"'Do you think a helix might work as an antenna?'
'No,' he replied 'I've tried it and it doesn't work.'
The finality of his statement got me thinking.
Perhaps he had no luck with the helix as an antenna because he used
too small a diameter for the helix in the traveling wave tube.
I had in mind a much larger diameter.
Using Alford's intuitive type of reasoning, I theorized that if a helix
were as large as one wavelength in circumference, it would have
to radiate in some fashion or other. Just how I had no idea, but
I wanted to try. If Raines had said 'Yes, maybe it will work,'
I don't think I would have been half as eager to find out."
"...
I planned to do it at home for two reasons: first, I had no lab
space of my own on the campus--the department was very crowded--
and second I felt a certain embarassment about trying it. No one
had ever made a helical antenna. Furthermore, Dr. Raines had said
it wouldn't work so it was probably a foolish thing to do, and I
didn't want anyone looking over my shoulder and asking questions."
