[ot] microwave and wifi

[Bill Campbell]

On Tue, Sep 12, 2006, Net Llama! wrote:
>On Tue, 12 Sep 2006, Man-wai CHANG wrote:
>>>> What's the frequency of waves used in microwave oven?
>>> 2.4GHz
>>> Inside the cavity: several hundred watts up to 1 KW.
>>>> What about that of Wi-Fi network?
>>> 2.4 GHz for 802.11b
>>> Typical wireless card is +15dbm (32 milliwatts).
>>
>> So Wi-Fi is just a tamed version of a microwave oven?
>
>No.  Just because two different signals use the same frequency doesn't 
>mean that they are the same signals.  Signals have many components, 
>including frequency & amplitude.

Don't forget power.

Early RADAR technicians found out the cooking capabilities of microwave
radiation when working near powerful military RADAR antennae -- it cooked
them from the inside out.

FWIW:  My introduction to computers was in my first job after graduating
from Johns Hopkins as a Jr. E.E. at Bendix Radio.  I was working on the
AN/FPS-85 SPADAT RADAR, and my introduction to programming was being handed
a deck of FORTRAN cards that would compile and print something on the
Bendix G-20 computer, a copy of McGracken's FORTRAN manual, and was told to
get the program working.

I have beaten RADAR tickets by referencing this experience and pointing out
that the RADAR cross-section of the big truck behind me was what the cop
was reading, not my father's Aston Martin DB-2 Vantage drop-head coupe :-).

Bill
--
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