Sea Water Antenna

SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific has developed a technology that uses the magnetic induction properties of sodium chloride (salt) in sea water to create UHF/VHF/HF antenna.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Sea
• Water
• Antenna
• SSC
• SPAWAR
• Tech
• Technology
• Transfer
• Communication
• VHF
• UHF
• HF
• Salt

[pa1ap]

Reinventing the wheel I would say. There is prior art for this and cannot be patented, they should do a little more homework and look around before making such claims... google for "Ionic Liquid Antenna"

[SPAWARPacificT2]

@pa1ap It is unique. Uses a pump that shoots electrolytic fluid through center of current probe. Height and diameter of fluid stream determine freq and bandwidth. Also provides for use of multiple heads and current probes to cover variety of freq and bandwidths. While diff variations of ionic liquid antennas exist, we are not aware of one that incorporates these features. Antennas that take advantage of conductivity of sea water have been around for decades. This particular design is novel.

[wrlgmail]

Wow- a Gaussian field never looked so good to us hams! I wonder, do we need to individually enter into a license agreement to experiment further?

[SPAWARPacificT2]

@wrlgmail There may be a few different ways to partner with SSC Pacific and collaborate/experiment further. Please contact our Technology Transfer Office at ssc_pac_t2@navy.mil for more information.

[ac4uv]

Cleaver Idea.

What type of gain can we expect on this antenna? -10 dBd? 0 dBd? Gain at 2 MHz??

HAMSL = 0' with sea base solution

[SPAWARPacificT2]

@ac4uv At this time, no antenna gain measurements have been conducted on the antenna. Radiation pattern and gain measurements will be conducted at our antenna testing range in the near future.

[barnaclebudd]

Reminds me of when I was a kid and my older brothers tricked me into peeing on an electric fence.

[sectorrazuma]

нихера се...

[zs1pvs]

Hmm - asking for a signal report on a repeater?

Nice toy and nice implementation, but is this a serious option for a sea going craft? How do you deal with wind? Why not just have a plastic pipe with a variable amount of water in?

[DildoDomeyer]

I think trying to use this for HF would be a problem because the stream tends to break into droplets the farther it gets from the nozzle-which I'm sure would be the same as a break in a wire antenna. It would take a nozzle probably at least 1 1/2 inches in diameter pumping about 1000 GPM to create an unbroken stream 50-75 feet long-like the big gun nozzle on fireboats. I will stick with a quick jury rigged NVIS inverted vee for emergency comms.

[gmarf1]

See paper Fayad, H.; Record, P.; Electronics Letters Volume: 42 , Issue: 3

Digital Object Identifier: 10.1049/el:20063633 Publication Year: 2006 , Page(s): 133 - 134. What is the purpose of the permanent magnet. We found the salt in water ( sea water) only acts as lossy dielectric

[TheGyroid]

make it so it creates energy from salt water and charges a battery that can be used to move the pump and charge the radio

[TheGyroid]

make it so it creates energy from salt water and charges a batery

[zaidtube2]

Great, simplistic, and very useful invention. What prohibits you from going above UHF range. I like the idea of recycling the water. Create one that is Battery-operated.

Can you create a simple radio that uses the water itself as an antenna. Can you go above UHF range.

[tdougherty08]

Where can I get/build one?