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Topband: ground rod replacement ?

To: <Topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Topband: ground rod replacement ?
From: "Bruce" <k1fz@myfairpoint.net>
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:58:21 -0800
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
Bob,

Harold Beverage was from North Haven Island, nearby here in Maine. I have 
done extensive research on the Belfast, Maine Atlantic Ocean, Radio Relay 
station that started spring 1923  by the Radio Corporation of America.
The (average 18 foot) above ground Moody Mountain Beverage  had a lot of 
Buried #10 copper wires. (South Searsmont end of the  "10 mile" Wave 
(Beverage) antenna.) Harold Beverage was the overall Engineering supervisor, 
H.P. Hassner the site start up Engineer.

 Also in 1923  Clarence Hansell  performed wave antenna testing  for 
transmitting compared against a vertical with Riverhead, N.Y.  Hansell's 
actual length measurement of the Moody Mountain wave antenna was 52,610 
feet. Hansell, then installed  a separate shorter wave antenna using 5/16 
inch copper wire with a counterpoise beneath. Test were ended when
the shorter wave antenna came in well below the test vertical signal 
strengths. (Hansell's Belfast log book is available through Stony Brook 
University)

The Moody Mountain wave antenna actually terminated in Black Brook at the 
base of Moody Mountain and they had runs of buried wire going into the 
water. (Fresh water was thought to be more conductive,  when water surface 
froze, the wires were in the mud below.)

My research on BOGS,  I found that the termination resistor did not cancel 
all the signal pickup from a radial. I also found that as a BOG became too 
long it self terminated and  the pattern became unpredictable. I believe it 
was the capacitance to ground vs the frequency, a bypassing function.

Although I have not measured the pattern, by transmitting a weak signal into 
it, on air testing comparing signals against verticals, indicated general 
directivity held until the BOG was too long and self terminated.

I found by removing my 300 ohm termination resistor, and re-sweeping the 
antenna, I could see the frequency which self termination took place. I 
shortened the wire length enough times until my lower bands were being 
terminated  by the 300 ohm resistor. (had to re-drive the termination ground 
rod a few times) The best BOG length varies with wire size, insulation, 
ground conductivity, actual closeness to ground. (I am up an inch or two, in 
some places, as it goes along the run from vegetation)

73
Bruce-K1FZ






> I used lots of BOGs (but only for 160) and found that Harold
> Beverage's advice (for normal Beverages) recommending a few short
> radials laid on the grouind and symmetrical, applied to the BOGs too,
> except that if the BOG was long enough we didn't need any termination
> at all at the far end.
> I also found that for resonant 160 antennas, 1/4 wave long elevated
> terminating wires were better than any ground rods, winter and summer,
> rain or shine, Rx or Tx.  Our temp only goes down to  -25C or so, but
> frost goes to about 50 cm deep sometimes.
> Bob VE7BS
> 

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