On 05 Mar 2007 17:30:06 GMT, Ed
wrote:

Which raises the issue for me, how does one measure, ( or calculate),
the ground loss in a mobile antenna.

I am working primarily with 80M mobile antennas on medium sized
motorhomes.

Hi Ed,

Work it in reverse. Put in various values and note their loss.
Compare to your own situation. Choose the value that comes closest to
that.

How do you compare? Measure against a reference antenna, while trying
to maintain the same conditions. THAT is the hard part. The
reference antenna's loss should be known (and even that is difficult).

Another way is build a software model that is the best of all worlds
(no Ohmic losses ...or at least the fewest). Compare drive conditions
of the model to the one on your motorhome. The difference between the
two is the loss, take this value and put it into your software.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC