Characteristics of Signal Strength and Dipole Antenna at VHF Near and in the Ground

The effects of a finitely conducting earth on the field attenuation and on the radiation impedance and radiation pattern of a half-wave dipole antenna in and near the earth are investigated and reported. The measurements were made at two frequencies, f = 93.7 Mcps and f = 179.76 Mcps. The signals were horizontally polarized and measurements were made for antenna heights varying in 0.1 wavelength increments from one wavelength above ground to 0.3 wavelength below ground.