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-   -   How to measure soil constants at HF (https://www.radiobanter.com/antenna/73124-how-measure-soil-constants-hf.html)

Wes Stewart June 23rd 05 01:18 AM

On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 16:12:28 -0500, (Richard
Harrison) wrote:

Ian White wrote:
"The real technical question is how many, and how long, will be "just
enough" for "here"?"

Reminds me of the trailer house designer pulling out reaces until the
whole projkect collapses, then rebuilding with only the last brace
removed reinstalled.


Sounds like the guy works for Fleetwood.

Here's an example of their fine American craftsmanship used on my
fifth-wheel trailer. Actually I think they probably have a crew of
illegal aliens doing the work but who knows.

http://users.triconet.org/wesandlind...yFleetwood.jpg

The awning upright kept the sheet from tearing off completely and
landing in the middle of I-10 (75 mph limit). Adding insult to
injury, I had just increased my insurance deductable before the trip
from $200 to $1K to "save money."

Roy Lewallen June 23rd 05 01:56 AM

Wes Stewart wrote:
. . .
Publish the paper Walt, the authors are all gone (I think, but you
know better than I) the IRE is gone too; what are they going to do,
come back from the grave and sue you?


The authors didn't own the copyright. (If they did, it would be the
property of their heirs if still valid.) But the IRE isn't gone -- it
merged with the IEE, back in the '60s as I recall, to become the IEEE.
If the copyright is valid, they're its owner. And they might sue.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Richard Harrison June 23rd 05 02:30 AM

Wes, N7WS wrote:
"Sounds like the guy who works for Fleetwood."

Did not expect to hit a nerve with my story of "Value Engineering".
Fleetwood could be called Fleetaluminum after Wes` skin peeled and
sailed down I-10 at 75 mph.

When you are making many examples of a product it makes sense to
minimize cost if you don`t compromise the product.

A guy in my college class was hired by a car radio manufacturer. He
spent most of his first 18 months with the company eliminating a single
nut and bolt in a vibrator. His starting salery probably wasn`t much,
but I doubt they ever produced enough vibrators to recoup the cost of
their design improvement which saved a single fastener. His work must
have been akin to that of T.A. Edison finding the right stuff for the
filament of an incandescent lamp, finding a thousand things that didn`t
work before finding one which did.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI


Dave Platt June 23rd 05 02:47 AM

In article ,
Roy Lewallen wrote:

Hm. The way I read http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#hlc, it
has. It looks to me like the original copyright was good for 28 years
and for copyrights originally issued in 1937, renewal (if done) was good
for another 28.


That's the first thing to check - see if there's any record of the
renewal actually taking place in 1964 or 1965. If it didn't, then the
work would have entered the public domain effective 1/1/1966, I believe.

That would put it in the public domain after 1993.


Here's where I differ with you. The copyright law which went into
effect on 1/1/78 automatically extended the second (renewal) term of
copyright, for works which had been originally copyrighted before 1950
and on which the copyright had been renewed before 1/1/78. The second
(28-year) term was automatically lengthened to 67 years, giving a
total of 95 years of protection.

So: if the work's original 28-year copyright was not renewed, then it
fell into the public domain in 1966.

If the work's original 28-year copyright *was* renewed in its last
ear, then the second 28-year term was effective, was automatically
extended to 67 years by the Copyright Act of 1976, and is still in
force today.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

Richard Clark June 23rd 05 04:00 AM

On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 20:30:20 -0500, (Richard
Harrison) wrote:

His work must
have been akin to that of T.A. Edison finding the right stuff for the
filament of an incandescent lamp


Hi Richard,

Right kind of hymn, wrong inventor for the chorus. It was Ford who
was approached by his engineers with a carburetor with two screws
holding it together. He challenged them to return only when they had
reduced it to one screw.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Wes Stewart June 23rd 05 04:49 AM

On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 17:56:52 -0700, Roy Lewallen
wrote:

Wes Stewart wrote:
. . .
Publish the paper Walt, the authors are all gone (I think, but you
know better than I) the IRE is gone too; what are they going to do,
come back from the grave and sue you?


