Those not curious about antennas can skip a few paragraphs. I’ve learned the figure eight design shown here is a compromise. The signal comes in from the X direction passing over the “sides” of the antenna wire, each of which are a quarter wavelength. Thus, they intersect the incoming flow at an average of 45 degrees on either side of the exact centerpoint, shown here as a red dot. Since the incoming signal is a full sine wave, each half or the antenna will catch any portion missed by the other. I think.
The explanation for my sudden antenna research is to establish communication from home as opposed to using the library system. Once home service is working, it will become far easier to conduct regular electronics research and carry on with robotics. I’ve found that books on antenna theory are horribly written. They start off well enough but quickly lapse into egghead terms when the author loses his sense of audience. You might say a lot of the well-intended books wind up staying in the MonkeyZone (see below).What I’m covering now is subtle knowledge of why our bowtie or zig-zag antenna is underperforming. There are no serious errors in the design. I’ve learned the core of all design is the ¼-wavelength arrangement, and the bowtie is known to the scientist as a “bi-quad” antenna. My book-bound research has led me to beamwidth and reflector technology. I know the signals are there; do I require a parabolic reflector to gather them? I never went this far before. Where before my antennas either worked or didn’t work, I am finally asking why.
Finally, I rigged up a magnet and a coil and measured an induced electric current of 2 millivolts. It’s one of those things you read about and I finally got around to doing it. I moved three fridge magnets between an old radio antenna. It was necessary to see it for myself and I observed it closely. The voltage swayed between negative and positive values, meaning it is an alternating current, at least the way I moved the magnet. Sorry, no picture since foolishly I bought Kodak camera batteries.
[Author's note 2016-05-15: we never did succeed in getting antennas to work. It remains unknown if it was the sensitivity of our measuring devices, but there can be little doubt the antennas were built to the most exacting standards.]
I’m doing what civilized people ought to do on Sunday’s. I’ve read five chapters of antenna theory, which is easier reading than the book on microbe research. I figured out that RHDP on an LED stands for “right hand decimal point” and how not to make onion rings. Now onion rings, there is a topic that’s the right intellectual depth for the Internet. Bet I’ll find a dozen recipes next log-on.
With that in mind, allow me to define the “MonkeyZone”. This is the narrow range (in IQ) of material on the Internet that is too shallow for somebody to sell or turn into an on-line course, but barely important enough that somebody with half a brain will publish it and consider themselves an author and a gentleman, as the case may be.
This would explain why the Internet is full of schlock, half truths, and urban legends. These are the crowd for whom they have to print “place stamp here”. The mob who cannot mention a black hole without also adding nothing escapes it, “not even light”. (That is one scientific tidbit that truly impresses idiots.) Leroy, that is why it is called black, you numbskull. The MonkeyZone accounts for up to 90% of most web publications.
A band called “Smoking Aces” is ardently on the hunt for a real bass player. What makes this group different is their ad copy. It is clear they have met all the wannabees and other flakeheads who infest the Florida musicscape. I have to chuckle at their descriptions of the losers and hired guns because it mirrors my experiences with guitarists. The jerks who lie about knowing the material and try to chord-read my left hand. The bozos who show up thinking the entire rest of the band should learn their personal favorites. In a sense it is a smug rush to read how that door swings both ways.
These “Smoking Aces” seem so earnest that I read their song list. I know roughly a third of the material, but have not played rock in 15 years. I haven’t really listened to ir for much longer. I have my reasons, one of which is the music is at the level of teenage boys. The “Iron Man” gang. This new band is established and has paying gigs. I’ll keep an eye on things but as far as the bassist blues, serves you right because guitarists invented that bad behavior.
ADDENDUM
Most of this research was done on the computer and all I can say is I dream of the day that IBM computers and Windows drive off a steep cliff and never come back. Nothing ever works right on that crap in the long run. The true purpose of PC computers is to sell you another computer in six months if they can. You want to know why Windows will ultimately fail? Because their operating system “prefers” their own applications. If any other industry did that, they’d be hauled in front of a jury for violating anti-trust laws.
[Author’s note: (This may originally have been trivia of the day) When it comes to black holes, I am well aware that black is also a color. In fact, black holes are a dull red color. The reason for the notice of where to place a stamp is a result of English tax. When all the stamps were in one corner, the tax man could quickly ruffle through a pack of cards to make sure all were stamped. I’m using artistic license to make points, not to educate the world.]
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