Rain improve receive?

My theory is the rain reduces the static electricity in the air and thus you can receive better during the rain. Also, the signal can bounce off the bottom of a heavy thunderstorm or cloud layer.

 

The other day, in rainy/misty conditions but without thunder, I turned on my radio before my vehicle and antenna were out from under a roof and therefore were still dry. I immediately noticed an unusually loud "hiss" background noise and the S meter was topped out.

I could even hear that hiss noise with squelch all the way "on" and volume all the way "down."

I had to turn the RF gain knob from its normal full "on" position to finally quell the background hiss. That's the way the radio was set for my morning trip, with variations in the volume depending on the RF signal intensity at any given time.

Later, that afternoon, when the rain was gone and things dried out, I was able to set up my radio to the normal configuration, namely: RF gain full on, squelch turned so that the background noise is on the edge of hearing / not hearing, and the volume at the point of hearing well when RF traffic is flowing.

So, moisture in the air had a lot of effect on my radio and antenna that day in terms of background noise, or hiss, and it started even before the vehicle and antenna got wet.

 

Are you sure it wasn't the fluorescent lights you had turned on in your garage? Or possibly the cordless drill charging in your garage?

 

I have a mag mount antenna. My radio sounds great when it rains. I assume it's because it get a better ground when everything is wet.

 

For poops n giggles try turning off all noise suppression so that you hear all the static...Now litely touch the brakes just enuf so that you feel the trk slow down and listen as you do it......Does it get a lil quietier??? If yes,add some graphite to front wheel bearings.....Did it to my other Cascadia and now I gotta do it with this new one to..There is a thread about in here somewhere but I think it was about 3 oz per side..

 

The effect was the same when I moved the vehicle into the rain, so it didn't seem to be from lights etc. I sometimes notice extra background "hiss" in wet conditions, but that time it was greatly exaggerated. Don't know why.

 

I think I see the problem. Continuity!!

 

Isn't that a shot of Ben Franklin flying his kite in the storm? And history books said it was a key. Ha!

 

Ridgelines high school yearbook. Circa 1960.

 

Mile marker 109 to the 152 barefoot. Seems like the rain helped keep the noise down. I'm sure it would have been more difficult on a hot dry summer day.