SilentKillerx07
Member
Does putting aluminum foil on your antenna help or hurt your reception and recieving power?
Aluminum Foil
- Thread starter SilentKillerx07
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it works best when used in this fashion ...
(image from this link http://www.attytood.com/2007/06/tinfoil_hat_time_2.html)
(image from this link http://www.attytood.com/2007/06/tinfoil_hat_time_2.html)
Generally, it won't help anything and may actually hurt your reception. It does depend on a couple things though, mainly the antenna itself and the frequency you are trying to recieve. Putting foil on the end of the antenna will in effect make the antenna longer. If this makes the antenna closer to a length that is resonant with the frequency you are trying to recieve, it may actually help. If you are already using an antenna that is matched to the desired frequency, it won't do anything but hurt your reception.
Especially when worn outdoors during a thunderstorm, preferably standing on top of the highest hill you can find.pogbobo said:it works best when used in this fashion ...
(image from this link http://www.attytood.com/2007/06/tinfoil_hat_time_2.html)
57Bill
Member
It has helped reception on portable TV's telescopic antennas for me.
fireSAR
Member
Raven95150 said:
I got hit in the head by lightning once, popcorn came out of my ears.
snikliw87
Member
fireSAR said:
Do you always store extra popcorn kernals in your ears?
RESCUE4NFD
Member
On cold days I always put my "Foil Hat" in the oven to keep my ears warm before going outside...
This thread reminds me of my days as a TV repairman when I encountered tin foil on the set top rabbit ears. When I removed it the TV invariably looked better, that'll be $10 please.
Mike, your nickname wouldn't be Sparky by any chance?
Mike, your nickname wouldn't be Sparky by any chance?
57Bill
Member
It helped my little black & white.
My father-in-law is a retired LAPD sergeant. He once had a woman who kept calling his division about alien death rays being directed into her house. He finally told her to hang strips of aluminum foil over her windows and they would block the rays. He even told her how wide to make the strips and how far apart to hang them. They never received another call from her. So it either works or she thought my father-in-law was nuttier than she was. 
Mike
Mike
kh6idf
Member
My antenna IS aluminum foil.
I made this loop antenna out of aluminum foil for shortwave listening:
http://users.erols.com/k3mt/hla/hla.htm
It works pretty good sitting flat on the dining table! I use an alligator clip lead as the pickup coil.
By kh6idf at 2008-01-25
I made this loop antenna out of aluminum foil for shortwave listening:
http://users.erols.com/k3mt/hla/hla.htm
It works pretty good sitting flat on the dining table! I use an alligator clip lead as the pickup coil.
By kh6idf at 2008-01-25
cpuerror
Member
At least it will keep those darned government/alien satellite signals out.
ka5lqj
Member
Tin Foil on antennas....
Ok,
Back in the 1950's (Yes, I'm THAT "old"!) TV reception was at best crummy.
Signals from either "rabbit ears", v-shaped dipoles or outside antenna's, the
old conical's used cheap 300 ohm, twin-lead.
"Ghost" or "multi-path" signals were common. So, to improve reception,
some folks too a strip of tin-foil, usually 6" wide and would wrap it @round
the twin-lead. Then, carefully, slide it up and down the lenght of lead until
the picture cleared up. This was essentially, changing the vertical, standing-
wave ratio or VSWR, even though the TV was not "transmitting".
Nowdays with cable tv, they use shielded coax and sometimes quad-shielded
coax to keep interfering signals out. Unfortunately, the cable boxes aren't
well designed and will receive a strong signal, such as an illegally-powered
CB radio....10-4?
Leave the tin foil off the antenna and coax leads. Use it instead to cover a
turkey when baking one.
Respectfully,
73,
Don/KA5-LQJ
ex Tv repairman
KKR-2747
Ok,
Back in the 1950's (Yes, I'm THAT "old"!) TV reception was at best crummy.
Signals from either "rabbit ears", v-shaped dipoles or outside antenna's, the
old conical's used cheap 300 ohm, twin-lead.
