18WuD2x

652 S scale • staggered tuning
S scale A scale of numbers used in radio communications,
and especially in amateur radio, to report
the approximate strength of signals: S1,
faint signals; S2, very weak signals; S3, weak signals;
S4, fair signals; S5, fairly good signals; S6,
good signals; S7, moderately strong signals; S8,
strong signals; S9, extremely strong signals. Also
see S METER.
sse Abbreviation of single-silk-enameled (wire).
SSI Abbreviation of SMALL-SCALE INTEGRATION.
SSL Abbreviation of SOLID-STATE LAMP.
SSSC Abbreviation of SINGLE-SIDEBAND SUP-
PRESSED CARRIER. (Also, SSBSC.)
ST Abbreviation of SINGLE THROW.
sta 1. Abbreviation of STATION. (Also stn.) 2. Abbreviation
of STATIONARY.
stab Abbreviated form of stabilizer (see STABI-
LIZER, 4).
stability 1. The condition in which an equipment
or device is able to maintain a particular mode of
operation without deviation. 2. The condition in
which the setting or adjustment of a device remains
at a particular point without movement.
3. The condition in which a quantity remains
constant, with respect to time, temperature, or
another variable. 4. The ability of inks used in optical
character recognition to retain their color
after exposure to light or heat.
stability factor Abbreviation, SF. For a bipolar
transistor, the derivative dI c /dI co , where I c is the
steady-state collector current and I co is the collector
cutoff current.
stabilized platform See STABLE PLATFORM.
stabilizer 1. See DAMPING DIODE. 2. See DAMP-
ING RESISTOR. 3. A device or circuit for the selfregulation
of current or voltage. 4. A chemical
used to control or arrest a reaction.
stabilizing windings Auxiliary field windings used
to prevent speed runaway in shunt motors.
Stabistor Trade name for a type of voltage-regulating
semiconductor diode.
stable device A device whose characteristics and
performance remain substantially unchanged
with time or variations in temperature, applied
power, or other quantities.
stable element 1. A component that maintains its
value or ratings, despite widely variable environmental
conditions. 2. A navigational instrument
that maintains its orientation at all times.
stable platform A gyro-type device used to
stabilize objects in space, and to provide accurate
information regarding attitude (pitch, roll, and
yaw).
stable state A stable condition, such as the high
and low states of a flip-flop. The flip-flop has two
stable states and will remain in one until it is
switched to the other, whereupon it will then remain
in that latter state until switched back to
the former. Compare UNSTABLE STATE.
stack 1. A piled assembly of capacitor plates and
separating dielectric films. 2. An assembly of
selenium rectifier plates (see POWER STACK).
3. To assemble a stacked array. 4. A temporary
storage area consisting of a small group of registers
in a computer memory.
stacked array An antenna system in which two or
more identical antennas, such as dipoles, Yagis,
or halos, are placed one above the other or sideby-side.
It provides additional forward gain, and,
in some cases, enhances the front-to-back ratio
and/or front-to-side ratio.
stacked array
stacked-dipole antenna A stacked array of halfwave
dipole antennas.
stacking The combination of two or more identical
antennas, such as dipoles, Yagis, or halos, in a
STACKED ARRAY to provide enhanced forward
gain. It can also enhance the front-to-back ratio
and/or front-to-side ratio. Stacking can be done
vertically or horizontally.
stack pointer Abbreviation, SP. A register indicating
the last data item to be entered in a stack (see
STACK, 4).
stage A complete functional unit of a system (e.g.,
amplifier stage, oscillator stage, modulator stage,
etc.).
stage-by-stage elimination See SIGNAL INJEC-
TION.
stage gain The amplification provided by a single
stage in a system.
stage loss The loss introduced by a single stage in
a system.
stagger 1. An error in facsimile reception, occurring
as a constant discrepancy in the position of
the received dot. 2. To deliberately tune a set of
resonant circuits, especially in a bandpass filter,
to one side or the other of the center frequency.
staggered tuning The tuning of the input and output
circuits of a single stage, or the tuning of