LF: Earth electrode test on 500kHz now finished - loop area calculation to start

[Roger Lapthorn <rogerlapthorn@gmail.com>]

The WSPR station ran through the night to see if Rik and others could copy the QRPp signal from the earth electrode "loop" antenna. No additional reports were received apart from G3XIZ (peaked at -8dB S/N), M0BMU (peaked at -18dB S/N) and G7NKS (peaked at -22dB S/N). G0KTN appears to have stopped listening around midnight (peaked at -23dB S/N). I guess the signal orthogal to the loop is just too weak to copy at Rik's QTH..

From the very reliable reports at a ranges of 69km and 46km I should be able to estimate the ERP better now. With other measured/measurable data at this end I should be able to work back to find the approximate loop area formed within the ground. If others want to help me do this calculation these are the parameters available:

• antenna/ground physical arrangement is shown in the diagram on my blog (please click it to get a larger more readable view),
  
• my ouput power from the TX PA  is 5W,
  
• the AC voltage measured across the loop  is 34V

Are there any other figures I need to measure to work out loop area? I can measure loop current.

Thanks for everyone's enthusiastic support for these tests. I've much enjoyed trying this little experiment and it has spurred me on to try other daft ideas in the months to come. 

A further question: I assume the loop size will be much bigger within the ground on 8.97kHz as the skin depth will be much greater. If I work out the loop area on 500kHz I suppose there will be a way of extrapolating the loop area on 8.97kHz from this figure?


73s
Roger G3XBM

-- 
http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/
http://www.g3xbm.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/user/g3xbm
G3XBM    GQRP 1678      ISWL G11088