Radio Amateurs to Receive Awards From Radio Club of America

Exciting news and congrats Chip! Dave W7DGJ

 

Hats off, gentlemen.

 

I have tried my own version of Dr Cohens proven work as best know how. I’ve had excellent results he definitely is worthy of reward.
73. Bryan Burrma KC8HPS

 

I have been asked, offline, how I have priority on the invention of fractal (element) antennas. For example, several years ago, the European Patent Office asserted that a Spanish group, led by Carles Puente, invented fractal antennas, based on a May 1995 patent filing.

This is false.

Priority in the 1990's was set by 'first to invent' in th US, which was 'Cohen' in 1988. Even if you use a 'first to file' assumption, I publicly presented at the ARRL New England Convention in October 1994--yep, 30 years ago. An article on my work was published in the program, hence constituting prior art and priority for public disclosure. Puente did not cite that prior art.

In patent law, prior art prevents claims of inventor priority.Puente's group filed for patent in May, 1995. That's --after--Oct 1994. They did not have priority. They cannot assert invention of fractal antennas.

In the US, at that time, inventors had a year to file for patent after the inventor's public disclosure. This filing was done by 'Cohen' in August 1995.

Any way you look at it, fractal antennas were invented in the US by 'Cohen', and were disclosed publicly in 1994--proudly, at an amateur radio conference.

Much of the absence of attribution to 'Cohen' --go take a look at any recent fractal antenna article and hunt for my name--is, IMO, a total snob reaction to the fact that I invented fractal antennas as an experimenting ham, and the general sense that 'amateur' efforts lack in science validity. IOW --ignore the hams. To be delicate--screw them that don't dig ham!

I have one of those 'brag' scientific pedigrees: Cornell, MIT, Harvard , BU. But so what! I did it as a ham. I was curious. I had fun. I am not ashamed of that at all.

Its good to be a ham!

73
Chip W1YW

 

Congratulations Chip and Jim!

 

Congrats Chip and Jim. Great to 'meet' real innovators here on QRZ!

The report has been shared today on HamSCI (Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation) Google Group by @AF8A.

73

 

Nice to see that Wikipedia article on Fractal Antennas has plenty of citations to your work. Congrats! Proud of ham radio innovators. 73

 

Many thanks!

HamSci is a very important asset to the entire world amateur radio community. Nathaniel, Phil, and crew are doing a great job. Between business, family, and non profit obligations, I have no time to get involved with HamSci, but I expect that I can offer assistance sometime in the coming years.

Now: I want to throw a compliment to our Indian colleagues. Fractals, and fractal antennas are a very hot topic in India (ironically, the US is the only major technological country with little interest in fractal antenna research--yours truly excluded). I am impressed and proud of my Indian colleagues, some of which are hams.I wish you all the very best and encourage continued efforts!

73
Chip W1YW

 

Glad to know that other VU hams are also interested in fractal antennas. Would like to link up with them if you can mention the callsigns, just for academic curiosity. I came to know about fractal antenna first from a question on Quora and I visited your website then. That was few months back. I have just posted a small note on fractal antennas here today. 73

 

Chip,

I am truly glad hams stopped harassing you about your fractal antennas ideas. It was quite different 20 years ago. I remember. Well deserved.

Best,

Sasha, WK1O

 

Here is a photo of me holding a fractal Minkowski loop antenna in early Oct 1994, just before the first talk/'disclosure' at the ARRL NE Convention that proceeded.

It was taken by Sasha, WK1O, who allowed me to make some antenna gain measurements in his backyard on 2M. It was a kind and grateful gesture that definitely set some wheels ultimately in motion!

I am holding an MFJ antenna analyzer to measure SWR. Gain was measured with 2M rigs compared to a dipole. No, I wasn't holding on to the antenna during the measurements;-) And yes, other hams helped me in the beginning of the fractal antenna 'journey'. WK1O and K1VR in particular. That's who we--radio amateurs--are.

The little guy is my son, A.J., then 2, now 32.

Most hams still think fractal antennas are 'controversial', which is an unfortunate echo of the prior and long term harassment Sasha referred to. It wasn't pleasant but sometimes you have to just suppress the power of good memory;-)

Sasha, drop me a line

73 all,
Chip W1YW

 

Can you please post the link of that YouTube video?

 

I gave a talk at the FRACTAL School in Cochi (India) in 2013. Attached are a couple of slides that address Sasha's point on harassment.

The outcome of this harassment and muddying the waters was to prevent academic training of US based students at the university level, for a pool who were familiar with the technology. In India, in Russia, in PRC China, Israel, and so on academic training on fractal antennas has gone on for many,many years. There are now over 4000 technical papers on fractal and related elecronics.

The result of this is the US still does not recognize the profound value of the technology and, as a whole, is dangerously outmoded by foreign electromagnetic solutions. Needless to say, there is a little island in MA where progress continued and is years ahead of everyone else.

In Spring 2012 at Pacificon, I gave a talk on fractal antennas. It was NOT allowed to be part of the famous 'antenna forum' and was the only antenna talk at Pacificon that was not part of the Antenna forum. This is an example of how ingrained this harassment *was* within amateur radio circles.

In July 2024 , a paper at the IEEE APS onference was given by Ulrich Rohde(N1UL) and his colleagues on fractal antennas, so some of you may now feel its 'ok' to enter that term into the technical dictionary;-)

Not everyone has been difficult, many have been objectively critical (which is totally OK!) and even supportive.

In any case, those times have passed. Since I am now older, it helps to not have to deal with the abuse;-)

I don't build HF antennas from scratch , alone, anymore--too dangerous for me to climb , deal with trees, etc.. In 2016 I offered to work in collaboration if someone wanted to work and write up on ham fractal antennas. No one followed through, and my time now is preoccupied, unfortunately.

73
Chip W1YW

 

Its an 'infomercial'---

Fractal Antennas - Discovery (youtube.com)

This video is interesting and worth watching--

BEYOND THE WALL: Front Scatter, Cloaking, & Fractal Metamaterials (youtube.com)

 

Thank you. Shall go through them. 73