Just because you don't believe it, doesn't make it false. That's not how this works. If you can't properly address the mechanisms that make over the horizon communication possible, maybe you should display some humility and go learn about them first. Arguments from personal credulity, like the one above are just not acceptable.
The simplest explanation is that the photons simply traveled in a straight line. This is a vastly more powerful explanation to the mental gymnastics the Round Earth scientists use to explain why a round earth looks flat.
As many others have replied, thanks for that assurance. I do believe we have been trying to argue that for a long time in relation to sunrises etc. I think we will both concede that the paths of photons can be deflected by refraction, diffraction, scattering and reflection.
The fact that "photons" (ie electromagnetic radiation) travel in straight lines limits the range of microwave propagation over the Globe, hence limiting the spacing that can be used between microwave relay towers.
Microwave links are still used in locations where fibre-optic links are not feasible. How is the tower spacing calculated?
Using the curvature of the earth of course! Most links were commonly limited to 50 km or so depending on terrain. Much longer micro-wave links have been built, such as:
The longest microwave radio relay known up to date crosses the Red Sea with 360 km hop between Jebel Erba (2170m a.s.l., 20°44'46.17"N 36°50'24.65"E, Sudan) and Jebel Dakka (2572m a.s.l., 21° 5'36.89"N 40°17'29.80"E, Saudi Arabia).
These long distances can only be achieved with very high antenna positions (on mountain tops - just look where 20°44'46.17"N 36°50'24.65"E, Sudan and 21° 5'36.89"N 40°17'29.80"E, Saudi Arabia are - on quite high mountains. Guess what, the "hump" due to curvature is 2,545 m, but
refraction allows a bit more reliable range.
And just how do these engineers know that they not giving unnecessary clearance? Simple, if the "beam" gets too close to the water surface they get multipath reflections from the waves and hence unreliable performance.
You really should look at some of your own earlier posts on this topic!
Microwave relay stations are usually spaced about 30 miles apart because they rely on line-of-sight between them . (Antenna to horizon distance according to the height of the microwave antenna towers). It would seem that on a Flat Earth there would be no need for relay stations since everything is in line-of-sight ? Why don't the microwave engineers know this ? It certainly would cut down on costs ? Just one microwave station in New York and one in Los Angeles for example would be all that was necessary ?
Everything is not line-of-sight. The atmosphere is not perfectly transparent.
Really? The Red Sea between Jebel Erba (at 20°44'46.17"N 36°50'24.65"E, in the Sudan) and Jebel Dakka (21° 5'36.89"N 40°17'29.80"E, in Saudi Arabia) is a
360 km hop, no 30 mile limit here!