• Nicklas Johnson 🏳️‍🌈@tech.lgbt
    0·
    11 days ago

    @mattblaze
    And quite often it seems if they can get an AM broadcast tower just above some swampy saltwater, they will. I suspect that this gets better performance out of the radials that surround the vertical element, but I’ve never gotten around to asking an engineer about it. We have quite a few low-lying marshy areas with towers just inside in the Bay Area. The easiest ones to see are around the Bay Bridge and San Mateo bridge, but there’s also a directional set of 3 right next to 101 in San Mateo for KZDG 1550 AM.

    • Matt Blaze@federate.socialOP
      0·
      11 days ago

      @spatula Yes, the ground resistance is actually the most important factor in determining mediumwave antenna efficiency. Part of the license process involves getting an extensive site survey for this.