The authors didn't own the copyright. (If they did, it would be the
property of their heirs if still valid.) But the IRE isn't gone -- it
merged with the IEE, back in the '60s as I recall, to become the IEEE.
If the copyright is valid, they're its owner. And they might sue.


All true, but...

Suppose that the IEEE has a staff of lawyers sitting around picking
their collective noses and they get wind of some ham (who actually
knew the authors) posting a copy of a document published in 1937 and
practically incorporated by reference in every FCC licensed broadcast
station's proof of performance.

They can't prove any financial harm, except maybe they didn't sell a
copy of the document for $25 and even at that there is some
possibility that the usage is "fair" in that it's for "research
purposes", do you think they will sue?

Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976. Limitations on exclusive
rights: Fair Use

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair
use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in
copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified in that
section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting,
teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship,
or research, is not an infringement of copyright.


Richard Harrison June 23rd 05 04:26 PM

Walter Maxwell, W2DU proposed a fast way to determine earth loss at
radio frequencies without digging into the earth.

"Earth Constants", conductivity and permittivity, affect ground wave
propagation and terrestrial reflections.. They may predict or explain
some propagation. They al;so affect operation of nearby antennas.

Earth permittivity is the ratio of a capacitor`s capacitance using an
earth sample as a dielectric, to its capacitance using air as the
dielectric. Under "permittivity" my dictionary says: "-See Dielectric
Constant.".

Earth conductivity is defined as the conductance between opposite faces
of a unit cube (usually 1.0 cubic meter) of a given earth material, e.g.
rock, sand, clay, loam, water, etc. Hoe do you measure this without
changing its value?

Conductivity and permittivity are affected by chemical and physical
composition, moisture, and temperature (especially freezing).

Earth constants are functions of frequency and antenna polarization.
R.F. determination seems best.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI


Walter Maxwell June 23rd 05 04:37 PM


"Wes Stewart" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 17:56:52 -0700, Roy Lewallen
wrote:

Wes Stewart wrote:
. . .
Publish the paper Walt, the authors are all gone (I think, but you
know better than I) the IRE is gone too; what are they going to do,
come back from the grave and sue you?


The authors didn't own the copyright. (If they did, it would be the
property of their heirs if still valid.) But the IRE isn't gone -- it
merged with the IEE, back in the '60s as I recall, to become the IEEE.
If the copyright is valid, they're its owner. And they might sue.


All true, but...

Suppose that the IEEE has a staff of lawyers sitting around picking
their collective noses and they get wind of some ham (who actually
knew the authors) posting a copy of a document published in 1937 and
practically incorporated by reference in every FCC licensed broadcast
station's proof of performance.

They can't prove any financial harm, except maybe they didn't sell a
copy of the document for $25 and even at that there is some
possibility that the usage is "fair" in that it's for "research
purposes", do you think they will sue?

Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976. Limitations on exclusive
rights: Fair Use

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair
use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in
copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified in that
section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting,
teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship,
or research, is not an infringement of copyright.


Seems to me, Wes, that our use on the group could be considered criticism,
comment and teaching. So far I haven't received anything from the library, so
we'll see what happens.

Walt



Reg Edwards June 23rd 05 05:08 PM


"Richard Harrison" wrote

Earth constants are functions of frequency and antenna polarization.
R.F. determination seems best.

=================================

You seem to know something about it Rixhard.

How is it done?
----
Reg



Richard Clark June 23rd 05 05:35 PM

On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 11:37:34 -0400, "Walter Maxwell"
wrote:

Seems to me, Wes, that our use on the group could be considered criticism,
comment and teaching. So far I haven't received anything from the library, so
we'll see what happens.


