[Lowfer] Distance from powerline question - Answered

[JD]

>>> You can experiment with placing it in different locations on your 
>>> property to find the most noise free location.

As I mentioned before, experimenting with locations is really the key for 
either a loop or a whip!  And, you should experiment with both types of 
antenna if possible.

Rudy talked about the near-field distances in connection with electric 
fields, but the magnetic field falls off in the same relationship.  There's 
a general assumption that the noise to be rejected is mainly electrostatic. 
That's most often true; but re-read Rudy's description and you'll oberve 
that the description of a power grid as multiple top loaded verticals can 
also be viewed as a string of loop antennas sharing vertical sides and using 
the earth to complete the bottom of each loop.  This is an apt analogy where 
soil conductivity is high and/or the pole grounds are especially good.

Roefloff Bakker of PA0RDT Mini Whip fame is among many experimenters who 
have encountered more problems with magnetically coupled interference than 
electrically coupled; and in fact, at one point it led him to erroneously 
conclude that magnetic fields "travels farther" than electric fields.  It's 
actually a question of how much of each field is being produced by the noise 
source and what sort of shielding may be affecting each field in the 
specific environment.  (He also erroneously believes a whip capacitively 
couples to the electric field of a passing radio wave, but that's a story 
for another time.)  The point is, it's worth trying both types of small 
antenna because your own circumstances may vary from the accepted norm.

John