4 ms·
Incandescent or LED?
by _JamesA_ 2y ago
Incandescent or LED?
- topspin 2y agoProbably the former but possibly the latter. Sometimes "conditions" are such that a tiny amount of power will go a very long way. Right now, near the peak of the solar cycle, 4 watt CB radios are sometimes heard thousands of miles away.
- SamPatt 2y agoIt might be possible those CBs heard that far away are actually 4 watts - but it's much more likely they're illegally boosting their output. Still, you're totally right that in ideal conditions propagation can be astounding.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- SamPatt 2y agoIncandescent :) It was FT8, which is a weak signal data mode. Very often you can make contacts hundreds of miles away using less than 20 watts. However, I was probably using between 40-100 watts for that contact - you can't get much further apart on earth than we were!
- wl 2y agoI've done both. If you and your remote station have good antennas, a low local noise floor, and the right atmospheric conditions, a little power can take you to the other side of the planet.
- wglb 2y agoI regularly contact Europe from the Chicago area with a very modest antenna using five watts