Kite lifting antenna

I heard this brought up at one time before about a kite lifting a antenna. I found this bit of information and though I would pass it along. Don't ask me what it all means because I don't have the foggiest.

Radio Experimentation: Dutch 136 kHz kite experiment

The Dutch have succeeded where others have failed. This as a group of hams in Holland fly a kite to get a hefty signal out on the 136 kilohertz band. Jeramy Boot, G4NJH, has the details on how they did it and who they worked:

It's a low frequency success. A 900 foot kite antenna has been used by Dutch amateurs for experiments on the 136 kHz band. Raised to 80 degrees by an obliging wind, the antenna was connected to the transceiver after static charges had been conducted to ground. The transmitted power was 150 W, and the operators estimated that the effective isotropic radiated power, the EIRP, was between 10 and 15W. Stations worked included G3KEV, G3YXM, G4GVC, ON6ND and ON6UX. The Dutch operators included PE1PFR, PA3GUC and PA2NJN.

Their best DX was a listener report from IK5ZPV, a distance of 1095 km.

Jeramy Boot, G4NJH.

Jeramy adds that Portugal is now also active on the 136 Kilohertz band.

This as it authorizes CT1DRP to operate with a maximum effective radiated power of one watt. That authorization expires on November 3rd, 2001.

The idea of using kites to hoist radio antennas has been around for a long time, as you may know. In World War II air crews sometime carried a radio set called the Gibson Girl which included a box kite for lifting the antenna.

The radio guys in your quote were talking about low frequency radio transmissions. Low frequency means long wave lengths, which in turn means long wires required for antennas. A long wire attached to a kite is a logical solution, as long as there are no lightning storms around.

Before you buy.

talk about long wire and radios, used to fly on ec-135 aircraft that dragged a wire a few Miles long behind it depending on frequency transmitted. Lotsa power too.