[RFI] Wasted and Useful Bandwidth

[Ward Silver]

> >Why do you think car manufacturers support racing?  Not so we can
> >all go 300 mph in less than 10 seconds, but one reason is certainly to
let
> >the motivated experimenters try out new ideas and materials.  Yeah, and
to
> >sell motor oil and chew, too...
> _________________________________________________________
>
> I'm trying to think of a new idea or material that has come out of auto
> racing.  The only one that comes to mind is those ridiculous spoilers on
> the trunk of the family sedan.

Ridiculous?  Hmmm...guess I'd better take mine off.  I thought they made the
Taurus handle SOOOO much better :-)

Automotive improvements that we all enjoy as a result of experimentation on
race day include synthetic motor oil, improved belt materials, low density
alloys suitable for engine block conditions, vast improvements in fuel
injection and efficiency - and those are just the few that come to mind for
me, Mr. Engine Ignoramus.  If you asked a knowledgeable race fan, you'll get
a huge list.

Extending the analogy to ham radio, contesting and DXing have helped spur
the development of wide dynamic-range mixers and low phase-noise PLLs, to
pick out a couple. Ham radio is a hotbed of DSP activity in a variety of
applications.  Take a look through the back issues of QEX for some really
interesting stuff.

> If there are others, they are such low profile I can't think of them.
> Has nothing to do with ham radio anyway (this still is the RFI
> reflector, right?)   :-)

If BPL is fully deployed, ALL reflectors will be the RFI reflector :-)

73, Ward N0AX