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Recent content by SolderingGunslinger

  1. SolderingGunslinger

    Distance between two arms of dipole

    If you are talking about a standard run-of-the-mill halfwave doublet, the center should be relatively close together IM (not so) HO. There is an EMF minimum at the center of a .5 Lambda antenna and a current maxima. This holds true whether the antenna is center fed (Voltage Feed)or end fed or...
  2. SolderingGunslinger

    Transformer Noise

    I would guess the resistive load of the electric heater is sufficient to cause the transformer to humm. There are several reasons that a transformer will humm, 1) loose laminations in the core 2) loose windings or winding bobbins 3) it likes the tune but never learned the words to "It's too...
  3. SolderingGunslinger

    Frisbee locating device

    What about an LED flasher. Have the flasher turn on after dark. If your Frisbee is lost, wait until sunset, then look for the flashing high intensity LED. OTOH, you could imbed a tiny GPS engine along with a small transmitter which could transmit the exact location of your frisbee in the...
  4. SolderingGunslinger

    using RF to measure distance

    Wow! I agree, Analog is dead on. I thought the device would be placed on the Bull so you could go cow-tipping whithout the needless worry of accidently bothering the bull far from the pasture fence! I remain, The Old Soldering Gunslinger
  5. SolderingGunslinger

    Dipole-coaxial antenna at 915 MHz

    A halfwave at 915 MHz is 6.454". The ground plane would be approx. 7" in diameter. The quarer wave monopole would be 3.227" tall. I remain, The Old Soldering Gunslinger
  6. SolderingGunslinger

    Field Strength vs. reciever sensitivities

    Receiver sensitivity generally is rated in terms of a voltage present at the antenna terminals across whatever impedence the receiver presents. What make and model spectrum analyzer do you have? I remain, The Old Soldering Gunslinger
  7. SolderingGunslinger

    using RF to measure distance

    Such a system was described by Hugo Gernsback in 1912 in his book Ralph 24C41+ It was developed for practical use in the late 1930s It's called RADAR. Now, you can get a GPS engine a whole lot less expensively than a radar unit and you can adapt APRS (Check on ARRL.ORG about APRS) to have the...
  8. SolderingGunslinger

    Mechanical Eng. with 2450 MHz Microwave question

    Consider a revolving door concept for input and output from your industrial sized nuke...for some resaon, the though of purchasing microwaved chicken, convection browned or not, isn't appetizing to me...then again, the I can go to the local costco and buy a freshly flame broiled whol bird for a...
  9. SolderingGunslinger

    Wrong colour on TV

    Hmmm...one time, you spell color the way we Yanks do, then you spell colour the way the Brits (and former colonials in many parts of the world) would. Are you, perhaps Canadian? There have been indications that the earth's magnetic field is becoming unsettled and will switch polarities...
  10. SolderingGunslinger

    Dipole-coaxial antenna at 915 MHz

    Shakespeare used to make a CB (11 meter band) antenna called "The Big Stick" which was indeed a coaxial or sleeve dipole. The antenna was an aluminum tube wrapped in the same color fiberglass as their 102" whip antenna. it had a 3/8-24 threaded socket at one end and an so-239 (PL259 socket at...
  11. SolderingGunslinger

    absorption air conditioning system in cars

    Hmmm...That is an interesting thought...capillary tubes in the exhaust manifold(s). IIRC, the refrigerant used in the absorption type refrigerators used to be ammonia...I don't think it would be very nice if the evaporator coil sprung a leak while traveling 75MPH on I-10... When I was a kid, a...
  12. SolderingGunslinger

    How far do you commute?

    Omaha, $1560/yr reserved space, open lot, 200' to office Tucson, $560/yr, hunting license in parking garage under cover, 800 yds to office. Both parking permits were paid in pre-tax dollars. I remain, The Old Soldering Gunslinger
  13. SolderingGunslinger

    Design of helical resonator

    What the Comcokid said and one more thing. At 45 MHz, the skin effect comes into play in a relatively large way. Silver plating will increase the Q of the inductor because of the lower resistance of the silver (or silver oxide). For example: at 60 HZ, the skin depth in copper is 8.57mm. At 10...
  14. SolderingGunslinger

    job section

    Alas, RF engineering isn't as "Sexy" as it once was. Instead of mundane sinewaves, the allure of ones and zeros has enticed potential RF engineers to "The Dark Side" :-D. I might suggest that you advertise your position in periodicals read almost exclusively by RF professionals and (dare I say...
  15. SolderingGunslinger

    How far do you commute?

    The nicest (in good weather) and strangest commute was a 105-mile (on the road) 70-mile (in the air) commute I had for one Summer. When the weather was good, I hand propped the old J-3 and flew to the site, landed on the property in rural Nebraska, taxied up to the building and tied down. It...

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