18WuD2x

66 battery • beacon
VOLTAIC CELL, PRIMARY BATTERY, and STOR-
AGE BATTERY.
battery acid 1. A chemical acid, such as sulfuric
acid, used as the electrolyte of a battery. 2. Colloquially,
any cell or battery electrolyte, whether
acid, base, or salt.
battery capacity The current-supplying capability
of a battery, usually expressed in ampere-hours
(Ah).
battery cell See CELL, 1.
battery charger 1. A specialized dc power supply,
usually embodying a stepdown transformer, rectifier,
and filter. It is used to charge a storage battery
from an ac power line. 2. A motor-generator
combination used to charge a storage battery
from an ac power line. 3. A combination of solar
cells, generators, or other voltaic transducers,
that are used to charge a storage battery with dc
obtained from a nonelectrical energy source.
battery clip 1. A heavy-duty metallic clamp that is
used for quick, temporary connection to a large
cell terminal, such as that of a lead-acid storage
battery. 2. A small connector of the snap-fastener
type, used for quick connection to a small power
source, such as a transistor-radio battery.
battery eliminator A specialized dc power supply,
usually embodying a transformer, rectifier, and
filter, that permits battery-powered equipment to
be operated from an ac power line.
battery holder 1. A case or container of any kind
for holding a cell or battery. 2. A shelf for holding
a cell or battery. 3. A small, metal bracket-type
device for holding a cell or battery between two
contacts.
battery life 1. The ampere-hour or watt-hour capacity
of a battery. 2. The number of times that a
rechargeable electrochemical battery can be cycled
before it becomes unusable. 3. The nominal
length of time (e.g., hours, days, or weeks) that an
electrochemical battery will function effectively in
a given application before it must be discarded or
recharged.
battery memory See MEMORY DRAIN.
battery receiver A usually portable radio or television
receiver operated from self-contained batteries.
battery substitute See BATTERY ELIMINATOR.
bat wing On a television (TV) or frequency-modulation
(FM) broadcast receiving antenna, a metallic
element with a shape that resembles that of a
bat’s wing.
baud A unit of communications processing speed
in telegraphy and digital data communications
systems. Often confused with bits per second
(bps). Baud refers to the number of times per second
that a signal changes state. The speed in bps
is generally higher than the speed in baud, sometimes
by a factor of several times. Compare BITS
PER SECOND.
Baudot code A machine communications code
that uses five parallel binary digits of equal
length, the interpretation of which depends on
the history of the previous transmission or an additional
case bit.
baud rate 1. A colloquial expression for data speed
in BAUD. 2. Colloquial, and technically inaccurate,
expression for data speed in BITS PER SEC-
OND.
Baume (Antione Baume, 1728–1804). Abbreviation,
Be. Pertaining to the Baume scales for hydrometers.
The two such scales are for liquids heavier
than water and for liquids lighter than water.
bay One of several sections of a directional antenna
array.
bayonet base The insertable portion of a plug-in
component (e.g., a lamp) that has a projecting pin
that fits into a slot or keyway in the shell of the
socket into which the component is inserted.
bayonet socket A socket with a suitably slotted
shell for receiving the bayonet base of a plug-in
component.
bazooka
A linear BALUN, in which a quarter wavelength
of metal sleeving surrounds a coaxial
feeder, and is shorted to the outer conductor of
the feeder to form a shorted quarter-wave section.
bb Abbreviation of BLACKBODY.
BBC Abbreviation of British Broadcasting Corporation.
BBM Abbreviation of BREAK BEFORE MAKE.
b-box The index register of a computer.
BC Abbreviation of BROADCAST.
BCD Abbreviation of BINARY-CODED DECIMAL.
BCFSK Abbreviation of BINARY CODE FRE-
QUENCY-SHIFT KEYING.
B channel One of the channels of a two-channel
stereophonic system. Compare A CHANNEL.
BCI Abbreviation of BROADCAST INTERFERENCE.
BCL Amateur radio abbreviation of BROADCAST
LISTENER.
BCN Abbreviation of BEACON.
BCO Abbreviation of BINARY-CODED OCTAL.
BCST Abbreviation of BROADCAST.
BDC Abbreviation of BINARY DECIMAL COUNTER.
B display A radar display in which the target is
represented by a bright spot on a rectangularcoordinate
screen. Compare A DISPLAY and J
DISPLAY.
Be Symbol for BERYLLIUM.
Be Abbreviation of BAUME.
beacon 1. A beam of radio waves, or a radio signal,
that is used for navigation and/or direction finding.
2. A transmitter that radiates a beam of radio
waves, or a radio signal, as an aid in navigation
and/or direction finding. 3. A signal transmitted
continuously on a specific frequency, to help radio
operators ascertain propagation conditions.
4. A station or transmitter that generates and radiates
a signal to help radio operators determine
propagation conditions. 5. In robotics, a device or
system that aids in navigation. For example, tricorner
reflectors can be positioned in strategic
locations, and a mobile robot equipped with a