A schematic of a half-wave dipole antenna connected to an unbalanced coaxial cable.

The perfect example of a project that could use that extra little push to overcome specific technical hurdles or design needs, Sophi Kravitz from MIX Engineering has been working on cell phone detection for several months now. From coming up with a concept, to beginning research, then experimenting with available hardware, and finally, publishing results and fielding feedback, this is how an idea becomes reality! Speaking of her project, she says,

The circuit I’m working on simply detects (a power level) when a call, text, or email is made. It uses an antenna to detect the signal, which attaches to an RF detector to output a power level. Basically these chips are little power meters… Most of the RF detectors go to an input level of -60dBm, which means an amplifier will be required in between the antenna and the RF detector. Typical opamps don’t have the required frequency response, so a specialized RF amplifier is the type of amplifier needed.

Having achieved results already, sometimes funding is all a project needs to finally take off. So last week, Sophi submitted her project to the Road to Maker Faire Challenge, where one lucky maker will win $2,000 to fabricate their idea and bring it to Bay Area Maker Faire in May! Best of luck to you Sophi. Now, are you ready to accept the challenge? Apply now!