Re: LF: VK1OD's analysis of the MiniWhip antenna

[Pieter-Tjerk de Boer <ptdeboer@cs.utwente.nl>]

On Sat, Jul 06, 2013 at 08:32:13PM +0200, Roelof Bakker wrote:

> One test I still intend to do is to feed the antenna with a 9V
> battery and use fiber optic to transport the rf to the shack. I am
> using a non conductive fiber glass pole and my guess is that the
> antenna still will work.

I'm pretty sure it won't work.

The reason is that then the entire amplifier circuit, with everything
which is electrically connected to it, is at essentially one place up
the pole. All parts of that circuit are capacitively coupled to the
electric field at that place, so they are all at the same potential,
so the circuit doesn't see any potential _difference_ that it can
amplify and send down the fiber optic cable.

73, Pieter-Tjerk, PA3FWM