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Message-Id: <7.0.1.0.2.20100927193758.03c48ea8@erols.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 20:20:51 -0400
To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
From: Nan and Sandy Sanders <radiodog77@pobox.com>
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Subject: LF: Earth Antennas
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Reply-To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org


Hi all. About 8 or 9 years ago AMRAD installed what we called an 
earth bipole. From our web page http://www.amrad.org/projects/lf/

"AMRAD has built a 1500 foot long bipole antenna. This is a wire that 
goes through the woods and is connected on one end to a 300 foot 
steel well casing and a ground rod in lake on the other. It is tuned 
to resonance with two large coils near the ends and a ferrite toroid 
transformer gets it all to 50 ohms for the transmitter. Initially it 
was not strong back here in the Washington DC area. But now it looks 
like the signal is pretty good further out. It may favor sky wave to 
ground wave. Recent results have been good with reception into 
London, Ontario Canada by Mitch Powell VE3OT. His zipped .wav file 
can be downloaded <http://www.amrad.org/projects/lf/wa2.zip>here. 
Note that it is almost 750k. This reception is about 324 miles or 521 
km. Closer in we have reception confirmed from Steve Dove W3EEE/G3YDV 
at Mt. Gretna PA. "
Note:  here= http://www.amrad.org/projects/lf/wa2.zip

The wire was attached to trees about 15 feet off the ground and it 
was fed about 100w and keyed at 5 wpm. We always had problems getting 
people to listen for us outside the local area. We lost interest 
after our FCC would not give us 137Khz as an amateur band.
One thing I learned during the installation of this antenna is that 
if you step into waist deep mud and cannot get your self out, your 
fellow amateurs will laugh and take photos of you before they will 
help you get out.
I think that AMRADs and Stefan's experience show that this type of 
antenna is worth some investigation.
      Sandy
      WB5MMB