It is possible to calculate the effectiveness of a wire grid or of spaced radial wires in reducing the ground current and associated ground loss for a given ground system. The equations are relatively simple and easy to use. Take a look at Download ground_system_wire_spacing.pdf
Antennas
Even after more than a hundred years of work, antennas remain a rich field for investigation and innovation. Since I was first licensed over 70 years ago antennas have been my passion. Amateurs rarely design and build their own equipment these days, but antennas are often home brewed to improve station performance at modest cost. 70 years ago, Tom Erdmann, W7DND(SK), told me that if I had $100, I should spend the first $90 on the antenna, the next $9 for the receiver and the final $1 on the transmitter. Of course, prices have gone up bit, but those proportions are still sound advice. I can honestly say I have a lot more time and effort invested in my antennas than in station equipment. This web site provides access to my articles and notes, some of them published in ham journals and others more informal. All of them should be viewed as "work in progress, subject to revision". My work is a mix of analytic (calculations), modeling or lab and field experiments on actual antennas. Each of these has its place but the best picture emerges when all three techniques are combined.
Please note, I try to close each post to comments. Once in a while I forget to push the right button, and a post may be open. However, I assume I'm perfect and always have the posts closed, so I don't look for comments.
October 17, 2006 in Introductory comments | Permalink | Comments (0)