[Elecraft] Re: Elecraft Digest, Vol 8, Issue 10

[David A. Belsley]

On Dec 10, 2004, at 9:27 AM, W3FPR - Don Wilhelm wrote:

> One of the 'funny' properties about RF is that it will always find a 
> (ground) reference somewhere - that may be from any wire, chassis, PC 
> board or even your body.  Whatever the RF finds convenient will be 
> used as its ground reference.

> BTW, a half wavelength wire connected to ground at the far end will 
> behave just like a quarter wave that is open at the far end - think 
> transmission line (and antenna wire) behavior.

Doesn't this cause a bit of an RF-philosophical problem?  If one end of 
the half wave is supposed to determine RF ground, how does the RF know 
what's at the other end is also ground?  I should think that simply 
grounding it to the earth would not do the trick if, as in your 
original message, the RF hasn't already "found" it as a convenient 
ground.

best wishes,

dave belsley, w1euy