# An interview with Tony Long - Millimeter Microwave Magician

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2012-08-06
- Length: 1h 23m
- Episode: 107
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2012-08-06-an-interview-with-tony-long-millimeter-microwave-magician
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/the-amp-hour-107-millimeter-microwave-magician/

## Summary

Tony Long, founder of Reactance Labs, discusses his work building millimeter-wave amateur radio equipment and the technical challenges of GHz frequencies. He explains the physics of atmospheric attenuation, the necessity of exotic materials like Rogers substrates and Gallium Arsenide MMICs, and the precision machining required for waveguide components. Long also details his new line of open-source hardware kits, including the OpenSynth frequency synthesizer, designed to fund his passion for high-frequency radio experimentation.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2012-08-06-an-interview-with-tony-long-millimeter-microwave-magician#t=0) Introduction and Reactance Labs Overview
- [3:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2012-08-06-an-interview-with-tony-long-millimeter-microwave-magician#t=200) Maker Faire and Millimeter-Wave Radio Applications
- [8:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2012-08-06-an-interview-with-tony-long-millimeter-microwave-magician#t=520) Ham Radio Contests and Propagation Physics
- [17:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2012-08-06-an-interview-with-tony-long-millimeter-microwave-magician#t=1023) Field Testing and Antenna Alignment
- [38:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2012-08-06-an-interview-with-tony-long-millimeter-microwave-magician#t=2287) Microwave Materials and Semiconductor Technologies
- [44:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2012-08-06-an-interview-with-tony-long-millimeter-microwave-magician#t=2647) Wire Bonding and MMIC Integration
- [51:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2012-08-06-an-interview-with-tony-long-millimeter-microwave-magician#t=3105) Waveguide Design and Precision Machining
- [1:07:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2012-08-06-an-interview-with-tony-long-millimeter-microwave-magician#t=4066) Test Equipment and Frequency Synthesis
- [1:17:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2012-08-06-an-interview-with-tony-long-millimeter-microwave-magician#t=4637) Open Source Hardware Kits and Future Plans

## Topics

- [Analog & power electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/analog-and-power-electronics)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Wireless & RF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/wireless-and-rf)
- [Test & measurement](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/test-and-measurement)
- [Maker community & events](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/maker-community)
- [Open-source hardware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/open-source-hardware)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Reactance Labs (company)
- Rogers (company)
- Gallium Arsenide (material)
- Mini Circuits (company)
- TriQuint (company)
- Hittite (company)
- Intel (company)
- ASML (company)
- Agilent (company)
- Rodion Schwartz (company)
- Ritsu (company)
- HP 851 (tool)
- HP 432 (tool)
- OpenSynth (product)
- Atmel (company)
- Analog Devices (company)
- LM317 (chip)

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- [057 - I Did Not Expect Sharks!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2022-05-09-057-i-did-not-expect-sharks) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [Ep103: Antennas for Everyone, a Clock Made of Chains, Magic Eye Tubes, and a Little Google Bashing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-01-29-ep103-antennas-for-everyone-a-clock-made-of-chains-magic-eye-tubes-and-a-little) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Ep032: Meteorite Snow Globes, Radioactive Ramjet Rockets, Autonomous Water Boxes, and Ball Reversers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-08-23-ep032-meteorite-snow-globes-radioactive-ramjet-rockets-autonomous-water-boxes-an) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [441: Ear Goobers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-01-20-441-ear-goobers) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

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