Hi Walt,

Do you have a BailPal account that we can chip into?

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Walter Maxwell June 23rd 05 06:09 PM


"Richard Clark" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 11:37:34 -0400, "Walter Maxwell"
wrote:

Seems to me, Wes, that our use on the group could be considered criticism,
comment and teaching. So far I haven't received anything from the library, so
we'll see what happens.


Hi Walt,

Do you have a BailPal account that we can chip into?

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC


Sorry Richard I don't know what a BailPal is. Or are you yankin my leg? Or on
the other hand are you being a compassionate soul in case I get sued?

In the meantime I've only had a short time to review the Mathcad info, but I'll
have some questions on it for you shortly.

Walt



Richard Harrison June 23rd 05 11:59 PM

Reg, G4FGQ wrote:
"How is it done?"

We have to do it within the USA broadcast frequencies with the following
method.

The site of the transmitting antenna is plotted on a very accurate map.

Pick map sites along radiaal lines from the antenna which are accessible
and free from possible reradiation sources (hard to do within a city)
but many sites along a radial will work.

For a single-tower, the nearest measurement site should be at least 5x
the tower height away. For a directional array, the nearest measurement
site should be at least 10x the widest gap between towers in the array.
You need to be far enough away so the antenna system appears to be a
point source.

You need to make a log of the measurements you make, showing the site
distance from the transmitter, measured field strength, time and
conditions which influence the measurement. You need to be able to
duplicate the measurements. You would prefer to make the first set of
measurements with the antenna operating in a nondirectional mode even if
it normally does not operate nondirectionally, so you can determine
efficiency very simply.

The more sites and measurements, the better. 25 measurements along each
radial is often considered enough for a nondirectional antenna. 40 or 50
would be required 9in a directional array, as the number of radial
measurements needed depends on the complexity of antenna system and its
pattern.

After completing measurements along a single radial, they should be
analyzed to determine the effective field at one mile from the antenna,
and the effective ground conductivity.

Fortunately, the FCC publishes charts are made a part of the rules in
Part 73 of the FCC Rules. You have likely seen reproductions in many
textbooks. I have an old copy of all the groundwave field intensity
versus conductivity charts which divide the AM broadcast band into
frequency segments.

These FCC charts contain more information than we can use, but they also
have what we need.

At the top of the chart is a straight line that shows how the signal
would be attenuated over perfectly conducting earth. The field strength
value at one mile is 100 mV / m. At 2 miles, it`s 50 millivolts / m, and
so on. This is as expected as over perfedt earth the signal varies
inversely with distance from the transmitter.

Beliw the straight line on the chart is a family of curves, each
dedicated to a particular soil conductivity. There is a curve for sea
water, 5.000 millisiemens (millimhos) and there is a curve for about as
nonconductive soil as is found (0.5 millisiemens), and there are several
curves in between those extremes.

All of the FCC curves are based on 100 mV / m at 1 mile, but can be
scaled. If your transmitter delivers 500 mV / m at 1 mile, aimply
multiply all points on the curve by 5.

We want to find the conductivity of our earth. It can be different on
every radial parh from the antenna.We find conductivity by plottibg our
measured field intensities on translucent graph paper with grid lines
which match the fcc graph. Then we line them up and place them over a
light source. We can see which of the FCC curves our points most closely
follow. It`s labeled ewith its conductivity.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI


Walter Maxwell June 24th 05 02:40 PM


"Richard Harrison" wrote in message
...
Reg, G4FGQ wrote:
"How is it done?"

We have to do it within the USA broadcast frequencies with the following
method.

The site of the transmitting antenna is plotted on a very accurate map.

Pick map sites along radiaal lines from the antenna which are accessible
and free from possible reradiation sources (hard to do within a city)
but many sites along a radial will work.

