[BC] meters vs kHz

[Dave Dunsmoor]

>  The closer in length your aerial was to mine, the greater distance
>  we could cover, ergo "I'm on 200 meters."

>  A different method of identifying what frequency a given station
>  was transmitting became required, so the number of cycles the
>  generator made was used instead of just the length of the aerial.

-- 
Cowboy

    Now, THAT is the best practical explanation I've read to date (thanks,
Curt - you old codger).
That makes absolute sense (to me anyway) out of all the previous
discussion(s) so far.

    A further clarification, might be in order now for those who may miss
the significance of the difference between broadband (spark gap) and
narrowband (CW generator) RF generation schemes. The characteristic of a
spark gap transmitter is that it generates an RF signal that generates
frequencies from "DC to daylight" (well, not exactly, but it does generate a
lot of noise, which is comprised of a broad band of "individual"
frequencies), and the method of selecting one from another was the length of
the resonant antenna. I did not realize this, or perhaps didn't ever stop to
consider it, but now that Curt has pointed it out, it's immediately apparent
(to me anyway).

    The Alexanderson generator on the other hand generated a single
frequency (cycles per second) and was tuned by circuitry within the receiver
instead of the length of the antenna. Big difference, and the primarily
reason for changing from wavelength (meters) to frequency (cycles per
second).

    What a fine discussion! I LOVE it when I learn something new that I
didn't know that I didn't know...

Dave Dunsmoor (a young(er) codger)