It goes inside the tire to prevent static build up.

"John Smith" wrote in message
...

"w4jle" W4JLE(remove this to wrote in message
...
Get some anti-static power for your tires.



Welllll... Okay, but do they make it in grades for the age of the asphalt?

I suspect you are referring to the substitution of silica for carbon black
in the tire to make the EPA happy.

"Crazy George" wrote in message
...
OK, some of you guys are old enough to remember the answer to this
question.
Used to be a real problem. If no one guesses it, I'll post the science
tomorrow. Geeeeez!!!

--
Crazy George
Remove N O and S P A M imbedded in return address
"John Smith" wrote in message
...
Here's one to explain:

There I was, driving along a two-lane asphalt highway trying to listen
to
an
AM band station on 1230 kHz about 70 miles away (they only run 250
Watts)
and getting considerable static. I noticed that the static diminished
when
I
came to a stop and resumed when I began again. This was not alternator
whine
or spark plug noise--more like white noise. So, I thought, it must be
static
from wind in the antenna or maybe tire-on-roadway static.

Then I hit a section of road with a new 3-week-old layer of asphalt laid
over the old asphalt. The noise disappeared! The noise returned when I
drove
off that new section of asphalt. Hmmmm. Did I just imagine it? So, I
asked
my XYL to pay attention to the station/static when the next opportunity
arrived. Another section of fresh asphalt produced the same thing and
she
can verify it. It happened every time.

Now I ask you... why would I have statickey noise from driving on old
asphalt? Or, maybe the question should be why would fresh asphalt be a
noise
quencher? Or something.


Thanks,
John
KD5YI

"Bill Turner" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 19:10:45 -0600, "John Smith"
wrote:

Ain't that a hoot? I could understand the static level changing from
asphalt
to concrete (maybe) but from old to new asphalt? By the way, the old and
new
roads were about the same smoothness if the potholes were missed.

__________________________________________________ _______

I had the same problem on a '97 Escort wagon. If you want to REALLY
experience wheel static, get one of those, because the wheel is not
grounded to the frame at all! Check it with an ohm meter and see.
Apparently they use plastic bearings; this is not a case of the mechanic
left out the grounding springs - there aren't any!

And the amount of static did indeed vary with the road surface. My
theory is that some roads are more conductive than others and will drain
away the static slightly better, although not completely in any case.

Just theory, can't prove it, but I saw it happen many, many times.

--
Bill, W6WRT


OR, the differing road surface really causes varying amounts of static, as
the OP observed. The act of a tire rolling on an asphalt surface involves a
certain amount of deformation or "squirm" of the tire body. This scrubbing
action will allow triboelectric charging; the same effect you get by rubbing
the faceplate of a plastic meter or shuffling your shoes across a carpet.
Different mating surfaces yield differing amounts of triboelectric
generation.

I have experienced static conditions, during a Wyoming snow-storm, so bad
that it blanked out broadcast AM radio in my car. So just driving through
the air can cause vehicle charging. Even if you discount the road surface
triboelectric effect, it's also quite possible that different road surfaces
might have widely varying conductivity (perhaps due to contaminates and
moisture trapped in the road surface texture).


--
Ed
WB6WSN

"John Smith" wrote in message ...
"w4jle" W4JLE(remove this to wrote in message
...
Get some anti-static power for your tires.



Welllll... Okay, but do they make it in grades for the age of the asphalt?

Doubt it. I'm not sure what causes the change, but it's probably
something to do with the roughness of the surface. Either that , or
maybe a change in the rebar, grounding, etc under the new stretch. Cuz
of the rebar, most highways are actually pretty decent psuedo ground
planes for mobiles. Sometimes you will notice a drop when you leave
the road. The noise is real. I've noticed it for years, but never did
anything about it. It was the only source of noise I had on my car,
and probably the same in the old truck I've been driving lately. The
usual fix is a combination of the wheel bearing, cap, spring trick,
and the anti-static powder.. Which BTW, I don't even know where to
get...Myself, I just made use of the noise blanker at warp speeds...:/
MK

"John Smith" wrote in message ...
"w4jle" W4JLE(remove this to wrote in message
...
Get some anti-static power for your tires.



Welllll... Okay, but do they make it in grades for the age of the asphalt?

Doubt it. I'm not sure what causes the change, but it's probably
something to do with the roughness of the surface. Either that , or
maybe a change in the rebar, grounding, etc under the new stretch. Cuz
of the rebar, most highways are actually pretty decent psuedo ground
planes for mobiles. Sometimes you will notice a drop when you leave
the road. The noise is real. I've noticed it for years, but never did
anything about it. It was the only source of noise I had on my car,
and probably the same in the old truck I've been driving lately. The
usual fix is a combination of the wheel bearing, cap, spring trick,
and the anti-static powder.. Which BTW, I don't even know where to
get...Myself, I just made use of the noise blanker at warp speeds...:/
MK

OR, the differing road surface really causes varying amounts of static, as
the OP observed. The act of a tire rolling on an asphalt surface involves a
certain amount of deformation or "squirm" of the tire body. This scrubbing
action will allow triboelectric charging; the same effect you get by rubbing
the faceplate of a plastic meter or shuffling your shoes across a carpet.
Different mating surfaces yield differing amounts of triboelectric
generation.

I have experienced static conditions, during a Wyoming snow-storm, so bad
that it blanked out broadcast AM radio in my car. So just driving through
the air can cause vehicle charging. Even if you discount the road surface
triboelectric effect, it's also quite possible that different road surfaces
might have widely varying conductivity (perhaps due to contaminates and
moisture trapped in the road surface texture).
--
Ed
WB6WSN



Bingo!
Install little wire brushes on the bumper, like seen on the wings of airplanes,
for the static dissipation and your troubles will vanish.

