Bendov was the inventor of and prime mover behind the television industry’s transition to circularly polarized TV antennas, a technology that was recognized with an Emmy Technical Achievement Award in 1984.
Antenna Expert Oded Bendov Dies At 76
Dr. Oded Bendov, an expert on TV antenna design and the chief architect of the broadcast antennas atop Mt. Sutro in San Francisco, and the Empire State Building and World Trade Center in New York, died April 2 of complications from prostate cancer. He was 76.
Bendov was the inventor of and prime mover behind the television industry’s transition to circularly polarized TV antennas, a technology that was recognized with an Emmy Technical Achievement Award in 1984. The work also won Bendov the Television Engineering Achievement Award from the National Association of Broadcasters in 1985.
He received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Northwestern University in 1967, the year he joined RCA, where he worked at the Antenna Engineering Center. In 1986 the Antenna Center was acquired by Dielectric Communications, which named Bendov senior vice president and chief scientist. In 2003, he left Dielectric and formed TV Transmission Antenna Group, a company dedicated to the development of new technologies, design, and consulting services to broadcasters and television set manufacturers. With Bendov’s guidance, computer-based instrumentation was developed to provide quick and accurate measurement of the transfer function of TV and FM broadcast antennas.
Bendov holds several patents and is the author of many technical papers on television antennas, propagation, and interference as well as chapters on transmitting antennas in the TV Engineering Handbook and the Encyclopedia for Electrical and Electronics Engineering. He also served as the principal author of fundamental papers on DTV, which among other things introduced the idea of smart antennas coupled to receivers with tuners that automatically adapt for optimum service for each channel. In 2003, he received the M. Siukola Memorial Award for the best paper presented at the IEEE 53rd Annual Broadcast Symposium.
Born in Binyamina, Israel, in 1937, to Yaacov and Sarah Bendov, he grew up in Haifa. After completing his Israeli military obligation, he immigrated to the U.S. in 1959. He had $50 in his pocket and made his way to Washington, D.C., where he did undergraduate work at Howard University.
He is survived by his wife, Dagny Henderson; two daughters, Elana Daitz (Jeffrey) and Maya Shaw (Joe); two step-children, Bill Henderson (Elena) and Karin Henderson Gorant (Jim); and nine grandchildren, Zachary, Sam and Tim Shaw; Hannah Daitz; George, Will and Daniel Henderson; Grace and Alex Gorant.
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Comments (4)
r small says:
April 4, 2014 at 7:34 pm
Thus we say goodbye to another of those who invented television as we know it. Rest in peace, Dr Bendov.
Ellen Samrock says:
April 4, 2014 at 11:09 pm
Unlike my angry and frequent ramblings, Dr. Bendov occasionally graced the TV News Check site with comments that were always thoughtful and technically elegant. He will be missed.
Tim Pardis says:
April 7, 2014 at 10:51 am
For the transition to DTV, Dr. Bendov helped me design a heavy duty UHF antenna that, in turn, had to support a 2-bay c-polarized VHF antenna in an area of the country prone to hurricanes. We became friends in the process. His knowledge of antenna technology is without parallel. Along with other technical pillars of our industry now passed – Jules Cohen and Julius Barnathan come to mind – he will hold a special place in the hearts and minds of broadcast engineers!
Dale Godfrey says:
April 7, 2014 at 3:13 pm
Several antennas that we installed over the years were designed by Dr. Bendov. Antennas we purchased from RCA that had specially designed characteristics all were finally approved by Dr. Bendov himself. A hands-on working engineer with a fabulous mind and wonderful personality. He certainly will be missed!