For a single-tower, the nearest measurement site should be at least 5x
the tower height away. For a directional array, the nearest measurement
site should be at least 10x the widest gap between towers in the array.
You need to be far enough away so the antenna system appears to be a
point source.

You need to make a log of the measurements you make, showing the site
distance from the transmitter, measured field strength, time and
conditions which influence the measurement. You need to be able to
duplicate the measurements. You would prefer to make the first set of
measurements with the antenna operating in a nondirectional mode even if
it normally does not operate nondirectionally, so you can determine
efficiency very simply.

The more sites and measurements, the better. 25 measurements along each
radial is often considered enough for a nondirectional antenna. 40 or 50
would be required 9in a directional array, as the number of radial
measurements needed depends on the complexity of antenna system and its
pattern.

After completing measurements along a single radial, they should be
analyzed to determine the effective field at one mile from the antenna,
and the effective ground conductivity.

Fortunately, the FCC publishes charts are made a part of the rules in
Part 73 of the FCC Rules. You have likely seen reproductions in many
textbooks. I have an old copy of all the groundwave field intensity
versus conductivity charts which divide the AM broadcast band into
frequency segments.

These FCC charts contain more information than we can use, but they also
have what we need.

At the top of the chart is a straight line that shows how the signal
would be attenuated over perfectly conducting earth. The field strength
value at one mile is 100 mV / m. At 2 miles, it`s 50 millivolts / m, and
so on. This is as expected as over perfedt earth the signal varies
inversely with distance from the transmitter.

Beliw the straight line on the chart is a family of curves, each
dedicated to a particular soil conductivity. There is a curve for sea
water, 5.000 millisiemens (millimhos) and there is a curve for about as
nonconductive soil as is found (0.5 millisiemens), and there are several
curves in between those extremes.

All of the FCC curves are based on 100 mV / m at 1 mile, but can be
scaled. If your transmitter delivers 500 mV / m at 1 mile, aimply
multiply all points on the curve by 5.

We want to find the conductivity of our earth. It can be different on
every radial parh from the antenna.We find conductivity by plottibg our
measured field intensities on translucent graph paper with grid lines
which match the fcc graph. Then we line them up and place them over a
light source. We can see which of the FCC curves our points most closely
follow. It`s labeled ewith its conductivity.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI


Hi Richard, you deserve an A+ for your excellent presentation on the use of the
FCC charts of signal level vs distance and conductivity. You've described the
method exactly as I have used it for single tower BC antennas. I still have a
complete set of the charts from 550 KHz to 1600 KHz that I used during the late
1940s, when I was doing AM BC antenna work.

Walt, W2DU



Reg Edwards June 24th 05 03:54 PM


"Ian White GM3SEK" wrote

That was an administrative policy decision rather than a technical

one.
From the technical viewpoint, everybody agrees that 120*0.25wl is

more
than enough to override the local ground conditions under the tower
irrelevant.

====================================

- - - - and since soil resistivity decreases with increasing
frequency, and the impedance due to soil capacitance also decreases
with increasing frequency, everybody agrees that 1/8th wavelength or
less is more than long enough.

And if that isn't enough, the velocity of propagation along buried
wires is considerably slower than the free-space value. It depends on
moisture content and permittivity.

The attenuation due to skin effect and wire inductance along lossy
radial wires is rather high. There's negligible current flowing in
them at distances greater than 1/4-wavelength at their own velocity.
The wires may just as well not be there.

Finally, as the wires spread apart, at appreciable distance
practically all the remaining current flows in the soil because the
cross-sectional area of the soil is far greater than that of the wire.
The longitudinal impedance of the wire is greater than that of the
soil.

The foregoing applies to low and medium resistivity soils. In arid,
sandy, rocky, cactus-growing soils, with resistivities greater than
5,000 or 10,000 ohms-metres, buried wires have low attenuation, they
become resonant and develop standing waves. It is then a good idea to
consider changing from vertical antennas to horizontal dipoles.

The effects can be estimated by calculations on model radial systems.

