Home - back to the cover page

Aim - to the Introduction, aims, and comstruction of the project

Experiments - to all the experiments conducted on the four dishes

Birds - all the bird calls recorded by the dishes

The results that we discovered were almost as we had predicted. However in certain experiments the results were startling! We predicted, before hand, that the dish Alpha would detect the least amount of sound (due to the shape- not being remotely parabolical, nor smooth, it theoretically should have been difficult to hear as the sound was bounced off at different angles.) and that the dish Gamma would amplify the best (at least this was what we suspected, because of the shape- being s close to a parabola, which is said to be the best for sound amplification and focusing.), with dish Beta some where in-between. We started our experiments with all this in mind, but this idea changed within the first experiment.

One foot note- we also aimed to make a Turbo Pascal 6.0 program that could be down loaded of the internet, instead of the browser having to load up all the graphics etc. This we accomplished. And we hoped to place the entire project on the net. The result speaks for itself. And we wanted to make a slide presentation, for quick and easy viewing,this was done.

Experiment 1

In experiment one which was to be conducted over hilly terrain the following results were obtained:

Dish Alpha: - 90 m

Dish Beta : - 80 m

Dish Gamma :- 90 m

Dish Delta:- 95m

Experiment 2

Experiment two covered the altitude problem with the experiment being conducted over and around a high cliff. To work out the distance we took the height of the cliff and the distance from the cliff, the smaller of the two being divided in half and then added to the larger. The results were as follows :

Dish Alpha:- 85 m

Dish Beta:- 70 m

Dish Gamma:- 85 m

Dish Delta:-75m

Experiment 3

The experiment in the forest or experiment number three yielded the results more to our original idea but the results still told us that we had sorely underestimated sound waves. Our results tell a tale:

Dish Alpha:- 45 m

Dish Beta:- 100 m

Dish Gamma:- 95 m

Dish Delta:- 100m

 Experiment 4

By now we were really getting worried, all our expectations and ideas were starting to be proven incorrect. Our hopes began rising when experiment four was concluded. The result was as we hoped:

Dish Alpha:- 40 m

Dish Beta:- 65 m

Dish Gamma:- 80 m

Dish Delta:-64m

Experiment 5

Another "prove" wrong experiment ended with experiment five. This experiment was the "ULTIMATE" in deciding the outcome, and it cast a dark cloud over the whole expedition. Our final records looked like this:

Dish Alpha:- 125 m

Dish Beta:- 255 m

Dish Gamma:- 130 m

Dish Delta:-260m

Experiment 6

The sixth experiment, to begin with, looked as if it was going according to "plan" .But as many scientists know the "plan" crumbled with the last series of tests. Our failures are as follows:

Dish Alpha:- 40 m

Dish Beta:- 60 m

Dish Gamma:- 60 m

Dish Delta:- 65m

Experiment 7

Another blow to our theory was experiment seven which was over running water. The experiment proved that all is not what it seems:-

Dish Alpha:- 25 m

Dish Beta:- 35 m

Dish Gamma:- 20 m

Dish Delta:- 30m

 Experiment 8

The final insult came with the last and eighth experiment, the one over still water. This being the last experiment our hopes rode on this one but they fell into the water as the results showed themselves:

Dish Alpha:- 75 m

Dish Beta:- 125 m

Dish Gamma:- 120 m

Dish Delta:-150m

In the beginning, the aim, we said that we expected dish Delta to be the most effective sound receiver and amplifier, due to various advantages. However this is not the case for some of the experiments that we did. The reason is that in some conditions it is preferable to have a smaller circumference and a deeper depth and a narrower radius, rather than a larger circumference and a shallower depth and a wider radius. A good example is the Running Water experiment were the best dish was Gamma (who has the smallest radius) and the worst were the two dishes Delta and Beta -those with large circumferences-, another example is that of the Building experiment were once again the best dish was Gamma. On both occasions the dish Gamma did the best for one reason. That reason is that with a smaller diameter there was less "other" noise. This other noise was the water, for the river, and the echo's, from the building. With the reduction of the extra noise it is thus possible to hear a clearer, and therefore further, sound. With the dish Delta and Beta all the sound from "other" sources was heard and this interfered with the sound, thus making the signal less distinct and thereby reducing the range that the dishes could receive sound.

