manley@optilink.UUCP (Dave Manley) (09/15/90)
In article <4437@optilink.UUCP>, elliott@optilink.UUCP (Paul Elliott x225) writes: > In article <17660105@hpfcdj.HP.COM>, myers@hpfcdj.HP.COM (Bob Myers) writes: > > >Sorry, but this is wrong. The 'super' in superheterodyne is actually > > >a contraction of 'supersonic' ... > > > An interesting theory, but I suspect that it's incorrect as far as the > > actual origin of the word is concerned.... FYI: According to Webster's Ninth Collegiate Dictionary the etymology of the word 'superheterodyne' is: [*super*sonic + heterodyne]. The earliest date of usage is 1922. For 'heterodyne' no etymology is provided, although it is dated to 1908.
elliott@optilink.UUCP (Paul Elliott x225) (09/18/90)
In article <4444@optilink.UUCP>, manley@optilink.UUCP (Dave Manley) writes: > In article <4437@optilink.UUCP>, elliott@optilink.UUCP (Paul Elliott x225) writes: > > In article <17660105@hpfcdj.HP.COM>, myers@hpfcdj.HP.COM (Bob Myers) writes: > > > >Sorry, but this is wrong. The 'super' in superheterodyne is actually > > > >a contraction of 'supersonic' ... > > > > > An interesting theory, but I suspect that it's incorrect as far as the > > > actual origin of the word is concerned.... Hey! I didn't write *any* of that stuff above! Keep that up Dave, and I will be forced to walk across the hall and set you straight IN PERSON! > According to Webster's Ninth Collegiate Dictionary the etymology of the > word 'superheterodyne' is: [*super*sonic + heterodyne]. The earliest date > of usage is 1922. Thanks for the definition, though. -- Paul M. Elliott Optilink Corporation (707) 795-9444 {uunet, pyramid, tekbspa}!optilink!elliott "an archetypal entity..., superimposed on our culture by a cosmic template."
manley@optilink.UUCP (Dave Manley) (09/19/90)
In article <4454@optilink.UUCP>, elliott@optilink.UUCP (Paul Elliott x225) writes: > In article <4444@optilink.UUCP>, manley@optilink.UUCP (Dave Manley) writes: > > In article <4437@optilink.UUCP>, elliott@optilink.UUCP (Paul Elliott x225) writes: > > > In article <17660105@hpfcdj.HP.COM>, myers@hpfcdj.HP.COM (Bob Myers) writes: > > > > >Sorry, but this is wrong. The 'super' in superheterodyne is actually > > > > >a contraction of 'supersonic' ... > > > > > > > An interesting theory, but I suspect that it's incorrect as far as the > > > > actual origin of the word is concerned.... > > Hey! I didn't write *any* of that stuff above! Keep that up Dave, and I > will be forced to walk across the hall and set you straight IN PERSON! My apologies for sloppy editing, but you *did* say: > Superhet: This has been well described in the past few days on the net. > I suspect that the "Super" prefix *was* marketing-speak, but it also could > have referred to the supersonic frequencies involved in the heterodyning > process (I'm guessing here). BTW: In looking through some old books on radios I came across a receiver known as the 'Hallicrafters Panoramic Radio Receiver' in the 1943 text _Radio Material Guide_. It describes: 'Recently, the use of a cathode-ray oscilloscope [built into the radio]...has become popular. The receiver, when driving earphones of a speaker, is tuned to an exact frequency. If either the transmitter or the receiver is slightly detuned or off frequency, the operator misses the transmission. The panoramic reception prevents this fault. The cathode-ray oscilloscope is coupled to the radio circuit and is tuned to a frequency several kilocycles per second either side of the resonant frequency of the receiver. If the operator sees a disturbance on the oscilloscope screen, he can retune the receiver for the signal.' The world's first electro-optical-biological not quite automatic AFC!!! - Dave Manley -