Well, Carl, before you start beating up on Tom, let me assure you that
there ARE some people on this reflector. And I AM one of them, who are
certainly educated and informed enough, and do antenna work
professionally,
as I do, to see the serious and gross errors and complete lack of
knowledge
and understanding that regularly are presented in your presentations on
antennas and "grounds" here on this reflector. I expect that most of them
are so appalled and taken aback, that they often just dismiss your "rants"
out of hand, as I have, and just don't dignify them with a comment! But
here lately some of your rants are so seriously in error, and in such
complete disagreement with the laws of physics, electromagnetics and
engineering, that I feel compelled to speak out!
Let me start by telling you that I AM an electrical engineer, and I have
been practicing for 45 years -and among other things, I AM an antenna
engineer, and I know enough about antennas and electromagnetics to know
complete BULL and SERIOUS ERRORS when I see them! And you surely have
presented us with some!! Let me tell you, as an antenna engineer, that
antennas and electromagnetics are based on DESIGN, MODELING,
CONSTRUCTION,
MEASUREMENT and TESTING - with a firm foundation in the underlying
science
and engineering!! You seem to be sadly lacking in this area!!
One of my concerns is that some of the less-informed who read your bull
in
this reflector might take it seriously!! As an engineer, I can just
dismiss
it as BULL, based on apocrypha, hearsay and half-baked opinions -NOT on
any
underlying science or engineering - but others might not, - and they might
expend a lot of sweat and tears and MONEY (4 40m elements a 120' -to solve
a
gross and serious electromagnetics error???) by following some of your
SERIIOUSL FLAWED "RANTS! You need to get away from your computer and
keyboard and go dig into some serious antenna and electromagnetics
texts!!
May I recommend "Antennas", by John Kraus, W8JK, of Ohio State University
(McGraw- Hill 1950) SK
Note:
1.0 A 1/2 wave vertical DOES NOT need an underlying "ground" system to
work
very well. A 1/2 wave vertical will work very well in free space!! How do
you think a coaxial dipole 1/2 wave base station antenna atop an aluminum
or
fiberglass mast at the top of a tall building works so well?? There ain't
no "ground screens" or "salt marshes" up there! IMHO your "alleged"
"experience" with 1/2 wave verticals "ain't worth the powder it would take
to blow it to hell!" And besides, what you described was NOT a 1/2 wave
vertical -it was a 6-wire cage vertical monopole with 1/4 wave radials for
80m, that you later "bastardized" into a terribly MISMATCHED 40m end fed
1/2
wave, that you proclaimed as a "dud" because you didn't know what you
were
doing and don't understand VSWR or mismatch loss, or antennas. You then
resolved your electromagnetics problem, and TOTAL lack of understanding by
purchasing an EXPENSIVE commercial 4-element 40m yagi and installing it
at
120 feet! I'm afraid some other poor sap might read your "rant" and
follow
suit!
You need to do some serious homework, Carl, before taking to task, or
seriously misleading others on this reflector!! You are WAY out of you
league!!
Charlie, K4OTV