Radio signals from space

The power thing is still interesting.
I will say in ham radio, conditions can make a big difference in how a signal travels.
But for comparison .....
I use a 100 watt High Frequency (HF) radio and talk around the world.
A handheld radar gun for a cops speed traps is nothing more than a microwave transmitter.
It works around 25 watts for an effective minimum range of 1000 ft.
If I transmitted yo another HF radio at 1000 ft. it would probably blow out the receive at 100 watts ... still possible at 25.
Like I said , microwave is line of sight. Some of the fancier radar guns actual have gun sights on them for accuracy.
They HAVE to be pointed at you. If I remember correctly at 1000 ft. the capture area of a radar gun is around 300 feet.
Yes, at 500 gazillion miles, it's a bit wider, so that makes the power thing even more incredible.
I'm thinking it's a tad closer.
 
Lizooki said:
The power thing is still interesting.
I will say in ham radio, conditions can make a big difference in how a signal travels.
But for comparison .....
I use a 100 watt High Frequency (HF) radio and talk around the world.
A handheld radar gun for a cops speed traps is nothing more than a microwave transmitter.
It works around 25 watts for an effective minimum range of 1000 ft.
If I transmitted yo another HF radio at 1000 ft. it would probably blow out the receive at 100 watts ... still possible at 25.
Like I said , microwave is line of sight. Some of the fancier radar guns actual have gun sights on them for accuracy.
They HAVE to be pointed at you. If I remember correctly at 1000 ft. the capture area of a radar gun is around 300 feet.
Yes, at 500 gazillion miles, it's a bit wider, so that makes the power thing even more incredible.
I'm thinking it's a tad closer.
Click to expand...
All of that attenuation is due to the earth's atmosphere and all of the matter the wave has to travel through.
In space.... nothing to stop it. So it goes for damn near forever.
 
frankenyoter said:
Interstellar was a good one. Not that 2001 wasn’t.

space stuff is fascinating. What perplexes me is how we try to fit all this stuff into our box of knowledge that keeps expanding. We don’t have a clue really. Just trying to fake it till we make it. It’s almost like children explaining stuff that we keep understanding more at a time. What’s out there is a really really really really big topic and how it works is even bigger.
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Most people I talk to think Interstellar was a flop. I loved it. Althought, I think anything Christopher Nolan does is incredible.
 
RatLabGuy said:
In space.... nothing to stop it. So it goes for damn near forever.
Click to expand...

Just imagine the distance I coulda got on that fire-hose butt-pee from last weekend in space
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
Most people I talk to think Interstellar was a flop. I loved it. Althought, I think anything Christopher Nolan does is incredible.
Click to expand...
That movie was original and made you think... so of course people don’t like it.
 
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CasterTroy said:
Just imagine the distance I coulda got on that fire-hose butt-pee from last weekend in space
Click to expand...
I always wondered how bad it would suck to have explosive diarrhea in space.

(yes, I know the answer is, "it Depends")
 
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