One ARRL stand (at Dayton) handed out small, black foam balls that are
intended to be stuck on the end of a whip antenna. Stops corona (maybe --
let us skip that discussion).

I do not normally have a transmitter in my truck, so I stuck the ball on my
standard truck radio antenna. (It is a 2003 Ford Ranger.) Since doing this
I have noticed that the antenna almost always vibrates a little -- even
after sitting stopped (engine off) in the garage for many minutes. The ball
on the top moves at least 1/8 inch; it is easily seen if I focus on it.

It appears I have a good resonant antenna to sustain this motion for long
periods, across an almost 3:1 range (the AM broadcast band) and a bonus VHF
range (the FM broadcast band). I assume that Hooke's law (if I remembered
the right name for it) applies instead of the
break-from-metal-fatigue-or-metal-work-hardening-law will apply such that
the antenna does not snap off sometime. Perhaps I should patent this
resonant antenna that is almost frequency independent!

Bill
W2WO

Bill:

"Stops corona?" Or, converts it to heat in the carbon impregnated
Styrofoam material?

John

"Bill Ogden" wrote in message
...
One ARRL stand (at Dayton) handed out small, black foam balls that are
intended to be stuck on the end of a whip antenna. Stops corona
(maybe --
let us skip that discussion).

I do not normally have a transmitter in my truck, so I stuck the ball
on my
standard truck radio antenna. (It is a 2003 Ford Ranger.) Since
doing this
I have noticed that the antenna almost always vibrates a little --
even
after sitting stopped (engine off) in the garage for many minutes.
The ball
on the top moves at least 1/8 inch; it is easily seen if I focus on
it.

It appears I have a good resonant antenna to sustain this motion for
long
periods, across an almost 3:1 range (the AM broadcast band) and a
bonus VHF
range (the FM broadcast band). I assume that Hooke's law (if I
remembered
the right name for it) applies instead of the
break-from-metal-fatigue-or-metal-work-hardening-law will apply such
that
the antenna does not snap off sometime. Perhaps I should patent this
resonant antenna that is almost frequency independent!

Bill
W2WO

The tenna-topper used to be Orange styrofoam - free with a fillup at the
"Union-76" station on the corner. (late 60's)
I don't think it stops corona or helps or harms the antenna in any way -
unless by making it easier to blow down.
One interesting experiment to try is put a ohmmeter on it - and - If
infinity, then maybe borrow a megger.

"Bill Ogden" wrote in message
...
One ARRL stand (at Dayton) handed out small, black foam balls that are
intended to be stuck on the end of a whip antenna. Stops corona (maybe --
let us skip that discussion).

I do not normally have a transmitter in my truck, so I stuck the ball on
my
standard truck radio antenna. (It is a 2003 Ford Ranger.) Since doing
this
I have noticed that the antenna almost always vibrates a little -- even
after sitting stopped (engine off) in the garage for many minutes. The
ball
on the top moves at least 1/8 inch; it is easily seen if I focus on it.

It appears I have a good resonant antenna to sustain this motion for long
periods, across an almost 3:1 range (the AM broadcast band) and a bonus
VHF
range (the FM broadcast band). I assume that Hooke's law (if I remembered
the right name for it) applies instead of the
break-from-metal-fatigue-or-metal-work-hardening-law will apply such that
the antenna does not snap off sometime. Perhaps I should patent this
resonant antenna that is almost frequency independent!

Bill
W2WO

I never tried a ball. But I know on 160m mobile, corona is
very common if you run the juice. The ones I talked to used
metal balls for that...I didn't know a non conductive ball would
work...Maybe it will, but I never tried it...I used to talk to a guy
across town that worked 160m mobile every morning. He ran a
KW, and he used to say his antenna glowed a kind of blue color
most of the time around the top. MK

Bill Ogden wrote:
One ARRL stand (at Dayton) handed out small, black foam balls that are
intended to be stuck on the end of a whip antenna. Stops corona (maybe --
let us skip that discussion).

I do not normally have a transmitter in my truck, so I stuck the ball on my
standard truck radio antenna. (It is a 2003 Ford Ranger.) Since doing this
I have noticed that the antenna almost always vibrates a little -- even
after sitting stopped (engine off) in the garage for many minutes. The ball
on the top moves at least 1/8 inch; it is easily seen if I focus on it.

It appears I have a good resonant antenna to sustain this motion for long
periods, across an almost 3:1 range (the AM broadcast band) and a bonus VHF
range (the FM broadcast band). I assume that Hooke's law (if I remembered
the right name for it) applies instead of the
break-from-metal-fatigue-or-metal-work-hardening-law will apply such that
the antenna does not snap off sometime.

The principle behind Hooke's Law is only one element in determining the
resonant frequecies of vibrating bodies. Oops . . yeah, I know, that
could be taken . . ah, never mind. Moving along there is no such thing
as a "work hardening law".

What you have is a simple fully restrained fixed end cantiliver beam
with a point mass on it's far end. Your "system" when excited by random
forces like wind impingement loads vibrates *mechanically* at it's
natural freq and it's harmonics which can cover any number of octaves.

Your "system" won't crap out due to vibration unless the skin stresses
in the rod exceed the specific (published) endurance limit of the
material.

"The rest is left as an exercise for the student to bumble thru."

