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A Technique for the Measurement of Spurious Radiation

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Authors not listed · 1954

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Military researchers in 1954 were already developing methods to measure spurious electromagnetic radiation from electronic equipment.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

This 1954 Armed Services Technical Information Agency report focused on measuring spurious electromagnetic radiation, developing techniques to detect unwanted radio frequency emissions from military equipment. The research aimed to establish standardized methods for identifying and quantifying electromagnetic interference that could compromise military communications or operations.

Why This Matters

This declassified military document represents one of the earliest systematic approaches to measuring electromagnetic radiation from electronic equipment. The military's concern about 'spurious radiation' in 1954 reveals they understood that electronic devices emit unintended electromagnetic fields that could interfere with sensitive operations. What's particularly relevant today is that this same spurious radiation the military worried about interfering with their equipment is now constantly surrounding us from our consumer electronics. The measurement techniques developed in this research likely laid groundwork for modern EMF assessment methods, yet the focus was purely on equipment interference, not biological effects. This highlights a persistent gap in EMF research priorities - we've long known how to measure these emissions and their technical impacts, but biological health effects remain understudied by comparison.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 15 kHz to 1000 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 15 kHz to 1000 MHzPower lines50/60 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Study Details

To develop a technique for measuring relative small radio frequency signals in the presence of a large signal using a sensitive receiver that cannot be connected directly to a powerful radio transmitter.

The approach was one in which the large carrier frequency voltage is prevented from reaching the rec...

Theoretical and experimental data is given for the Bridged-T network. Specifications and illustratio...

The Bridged-T network approach was determined to be the most suitable solution for measuring spurious radiation from RF transmitters.

Cite This Study
Unknown (1954). A Technique for the Measurement of Spurious Radiation.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_technique_for_the_measurement_of_spurious_radiation_g4743,
  author = {Unknown},
  title = {A Technique for the Measurement of Spurious Radiation},
  year = {1954},
  
  
}
No DOI on file for this study.

Quick Questions About This Study

Spurious radiation refers to unwanted electromagnetic emissions from electronic equipment that could interfere with military communications or sensitive operations. These are the same unintended EMF emissions that modern consumer devices produce.
The military needed standardized methods to detect and quantify electromagnetic interference from their electronic equipment to prevent communication failures and operational security breaches during the Cold War era.
The spurious electromagnetic radiation that concerned military researchers in 1954 is the same type of unintended EMF emissions that consumer electronics produce today, yet biological health effects remain less studied.
While specific methods aren't detailed, this research likely helped establish foundational approaches for detecting and quantifying electromagnetic emissions that influenced modern EMF measurement standards and protocols.
No, this technical report focused solely on equipment interference and measurement techniques. The military's priority was preventing electromagnetic interference with operations, not studying biological health effects.