But not all things small are better, and this is clearly demonstrated in the Field experiment, where, Delta( the largest competitor) and Beta( the second largest) out distanced the smaller dish by more than one hundred meters! The reason is very clear, the greater the radius the greater surface area, the greater surface area the greater amount of sound waves collected, and thus the greater strength of the sound, thereby increasing the chance of perception, causing the amplifier to generate a greater clarity, therefore the greater distance is the invariable outcome. A good example as mentioned above is the Field experiment and the Still Water experiment. Also contributing to the increase of sound was that the interior of the parabola's were smooth, this also goes with Gamma.

The only definite answer on which dish is the worst is that it is definately Alpha, it was the worst amplifier of all the dishes. The shape was incorrect, it was not made to any shape, nor design. It had the very first amplifier that we constructed, and thus it was not of the best quality, and this amplifier worked on good days only. The whole thing was constructed in a period of five days. All the others were made to specific design and all had models to work off, also there was the knowledge gleamed from the construction. So the dish was build with a definite handicap, but it is not all bad, it did the job.

The interference of animals played an important role in all our experiments. And it is not just animals but also man and vehicles. We had to abandon several attempts to do experiments just because of the noise of the birds, monkey's, people, dogs and vehicles. Our conclusion to these things is that they all are an important role-player in every day life. After all it is the sounds that are created by these objects that is the object of this project. The only solution is that one must just be patient and wait for the dog to stop barking, biting, the ape to stop laughing and the monkey to stop chattering. To smile sweetly at the driver of the ten ton truck, or the pleasure seeking Boom-box campers.

In all the experiments we measured temperature, as this is said to make a difference. We have already touched upon the subject of this factor. The way we overcame this heat effect was to do experiments at the same time of day and our advice or conclusion is that no-one should work in the early hours or the late hours, i.e. 7.00 am to 10.00 am and from 16.00 PM to 19.00 PM. Any time after of before or in-between are ideal times for working.

Our final conclusion is that it is impossible to compile a reasonable report on a subject such as this in so little time. The greatest factor of all which we forgot was TIME. Our experiments were done in time, as was the typing of this project. But if we had had more time we would have constructed more dishes and would have been able to write an ending conclusion with a concluding conclusion which would have said the dish Omega would have been the most successful. But due to the only factor which cannot be overcome we did not. However in not having a concluding conclusion we have just such a conclusion, one which concludes.

Some of the louder noises that are made by man's constructions are as follows:-

Telephone (75 decibels)

Rock Band (127 decibels)

Jet takeoff at close range (146 decibels).

We would like to thank Mr. Stewart for obtaining the necessary materials and Mrs. Stewart for taking us back and forth between our homes and for providing the photo-graphic materials and equipment. Another person who was an invaluable asset is Mr. Schuitemaker, who helped with the construction of the four amplifiers.

Lastly but not at all least, we would like to thank Mr. Kaseeparisath for advice on the construction of the amplifier unit, and general help on the construction of the filter.

Thanks also go to : The Howick Library

The Spy Shop

Mr. Langley of HHS for advice

Mr. Darby

The Institute of Acoustics in the U.K

Professor V. Mellert

DR Helfer

DR Illenyi

HHS computer department

Miss. Brown of HHS

All those people who responded- public or otherwise

The following books that were used are all from the Howick Library:-

The Old Oxford Dictionary

The World Book Encyclopedia So-Al (vol. 18).

The New Oxford Illustrated Dictionary.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary.

The Guinness Book of Records (1993).

The Internet

Golier and Encater CD encyclopedia

Home - back to the cover page

Aim - to the Introduction, aims, and comstruction of the project

Experiments - to all the experiments conducted on the four dishes

Birds - all the bird calls recorded by the dishes