.. but no input concerning the antenna issue
.
Bruce,
I think we use to conversed some years back, rOund the old Community Broadcasting forum?
Anyway, I'm right there with you -so far as returning to an old flame after being away. But in listening to your post, it's obvious your more technically capable, or at least active than I. You're experimenting and fabricating. -- while I'm just kinda wandering like a newbie, asking newbie questions...
Nevrtheless, I have had my feet wet before and have too returned to go a little deeper, have a little fun, and maybe accomplish something.
What I mean is that I asscociated with your post.
Don't it feel good to be back?
.
Carl,
Hi Carl! I aint got nothing to say right now, just didn't want to leave you out.
.
Ken,
I've been to your site before, but this time I stayed a little longer. Unfortunately, this time all I got to hear was the marine forcast (you're off air).
Uh.. Listen, would you mind if I were to mimic your phrase:
"...brought to you in glorious sandflea-powered Amplitude Modulated Monophonic sound" on my website on Tybee Is. GA.? -- I haven't even began building it yet, but when I do, incorporating those words of wit would be ideal.
If it were to bother you, I won't use it. But the words "sandflea power" I already had set.. That's just beach talk!
". I've tried everything, but I've failed to reconnect my backup broadcast computer through the main via Ethernet ... it keeps telling me Ethernet has a self-assigned IP address and can't connect to the Internet 🙁 On a hunch, I'm guessing possibly some kind of auto-update caused a change in settings, if your using XP, try: click start/all programs/accessories/system tools/system restore.. and then select a checkpoint date on the calender right before the problem started. Chances are after the reboot it will connect again.
.
Last but not least..
President Marshall,
I read and enjoy a lot of your post, but at the moment I don't know what you just said.
Can you say it 3 times fast?
1. True. Inverted conical Monopoles are used where a wide variety of closely spaced frequencies are required (e.g. spread spectrum over 1-2 MHz). Spread Spectrum was developed during the World Wars for secure data and voice transmission. Link to more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spread_spectrum At 3.0 MHz and above a quarter wave length would be around 80 feet tall, and could be less due to distributed capacitance in the antenna.
2. Angle of departure of radio waves from a propagating antenna is determined by near-field and far-field ground resistance/conductivity. Current and radiation of signal does occur on the radial system. The shape of the propagated wave is determined by the current distribution along the length of the antenna. For monopole antennas, current distribution is the determining factor as to where the most or least signal leave the radiator. Little current equals higher impedance versus more current equals lower impedance (Ohms Law). Lobes and nulls of the signal pattern are dependent on the mutual impedance of the radiator.
3. BCB inverted conical monopoles are used for SHORTWAVE broadcasting world wide. The broadcast service in most countries outside the United States, Canada and Mexico are on HF frequencies (>2.0 MHz), not MW frequencies. The primary reason for the lack of use in the U.S. is the vertical space, real estate and money required to construct a working antenna system. Even though the antenna can be shorter than the normal vertical BCB monopole, accepted efficiency standards set by the FCC necessarily dictate a minimum height and field strength. An acceptable BCB AM inverted conical monopole would be huge. One quarter wavelength at 1600 KHz is 146 feet; longer at lower frequencies. The investment required for construction and subsequent engineering filings would be prohibitive in respect to any possibility of economic recovery.
As a final note: The AM broadcast service is fading into history, just as Morse code has as an accepted consumer method of communication. The service continues to persist purely because of the millions invested already and regulations and licensing. News/Talk on Am was supposed to save the band, but at last glance, less than 15 percent of people in the U.S. get their news and information from radio. The leading sources are the internet and television. Print and radio come in dead last. Even, the Yellow Pages are ceasing to be printed because of the use of their internet service. It's a changing world, like it or not.
And just for Rich...3X's, 3X's, 3X's (adjust speed as needed).
I like the added title put there by Rich Powers... President Johnson, Sr. And thank you for the many new facts (new to me) about this interesting subject started by MICRO1700.
My ARRL Handbook says things about a upright cone antenna, but does not mention the inverse type.
From everything said, if I understand, we should expect no advantage in part15 use for the inverse conical monopole because of the small vertical height.
Still, it would be an interesting sight to see for the neighbors.
But Bruce's version is not an actual cone, per say, but I am guessing is the equivalent built from curved pipes.
Carrying this one more step, as I look at my 4-element cage monopole FM antenna dangling on its bamboo tower, I am guessing there would be no benefit to flaring the upper four wires outward to make the top wider than the bottom. But on the other hand, at FM I have a true half-wave, which would not be true on AM.... so, maybe......
Hi Guys!
I have read everything from you a couple
of times and I really appreciate it.
My comments will probably be brief because,
unfortunately, this is a day where life is
"getting in the way," an expression that
I think Neil has used a lot.
This is the bottom line with the antenna
experiment:
I had a "less than 3 meter antenna" that
worked pretty well. I put a HUGE top hat
on it and there was a significant increase
in signal. The system was ground mounted
with 16 radials. Because of problems with
my poor eyesight I could not maintain the
system and it sort of just fell apart.
There is some debate about the legality of top
hats. I can see both sides of the argument.
So I thought it would be fun to make a
"3 meter stick" that is just larger on top and not
use a top hat. The goal is the same as what
a top hat does - (let's see if I've got this right)
it will increase the radiation resistance and/or
pull more current to the top of the antenna.
So that's basically it. I'm not sure what it will
look like but it seems that the easiest approach
is to take 4 copper poles, feed them all at the
bottom and then spread them apart some
distance at the top. I'm not sure what to do
after that - but that's OK because this is a fun
experiment and we will just see where it goes.
Carl's 49 MHz Part 15 comment above regarding
an antenna element seems to indicate that using
multiple poles together is OK. Also, if you look
at a Part 15 AM antenna like the Bilal Isotron -
well it is made of many pieces and nobody has
questioned that.
To Rich: Welcome aboard! I don't think we
met before on another board. This is really
the first board I have ever been on. Before
I got on here I knew NOTHING about how
to make a Part 15 station work. I had tried
many Part 15.239 FM set-ups over the years
but never had any luck with AM. Thanks to
the people on this board, I have had some
significant success. So Rich, just enjoy what
you are doing and take your time. I think
Part 15 AM/FM is about the radio/electronics,
the music, and the broadcast history. And
by broadcast history I mean it could be old
radio shows or old broadcast equipment.
So that's it for now. Thank you for everything
you guys.
Bruce, MICRO1690/1700
"Uh.. Listen, would you mind if I were to mimic your phrase:
"...brought to you in glorious sandflea-powered Amplitude Modulated Monophonic sound" on my website on Tybee Is. GA.?"
Sure. Can't take credit for it anyway, I adopted someone else's reference -- "flea-powered" to marine environment ... perfectly appropriate for your location as well as mine, I'd say 😉
I use a Mac ... however, reverting to previous stored settings should work, if I can nail down dates and times in the log, I'll take a look ... many thanks.
P.S. I drive a taxi part time, night duty, usually awake 'til 2:00am, so I run NOAA Puget Sound Weather from Midnight to Noon. However, when I can get more automated programming of interest to the community. I'll set up some morning and 'After Midnight' shows.