It may have been noticed that ground loss is least at low and very
high resistivities. So there must be a maximum loss at some
resistivity. I wonder if maximum loss occurs around 377 ohm-metres
after taking the reflecting angle into account?

If B. L & E, made any errors, they made sure they erred on the safe
side regarding numbers.
----
Reg, G4FGQ



Walter Maxwell June 25th 05 03:18 AM


"Reg Edwards" wrote in message ...

"Ian White GM3SEK" wrote

That was an administrative policy decision rather than a technical

one.
From the technical viewpoint, everybody agrees that 120*0.25wl is

more
than enough to override the local ground conditions under the tower
irrelevant.

====================================

- - - - and since soil resistivity decreases with increasing
frequency, and the impedance due to soil capacitance also decreases
with increasing frequency, everybody agrees that 1/8th wavelength or
less is more than long enough.


Reg, do you really mean what you said above, 'soil resistivity decreases with increasing frequency'? Are you sure you didn't mean soil conductivity decreases with increasing frequency? In my experience with AM BC antennas I've found that conductivity decreases, not resistivity.

The FCC charts showing signal level vs conductivity and frequency overwhelmingly show conductivity decreasing with frequency. So you ask, what proof is there that the FCC charts are correct? Well, Reg, soil conductivity measurements of thousands of AM antenna systems world wide have proved them correct.

As an example that I posted a few days ago, consider the coverage area from afforded by a single 1/4wl vertical radiating 250 watts at 550 KHz with a signal strength of 1 mv/meter at one mile and a conductivity of 8. If the frequency were raised to 1500 KHz with a 1/4wl vertical at that frequency, the power required to cover the same area is 47 KW.

Does this example indicate a decreasing soil resitivity with increasing frequency or a decreasing soil conductivity?

Walt, W2DU

Reg Edwards June 25th 05 06:42 AM

Walter,

Your ancient charts, which I think I have once seen but don't now have
ready access to, apply to LF. Permittivity was ignored when they were
calculated. The curves were intended to be used as a guide, better
than nothing, rather than the Bible on the subject.

But amateurs are concerned with what happens at HF. There are a lot of
MHz between 16 KHz, 500 KHz and 40 MHz

I think the discrepancy about conductivity vs frequency is due to
simplification of the equivalent circuit of soil which, in its most
simple form, is a resistor in shunt with a capacitor.

As frequency increases the capacitative impedance decreases and drags
the equivalent resistive component down with it. There is a
significant decrease at around 7 MHz. At 30 or 40 MHz the soil has
changed from being mainly resistive at LF to being mainly capacitative
and not nearly so lossy.

The capacitance between a pair of 1 metre square plates, spaced 1
metre apart, is only 8.8 pF. But when muliplied by the permittivity
of damp soil the impedance at 30 MHz is quite low. The permittivity
of water is 80.

Simple conductivity does not apply. We are not talking about the same
things.

Actually, its not worth arguing about. The uncertainty in soil
characteristics is plus or minus 30 or 40 percent. And it makes less
than 1 S-unit difference to the performance of radials and Eznec take
off angles at HF. No doubt Roy will disagree as a matter of Boston Tea
Party principles. And Richard, KB7QHC, will spin off at a tangent into
Shakesperian verse.

Hope this clarifies my Altzeimer's thoughts on the matter.
----
Reg, G4FGQ



Richard Clark June 25th 05 08:09 AM

On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 05:42:31 +0000 (UTC), "Reg Edwards"
wrote:

Richard, KB7QHC, will spin off at a tangent into Shakesperian verse.


Hi Reg,

Let's draw a chord between 3 soil samples to see how fruitless knowing
"How to measure soil constants at HF" really is:

You are in farm country where the annual rainfall is 835mm. Where the
mean temperature is 12.8°C. Where the soil is 20% sand, 65% silt, and
15% clay.

