Richard Harrison wrote:
Gene W4SZ wrote:
"You have not offered a single reference beyond the ARRL Handbook that
supports your model for noise generation." (Directed to Cecil)

Particle discharge makes radio static noise.

Look at Terman`s description of "precipitation static". Instead of
charged particles blowing in the wind and alighting on stationary
antennas, Terman describes aircraft and their antennas flying through
clouds of charged particles. The effect is the same.

Terman`s solution: keep the antennas away from sharp points on the
aircraft which tend to noisly discharge the aircraft, insulate antenna
wires, and put Faraday shields on the directional antenna loops.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI


Hi Richard,

You skipped the most interesting part in Terman.

In the 1955 edition, page 857, he says,

"The term precipitation static denotes a type of interference frequently
observed in an airplane passing through snow or rain. Under such
circumstances, the airplane may become electrically charged to such a
high potential with respect to the surrounding space that a corona
discharge breaks out at some sharp point on the plane. The interference
that this corona discharge produces with radio reception, termed
precipitation static, is particularly serious at short-wave and lower
frequencies."


So who are ya gonna believe? Terman? the ARRL Handbook? Cecil? Tom R.?


73,
Gene
W4SZ