As you will have read recently, this antenna has been used here very successfully on 472kHz WSPR and 1840kHz FT8. In the past I used it very successfully on 472kHz WSPR TX. The beauty of this antenna is that it is invisible. If you are limited for space or have no wish to upset the neighbours, this may be an answer.
Back in 2013, I reached some conclusions which I still think are correct.
These were:
- The earth-electrode antenna at 472kHz (2 earth rods in the soil 15-20m apart fed from the TX output) behaves like an H-field loop transmitting antenna.
- It has directivity, with strongest signals in the line of the loop and weakest signals at right angles to it.
- It works as an effective RX antenna too.
- In my environment the loop looks like about 50-60 ohms resistive, so a good match to my transverter directly without matching.
- The structure works because much of the return current flows deep within the soil and rock beneath the earth-electrode antenna. In my case Rik OR7T calculated that the loop area in the ground is effectively 290m sq with a radiation resistance of 0.017 ohm and a loss resistance of 66 ohms.This is a BIG loop!
- Performance compared with my 9m high top loaded Marconi antenna averages only around 8dB down, not a bad figure at all, even with the connecting wire on the ground and not elevated at all.
- Where no other antenna option is available, the earth-electrode antenna is well worth trying both on 472kHz and on 136kHz both for RX and TX. Although it works well here, your geology may be different and results not the same.
