On Wed, 2 Aug 2006 21:33:33 +0200, "Antonio Vernucci"
wrote:

hard to tell how many dB one would loose, until the power loss mechanism via the rod coupling is understood. I would need to find somebody who had occasion to test that configuration, otherwise I will have to anyway buy the rod (about 100$) and make the test myself

Hi Tony,

That is the only sure way of knowing. Modeling with EZNEC will
certainly reveal obvious problems.

As for heating. The exposure to sun (if the rod is black) will
probably create more heat than the RF.

I am not worried at all of rod heating, but of RF power loss

Same thing.

There are many articles on the Internet that suggest a resistance in the order of one ohm or so. But knowing precisely how many ohms the rod shows woud not help much, as, again, until the loss mechanism is not characterized, noone can stell something sensible

Total resistance over 8 meters is 1 Ohm? If so, it does not look like
a problem. 1 Ohm every 10cM? Still does not look like a problem.

Download EZNEC and do your own modeling.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC