[TowerTalk] B.C. antenna

[Bob Perring]

At 15:24 6/25/98 -0700, Tom Osborne wrote:

>

>Hi gang.

>While installing a B.C. radio in my new camp trailer, I discovered

>something kinda weird.    When I

>picked the wire up off the ground, the stations went away.  Dropped it

>back and they came booming in again.  What the heck is going on?  It's

>way to short for a beverage.  Somehow the earth must be acting like an

>antenna.  73

======================>

Hi Tom,

What you have discovered is a little known phenomena experienced only by
the knowing few.

One time during a TDXS Armadillo run, we operated from a Toyota mini-van,
putting on every N.M. county on the air, many AZ, and many TX counties.
In N.M., we pulled off of the road to look at "the very large array". As
the mini-van was pulled up on and over the railroad tracks at the front
gate, signals boomed into our transceiver(20 meters at the time). As we
pulled off of the tracks, the signals went down. Obviously the large
parabolic arrays, the railroad track, the car being positioned over the
railroad track, and the proper alignment of the planets were all coming
into play on this one.


Here is what goes on.

As we all have been taught, 90% of our transmitted signal does not get
reflected by the ionosphere back to earth for reception by others. Where
does it go? Well, we think we know, but do we? We think that
non-reflected 90% just keeps going into outer space, but does it?


Rather, there are a few of us that believe the following.

The signal just keeps going and going farther away into outer space, all
the while being slowed down by the rays of the sun, until those signals
stop and change direction back to earth in another mutant form. I say
mutant, since now, they do not emanate from a known life source; the
radio amateur, the government(!?), incorporated broadcast concerns (again
!?), etc.


These signals are now sun radiated transmissions, seeking a final
termination for their demise. What do these signal hit upon? Well, all of
the earthly things that we hold so dear. Mt. Rushmore, the great wall,
the Empire State Building, the ocean, etc. These mutant signals also hit
cars. 


Now, here is the kicker.

Cars have radios.

The Great Wall and Mt. Rushmore do not, so reception with these objects
is not  "experienced" by radio listeners, just as you have done with your
car.


If your car is white; pure polished and shiny waxed white, these mutant
rays are not absorbed by the car. They are reflected out for a repeat of
their most recent journey. Hooking your antenna to the bumper hitch of a
white car produces very low efficiency results, in line with theory,
altered only by the inefficiencies of whether or not the car totally
reflects the sun's rays. (Remember, there is black trim on the car, most
likely.)


If your car is colored, or better yet a dull black, these signals are
absorbed (as a function of the nearness to total black by the car and
whether or not you keep the car all waxed and polished up) into the mass
of the automobile.


Hooking your receiver's antenna wire up to the car's frame provides for a
final relief path to the signal's demise and final termination.


This is a real boon to those that know how to keep their car's dull and
dirty, and at the same time, take advantage of this little understood and
experienced phenomena so as to take advantage of this signal absorption
technique.


Now that you know what is going on; try this.

Set your watch to WWV.

Hook your car antenna to the bumper hitch of your car.

Wait for a time signal from one of the radio stations that you are
listening to.

See the difference?

That is the time lag for that signal going out and coming back.

In some cases, you will notice as much as a 1 or 2 minute time
difference.


I hope this helps you understand what you have discovered. Like all else
in radio, it remains a mystery until extrapolated mathematically, or
explained by an old time QCWA type fellow such as myself.


73,

Bob

N5RP

Std e-mail:  perring@texas.net

Int'l e-mail:  N5RP@compuserve.com (when traveling)

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