# Well telephone



## edgarinventor (Dec 27, 2008)

Hi, I'm Edgar Castelo, new here, and just thought of adding this as an emergency communication device that's VERY hard to jam, methinks...
Mainly because it's* long forgotten!*










I think somebody ought to try this one!

Came from the freely downloadable "The Boy Mechanic" on Project Guttemberg, see this intro of mine on the subject:

"The Boy Mechanic", 700 ideas, use a few


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## Homestead Gal (Nov 25, 2008)

This is really interesting. Everyone around us has a private well. I wonder, do you really need to have the copper wire go to the bottom? Our well is over 600 ft. deep.


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## edgarinventor (Dec 27, 2008)

This thing didn't warned me of new posts, sorry!

Had even to re-load the page to see your message! 

Don't now it it HAS to touch the bottom, but an earth connection has to be set, don't know how the wells are made, but a terminal stuck at the side of the well might work.

Although, the deeper it is, the further away it's range, I suppose.

...And a Happy New Year, everyone!

P.S. Just struck me, 200 meters of weather-proof copper wire?
I see people throw that 6 wire (3 pairs) cable telephone wire all the time, in building/re-setting office buildings, specially Banks!


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## svenhammermon (Jan 20, 2009)

Flowing water in the underground streams called Aquifers are known to carry electrical currents. Dowsers rely on this for their success, although unknowingly. The amplification and modulation of those electrical currents through the use of a transmitter like a telephone could be carried quite a distance depending on the aquifer or under ground stream. I don't think it would work if you had different aquifers. For instance if you were at 250 ft well depth and your neighbor is in a shallow stream of only 50 ft or less chances are you're not in the same aquifer. Worth a try though.....I may give it a whirl myself just to see what happens.
Sven


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## beansnrice (Jan 22, 2009)

Intersting, edgarinventor. You are indeed, an inventor? Do tell...


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## ke4sky (Oct 21, 2008)

*This is ordinary HF Ground Wave Propagation*

*Ground Wave Mode* = Vector sum of space wave + surface wave

Useful to 50 miles in "ideal" conditions

Affected by terrain, vegetation, atmospherics.

*Surface wave mode *= Component of ground wave traveling along the earth's surface

Affected by ground conductivity

Direct and ground reflected waves tend to cancel when antennas close to ground

Signal diminishes with antenna height

Not useful more than 1 wavelength above ground

Less attenuated with vertical polarization

*Understand the relationship between angle of radiation and the effective operating distance*

Use a dipole at 1/4 to 1/10 wavelength above ground

Physical height of antenna not critical, +/- 0.1 wavelength is OK

Elevate 25 ft on 75-80m night and 40m daytime if you can do so safely

If you can't erect a wire antenna safely, lay insulated wire on the ground!

(During Desert Storm we buried antennas in the sand)

* WHAT THE GUY USING THE WELL IS DOING IS USING A VERTICALLY POLARIZED INSTEAD OF HORIZONTALLY POLARIZED BURIED ANTENNA!*

- Use "transmatch" and it will "work"

Permits 400 mile, "24 / 7" operations w/o "skip"

*See U.S. Army FM24-18, Appendix "N"*


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