at 1.10 MHz, right next to the one you like. In order to achieve...
  34. physicsEnthu_123

    Can Antenna reduce the radio signal strength when it receive

    When antenna receive the radio signal does it reduce the actual radio signal strength or strength indeed depends on the dispersion loss and other dielectric absorption? If antenna doesn’t reduce the radio signal strength(power), how it generates the current in the receiving antenna circuit? How...
  35. M

    Radio Broadcast Antenna Peak Intensity

    Homework Statement A radio broadcast antenna is located at the top of a steep tall mountain. The antenna is broadcasting 104.3 FM (in Megahertz) with a power of 5.00 kilowatts. What is the peak intensity of the signal at a receiving antenna located 25.0 km away? Homework Equations Honestly...
  36. K

    Difference between radio transmission technologies

    Hi All, I was wondering if someone could answer these questions for me please? Q1. If I stuck an antenna out, will it receive all the different signals e.g. Music Radio, TETRA, WiFi? Q2. What is the difference between these? I thought it was the frequency e.g. TETRA uses 300-400 MHz, WiFi uses...
  37. anorlunda

    Why does radio reception change drastically at dawn and dusk?

    i have noticed in several geographically diverse locations, drastic changes in FM radio and WiFi radio communications at the time of sunrise/sunset plus/minus a few minutes. But soon after the rise/set, they return to normal. Other frequencies, like cell phone reception seem unaffected. I...
  38. F

    Wireless, RF, inverse fourth power law vs inverse square law

    When, in wireless communications, does the inverse fourth power-law become relevant? My understanding is that is that what cause the average signal power to degrade to the forth power is cancellation from self reflections. So by my way of thinking, an LOS point to point system, like a...
  39. B

    B Higgs Field Radio: Revolutionizing Global Communication

    The higgs field is everywhere.. how do you use it in a 2 way communication radio so the United States can communicate with the other side of the planet by passing right thru the mantle and core without using any satellite relay station?
  40. jamalkoiyess

    Stargazing Radio Telescope Building Guide for Beginners

    Hello PF, I was wondering if there is any good guide to build a radio telescope that can give me an image not just a graph. I am just a starter so any advice or tips are relly appreciated.
  41. GameActuator

    Can amplifiers boost radio waves for stronger signal?

    So I have basic knowledge of radio waves and how they work but how does an amplifier boost the signal? Does it just make the waves stronger (if so how) or does it effect another aspect of the radio wave? Thanks in advance for the assistance.
  42. Hongo

    I Radio Comm Between 2 Points Diff Gravity: True?

    A source that is orbiting close to a singularity of a black hole is transmitting a radio frequency signal that lasts 60 seconds and is repeated infinitely. The signal is being transmitted using the amplitude modulation method (AM Radio). Let suppose that each minute passing in the transmitting...
  43. T

    Stargazing New Radio Telescope is World's Largest

    World's largest radiotelescope just completed. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-07/03/c_135485643.htm
  44. J

    Transferring a handheld radio into a antique style radio box

    I'm pretty darn new to engineering, so I'm just diving in and hoping all goes well. I've got roughly 6 months to finish this project as it's a Christmas gift in the making. My current plan is to carve a large spruce log into the shape of an old cathedral style antique radio, make a cabinet...
  45. M

    How does an amplifier inadvertently demodulate a radio signal?

    I know sometimes speakers/amps will pick up a radio signal. I'm confused as to how the signal is demodulated accidentally. Are the signals picked up exclusively AM, or do FM signals get picked up as well?
  46. M

    Stargazing Facing difficulties with radio telescope measurements

    Hi Me and a couple of class mates are working on our bachelor's project of which the mission is to measure the temperature of the sun using a parabolic antenna. We are having great troubles trying to come up with an equation relating the antenna temperature (which we are able to calculate with...
  47. Benoit

    How do telecommunications work?

    How telecommunications work? I mean, there are so much waves around us nowadays, how my cellphone recognizes a single signal and rings only when it detects it? If my cellphone is a receipter, why can't I listen to my neighbor converstation, why isn't there a lot of interference and how waves...
  48. striogi

    Radio and other electronic signals in space?

    Not sure if this is the right section or if this might be better off over at Cosmology... or...? So this is actually around a story concept I had, and while I would like to get the science as right as possible, I expect a certain amount of hand-waving to get past some of the difficult and...
  49. N

    Physics of noise picked up by a radio when home lights are switched off

    I would like to get an, if possible, detailed analysis of the phenomenon by which you hear a noise in your radio speakers when the home lights are switched off. It probably has to do with a wave packet emitted due to switching off the lights, which is picked up by the antenna of a conventional...
  50. Weightofananvil

    DSB and SSB Radio: Explaining the Confusion

    Hey, I'm learning about DSB and SSB in my communications classes and I'm a little confused with the concept. So, We know that in a AM signal there is the Modulating signal (Information) and the Carrier signal (Transmission signal.) We also knows LSB and USB are created when the signals are...
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