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 -

On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 14:28:47 -0500, 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, sounds like he is well on the way to a ham licence... did you
sign him up?

Owen
--

"Michael Coslo" wrote in message
...
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!

you didn't know that? its called frequency dispersion. fortunately it is a
relatively small effect and in normal bandwidths hams use it can be ignored.
for very high bandwidth signals like high speed digital stuff it can badly
distort the waveforms and can be the limiting factor in determining maximum
cable lengths without repeaters.

On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 19:43:15 GMT, Owen Duffy wrote:
On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 14:28:47 -0500, 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.

Mike, sounds like he is well on the way to a ham licence... did you
sign him up?

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

Jonesy
--
Marvin L Jones | jonz | W3DHJ | linux
Pueblo, Colorado | @ | Jonesy | OS/2 __
38.24N 104.55W | config.com | DM78rf | SK

Dave wrote:

"Michael Coslo" wrote in message
...

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!


you didn't know that? its called frequency dispersion. fortunately it is a
relatively small effect and in normal bandwidths hams use it can be ignored.
for very high bandwidth signals like high speed digital stuff it can badly
distort the waveforms and can be the limiting factor in determining maximum
cable lengths without repeaters.



Oh yes, I've heard of dispersion. But that isn't what the guy was
talking about in our context. He was talking about gross effects.

- Mike KB3EIA -

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!)
--

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 -

Jim - NN7K wrote:
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

Good tip, Jim! We have one of them here, and I'm going to check on Friday.

- Mike KB3EIA -

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

On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 14:28:47 -0500, Michael Coslo
wrote:

Slightly OT, but kinda fun anyhow.....

....

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



- Mike KB3EIA -



My favorite RShack items are the $100+ "Monster" cables to hook up
TV/DVD players. Gotta get those optical electrons flowing just
right...

bob
k5qwg