What is the Conductivity in the 80M band?

You are in farm country where the annual rainfall is 360mm. Where the
mean temperature is 4.9°C. Where the soil is 65% sand, 20% silt, and
15% clay.

What is the Conductivity in the 80M band?

You are in farm country where the annual rainfall is 790mm. Where the
mean temperature is 6.9°C. Where the soil is 31% sand, 33% silt, and
36% clay.

What is the Conductivity in the 80M band?

OR

We return to our regularly scheduled "More Les Dames d'Escoffier
Recipes with your host Punchinello." Today we discuss packing coaxial
tubes with meringue to measure propagation delay for custards.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Reg Edwards June 25th 05 08:56 AM


"Richard Clark" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 05:42:31 +0000 (UTC), "Reg Edwards"
wrote:

Richard, KB7QHC, will spin off at a tangent into Shakesperian

verse.

Hi Reg,

Let's draw a chord between 3 soil samples to see how fruitless

knowing
"How to measure soil constants at HF" really is:

You are in farm country where the annual rainfall is 835mm. Where

the
mean temperature is 12.8°C. Where the soil is 20% sand, 65% silt,

and
15% clay.

What is the Conductivity in the 80M band?

You are in farm country where the annual rainfall is 360mm. Where

the
mean temperature is 4.9°C. Where the soil is 65% sand, 20% silt,

and
15% clay.

What is the Conductivity in the 80M band?

You are in farm country where the annual rainfall is 790mm. Where

the
mean temperature is 6.9°C. Where the soil is 31% sand, 33% silt,

and
36% clay.

What is the Conductivity in the 80M band?

OR

We return to our regularly scheduled "More Les Dames d'Escoffier
Recipes with your host Punchinello." Today we discuss packing

coaxial
tubes with meringue to measure propagation delay for custards.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC


====================================

I don't know. And neither do you or anybody else.

If you DID know you would not have the foggiest idea what to do with
the data anyway. I might!

Havn't I recently said the uncertainty in ascertaining soil
characteristics is in the order of 30 to 40 percent and not worth
arguing or making yourself appear ridiculous about.

There's missing data. You forgot the iron oxide content and soil
permeability.
----
Punchinello.



Roy Lewallen June 25th 05 10:42 AM

Reg Edwards wrote:
. . .
The attenuation due to skin effect and wire inductance along lossy
radial wires is rather high. There's negligible current flowing in
them at distances greater than 1/4-wavelength at their own velocity.
The wires may just as well not be there.
. . .


I'm afraid your oversimplified model of how radials work has once again
led you astray. B, L, & E's measurements show the following:

For an 88 degree high vertical, where n is the number of radials, the
following fraction of the current at the center is flowing in the radial
1/4 wavelength (at a velocity factor of 0.2, the approximate VF in the
radial's environment), from Fig. 42 of their paper:

n Fraction
15 0.67
30 0.68
60 0.90
113 ~ 1.0

1/4 *free space* wavelength from the center:

n Fraction
15 0.19
30 0.14
60 0.26 [This is a minimum; it rises then drops further out]
113 0.61 " "

Note that the results are quite different when the radiator is only 22
degrees high (Fig. 43) -- the resonant effects apparent on the 60 and
113 radial measurements are absent, and the currents decay
monotonically. There isn't nearly as much difference between 15 and 113
radials. But with 15 radials, the current 1/4 in-ground wavelength from
the center is still about 67% of the current at the center.

Again I see evidence that your analysis overlooks the interaction among
radials. There's less interaction when there are only a few, but even
with 15 your analysis has led you badly astray. And does it account for
the considerable differences with different radiator heights?

But I've pointed this out to you before yet you keep promoting this
myth, so I guess you just don't want to be confused by the facts.

If B. L & E, made any errors, they made sure they erred on the safe
side regarding numbers.


