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What about putting aluminum foil on your antenna?



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 16th 05, 06:05 AM
John Wier
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Default What about putting aluminum foil on your antenna?

Doesn't putting aluminum foil on your TV's antenna (rabbit ears) help
reception by catching more rays? So in a composite airplane, with the
antenna inside the fuselage, what about putting some foil on it to
catch radio rays better?
  #2  
Old June 16th 05, 06:22 AM
Pete Schaefer
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Certainly. It also improves the odds of intercepting extraterrestrial
communications traffic.

For best results, you need to cover your entire head with tin foil, too.
This helps reject cosmic radiation, improving your signal-to-noise ratio.

"John Wier" wrote in message
...
Doesn't putting aluminum foil on your TV's antenna (rabbit ears) help
reception by catching more rays? So in a composite airplane, with the
antenna inside the fuselage, what about putting some foil on it to
catch radio rays better?



  #3  
Old June 16th 05, 03:01 PM
John Wier
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On Wed, 15 Jun 2005 22:22:40 -0700, "Pete Schaefer"
wrote:

Certainly. It also improves the odds of intercepting extraterrestrial
communications traffic.

For best results, you need to cover your entire head with tin foil, too.
This helps reject cosmic radiation, improving your signal-to-noise ratio.

"John Wier" wrote in message
.. .
Doesn't putting aluminum foil on your TV's antenna (rabbit ears) help
reception by catching more rays? So in a composite airplane, with the
antenna inside the fuselage, what about putting some foil on it to
catch radio rays better?



Now I'm sure there isn't a reader on this site that at one time didn't
try putting foil on their rabbit ears back before we had cable and
satellite tv. And it seemed to help. We were in effect making dish
antenna's of sorts. So we could grab more radio beams if we put some
foil in our aircraft antenna's
  #4  
Old June 16th 05, 03:03 PM
John Wier
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Default

On Wed, 15 Jun 2005 22:22:40 -0700, "Pete Schaefer"
wrote:

Certainly. It also improves the odds of intercepting extraterrestrial
communications traffic.

For best results, you need to cover your entire head with tin foil, too.
This helps reject cosmic radiation, improving your signal-to-noise ratio.

"John Wier" wrote in message
.. .
Doesn't putting aluminum foil on your TV's antenna (rabbit ears) help
reception by catching more rays? So in a composite airplane, with the
antenna inside the fuselage, what about putting some foil on it to
catch radio rays better?



Now I'm sure there isn't a reader on this site that at one time didn't
try putting foil on their rabbit ears back before we had cable and
satellite tv. And it seemed to help. We were in effect making dish
antenna's of sorts. So we could grab more radio beams if we put some
foil in our aircraft antenna's
  #5  
Old June 16th 05, 03:15 PM
Darrel Toepfer
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Default

John Wier wrote:

Now I'm sure there isn't a reader on this site that at one time didn't
try putting foil on their rabbit ears back before we had cable and
satellite tv. And it seemed to help. We were in effect making dish
antenna's of sorts. So we could grab more radio beams if we put some
foil in our aircraft antenna's


You put too much foil, its doubling your transmissions... G

There is the rule of size in that bigger is always better. I believe
your application fits reception. Our government has applied the rule to
operational budgets...
  #6  
Old June 16th 05, 03:26 PM
Ron Wanttaja
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On Thu, 16 Jun 2005 10:01:57 -0400, John Wier wrote:

Now I'm sure there isn't a reader on this site that at one time didn't
try putting foil on their rabbit ears back before we had cable and
satellite tv. And it seemed to help. We were in effect making dish
antenna's of sorts. So we could grab more radio beams if we put some
foil in our aircraft antenna's


I used aluminum foil for a ground plane....

http://www.bowersflybaby.com/stories/ground_plane.JPG

Covered it with wood-grained contact paper.

Ron Wanttaja
  #7  
Old June 16th 05, 03:29 PM
John Wier
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Default

On Thu, 16 Jun 2005 09:15:59 -0500, Darrel Toepfer
wrote:

John Wier wrote:

Now I'm sure there isn't a reader on this site that at one time didn't
try putting foil on their rabbit ears back before we had cable and
satellite tv. And it seemed to help. We were in effect making dish
antenna's of sorts. So we could grab more radio beams if we put some
foil in our aircraft antenna's


You put too much foil, its doubling your transmissions... G


Oh! I never thought about transmissions, I was just concerned with
improving reception. Good catch!
I bought one of Bob Archers antenna's from ACS, and it's nothing but
flat aluminum sheet cut to some wierd shape. So we can save that money
by just putting foil on a plain old whip antenna. Is it possible to
have one small antenna for transmissions and another with foil for
receiption? Using a splitter of sorts?
  #8  
Old June 16th 05, 04:06 PM
John Wier
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Default

On Thu, 16 Jun 2005 09:15:59 -0500, Darrel Toepfer
wrote:

John Wier wrote:

Now I'm sure there isn't a reader on this site that at one time didn't
try putting foil on their rabbit ears back before we had cable and
satellite tv. And it seemed to help. We were in effect making dish
antenna's of sorts. So we could grab more radio beams if we put some
foil in our aircraft antenna's


You put too much foil, its doubling your transmissions... G

There is the rule of size in that bigger is always better. I believe
your application fits reception. Our government has applied the rule to
operational budgets...



I'm thinking about using diodes and a splitter for transmitting on one
small antenna and recieving on the big foil one.
  #9  
Old June 16th 05, 04:08 PM
Darrel Toepfer
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Default

John Wier wrote:

I bought one of Bob Archers antenna's from ACS, and it's nothing but
flat aluminum sheet cut to some wierd shape. So we can save that money
by just putting foil on a plain old whip antenna. Is it possible to
have one small antenna for transmissions and another with foil for
receiption? Using a splitter of sorts?


Toggle switch? If everybody had Escort II's like Ron and me, that
wouldn't be an issue as they support 2 antennas right out the box...

I've saved all of my gum wrappers since I started chewing. If there a
simple method of joining them together conductively? And is trimming it
as simple as just folding it or should I wack it?
  #10  
Old June 16th 05, 04:16 PM
John Wier
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Default

On Thu, 16 Jun 2005 10:08:38 -0500, Darrel Toepfer
wrote:

John Wier wrote:

I bought one of Bob Archers antenna's from ACS, and it's nothing but
flat aluminum sheet cut to some wierd shape. So we can save that money
by just putting foil on a plain old whip antenna. Is it possible to
have one small antenna for transmissions and another with foil for
receiption? Using a splitter of sorts?


Toggle switch? If everybody had Escort II's like Ron and me, that
wouldn't be an issue as they support 2 antennas right out the box...

I've saved all of my gum wrappers since I started chewing. If there a
simple method of joining them together conductively? And is trimming it
as simple as just folding it or should I wack it?


Toggle switch! great idea! Don't bother with those gum wrappers, that
foil is cheap in the grocery store. Heck, I'll send you some if need
be.
 




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