[Elecraft] RF build up

[N2TK, Tony]

You know Alan, you may have something there. Some points I would like to
make:
When it is a rainy day or a gloomy day you tend to slow down. Maybe that
happens to RF also? Is that a rain effect or a state of mind or state of
electrical field?
Your explanation of swr (slow wave radio) may be correct. Since the CW speed
tends to slow down as it is radiated when you have ice on the antennas, I
wonder if the reverse is also true? If you have ice on the antennas and you
are receiving fast CW, maybe it will be slowed down so it is easier to copy?

Another point I would like to make is about the aluminum in beams. You ever
notice how your shiny new beam works so well? After a few years you get the
bug to buy another bigger and better antenna because you aren't as good in
the pileups anymore? Maybe the aluminum got dull because all the electrons
were radiated? So without enough electrons you don't have as strong a
signal. Just a thought.

Happy Holidays and  may you have another box from Elecraft under your tree.

N2TK, Tony
#3481

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Alan Slusher
Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 1:16 PM
To: 'Tony Davis'; elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: FW: [Elecraft] RF build up

 Tony:

I am sure that you can find evidence of the effect of weather on rf (see
below).

One of the things I notice is that cw signals sound weaker while it is
raining.  I always thought that that was because the rain was washing some
of the rf out of the air, leaving a smaller amount of radio waves to induce
emf in my antenna wire.  Since it is also possible that the rain may be
washing voltage off the antenna wire itself, I've been thinking of bring the
antenna inside the garage, so that the metal roof could shield it from the
rain.

The other thing I notice is that all the ham bands seem to get weak towards
the middle of the day and in the early afternoon.  I always thought that had
to do with the effects of the heat of the sun.  You know how hot and tired
you get at 2pm in the afternoon if you are out in the sun.  All you want to
do is to relax in the shade with a long cold drink.  Why not the same
situation for radio waves?  After all, they are as much a part of nature as
you and I.  What you say?  How come the waves are also weak if it is raining
and overcast in the middle of the day?  I thought I answered that in the
preceding paragraph.

What I don't seem to follow, and there doesn't seem to be an explanation for
it, is what happens to the feedline when rf is frozen on the antenna, and cw
coming from the transmitter at 27wpm leaves the antenna at 18wpm.  There has
to be some build-up of cw characters somewhere.  My guess is the feedline.
That is perhaps why old coax always seems to be fatter than new coax: lots
of unsent cw characters have distended it.  My question is: what happens if
there are more characters building up than the feedline can hold?  Isn't
this the real explanation for swr?  Isn't swr higher in winter than in
summer?

Cheers, and Merry Christmas

Alan  8P9BM