Hi Roger,
 I will try to translate diagrams for your understanding.

Figure 1: Typical configuration of Two Earth Electrodes Antenna.
         Earth A, Earth B and Transmitter and Receiver.

Figure 2: Receiving characteristic using two wire length[10m and 30m]
 for JJY 40kHz[one of the Standard time stations].
         where Inner 8 shape : 10m space earth electrodes.
               8 db up       : 30m space earth electrodes.
         Look that there is a gain direction depending on angles to the
broadcasting station - JJY 40kHz.
         Dry earth is better than wet earth also described around
Fig.2.

Figure 3: Direction pattern between 2 set of two earth electrodes.
         Horizontal line shown at the center is transmit antenna.
         The others are receiving antennas with 90 degree variation.
         OK means good propagation and NG means No Good angle.
         A same direction with transmittion antenna is good result.

Figure 4: Simulated radiation pattern for very small dipole antenna.
         Blue colour   : Electric field.
         Purple colour : Magnetic field.
         Both electric charge field and magnetic field are generated
together in these mini dipole antenna.
         Simulator     : MININEC software.

The Experimental group is JA1FCZ, JA1HOF, JA1CNM and JA5FP.
I hope this short introduction will help you.
7L1RLL Rick

On Fri, 2010-08-13 at 07:54 +0100, Roger Lapthorn wrote:
> Rick (the Japanese one :-) ),
>
> The diagram in the Japanese paper shows exactly my "earth antenna"
> configuration. However I cannot read Japanese. Is it possible to give
> a brief summary of the conclusions (in English)?
>
> I will try to put this into a language package to see if I can obtain
> a Google translation.
>
> 73s
> Roger G3XBM
>
>
>
> On 13 August 2010 01:53, Rick Wakatori <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>          To avoid misunderstanding each, may I suggest rename "Earth
>         Antenna" to
>         "Two Earth Electrodes Antenna"?
>          JA5FP, a friend of mine, wrote a literature on so called
>         "Earth Surface
>         Antenna" at bellow URL, but written in Japanese.  There are
>         some figures
>         on direction path.
>         http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~ja5fp/gant.pdf
>          Notes: He has a US Callsign so that any question in English
>         MAY BE
>         accepted.
>         7L1RLL - Rick
>
>         On Thu, 2010-08-12 at 18:44 +0100, Roger Lapthorn wrote:
>         > Mal,
>         >
>         > Not so, but then you wouldn't want to know as you only
>         transmit with
>         > radio waves and mouth.
>         >
>         > 73s
>         > Roger
>         >
>         >
>         >
>         > On 12 August 2010 18:10, mal hamilton
>         <[email protected]> wrote:
>         >             These so called Earth antennas are but bodged
>         Beverage
>         >         systems, wires laying on or slightly above ground,
>         staked at
>         >         one end as opposed to being terminated with a
>         resistor or left
>         >         floating. Beverages or bodges are useful for
>         Receiving in some
>         >         cases but USELESS for Transmitting.
>         >         An Antenna is an elevated wire raised as high as
>         possible
>         >         above ground, an Earth is a spike driven into the
>         >         ground underneath your feet,  basic radio theory.
>         >         G3KEV
>         >
>         >
>         >
>         >
>         > --
>         > http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/
>         > http://www.g3xbm.co.uk
>         > http://www.youtube.com/user/g3xbm
>         > G3XBM   GQRP 1678    ISWL G11088
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/
> http://www.g3xbm.co.uk
> http://www.youtube.com/user/g3xbm
> G3XBM   GQRP 1678    ISWL G11088