Comment on Hertz, showing the difference between science and engineering

Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

• con_fig@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  I’m sure someone thinks it’s perfect for their use case, semi relevant xkcd:

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  • ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    At least physics will never get patched. The spark device with zinc spheres will always do that thing.

    FCC: And get you arrested

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• General_Effort@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Fun fact: The german word for using a radio is “funken”; literally “to spark”. A radioman is, or was, a “Funker”. When you are talking over the radio, you are doing it “Über Funk”.

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  • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    ooh i always guessed the word “Funk” comes from function, i.e. the radio is a useful tool that has a function to whoever is using it.

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    • General_Effort@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      It really is from “Funkentechnik”: “Spark technology”. I wonder how many people appreciate the post for the cute etymology and how many because it sounds funny.

      Good information for ham radio people, too. Hobby sounds too geeky? Just say you’re into Über-Funk-Parties.

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      • brbposting@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

        Appreciate for both of course!

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      • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

        ok but now, where does the word “Funke” (spark) come from?

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    • squaresinger@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      Pretty much the first type of commercially viable radio transmitter was the spark-gap transmitter (“Knallfunkensender” in German). It worked by charging up some capacitors to up to 100kV and then letting them spark. This spark sent a massive banging noise on the whole radio spectrum, which could then be turned into an audible noise using a very simple receiver. That was then used to send morse codes (or similar encodings).

      They went into service around 1900, and by 1920 it was illegal to use these because they would disrupt any and all other radio transmissions in the area with a massive loud bang.

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      • General_Effort@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

        “Knallfunkensender”

        Literally “Bang-Sparks-Sender”.

        Are you sure it’s because of the radio spectrum bang? I always thought it was because of the audible bang.

        If someone operated such a thing today, any guesses what the death zone for electronic devices would be?

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• jaybone@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  So like Bluetooth?

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  • dustyData@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    But somehow more reliable.

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  • Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    Yes, except you need to buy each bit in a big glass jar

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    • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      There were electrochemical cells (invented in 1800) that provided a constant current for some time.

      Idk the details. Look up Galvanic cell, Volta cell.

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      • Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

        Sure, but those are still “big glass jars full of electricity”

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• Crankenstein@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Those practical methods would never have existed if not for Hertz’ experiments. Those were 25 years of other scientists, having seen that this new concept exists, refining his contraption into what eventually would become the machine that we know as a radio.

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