Yuri, K3BU/m

"w4jle" W4JLE(remove this to wrote in message
...
Get some anti-static power for your tires.

I don't know if they still make it, but that used to be the standard fix.

Tam/WB2TT

John:

Before I answer the questions you asked (I notice most correspondents
answered a lot of questions you didn't ask), I want to point out a few
things. Ever think about how many tires wear out every year? You know,
1/2" or more of rubber worn off millions of tires? Cubic yards of rubber?
Where does it all go? Piles of ground rubber along the roads? Well, some
of it remains stuck to the surface of the roadway. Look at any cement
roadway for confirmation. New, nice white or light gray. Old, dark gray to
black. Now, in spite of EPA, go out and press the leads of an ohmmeter to
the tread of your tires. Not the sidewalls, which may be a different mix,
and usually don't contribute anyway, but to the tread itself. Slightly
conductive, unless they are an unusual brand. So, as you and all the other
vehicles travel on that fresh, non conductive asphalt, day by day you make
it more and more conductive. So the current which creates the noise, and is
driven by voltage from triboelectric and other effects, is markedly
different when traveling on a conductive surface than it is on a
non-conductive surface.

So, in the order you asked:
No, you didn't imagine it.
You have noise on old asphalt because it tends to be not a good insulator,
and current flows, creating noise.
Fresh asphalt is much less conductive, so less noise generating current
flows.

--
Crazy George
Remove N O and S P A M imbedded in return address


"John Smith" wrote in message
...
Here's one to explain:

There I was, driving along a two-lane asphalt highway trying to listen to
an
AM band station on 1230 kHz about 70 miles away (they only run 250 Watts)
and getting considerable static. I noticed that the static diminished when
I
came to a stop and resumed when I began again. This was not alternator
whine
or spark plug noise--more like white noise. So, I thought, it must be
static
from wind in the antenna or maybe tire-on-roadway static.

Then I hit a section of road with a new 3-week-old layer of asphalt laid
over the old asphalt. The noise disappeared! The noise returned when I
drove
off that new section of asphalt. Hmmmm. Did I just imagine it? So, I asked
my XYL to pay attention to the station/static when the next opportunity
arrived. Another section of fresh asphalt produced the same thing and she
can verify it. It happened every time.

Now I ask you... why would I have statickey noise from driving on old
asphalt? Or, maybe the question should be why would fresh asphalt be a
noise
quencher? Or something.


Thanks,
John
KD5YI

"Crazy George" wrote in message
...
John:

Before I answer the questions you asked (I notice most correspondents
answered a lot of questions you didn't ask), I want to point out a few
things. Ever think about how many tires wear out every year? You know,
1/2" or more of rubber worn off millions of tires? Cubic yards of rubber?
Where does it all go? Piles of ground rubber along the roads? Well, some
of it remains stuck to the surface of the roadway. Look at any cement
roadway for confirmation. New, nice white or light gray. Old, dark gray
to
black. Now, in spite of EPA, go out and press the leads of an ohmmeter to
the tread of your tires. Not the sidewalls, which may be a different mix,
and usually don't contribute anyway, but to the tread itself. Slightly
conductive, unless they are an unusual brand. So, as you and all the
other
vehicles travel on that fresh, non conductive asphalt, day by day you make
it more and more conductive. So the current which creates the noise, and
is
driven by voltage from triboelectric and other effects, is markedly
different when traveling on a conductive surface than it is on a
non-conductive surface.

So, in the order you asked:
No, you didn't imagine it.
You have noise on old asphalt because it tends to be not a good insulator,
and current flows, creating noise.
Fresh asphalt is much less conductive, so less noise generating current
flows.

--
Crazy George


Well, okay then. That's what I get for posing the question--now I'm
obligated to go measure my tires with an Ohmmeter (when nobody is looking).

I think there were a couple of other posts hinting at this. Sounds like a
winner.

Thanks, Crazy. Er, thanks, George.

John

If your antenna is a whip check to see if it still has the little
anti-static ball on top. Also make sure the nut that secures the antenna to
the body is tight.. If it's not a whip check the lead-in ground.
hank wd5jfr
"John Smith" wrote in message
...

"Crazy George" wrote in message
...
John:

Before I answer the questions you asked (I notice most correspondents
answered a lot of questions you didn't ask), I want to point out a few
things. Ever think about how many tires wear out every year? You know,
1/2" or more of rubber worn off millions of tires? Cubic yards of
rubber?
Where does it all go? Piles of ground rubber along the roads? Well,
some
of it remains stuck to the surface of the roadway. Look at any cement
roadway for confirmation. New, nice white or light gray. Old, dark
gray
to
black. Now, in spite of EPA, go out and press the leads of an ohmmeter
to
the tread of your tires. Not the sidewalls, which may be a different
mix,
and usually don't contribute anyway, but to the tread itself. Slightly
conductive, unless they are an unusual brand. So, as you and all the
other
vehicles travel on that fresh, non conductive asphalt, day by day you
make
it more and more conductive. So the current which creates the noise,
and
is
driven by voltage from triboelectric and other effects, is markedly
different when traveling on a conductive surface than it is on a
non-conductive surface.

So, in the order you asked:
No, you didn't imagine it.
You have noise on old asphalt because it tends to be not a good
insulator,
and current flows, creating noise.
Fresh asphalt is much less conductive, so less noise generating current
flows.

--
Crazy George


Well, okay then. That's what I get for posing the question--now I'm
obligated to go measure my tires with an Ohmmeter (when nobody is
looking).

I think there were a couple of other posts hinting at this. Sounds like a
winner.

Thanks, Crazy. Er, thanks, George.

John