Firstly, tennis balls help keep the antenna steady. When a vehicle is moving, the antenna can wobble and hit the vehicle’s body. By adding tennis balls, the antenna becomes more stable and less likely to shake or make noise. This stability is essential, especially for tour vans that travel long distances.
The tennis balls also help maintain the correct frequency for communication. Antennas are crucial for sending and receiving signals, and their frequency can shift if they are not properly aligned. Tennis balls can help align the antenna’s frequency by preventing any changes that could affect signal quality. This is particularly important for vehicles that rely on communication systems to stay in touch with their base or other vehicles.
The idea of using tennis balls on antennas is based on Newton’s First Law of Motion, which states that an object will stay at rest or keep moving in a straight line unless acted upon by a force. When you first set up the antenna, it is almost still. As the vehicle starts moving, the tennis balls help the antenna resist sudden changes in motion, keeping it balanced and aligned.
According to an experiment by Curious Crew 360, a UK research firm, adding tennis balls increases the antenna’s mass. This extra mass helps the antenna remain steady, even when the vehicle is moving. This resistance to motion changes ensures that the antenna stays in the correct position, improving its performance.
Firestik, a company that makes antennas, explains that tennis balls can also help with the antenna’s resonant frequency. They noted that adding a tennis ball to a transmitting antenna can shift the frequency slightly. To prevent any issues, it is important to tune the antenna again after attaching the tennis balls.
However, with modern tour vans, many use stiff antennas that do not require tennis balls for stability or frequency adjustment. These newer antennas are designed to handle motion and maintain frequency without additional help.
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