At 01:59 PM 2/16/00 -0600, you wrote:

Elizabeth is correct, the radar tracking system used for finding skiers is
not the same as that used by Riley and her colleagues.  The system used for
finding skiers is used for tracking small mammals and some larger insects
(a recent article appears in National Geographic.

However, as I understand, both systems use a diode and antennae on the bee
and the principal is similar. A transmitter activates the diode.  You don't
need a power source on the bee.  A receiver picks up the signal that is
bounced back.  How you process the signal and what you do with that signal
varies greatly between the two systems.  And, there are some significant
differences in the signal generated, which affects antennae length, etc.

I chose to present the skier scenario because some folks seemed to be
asking whether this was "for real", and indeed these systems are real and
used for purposes other than simply tracking insects. Also, the details of
Joe's system are proprietary.

Jerry
Jerry J. Bromenshenk, Ph.D.
Director, DOE/EPSCoR & Montana Organization for Research in Energy
The University of Montana-Missoula
Missoula, MT  59812-1002
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Tel:  406-243-5648
Fax:  406-243-4184
http://www.umt.edu/biology/more
http://www.umt.edu/biology/bees