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Re: [TowerTalk] Rain static

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Rain static
From: K4SAV <RadioIR@charter.net>
Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 22:47:53 -0500
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Tom asked:
"Why doesn't the same moisture make the same noise level on similar 
antennas,
instead of lower antennas being significantly quieter?"


Well Tom, I have never thought about this much, but now that you are 
making a point of it, I am very curious. I have been waiting for someone 
to jump in and explain this, but so far no takers.
There are several facts that support your theory that precipitation 
static is caused by coronal discharge and not from charged particles 
hitting the elements.  One is the statement above. When you have cronal 
discharge, it is usually more prevalent at the higher points of the 
antenna.

The sound it makes is another.  The frying or musical characteristics 
would be easier to explain if the source was coronal discharge.  
(However, the sound I get in my mobile setup, sounds somewhat different, 
although it is definitely associated with rain and static electricity.  
There may be an additional mechanism at work here.)

I think it would be easy to postulate a scenario that charge can be 
built up between earth and the clouds by falling charged raindrops, and 
this charge could produce coronal discharge from the antenna.

So we are hearing St. Elmo's fire (whether we see it or not)?

Could this be a real justification for the use of porcupine balls?  Or 
would that just make it worse because there is more corona with the 
balls, even though it would be located not on the elements but close by.

Jerry, K4SAV



Tom Rauch wrote:

><Funny you can't find evidence.  It's widely reported in the
>scientific
><literature, for at least the last 100 years, and probably
>longer than that.
>
>So you say. What particular literature ties charged droplets
>to hissing or musical staic noise in receivers and how did
>they determine it?
>
>If it is droplets, why do I (and many others) notice that
>the SAME mositure hitting a high antenna makes the noise
>while it doesn't make the "drop hitting the conductor" noise
>on a low antenna? People with stacks of similar antennas
>notice this all the time.
>
>My Beverages for example NEVER have precipt static even
>though bare wire. My antennas on top of towers do, while
>lower antennas are very quiet even though the same moisture
>hits them all.
>
>Why doesn't pitch track rate of moisture? Why doesn't the
>same moisture make the same noise level on similar antennas,
>instead of lower antennas being significantly quieter?
>
>73 Tom
>
>_______________________________________________
>
>See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless 
>Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any 
>questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
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>  
>

_______________________________________________

See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather 
Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions 
and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.

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