Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sounds bad, is it reversible?
Yes but it takes 3 days.
They tried to confirm this anecdote with a proper blind study, but the study kept proclaiming, "I can see now!"
What happens when you touch a pickle to an AM radio tower
61–70 of 137 posts
Re: What happens when you touch a pickle to an AM radio tower
#62For folks wondering why these sort of videos (there are lots on YouTube) always focus on AM towers:
1. On AM the radio energy literally pulses (the amplitude modulation) and thus the arcs of plasma will pulse too thus creating the audio noise. AM has a carrier wave that’s constant but the two sidebands of signal pulse from zero energy at silence to more power the louder the sound being transmitted. FM signals broadcast essentially the same power all the time since it’s the frequency and not the amplitude that’s changing.
2. Because the signal frequency is much lower on the AM broadcast bands the wavelength is much larger and thus the antennas are much bigger. On AM the tower itself is typically the antenna vs FM radio where the antenna is typically only a meter or two long at the top of a very tall tower. That’s what makes AM towers more dangerous as the tower can be carrying many kW of energy and if you touch it you’ll go zap zap. The towers typically sit on top of a ceramic insulator to insulate them from the ground whereas FM towers typically just are attached right to the ground (although with grounding straps for lightning protection).
Finally (some folks don’t always know this) you can operate AM on the frequencies typically used for FM… it’s just a mode and works on any frequency. Aviation radios operate on AM but in the VHF band near FM broadcast frequencies.
Re: What happens when you touch a pickle to an AM radio tower
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think lots of communities running localised AM stations could be super cool. > There could be a minimal licencing regime to demonstrate the individual is not a complete numpty [..] I wouldn't bother and it just adds more resistance. > [..] and a fee to PRS for music rights along the lines of how streaming works. I think the quality is so low and the audience so few that it wouldn't matter. > Maximum power could be…
> I think lots of communities running localised AM stations could be super cool. I agree. My US thoughts on the likelihood of (and potential outcome of) opening AM to the public - they all focus on content. US AM content is mostly religious, conservative, sportsball and ethnic-usually-Latino. Those are the opposing interests to opening AM. To counter opposition, I'd open the upper half of the AM band to the public. T…
Where is the energy coming from? The power source towers are connected? Already our electric bills are super expensive. How can we run localized AM Stations with high cost of maintenance?
Re: What happens when you touch a pickle to an AM radio tower
#64I'm curious as to how much paperwork was involved here. Was the pickle grounding out the transmitter and (presumably) interrupting the broadcast not an issue?
Re: What happens when you touch a pickle to an AM radio tower
#65I understand he got permission and everything was checked out by actual RF eggheads, but damn. I won't even change a HV run capacitor unless i'm wearing crocs, standing on cement, and wearing the rubber oven mitts. And even then, I keep one hand behind my back. Because there have been accidents, and they hurt (the pool pump run cap fails approximately annually in this climate and if I paid someone to change it every…
Why standing on cement? Wouldn't cement be considered a ground?
Re: What happens when you touch a pickle to an AM radio tower
#66I understand he got permission and everything was checked out by actual RF eggheads, but damn. I won't even change a HV run capacitor unless i'm wearing crocs, standing on cement, and wearing the rubber oven mitts. And even then, I keep one hand behind my back. Because there have been accidents, and they hurt (the pool pump run cap fails approximately annually in this climate and if I paid someone to change it every…
Why standing on cement? Wouldn't cement be considered a ground?
Indeed it is. Anybody who's spent time jamming in old basements with bad ground or two-prong plugs has learned this the hard way via a microphone or guitar (myself included). Shoes are essential - not even flip-flops are good enough because even something as simple as walking across a wet lawn will leave enough residual moisture to zap you.
Re: What happens when you touch a pickle to an AM radio tower
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think lots of communities running localised AM stations could be super cool. > There could be a minimal licencing regime to demonstrate the individual is not a complete numpty [..] I wouldn't bother and it just adds more resistance. > [..] and a fee to PRS for music rights along the lines of how streaming works. I think the quality is so low and the audience so few that it wouldn't matter. > Maximum power could be…
The reason for licensing is similar to the reason for licensing ham radio: you get a slightly higher level of clue about not creating huge amounts of accidental interference, and a point of contact to yell at if they do. and a little safety education.... The ham radio licensing process is not onerous.
I went through it (admittedly many years ago), but ham licensing wouldn't really do anything for safe radio operation. I learned the real stuff from two very experienced operators.
It would probably be easiest to regulate the transmitters than the people using them.
Re: What happens when you touch a pickle to an AM radio tower
#68side comment; Cub Scout project books of the 1960s, as I recall, had you make a hot dog cooker by connecting line voltage to two nails through a board...
Re: What happens when you touch a pickle to an AM radio tower
#69The tech trivia related to this that springs to mind is that the DEC Alpha processor was known internally by the code name EV, which stood for "Electric Vlasic" — although the suits backfit this in to "Extended VAX".
(Vlasic is an American pickle brand.)
Re: What happens when you touch a pickle to an AM radio tower
#70Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I think lots of communities running localised AM stations could be super cool. I agree. My US thoughts on the likelihood of (and potential outcome of) opening AM to the public - they all focus on content. US AM content is mostly religious, conservative, sportsball and ethnic-usually-Latino. Those are the opposing interests to opening AM. To counter opposition, I'd open the upper half of the AM band to the public. T…
Where is the energy coming from? The power source towers are connected? Already our electric bills are super expensive. How can we run localized AM Stations with high cost of maintenance?
It depends how powerful, but running a 1kW station could be feasible for a home owner. Also I imagine they would generally have operating times which would greatly reduce operational overheads.