Topband: "return" current - what is it?

[Bob Kupps]

Hi it was recently stated that the antenna and ground return current at the feed point terminals (where let's assume the TX is located) must always be equal. And this certainly makes sense to me if we treat the antenna/ground system as a circuit (as it often is shown).

So I modeled a half wave dipole in free space and sure enough the wire segments on each side of the feed point carried equal current. I then placed a resistive load at the center of one half-element (to simulate? a lossy "return") and now see that those segments no longer carry equal currents, with less current on the side with the load. Can someone please explain this?

The Feb 1983 QST article by Doty has 2 tables where they list RF "antenna" and "return" current measurements as they added radials to an elevated counterpoise and ground screen. With 6 radials they measured 350 mA of  "antenna" current and 220 mA of  "return" current. With 20 radials they measured 495/445 and with 48 radials 495/495. What were they measuring?

Thanks Bob