A novel low-cost beam-steering technique based on the extended-resonance power-dividing method
A novel phased array based on the extended-resonance power-dividing method has been presented. This method eliminates the need for separate power splitter and phase shifters in a conventional phased-array system, resulting in a substantial reduction in circuit complexity and cost. As a proof of principle, a 2-GHz extended-resonance-based phased array using varactor diodes and microstrip patch antennas has been designed, fabricated, and tested. The measured scan range is 20/spl deg/ and the measured efficiency of the extended-resonance phased-array feed is typically 80%, which corresponds to 1 dB of insertion loss.
Bi-directionally fed phased-array antenna downsized with variable impedance phase shifter for ISM band
A novel bi-directionally fed phased-array antenna (BiPA) is presented. A BiPA can operate at half the phase shift of the conventional antenna with the same performance, leading to smaller size and lower cost. Main components of a BiPA are antenna elements and variable impedance phase shifters (VIPSs). The VIPS consists of three resonant circuits that include variable capacitors, it is applicable for both functions as a power divider and as an impedance-matching device, since the input/output impedance and the phase shift can be independently varied. The BiPA with a VIPS is simulated and evaluated at a 2.45-GHz industrial-scientific-medical band. The measured results agree well with the simulated ones. The performances of the VIPSs are confirmed as 1.4 dB in insertion loss, and -17dB in return loss for a phase shift of 0/spl sim/80/spl deg/ with the control voltage from 0- to 3.5-V DC, and the measured radiation pattern of the BiPA is /spl plusmn/30/spl deg/ in the steering angle, 24/spl deg/ in beamwidth, and -9dB in the sidelobe. Furthermore, an enhancement of the sidelobe suppression can be expected by changing the power ratio of each antenna element.
Negotiating the cultural and economic outcomes of sport heritage attractions: the case of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
ABSTRACT Contemporary museums must balance their roles as commercial entities and repositories of various, and often dissonant, heritages and histories. Sports museums in particular often have clear commercial and nostalgic aims, particularly through tourist visitation, though the extent to which they represent more challenging narratives remains unclear. This paper examines how one of the most famous sports museums in the world, the National Baseball Hall of Fame (NBHF) in Cooperstown, New York, balances its dual role as tourist attraction and repository of baseball's sometimes checkered past. It was found that different sections of the museum provide greater or lesser degrees of engagement with more controversial issues, although the commercial outputs and appeal of the museum remains clear throughout. Utlimately, the NBHF demonstrates that balancing veneration and critique in collections can be commercially prosperous, and can provide a template for other sport and popular culture museums who may be wary of incorporating more challenging narratives in their exhibits. Furthermore, the symbiotic relationship between the Hall of Fame and the village of Cooperstown, particularly in creating and maintaining cultural and economic outputs, requires further exploration.