"Ghost" or "multi-path" signals were common. So, to improve reception,
some folks too a strip of tin-foil, usually 6" wide and would wrap it @round
the twin-lead. Then, carefully, slide it up and down the lenght of lead until
the picture cleared up. This was essentially, changing the vertical, standing-
wave ratio or VSWR, even though the TV was not "transmitting".
Nowdays with cable tv, they use shielded coax and sometimes quad-shielded
coax to keep interfering signals out. Unfortunately, the cable boxes aren't
well designed and will receive a strong signal, such as an illegally-powered
CB radio....10-4?
Leave the tin foil off the antenna and coax leads. Use it instead to cover a
turkey when baking one.
Respectfully,
73,
Don/KA5-LQJ
ex Tv repairman
KKR-2747
rfradioconsult
Member
VSWR=Voltage Standing Wave Ratio
N1508J
Member
It helps in this way!
My nephew works for Alcoa aluminum and he says it helps him a lot!:lol:
SilentKillerx07 said:
My nephew works for Alcoa aluminum and he says it helps him a lot!:lol:
This was essentially, changing the vertical, standing-
wave ratio or VSWR, even though the TV was not "transmitting".
I guess when the waves are standing they're vertical but television signals were horizontally polarized. Now how do you explain THAT one? Oh don't tell me you tuned it for a flat match, I just finished cleaning the coffee off my monitor. <chuckle>
Oh I'll guarantee that TV was transmitting, the H-sync birdies killed every radio in the house and a few next door. There's nothing like trying to listen through those rough whistles every 15.75KHz from one end of the dial to the other with mom and dad watching I Love Lucy in the living room while I was thinking I hate Lucy in the bedroom.
BTW, the foil loop antenna (although of dubious construction) is a design as old as radio itself. AM BCB DXers and a few SWLs use loop antennas being they're directional and null out interfering stations on the same frequency. They're vertical however, a horizontal loop is pretty much non directional unless it's a very large single turn cut for the wavelength in question. The old 40s and 50s table radios used loops on the back covers and pocket "transistors" used ferrite core loops being much smaller than the air wound variety.
For what it's worth the one pictured is such a small fraction of a wavelength it's "pickup power" is extremely limited but probably works reasonably well on strong shortwave signals like broadcast stations and 75M hams. That bunch on 3846 wouldn't think of anything less than a kilowatt to talk to another in the next county so you'll hear them just fine on a paper clip. (;->)
"My nephew works for Alcoa aluminum and he says it helps him a lot."
So, what would you say about Anaconda Copper? Don't even THINK about National Lead & Titanium. (;->)
wave ratio or VSWR, even though the TV was not "transmitting".
I guess when the waves are standing they're vertical but television signals were horizontally polarized. Now how do you explain THAT one? Oh don't tell me you tuned it for a flat match, I just finished cleaning the coffee off my monitor. <chuckle>
Oh I'll guarantee that TV was transmitting, the H-sync birdies killed every radio in the house and a few next door. There's nothing like trying to listen through those rough whistles every 15.75KHz from one end of the dial to the other with mom and dad watching I Love Lucy in the living room while I was thinking I hate Lucy in the bedroom.
BTW, the foil loop antenna (although of dubious construction) is a design as old as radio itself. AM BCB DXers and a few SWLs use loop antennas being they're directional and null out interfering stations on the same frequency. They're vertical however, a horizontal loop is pretty much non directional unless it's a very large single turn cut for the wavelength in question. The old 40s and 50s table radios used loops on the back covers and pocket "transistors" used ferrite core loops being much smaller than the air wound variety.
For what it's worth the one pictured is such a small fraction of a wavelength it's "pickup power" is extremely limited but probably works reasonably well on strong shortwave signals like broadcast stations and 75M hams. That bunch on 3846 wouldn't think of anything less than a kilowatt to talk to another in the next county so you'll hear them just fine on a paper clip. (;->)
"My nephew works for Alcoa aluminum and he says it helps him a lot."
So, what would you say about Anaconda Copper? Don't even THINK about National Lead & Titanium. (;->)
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