Tuesday, May 02, 2006


Tesla Tech Spread Spectrum Array

Just an idea for making a simple fixed spread spectrum array that could communicate over distance. I consider it Tesla-tech since it would only require an early 1900's level of technology, yet produce a fairly workable signal.

The broadcasting array would be a set of high power tuned spark-gap transmitters.

The transmitter: A typical spark gap generates a noisy signal with a fairly wide spread wasting energy. A tuned gap system would use a crystal to focus the signal to a narrower area of spectrum increasing it's strength. It would still sound like noise on that particular frequency it's tuned to, but it would be of a much stronger than relative background noise. It doesn't have to carry information, since this crude signal is the information. If you hear it above the background you know it's on, if you don't it's off. More or less it's a crude and simple binary carrier. This signal is simply used to activate a corresponding switch or telegraph arm on the recieving end.

The array: The first set is some arbitrary frequency, let's say 1000MHz. The next set is 2000MHz, then the one after that 4000MHz, etc. Each set is a simple doubling of frequency, or perhaps a base frequency with the addition of a placeholder (perhaps something like 1100MHz, 1200MHz, 1400MHz, 1800...) Each transmitter in the array can be considered a simple binary placeholder in it's corresponding grouping. Simply put the lowest one in the set would be the transmitter for the value 1, the next transmitter would be for the value 2, the one after that 4, and so on depending on how many bits you plan on using. Transmitters would have to be tuned and spaced such that signal doesn't bleed over too much to others in the array. This method is basically a parallel binary broadcast.

Operation: Using the most crude and basic technology for operation, a simple paper punch card can fire the transmitters in the array. It's not really much different than something that may have been used to send pre-recorded Moorse code messages. But instead of a dot dash sequence, parallel dots corresponding to each frequency in the array represent numbers, and those numbers represent data sent.

This spread spectrum device could theoretically operate on a "simple" electromechanical computer to operate a teletype machine. Why hasn't this been done? Or has it? (WWII enigma type technology?) The simplicity of the signal generation- you're producing simple pulses rather than a complex carrier and the ability to use encoding should theoretically make this device a somewhat reliable transmission method.

If ET wanted to talk on a budget, this would seem like a simple and clever way to do it. Perhaps updating to more modern computing equivalents (or maybe they may only have 1930's tech.) The idea isn't that complicated if the variables are narrowed down. The trick is figuring out what they are and finding recognizable mathematical sequences that would be used in encoding a "Hello out there!" type signal.

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