Just an FYI with respect to verticals by the sea. In 2005, Al K3LC wrote a 3-part article for NCJ titled "Verticals by the Sea". Part 1 is in the Jul/Aug 2005 issue, Part 2 is in the Sep/Oct 2005 issue and Part 3 is in the Nov/Dec 2005 issue. Using EZNEC Pro 4.0 with a NEC-4 engine, he compared the set-back distance from salt water to the gain on 160m, 80m, 40m, 20m and 10m.
In the Sep/Oct 2006 issue of NCJ he essentially did the same for ground conditions other than salt water. The title of this article was "Determining the Effects of the Surrounding Ground on the Low-angle Gain and Input Impedance of a Vertical Antenna". Carl K9LA _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband