Message-ID: <4C694CC6.3010609@o2.ie>
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:35:50 +0100
From: Tony <ei8jk@o2.ie>
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To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
Subject: LF: Earth electrode antenna tests
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  Yesterday I spent some time playing with different antennae.
I started by laying out another wire 52m long orientated roughly 
north/south and then I shortened my original wire also to be 52m and 
this one is east/west, both terminated with an earth rod.
Results were not as expected however as although the two earth electrode 
antennae show most definite directivity they were the wrong direction.

I monitored BBC R. Bristol on 1548 KHz which is about 500 Km due east of 
me and on the inverted L (tuned VSWR 1.6:1) I could just detect a 
carrier heterodyne, on the N/S earth electrode antenna it was S1 but on 
the E/W earth electrode antenna it was S3.
RNE5 on 531 KHz about 960 Km due south of me was S3 on the E/W and S8 on 
the N/S

HGA22 (135 KHz) to my east was S4 on the E/W and S1 on N/S

Readings were taken about 12:00 utc so most definitely ground wave.

I was expecting the directivity to be broadside on the earth electrode 
antennae, but they seem to behave like a Beverage in that respect, but 
something that I think I will investigate further, maybe see if there is 
any difference if I terminate them with a resistor.
I'm sure Mal is correct though that they would be useless to TX through 
but for RX they seem to have possibilities especially after dark as they 
are a lot quieter.

All good fun.
73, Tony, EI8JK.