One of their key results is that ". . .the ground system consisting of
only 15 radial wires need not be more than 0.1 [free space] wave length
long, while the system consisting of 113 radials is still effective out
to 0.5 [free space] wave length."

Their results agree reasonably well with NEC-4 modeling. But I'm sure
glad we've got you to set us straight about how well they did and how
they could have improved their methods. You've surely got a clearer
perspective, not having been prejudiced by actually reading their paper.

Oops, here I am nitpicking again -- pointing out that .67 doesn't equal
zero.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL
Certified Reg's Old Wife and Nit-Picker

Richard Harrison June 25th 05 04:30 PM

Reg, G4FGQ wrote:
"Your ancient charts, which I think I have once seen but don`t now have
access to, apply only to LF. Permittivity was ignored when they were
calculated."

True, they are not for HF. My edition was reprinted by the Seabrooke
Printing Company, Inc. and covers the range ftom 540 KHz to 1600 KHz.
Dielectric constant (permittivity) is assumed to be 15 in all cases.

The reason there are graphs for frequency segments such as 1560 kc to
1640 kc is that loss increases with frequency. Skin effect is an
important faxtor. The higher the frequency, the less it penetrates the
earth, so the crust carrying the r-f is thinner. The decline of field
intensity versus distance from the transmitter is steeper at HF.

My set of curves has a page which gives the formulas used to construct
"surface wave field intensity versus numerical distance over plane
earth". It has separate sets of formulas for vertical and horizontal
polarizations. Curves in the book are for vertical polarization, the
only thing of interest to a broadcaster.

One option would be to construct your own set of curves. Another would
be to find some curves which have already been constructed. I don`t know
of any but expect that they exist.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI


Richard Clark June 25th 05 05:42 PM

On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 07:56:38 +0000 (UTC), "Reg Edwards"
wrote:


"Richard Clark" wrote in message
.. .
You are in farm country where the annual rainfall is 835mm. Where the
mean temperature is 12.8°C. Where the soil is 20% sand, 65% silt, and
15% clay.

What is the Conductivity in the 80M band?


Answer: 30 mS

You are in farm country where the annual rainfall is 360mm. Where the
mean temperature is 4.9°C. Where the soil is 65% sand, 20% silt, and
15% clay.

What is the Conductivity in the 80M band?


Answer: 30 mS

You are in farm country where the annual rainfall is 790mm. Where the
mean temperature is 6.9°C. Where the soil is 31% sand, 33% silt, and
36% clay.

What is the Conductivity in the 80M band?


Answer: 15 mS

====================================

I don't know. And neither do you or anybody else.


Such answers above have been know for decades.

If you DID know you would not have the foggiest idea what to do with
the data anyway. I might!


You might? With emphasis too. Now if that isn't a firm declaration
to end the pursuit in "How to measure soil constants at HF." In
point of fact, you simply validate my premise:

Let's draw a chord between 3 soil samples to see how fruitless knowing
"How to measure soil constants at HF" really is


As you struggled on:
There's missing data. You forgot the iron oxide content and soil permeability.

There is so much missing information as: What is it to an average of
one skin depth in YOUR garden, old son?

To this point all method and no results. By contrast, Walt provided
both, and his data shows a continuity to your pronouncement about the
wavelength shortening of radials adjacent to the ground - something
you proclaimed no antenna measurement could achieve.

Walt's method necessarily includes one skin depth (and more) that your
scraping at the veneer of soil could never model. He doesn't have to
worry about temperature, moisture, time of day, season, iron oxide
content, or permeability - it comes free with the attempt and you
don't have to haul mud into the kitchen. Do I hear John Cleese
muttering something about the Bloody Obvious?

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Reg Edwards June 25th 05 07:34 PM

Roy, surely you realise that all depends on soil conductivity and
permittivity which B, L & E forgot to determine before leaving the
site.

30 years previously, around 1905, Sommerfeld (and others) had produced
a significant report showing the importance of ground characteristics
on radiation and propagation at LF and below. Which B, L, & E ought
to have been aware of if they had known what they were about.

