Radio Shack and my education
 

Iitoi wrote:

Michael Coslo Wrote:

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



You can increase the velocity factor (and shorten the antenna) by using
a good grade of Carnuba automobile wax to make the antenna slipperyer,
which (because of skin effect) allows the signal to accelerate faster.

The Man in the Maze
QRV from Baboquivari Peak, AZ


Yah but it makes receiving signals harder because the incoming radio
waves find it hard to stick to the antenna. They slip off in the wind.

Radio Shack and my education
 

I do have a a small tin of that "antenna wax" around somewhere. Maybe I
should dig it up and put it on ebay ;)

Scott


Iitoi wrote:
Michael Coslo Wrote:

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



You can increase the velocity factor (and shorten the antenna) by using
a good grade of Carnuba automobile wax to make the antenna slipperyer,
which (because of skin effect) allows the signal to accelerate faster.

The Man in the Maze
QRV from Baboquivari Peak, AZ

Radio Shack and my education
 

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...............

Funny that you brought this up today, Mike. I happened to hit my local
RadShack yesterday in search of a Cinch-Jones power connector. I told
the salesman what I was looking for, an 8-pin Jones plug/socket set. He
asked if I was looking for a microphone connector. I explained what the
Jones plugs looked like and told him that they used to be standard fare
in at Radio Shack and that they stocked them in 2, 4 and 8 pin
varieties. He told me that he'd never seen nor heard of them.

I told him that I could likely use a strip of the European-style nylon
electrical connectors with screw terminals. He'd never heard of those
and said RadShack didn't stock them. I walked to a different section of
the store and pulled two of them off the rack.

I've gotten into several heated discussions with audio weenies over
oxygen-free cable, gold-plated connectors, carbon vs. metal film
resistors and mylar vs. paper capacitors. All of these guys swore up
and down that they could hear a difference in one item vs. the other.
I've offered to set up blind tests to see if they could, but none would
ever take me up on the offer.

Dave K8MN

Radio Shack and my education
 

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)...

BTW, Mike, Big Lots, Value City and WalMart usually have a variety of
USB cables from $4.99 to $7.99.

Dave K8MN

Radio Shack and my education
 

Dave Heil wrote:
I told
the salesman what I was looking for, an 8-pin Jones plug/socket set.

I made the mistake at RS of asking for a Molex connector.
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp

Radio Shack and my education
 

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.

======================================

It's quite legal for traders to charge whatever price they think the
buyer can afford.

On the other hand, it is also quite legal for the buyer to haggle
about it. It's entirely up to you if you are unhappy.
----
Reg.

Radio Shack and my education
 

Michael wrote:
From my son's perspective, a teacher must really know something to be a
teacher. Sadly, this is far from true.

When I was student-teaching in the early 60's, the regular
physics teacher told his students that transistors were
made out of geranium. :-)
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp

Radio Shack and my education
 

Michael wrote:
My son took and electronics course at Benson High School in Portland Oregon.
The teacher was totally clueless and just made things up as he went along.

Ah yes. I attended Bensen Tech (so it was called then) in the Fall of
1953. We were taught to check light sockets for electricity be removing
the bulb and putting our fingers in them. Harmless fun :-)

Radio Shack and my education
 

Home Depot, GE brand $ 9.99 6 foot,
also other pc accessories under $ 10.00

usb dude

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 -

Radio Shack and my education
 

Owen Duffy wrote:

On 23 Nov 2005 20:29:37 GMT, Allodoxaphobia
wrote:



Too much ruckus has been focused on the 'No Code License' issue.
The ruckus should, instead, be focused on the 'No Clue License'.


I never mentioned the no-code licence... we got over that over a year
ago down under.

I suggest it is not a matter of the no-clue licence, but the no-clue
licensee, who could be licensed in any grade.

Owen
(Spelling correct for country of origin!)
--

Correct. I have personally met more extras without a clue than
generals, and that's not percentage-wise. Your personal mileage may
vary, but a lot of extras seem to be really code oriented or contest
oriented, and did nothing but memorize the technical questions answers
(US) to pass.

I do not maean to disparage anyone who got their license by legitimate
means.

Wasn't there a scandal around that sort of thing a while ago. The name
West comes to mind, but I truthfully don't remember anything more than that.

tom
K0TAR