JERD wrote:
Does this matter or is good old mother earth still going to provide a good
earth for my antenna system?

What is the function of the earth stake?
e.g. lightning protection? Counterpoise?
Increased gain?
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

JERD wrote:
"Does it matter or is good old mother earth still going to provide a
good earth for my antenna system?'

According to B. Whitfield Griffith, Jr. in "Radio-Electronic
Transmission Fundamentals" on page 351, a single ground rod introduces
about 50 ohms to an antenna`s resistance. He says contact resistance to
the soil may be very low but the loss will be in the large area of soil
surrounding the rod. Radials are the answer to the low soil conductivity
probl;em.

A broadcast grounding system of 120 radials, each 1/4-wavelength long,
may have a ground resistance of about one ohm, as shown in Fig. 43-2 on
page 353.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI

Cecil, W5DXP wrote:
"Increased gain?"

That is correct when considering "power gain" of an antenna, which is,
power into some reference antenna / power into the gain antenna in the
same direction.

"Directive gain" of an antenna has nothing to do with losses.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI

"Cecil Moore" wrote in message
. ..
JERD wrote:
Does this matter or is good old mother earth still going to provide a
good earth for my antenna system?

What is the function of the earth stake?
e.g. lightning protection? Counterpoise?
Increased gain?
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

The function of the earth stake is to 'ground' my new HF ham rig and also
the AT-4 automatic antenna tuner.


JERD - (Original poster)
VK5JE

"JERD" wrote in
:

....
The function of the earth stake is to 'ground' my new HF ham rig and
also the AT-4 automatic antenna tuner.
....

Jerd,

Nothing here stated AC protective ground (which comes from the earth pin in
your three wire power socket) or lightning ground.

You have identified that you want to attach the second output terminal of
the AH4 to the electrode. The proposed electrode (whether or not it is
throught the path) is likely to have a resistance that results in a low
antenna system efficiency at frequencies where the radiation resistance of
the antenna is relatively low.

The article at http://www.vk1od.net/InvertedL/InvertedL.htm models a
scenario that is probably quite similar to that which you are considering,
and discusses points relevant to the design... could be worth a read.

Now, there will be a body of opinion that it doesn't matter what you do,
you will still get QSOs, that it therefore 'works'. It sounds from your
question that you are more interested in that shallow level of engagements,
so read around.

I wrote another article on a minimal setup again with an AH4 and end fed
wire, it is at http://www.vk1od.net/NaroomaEFW/NaroomaEFW.htm .

By all means, drive an earth electrode as you have proposed principally for
lightning protection (though I would use a 2.4m copper clad steel
electrode), but run at least a couple of (untuned) shallow buried bare
copper radial wires from the AH4. Locating the AH4 remotely from your shack
and house if you can will reduce the RF intensity in those places and
reduce EMC problems.

Catch you on air sometime.

Owen

Owen Duffy wrote in
:

....
Now, there will be a body of opinion that it doesn't matter what you
do, you will still get QSOs, that it therefore 'works'. It sounds from
your question that you are more interested in that shallow level of
engagements, so read around.

That didn't come out right... it should have read:

Now, there will be a body of opinion that it doesn't matter what you
do, you will still get QSOs, that it therefore 'works'. It sounds from
your question that you are more interested than that shallow level of
engagements, so read around.

Owen

JERD wrote:
The function of the earth stake is to 'ground' my new HF ham rig and also
the AT-4 automatic antenna tuner.

RF 'ground'? AC 'ground'? Lightning 'ground'? DC 'ground'?
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com