"Reg Edwards" wrote in message
...
Walt, did you measure ground conductivity and permittivity?

Or did you forget like messrs B, L & E.
----
Reg.

Hi Reg, it appears you have a copy of the B, L & E's IRE paper reporting their
ground radial experiments, "Ground Systems as a Factor in Antenna Efficiency,"
that the FCC finalized on in the radial requirements for AM BC stations. Their
paper was dated June 1937. I knew B (George H. Brown) very well, as he was
formerly the chief engineer of the antenna lab of the RCA Laboratories. I also
knew L, (Bob Lewis, W2EBS) as well, but only as a ham, because he left the RCA
Labs before I worked there. I worked alongside E, (Jess Epstein) for many years
at the Labs.

Jess told me why their experiments included 113 radials. It seems that when Jess
had plowed in 100 radials he asked Brown what he should do with the wire
remaining in the spool. Brown said, "plow it in." There was just enough wire
left for thirteen more radials--hence the 113, as reported in their IRE paper.

I attended a radio club meeting where Bob Lewis was a member on a night when
Jerry Sevick, W2FMI, was the guest speaker. Jerry was explaining how radials
worked. In his blackboard diagram he included concentric wires connected to each
radial at various intervals away from the vertical radiator, including at the
ends of each radial. I asked Jerry what those concentric wires were for, but he
had no answer. Bob Lewis was in his audience, so I then asked Jerry if he knew
about the Brown, Lewis & Epstein experiment concerning ground radials. Jerry
said, yes, he did. I then asked him if he'd like to meet Bob. He said he
certainly would when the time was right. So I told Jerry the time was right
right now, and asked Bob to stand. Bob then took the stage, and much to Jerry's
chagrin, Bob told the group how radials really worked.

At the end of the meeting a photographer took a picture of Bob, Jerry, and me,
that was published in QST sometime in the 60s or 70s, I've forgotten just which
issue.

Walt, W2DU