[Hallicrafters] Snow / Antenna question.

[Al Parker]

Hi Skip,
    Your SWR might be up a little, that would provide a little more loss in 
the feedline, and generate a little heat, but I don't think you'd get much, 
if any, heating in the wire of the dipole.
    I guess you could look at it as there is RF current flowing, but the 
resistance of the wire is so little that not much power is dissipated in 
heat, as an IR loss.  Center fed dipole has highest current at the 
feedpoint, zero at the ends.  Figure pwr = I squared times R, so I = sq root 
of pwr over R, or I =s q rt of 100/50, or I= sq rt of 2 =1.414 amps.  If 
it's #12 wire, and has 1.619 ohms/1000ft, or 0.00169 ohms/ft.  Then the pwr 
dissipated in the first foot would be approx.  amps squared times 
resistance, or 2 x .00169, or 0.00338 watts.  Not very much.  #14 wire would 
give a 'hair' more (scientific term there).
    I'm sure somebody will correct me if my math or reasoning is wrong.
73,
Al, W8UT
New Bern, NC
www.boatanchors.org
www.hammarlund.info

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Waldo Magnuson" <magnuson at mac.com>
To: <hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net>
Cc: "Waldo Magnuson" <magnuson at mac.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2008 11:50 AM
Subject: [Hallicrafters] Snow / Antenna question.


> Spokane, WA has been getting a lot of snow this winter (about 70 inches so 
> far) and yesterday my horizontal 40 m dipole had about 2 or 3 inches piled 
> up on it (and it did sag a little).  My transmitter is currently 
> undergoing some repair so I couldn't check but I know some of you will 
> know the answer to this question.  Will transmitting on 40 m at about 100 
> watts do any warming of the antenna and remove the snow?  Thanks.
> 73,  Skip  W7WGM
>
> ______________________________________________________________
>