[R-390] [SAClist] Staying in your own tree (OT)

[Tisha Hayes]

Oooh, I have inadvertently been the source of several pieces of technology
misinformation that took on lives of their own. Mostly because I have a
smart mouth and will say something almost believable when working on a
project and nobody is helping. Here are a few examples;

While cleaning up the things we had out on a radio install I grabbed the
end of an extension cord and did a few seconds of "crack the whip" with the
cord to get it straight so I could coil it up. The less than helpful
technician asked what I was doing so I said that cracking the extension
cord like that helps realign the excess electrons, otherwise they will
create an arc the next time the cord is plugged in.

I helped one individual (an amateur radio operator with a more than a few
paranoias) in setting up an active antenna for his WEFAX radio receiver.
While sitting at his bench I took a few little tabs of electric tape and
covered a few illuminating LED's (out of boredom). He asked what I was
doing; I informed him that since LED's and photodetectors were both diodes
the LED's could be reverse biased to act as single pixel cameras and that
some firmware in computers and consumer electronics are actually cameras so
the government can spy on you. He did not say anything but it was clear it
bothered him..  A few weeks later I stopped by to visit and EVERY LED in
his house was covered with electrical tape.

I convinced one of my friends that television remotes use ultrasonic to
change channels and if she whistled just right she could change television
channels. She spent several hours that evening whistling at the television
until I finally gained access to the real remote and on 2-3 times whenever
she whistled I clicked the channel up or down button. From what she told me
she took that newfound talent back to her college dorm room and spent quite
a bit of time trying to convince her roommate that she had gained an
ultrasonic whistling capability.

*Ms. Tisha Hayes, AA4HA*