"From Farady To Hertz: The Birth Of Wireless” by Kathy Balistreri
Have you ever wondered why and how Heinrich Hertz discovered radio waves? Well, it had nothing to do with communication, he was specifically trying to validate Faraday and Maxwell's radical theory that light was an electromagnetic wave. This is a story of a kind and shy Englishman (Faraday) with no math skills, a charming Scotsman (Maxwell) and his talented wife who saw mathematics where no one else did (James and Katherine Maxwell) and a pessimistic German (Hertz) in a dark room with a magnifying glass. You will never look at your radio in the same way again!
Bio
Kathy Joseph Balistreri is a Physics teacher and historian. She is currently working on her book on the history of electricity and electronics called “The Lightning Tamers: Wild Tales of How We Electrified Our World” and makes videos on the same theme on YouTube under the name “Kathy Loves Physics”. By far the most difficult and rewarding part of her research and studies was in the complicated and cutthroat world of early wireless telegraphy and broadcast radio. If you have any old equipment she would love to see it!
Past Meetings Click on The Year/Month Below For A Past Meeting
The Palo Alto Amateur Radio Association meets on the 1st Friday of the month at 7:00 pm (19:00 J) (except when the first Friday lands on a holiday and typically moved to the 2nd Friday of the month).
PLEASE NOTE: The meeting location has changed. We will now be meeting in Meeting Room H6, in the Cubberley Community Center in Palo Alto. Further information is below.
Location: Cubberley Community Center; 4000 Middflefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303.
Telephone: (650) 329-2418.
After the meeting, many members gather for beer, pizza, and eyeball QSOs at Round Table Pizza, located on El Camino Real, just a few blocks north of Ravenswood Avenue.
Location: 1225 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Board Meetings
The PAARA Board meets on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 7:00 pm at the home of Marty Wayne, W6NEV. Address is: 1039 Bryant Way, Sunnyvale, CA. We conduct most of our club business there in order to allow more time for guest speakers and socializing at regular club meetings. Any PAARA member is welcome to attend.
A few meetings throughout the year have pre-defined agenda items. These include:
September Board Meeting
The Nominating Committee is appointed by the President to decide on a slate of candidates to be recommended to the membership.
October General Meeting
The Nominating Committee presents its nominations to the membership at the regular club meeting. Nominations from club members opens at the beginning of the meeting, and closes at the end of the meeting.
