Topband: Modeling the proverbial "vertical on a beach"

[Richard (Rick) Karlquist]

On 8/16/2014 7:45 PM, Mark Connelly via Topband wrote:
> Some long-time observations from about 55 years of AM broadcast band
> DXing MAY have some relevance to this discussion.
>

It is tricky to use receiving tests to gauge the
effectiveness of proposed transmitting antennas
for two reasons.  You are probably listening on
receiving type antennas rather than transmitting
antennas.  In that case, you have only shown that
receiving antennas work better over salt water.
Actually, beverages are worse over salt water.
Second, are these comparisons based on S meter readings
or signal to noise ratio?  If the latter, then it
could just as well be that it is very quiet on the
shore because nothing is out there.  Especially if
you use directional antennas to listen.

OTOH, if you listen from a single location to
various 50 kW FCC stations, you can assume that
the stations are all very similar (like WRTC)
except for salt water or not.  Of course you have
to handicap them for any directional pattern.
And the winner is the station that pushes the
S meter the most, NOT necessarily the station
that is most readable.

Rick N6RK