Next time try an outfit called "Big Lots"-- they had packs of 3
USB cables- for about 8 bucks, if memory serves!! And, their clerks
are dumb, and KNOW that they are dumb, so no lecture from them,
if you can even find one that "speaka d' english " ! They are an
overstock/closeout specialty store, and have everything from food to
computer disks and small handtools! Relatively inexpensive, too-- Jim
NN7K

Michael Coslo wrote:
Slightly OT, but kinda fun anyhow.....

I'd been trying to locate a reasonably priced USB cable over the weekend
It seems that you often pay as much for the cable as you fo for the
device you are connecting to the computer.

Has stereo voodoo physics entered the computer realm?

Anyhow, I ended up in a Radio Shack store, found the cheapest cable I
could, (20 bucks) and made the mistake of mentioning something to the
salesman about the funny claims on the packages. Big mistake, I had
blasphemed his religion. In the next couple minutes I learned that:

Turns out that different frequencies travel at different speeds down the
cable. Good cables have special formulations of wire that compensate for
this.

Everybody knows that!

He didn't know what velocity factor was, but let me know that he had
taken physics classes, so he knew what he was talking about.

So why have u antenna gurus been misleading us?!


Now that my eyes have been opened I understand....

Looking at an antenna, it becomes obvious that the lower the
frequency, the slower the signal moves. The extra length of the antenna
allows the RF to accellerate enough so that when it reached the end of
the antenna, it has enough velocity to shoot out and not float straight
up. Those really high frequencies are zipping by so fast that they
hardly need any wire to get to TOSP (Take-off speed)

Wow, I have reached true enlightenment...............



- Mike KB3EIA -