None of which of course has a friggin' thing to do it's characteristics
as an antenna. Which you already knew. Tnx for the troll, gave me
something delightfully useless to do while I finished off this double
magnum scotch 'n water.


Perhaps I should patent this
resonant antenna that is almost frequency independent!

Go for it William, you can't miss, the patent office hangs numbers on
any brainfart which comes down the road these days. At worst you'll be
able to claim that you're an "inventor" of record. Brag points are
where you find 'em.

Ditty dah dit dah.


Bill
W2WO

w3rv

"Bill Ogden" wrote in message
...
One ARRL stand (at Dayton) handed out small, black foam balls that are
intended to be stuck on the end of a whip antenna. Stops corona (maybe --
let us skip that discussion).

I do not normally have a transmitter in my truck, so I stuck the ball on my
standard truck radio antenna. (It is a 2003 Ford Ranger.) Since doing this
I have noticed that the antenna almost always vibrates a little -- even
after sitting stopped (engine off) in the garage for many minutes. The ball
on the top moves at least 1/8 inch; it is easily seen if I focus on it.

It appears I have a good resonant antenna to sustain this motion for long
periods, across an almost 3:1 range (the AM broadcast band) and a bonus VHF
range (the FM broadcast band). I assume that Hooke's law (if I remembered
the right name for it) applies instead of the
break-from-metal-fatigue-or-metal-work-hardening-law will apply such that
the antenna does not snap off sometime. Perhaps I should patent this
resonant antenna that is almost frequency independent!

Bill
W2WO

Isn't 'frequency independent' and 'resonant' appearing in the same sentence an
oxymoron? Just like 'sanitary sewer'? One thing's for sure, just being an
oxymoron won't stop the patent office from granting a patent. Go for it! The
examiners at the patent office won't even know whether the antenna is resonant
mechanically or electrically.

Walt, W2DU

On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 13:15:51 -0400, "Bill Ogden"
wrote:

One ARRL stand (at Dayton) handed out small, black foam balls that are
intended to be stuck on the end of a whip antenna. Stops corona (maybe --
let us skip that discussion).

I do not normally have a transmitter in my truck, so I stuck the ball on my
standard truck radio antenna. (It is a 2003 Ford Ranger.) Since doing this
I have noticed that the antenna almost always vibrates a little -- even
after sitting stopped (engine off) in the garage for many minutes. The ball
on the top moves at least 1/8 inch; it is easily seen if I focus on it.

It appears I have a good resonant antenna to sustain this motion for long
periods, across an almost 3:1 range (the AM broadcast band) and a bonus VHF
range (the FM broadcast band). I assume that Hooke's law (if I remembered
the right name for it) applies instead of the
break-from-metal-fatigue-or-metal-work-hardening-law will apply such that
the antenna does not snap off sometime. Perhaps I should patent this
resonant antenna that is almost frequency independent!

Bill
W2WO



Years ago someone invented something to place on the tops of antennas
that improved their signals considerably. The military allegedly
purchased many of these. They looked like a ball with a tear-drop
shape where the small pointed end fit over the end of the antenna.

Is this that same device or something along it's principal?

thanks
Buck
N4PGW

--
73 for now
Buck
N4PGW

.... well, one might look kewl on my tinfoil hat! grin

Regards,
John
"Buck" wrote in message
...

On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 13:15:51 -0400, "Bill Ogden"
wrote:

One ARRL stand (at Dayton) handed out small, black foam balls that are
intended to be stuck on the end of a whip antenna. Stops corona
(maybe --
let us skip that discussion).

I do not normally have a transmitter in my truck, so I stuck the ball
on my
standard truck radio antenna. (It is a 2003 Ford Ranger.) Since
doing this
I have noticed that the antenna almost always vibrates a little --
even
after sitting stopped (engine off) in the garage for many minutes.
The ball
on the top moves at least 1/8 inch; it is easily seen if I focus on
it.

It appears I have a good resonant antenna to sustain this motion for
long
periods, across an almost 3:1 range (the AM broadcast band) and a
bonus VHF
range (the FM broadcast band). I assume that Hooke's law (if I
remembered
the right name for it) applies instead of the
break-from-metal-fatigue-or-metal-work-hardening-law will apply such
that
the antenna does not snap off sometime. Perhaps I should patent this
resonant antenna that is almost frequency independent!

Bill
W2WO



Years ago someone invented something to place on the tops of antennas
that improved their signals considerably. The military allegedly
purchased many of these. They looked like a ball with a tear-drop
shape where the small pointed end fit over the end of the antenna.

Is this that same device or something along it's principal?

thanks
Buck
N4PGW

--
73 for now
Buck
N4PGW

Years ago someone invented something to place on the tops of antennas
that improved their signals considerably. The military allegedly
purchased many of these. They looked like a ball with a tear-drop
shape where the small pointed end fit over the end of the antenna.

Is this that same device or something along it's principal?

Same thing basically...But it ain't gonna improve the signal. At all...
It's not large enough to act as much of a capacity hat....
Might lower received static noise though, compared to a
sharp tip...That would vary also, to the climate, humidity, etc...
Most of my "stinger" whips start out with a small ball...But after
a week, I've usually whacked it off, hitting trees...I don't bother
to replace...
MK