Billyboy,

What you are describing is called a spark gap generator/transmitter. Details can be found at http://www.icomm.ca/survival/245fil.don/radio.htm

Basically, by making/breaking high-amp electrical conections you send out pulses of radio waves across wide bands of the AM radio spectrum. It's similar to the AM radio interference produced during thunderstorms. Like regular AM radio, the transmissions can reach suprisingly far. If you know morse code you can blast out an SOS for hundreds of miles. The FCC considers this sort of transmitter to be illegal and will immediately try to locate the source.

-Blast

Wow, I'm up to three posts in one year.
_________________________
Foraging Texas
Medicine Man Plant Co.
DrMerriwether on YouTube
Radio Call Sign: KI5BOG
*As an Amazon Influencer, I may earn a sales commission on Amazon links in my posts.