Arcane Idea ?

[VO5]

Has anybody here ever considered increasing the range of VHF transmission by using a kite with an aerial ?

 

[prv]

You would need some substantial cable to avoid losing most of the power over the longer run. The weight of that cable would mean you'd need a pretty big kite. The whole kaboodle then becomes unreasonably large to stow and unwieldy to deal with.

Anyway, I can already hear Jobourg Traffic when I'm in the Solent, and Solent Coastguard when I'm off Alderney. Who do I want to talk to who is further away than that?

Pete

 

[VO5]

Just curiosity. I know in WW2 kites were used to increase ranges. The kites were of the box type, collapsible and made of wooden dowelling frames and the material was very thin stuff treated with dope. They were reeled out and in on wire, though I don't know if the wire was used to transmit / receive or chosen just for strength. My uncle, who was a Sqn Ldr in the Azores during the war told me about it.

 

[prv]

Presumably that would have been HF, though. Much longer aerials, and not line-of-sight.

Pete

 

[VO5]

http://billboyheritagesurvey.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/ditched.png

I found this. I have no idea about the frequency.

It seems they may have been used in rafts by downed airmen.

My uncle told me they were yellow in colour.

 

[prv]

Ah - probably for use with the "Gibson Girl" and similar transmitters?

I'm not sure of the frequency either, but I think it was much lower than VHF.

Pete