[Elecraft] Ham Ingenuity (WAS: Federal Preemption)

[Phil Kane]

On Thu, 23 Mar 2006 13:19:00 -0800, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> Shoot, did you know that you can bury a doublet underground?
>It'll show about 14 to 16 dB loss compared to a doublet at typical Ham
>heights. Okay, if you're a QRPer, try running a K2/100. Your signal will be
>about equivalent <G>. And QRN from such underground antennas is very, very
>low! Just be sure to put the antenna inside a pipe so it's not in intimate
>contact with the soil and  water. One installation I've seen documented uses
>4" PVC for the antenna wire with a plastic garbage can in the center, buried
>up to its lid. The lid provides an easy access to check for water and the
>owner put the ATU in there so coax line runs to the shack, underground of
>course! Heys discusses underground antennas in his little book, "Practical
>Wire Antennas" published by the RSGB and available through many sources
>including the ARRL.

  Doesn't that give the lie to our historical claims that you can put
  the usual utility lines underground but not radio antennas?

  I guess that with enough power one can put any antenna underground
  (GWEN) or even underwater (SUBCOMM) but let's not give my wife any
  more ammunition!!

  Has anyone here tried it?

--
   73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane