The National Electronics Museum, located in

Linthicum, Maryland Linthicum is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 10,324 at the 2010 census. It is located directly north of Baltimore–Wa ...

, displays the history of the United States defense electronics. The museum houses exhibits containing assortments of

telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

s and

satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope ...

s. Located near the

Baltimore/Washington International Airport Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport , commonly referred to as BWI or BWI Marshall, is an international airport in the Eastern United States serving mainly Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C. With Dulles Internatio ...

and rail station, the museum displays hands-on electronics. The library serves as a research center open to the public. In addition, an amateur radio station is broadcast live from the museum each week. K3NEM/W3GR includes both antique and updated communication equipment.

History

The National Electronics Museum was created by Westinghouse employees. Robert L. Dwight, who worked for the Westinghouse Defense and Electronics Systems Center located in Baltimore, MD, jump-started the current collection in 1973 by conducting a "Family Day" to display his colleagues' work while involving their families. Titled "Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow", the exhibit showed examples of past and present Westinghouse work to represent the company's progress through the eras. Dwight then decided to pursue more radar systems and other electronics for viewing. His first mission, taken on with the help of Jack Sun, a former U.S. Air Force officer and Westinghouse employee, was to acquire the BOMARC missile radar from the Department of Defense. This missile housed the first airborne pulse-doppler radar, AN/DPN-53. However, in order to gain access to the radar they had to be classified as a non-profit museum. After gaining advice and paperwork from Westinghouse lawyer, Butch Gregory, they founded the National Electronics Museum in 1980. Finances and storage space were handled by Westinghouse, and in 1983 a (2,000 sq-ft) portion of space was devoted to the museum at the Airport Square III. Then, in 1986 the space was extended to (4,000 sq-ft). Formerly run by volunteers, the museum hired its first professional employee in 1989 and subsequently relocated to Friendship Square in 1992. In 1996, Northrop Grumman bought Westinghouse and continued support for museum efforts. The museum closed its doors temporarily when it underwent construction in 1999 and reopened with over (22,000 sq-ft) of space. This space included a conference room, event hall, gallery, and a climate-controlled warehouse. The museum offers education programs such as YESS (Young Engineers and Scientists) and the annual Robot Fest (held annually on the last weekend of April), as well as the Robert L. Dwight scholarship. Donations and grants are accepted from foundations and engineering societies. Board members include former Westinghouse employees and Northrop Grumman associates. Other public foundations such as Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Camegie Institute, American Alliance of Museums, the University of Maryland – Baltimore County, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, Allied Signal, and Hertzbach & Company support the museum. Over 30 volunteers donate over 5,000 hours of their time each year.

Galleries

Interior view - National Electronics Museum - DSC00041

The National Electronics Museum is organized into twelve related exhibit galleries: *Fundamentals Gallery- Focuses on the basics of electricity and electronics as well as early electronics *Communications Gallery- From the telegraph to modern computers, this gallery focuses on a wide range of communication devices, including Ham Radio and the Enigma Machine. *Early Radar Gallery- Radar from World War II, to the include the actual

SCR-270 The SCR-270 (Set Complete Radio model 270) was one of the first operational early-warning radars. It was the U.S. Army's primary long-distance radar throughout World War II and was deployed around the world. It is also known as the Pearl Harbor ...

unit used at the

Opana Radar Site The Opana Radar Site is a National Historic Landmark and IEEE Milestone that commemorates the first operational use of radar by the United States in wartime, during the attack on Pearl Harbor. It is located off the Kamehameha Highway just inland ...

on December 7, 1941. *

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

Radar Gallery- The Cold War advanced technology in many areas, including radar. *Modern Radar Gallery- Radar has continued to develop, as is shown in this gallery *

Countermeasures A countermeasure is a measure or action taken to counter or offset another one. As a general concept, it implies precision and is any technological or tactical solution or system designed to prevent an undesirable outcome in the process. The fi ...

Gallery- As Radar has developed, so have ways to hide from it, including jammers, receivers, and transmitters. *Under Seas Gallery – Focuses on SONAR as well as other underwater technology *

Electro-optical Electro–optics is a branch of electrical engineering, electronic engineering, materials science, and material physics involving components, electronic devices such as lasers, laser diodes, LEDs, waveguides, etc. which operate by the propaga ...

Gallery – Focuses on the basics of infrared versus visual and the applications of infrared and Electro-optical technology *Space Sensor Gallery – From satellites to the cameras used on the moon, this gallery looks at the technologies that have been used outside our planet *Temporary Gallery – The museum has gallery space that changes regularly. *Outside Gallery – Six Historic radar Antennas, spanning 75 years of radar development, stand around the museum.

Events

RobotFest Also called the "Day of Playful Invention", Robot fest "is an annual event for anyone interested in the creative use of technology" to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics ( STEM). It takes place at the National Electronics ...

– held at the museum annually *

Pioneer Camp Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and de ...

– held at the museum each summer

References

External links

The National Electronics Museum

Amateur Radio Club of the National Electronics Museum
* *
What’s New (Old) at the National Electronics Museum? – IEEE Microwave magazine
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History

Galleries

Events

See also

References

External links