[Lowfer] Medfer Antenna.

[JD]

"A trick used by commercial LPAM and FM manufacturers that falls well within
the FCC rules is to mount the transmitter in a metal box bolted to a
grounded tower as high as 200'.  The tower is the ground and it is brought
to the transmitter, hence, no "ground connection" to take into
consideration."

"Trick" is the correct word.  First, a little clarification: what I'm about 
to say applies only to the AM band, as the FM devices are specified for 
field strength only, and there is no antenna limitation per se... length, 
height, or otherwise.

However, the AM "microbroadcaster" vendors are disingenuous at best.  A 
tower is not a ground system.  It is a ground CONNECTION if the device makes 
electrical connection to the tower, and the tower itself is grounded. 
"Bringing the ground to the antenna" is the very function of a ground 
CONNECTION.  (If, on the other hand, the transmitter is electrically 
isolated from the tower, then that's not an issue--but of course, then it 
doesn't work nearly so well.)  If, on yet a third hand, the tower is 
ungrounded, then it is a second element of the antenna itself, and still 
counts toward the length.  So have said folks in the FCC's Office of 
Engineering Technology if you bother to ask them.

One thing that's totally weird on all the so-called "microbroadcaster" Web 
sites I've ever viewed is the seemingly universal claim that their systems 
have been field checked by an ALWAYS UN-NAMED "FCC inspector" and passed.  I 
want to know, who is this lone inspector, anyway, and why does he turn up 
all over the country?  In the real world, I've never met any two FCC 
inspectors who agreed every single installation of anything was in 
compliance! :)