[TowerTalk] snow static, Quad v. Yagi

[Keith Dutson]

Have you ever made observations of this charge buildup under varying
humidity?  I am wondering if higher relative humidity decreases the charge
potential and vice versa.

Keith NM5G

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Tom Rauch
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 4:23 PM
To: Jim Lux; Towertalk; Jim Rhodes
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] snow static, Quad v. Yagi


> Tom, if they cannot discharge to air, what exactly is
corona?

I never said they couldn't discharge to air. I specifically said they COULD
when the clouds and earth had a large potential difference.

I simply said the dust can't charge them to a potential that discharges back
into the dusty air. Since the dust (or cats, dogs, BPL advocates, whatever)
is suspended in air, it is pretty unreasonable to think the antenna could
accumulate enough charge to leak back into what is charging it. It lacks the
necessary charge pump, since once the antenna reaches the potential of the
dust charge transfer would stop.

What the breeze and the dust (or whatever) is doing is causing the wire to
overcome leakage or drain to earth.
Eventually it flashes across a capacitor or some other insulation to earth.

Touch my high dipole feedline while it is hanging in air on a day with a
breeze, and you will get knocked on your can.
Bring the end of the cable near earth and it will sizzle and arc. It never
will charge enough to sizzle right back into the very thing supplying
charges to it.

73 Tom


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