To [TowerTalk] all:
I recall when I was in high school (several decades ago) when people put
a 'leather strap' on their rear bumper that dragged on the ground.
It was said that this would do two things:
1) It would reduce the static on the radio-Am radios.
2) Prevent police radar from detecting your actual speed.
The secret "word" was that this worked because a car does not have a
ground because of the rubber tires and this leather strap provided a
ground return for static and police radar signals to drain.
I was not yet a Ham but I was a home brew electronics experimenter.
It was unbelievable to me but the reasoning seemed logical. I doubted it
would work from the very beginning because I knew leather was an
insulator and that a good ground had to be made out of metal and be
connected below the tarmac or concrete road. Nevertheless, because of
all the testimonials, I was caught up with it too.
I began diving around with a leather strap on my car to be "cool" like
my peers. Later on I learned from my younger brother that many of his
friends put old leather (leather belt) straps on their cars too. He
said he told them it worked because his older brother (me) was doing it
and I must know it works because I was the president of our high school
radio club and that I knew a lot about electronics.
The fad eventually died a natural death as the straps wore out and no
one replaced them. I even recall seeing dozens of over the road
truckers with long leather straps dragging behind them too. Surely, they
drive for a living and they must know something that I don't know. Of
course, we knew that fuel tankers attach a metallic 'ground strap' to
their vehicle when they are refilling underground tanks. This is done to
drain static charges that may exist between the tanker and the
underground tank, thus, avoiding a dangerous spark.
Carl, NW8Z
_______________________________________________
See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather
Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions
and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
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