Antenna-Clothing Outperforms Regular Antennas

Zothecula writes with a snippet from Gizmag: "In the recent past, we've seen outfits that incorporate bio-sensors and batteries, and even a bikini with integrated solar cells. One of the latest innovations in smart fabrics, however, allows a person's clothing to act as multiple antennas. Developed at Ohio State University, the system could prove particularly useful to soldiers, who don't want to be encumbered by a protruding whip antenna."

Comments

Dare ya

[Dunbal]

I dare you to try to board an airplane while wearing one.

Re:Dare ya

[darjen]

shouldn't be too hard.

http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/pilot-who-posted-security-flaw-video-online-is-punished-by-the-tsa/

Clarification

[Anonymous Coward]

When the summary refers to a whip antenna, it means a ducky antenna on a handheld radio, as worn on a belt like police tend to do, not the large old style military whip/backpack thing I pictured first, nor do they compare it to a handheld radio held at face level (used without shoulder mic). So, although it makes an improvement over usual law enforcement radio, its not an astonishing discovery by any means, as similar gains can be made by holding the handheld in a usual talking position.

For those with IEEE access:
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.proxy.lib.clemson.edu/search/srchabstract.jsp?tp=&arnumber=5783293

Re:Clarification

[NouberNou]

Actually no, they still use VHF whip antennas quite often in the US military. The SINCGARS frequency hopping system is in the 30 to 87.975MHz range and the ideal antenna length for this range is in the 1 to 2 meter area. Luckily these whips can be folded down and do not actually take up much space when traveling, but of course that inhibits their gain quite a bit.

Even the UHF band that most military coms occurs on has a roughly 13" ideal antenna length. SATURN and HAVE QUICK I/II are in the UHF band only up to 512Mhz.

Joke

[Anonymous Coward]

Two antennae met on a roof, fell in love and decided to get married.
The ceremony wasn't much but the reception was excellent!

How can it possibly perform well?

[Beryllium Sphere(tm)]

Putting a bag of salt water in the near field of an antenna would be expected to increase losses and detune it.

Re:How can it possibly perform well?

[X0563511]

They quite simply do not have the energy to knock electrons loose, which is exactly what is required to cause the problems you mention. You realize infrared and visual light have more energy than radio?

The only thing they can do is be absorbed and converted to thermal energy... and to reach a hazardous level you'd needs quite a few watts of power, and the only thing you'll get for it is a skin-deep burn no different than any other burn.

Re:How can it possibly perform well?

[Anonymous Coward]

You can say whatever you want, point me to any study about radiation caused by phones, TVs etc, they're not harmless, just because they don't cause cancer in the next few months, that doesn't mean their emissions don't damage your DNA and cause other problems later, for your or your children you might have after. So, no, wrapping yourself in a antenna does not seem such a good idea.

So, you don't care about the science, you're just sure it causes damage to your dna. Gotcha.

Next topic... Magnets! How do they work?!

Re:Expensive Fatigues

[Cwix]

Sounds about right in the price department.

Anyways enlisted men/women only have to pay for their own gear if they loose what they were issued.

Re:Safety?

[Osgeld]

no one respectable has said that for decades

Re:Recieving or transmitting?

[X0563511]

You do know there's a large difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation right? This stuff is on the wrong side of the spectrum to be causing you such problems.

The absolute worst you might get is some heat from absorption.

Re:31 WTO scientists in may 2011... not that long

[leighklotz]

It is hardly 4 months since a panel of 31 scientist came to the conclusion that cell phone radiation increases the risk for cancer:
http://www.cbloomnews.com/TopNews.aspx?Article_id=85332&Cat=5
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/05/31/who.cell.phones/index.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/229054/cell_phones_may_cause_cancer_says_the_who_what_to_do.html

What news are you reading to say "no one respectable has said that for decades"???

They put RF in the same risk category as coffee. They didn't do any of their own research, just reviewed existing research.
You can review the same existing research here and come to your own conclusions, just like they did:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cellphones

The most interesting part of this story

[Hell O'World]

* Googles "bikini with integrated solar cells" *

Re:Recieving or transmitting?

[X0563511]

yea. The ultraviolet component. You know what ultraviolet is right? It's the electromagnetic band adjacent to the visible light band - specifically the higher frequency edge. Which just happens to be the lower limit for being harmful it seems!

Meaning, again, that radio waves are on the wrong side of the spectrum.

really, antenna's work better with human contact?

[Nyder]

I think anyone who's had a TV that used rabbit ears and you had a channel or 2 that always seem to come in better when your touching the antenna's won't be surprised that clothes with antenna's built in would work better then normal antenna's.

It has more antennas

[subreality]

It performs better because it has a whole bunch of antennas all over their body and can select the one that has the best performance at any given moment. Being able to choose one in the best spot is sometimes better than having a single efficient antenna. Of course, strapping 50 whip antennas to yourself would perform better than either a single whip or the antennasuit alone. Just don't try to move through bushes or interact with humans.

There is something weird.....

[WindBourne]

about having clothing designed with the idea that it is for our troops, but being done by Chinese. I mean how many Americans are over in China designing military equipment and will bring it back here? None.