If your car breaks down, one of the first things you’ll do is pull out your cell phone and dial for help.  Did you know you have magnets to thank for that phone call? Maybe you think we’re talking about the tiny magnets inside your phone, but this blog is actually about something even more impressive. There are magnets miles away from you that make it possible for your call to travel from your phone to AAA. Magnetism in Communication: Powering Traveling Waves Tubes Let’s back up. Cell phones communicate with cell towers through something called microwaves—an electromagnetic wave with a wavelength between 0.001-0.3m. They’re capable of traveling very long distances to what is called traveling wave tubes (TWTs). It’s this that amplifies the signal. It’s also a crucial piece of technology used in spacecraft or satellite transmitters, radar systems, and electronic warfare systems. How do traveling tubes work? When you break it down, a TWT is a vacuum tube wrapped in a coil. Magnets are strategically placed throughout the inside of the tube. An electron gun at one end fires electrons at enormous speeds in a collector at the other end. Because of the magnets, the electrons move in a rapid circular motion, tightening into a single beam and causing the electrons to slow down and release energy, which is transferred to the signal in the coil. Once the electrons reach the collector, their kinetic energy is converted into electrical current that feeds back to the electron gun. Since the signal is now amplified, it can travel long distances, allowing your call to reach almost anywhere in the world at a huge range of frequencies from 300 MHz to 50 GHz. Reliability Through Apex Magnets Regardless of your business, whether you’re building cell phone towers or manufacturing magnetic buttons, Apex Magnets can supply you high-quality, reliable rare earth magnets. Contact our friendly customer service team for more guidance on what type of magnet you need.