You should concentrate your thoughts on HF and above, not on LF and
VLF distractions. Different characteristics prevail at HF at which
frequencies amateurs are most concerned.
----
Reg



Richard Clark June 25th 05 08:18 PM

Reggie,

The following is so full of glaring contradictions - well, you can
rely on me to point them out. :-)

On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 18:34:17 +0000 (UTC), "Reg Edwards"
wrote:

Roy, surely you realise that all depends on soil conductivity and
permittivity which B, L & E forgot to determine before leaving the
site.


You have thoroughly refuted any intimate knowledge of their paper, it
goes unread by you, and yet you "know" this for a fact. Or perhaps
that is elevating your prose upon to an unwarranted pedestal.

30 years previously, around 1905, Sommerfeld (and others) had produced
a significant report showing the importance of ground characteristics
on radiation and propagation at LF and below. Which B, L, & E ought
to have been aware of if they had known what they were about.


However, your earlier reference to LF from Sommerfeld (and others) is
then wholly negated by you with:
You should concentrate your thoughts on HF and above, not on LF and
VLF distractions. Different characteristics prevail at HF at which
frequencies amateurs are most concerned.


Back in 1905, they called the frequencies above 1MHz VHF....

So, our trio, B,L, & E could just as easily had dismissed this work as
you have? Such legerdemain.

Sir Kelvinator asks, "Got any data, Reggie?"

This quality of fence sitting - arguing both sides against the middle
- is classic Punchinello.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Roy Lewallen June 25th 05 08:18 PM

Reg Edwards wrote:
Roy, surely you realise that all depends on soil conductivity and
permittivity which B, L & E forgot to determine before leaving the
site.


It just isn't sinking in, is it? It depends on the conductivity and
permittivity to a skin depth or more, which was impossible for them to
determine. A surface measurement wouldn't have provided the necessary
information. Measurement of ground wave attenuation to another location
would have included ground with a variety of possible characteristics
different from those in the immediate vicinity.

30 years previously, around 1905, Sommerfeld (and others) had produced
a significant report showing the importance of ground characteristics
on radiation and propagation at LF and below. Which B, L, & E ought
to have been aware of if they had known what they were about.


I'm sure they were. But the paper has nothing to do with propagation.
What makes you think it does?

They certainly did know about the effect of conductivity. In a
theoretical analysis at the beginning of their paper they calculated
expected radial ground currents for several different ground
conductivities, and explain how current is distributed in the ground
with conductivity being a factor. The radial ground current analysis was
later found to be in error(*), but it's still considerably closer than
the results I've seen from your analysis and program.

You should concentrate your thoughts on HF and above, not on LF and
VLF distractions. Different characteristics prevail at HF at which
frequencies amateurs are most concerned.


That's a bizarre admonition from someone constantly harping about how
many radials American AM broadcasters use. I am indeed most interested
in HF, where skin depth is on the order of 12 feet for average soil, and
measurement of surface conductivity and permittivity is pretty useless.
Incidentally, since you haven't read their paper, you probably don't
know that the BL & E measurements were done at 3 MHz, which is HF.

(*) To my knowledge, no one has developed a method of calculating radial
currents or ground system losses with even approximate accuracy other
than with numerical analysis such as used by NEC-4. Many years ago I
spent a couple of years of spare time in a technical library looking for
just such an analysis without success. Reg's method is delightfully
simple but gives results which are very wrong.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Richard Harrison June 25th 05 10:46 PM

I wrote:
"Another (option) would be to find some curves which have already been
constructed."

Found some curves in Pete Saveskie`s "Radio Propagation Handbook" on
pages 15, 17, and 19. They are from CCIR and may be available from them.
They are for field strengths over sea water, good earth, and poor earth
at 16 frequencies from 100 KHz to 10 MHZ.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI



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