Topband: Vegetation/Housing Effects on Low Angle Radiation

[Bill Hohnstein K0HA]

> ... would it really make a difference in my signal to
> DX stations if I were living in the middle of a forest rather
> than my current location being surrounded by barren, harvested
> fields (obviously with identical ground conductivity)? 

While I haven't heard of any quantitative studies of this for
AM broadcast or 160 meter frequencies, I did find at least some
generalizations on this in a book that I already had!
>From the National Association of Broadcasters "Engineering Handbook,
Sixth Edition" (1975--most recent one here):
Vir N. James, PE - "In a similar manner, trees or other dense
foliage greatly attenuate the signal.  When making field strength
measurements [on 540 - 1600 kHz], one should therefore avoid high
or low places as well as heavily foliated areas..."
Remember that he is commentating on ground wave (his term)
measurements.

FYI - The final AM broadcast station that I worked for went into
overkill and had 240 radials installed...

73,  Bill     K0HA



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