From: WarmSpgs@aol.com
Message-ID: <30.5388539.265431a7@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 17 May 2000 13:32:23 EDT
Subject: Re: LF: Puckeridge Decca station - Big & small antennas
To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
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M0BMU writes:

> There has been some vigorous debate lately about the advantages 
> and disadvantages of big and small antennas, with some holding 
> the view that big antennas have superior radiation patterns to small 
> ones, and some holding the opposite is true. The aim of the 
> experiment is to put this to a practical test.

I don't recall that the debate was principally about radiation patterns of 
big versus small antennas, as such.  Even a 100m mast is electrically small 
at these frequencies, and would have no different pattern from a 10m mast.  
It appears that what you will actually be testing is the difference in 
radiation patterns between an exclusively vertical radiator and one with a 
significant horizontal component, is it not?

> The idea is to set the antenna currents so that the same 
> effective radiated power should be obtained from both antennas, 
> and then see how signal strengths compare.

How will you be determining effective radiated power?  Isn't ERP pretty much 
_defined_ in terms of field strength?

73,
John KD4IDY