Topband: Magic Antenna Land

[k3bu at optimum.net]

Howdy Oval,you are one lucky SOB! Being close to salt water, ideally if on the beeeech, your best and least complicated solution is just to run two elevated radials (see Team Vertical exploits). That completes the efficient antenna standing wave resonant system, which then uses "perfect" ground to enhance the vertical's performance especially at low angles. Increased gain, lower angle.Another solution is to run piece of "ground wire" to the salt water, only wire in contact with water surface is effective, no need to go deep. Then you are on the mercy of tide "tuning" your antenna.The salt water is the prime beneficiatitor to the antenna performance, adding 3cxxxxx will help to create the propagation and boil the salty water and produce some sea salt which is effectively used instead of toothpaste.HIH, 73  Yuri da 3BUm> Oval gets pretty good results but is wondering what effect his > ground rod in Salt water is having on his antenna performance.  > Oval disconnects the Ground rod and runs on Radials only.  He is > wunderin....did I improve or degrade my signal???....and he > wonders if he could measure current flow in the 1/4" ground bus > to the ground rod...would it show any current flow and how would > that compare to the current flow in the radials....????  Will > his SWR change?> > Do we have any antenna theorists who could help Oval in his query?> > 73> Val> N4RJ>