[CQ-Contest] Contest QTH

[Bill Tippett]

K1TN:

 > I am four miles west of the edge of Great Bay, an Atlantic Ocean 
inlet. Can I run a ground wire there to get the salt water effect, or 
do I need to go another three miles.

         I know you're being facetious but I've actually studied 
this.  Based on ancedotal evidence from several successful low-band 
stations (you'd recognize their calls but I'm sworn to secrecy), I 
believe you need to be within several hundred feet of water with 
salinity >15 ppt (parts per thousand).  It doesn't have to be ocean 
salt water (~35 ppt) but brackish water with at least 15 ppt 
salinity.  You can actually model these effects with EZNEC using 
custom ground conductivities (based on different salinity levels).

         No you can't just connect your wire but if you did, tinned 
copper braid would be a very poor choice for many reasons (IMHO poor 
for grounding anything except car batteries).  Copper flashing 
covering the entire area east of you should work just fine. :-)

                                 73,  Bill  W4ZV