Her is how I interprite the part 15 rules, and thus how i build my antenna...
The lenght the ground and radiator shal not exceed the 3 meter limit, my radiator is 9 fot long my the distance from the tip of my radator to the ground is right at 3 meters , becuase you cannot count the ground to be the ground so from the point where your ground lead hit the ground, to the tip of your radiator.. this is how i mesured it as i do not what the fcc messing with me, If you could count the phisical earth as the ground lead , then no one would be able to meet the rules..as the phisical ground is part of the ground on your antenna system..
So radials are legal in my opinion as there providing the ground but from the point at witch they leave the ground there then considered a ground lead and need to be counted.. So when i made my antenna i counted the length fron tip to phisical ground as my 3 meeter mesure.. I feel it is 100% in compliance with the laws, if not under, because if you dont count the tuning coil my actual antenna length is 9 feet, i counted the coil as a precaution as i do not want to get shut down or even have to deal with the FCC, if they get a complaint they can come and see my antenn prominently displayed in my front yard, mesure it and come up under 3 meters, at that point they have no rason to stick around..unless my transmitter is killing other stations or interfeering.. I was even thinking of putting a sign on the transmitter box that stats the transmitter inside and that it is 100mw and within all part 15 rules. Fallowed by a little "Thank You" 🙂
I feel that the FCC would look at my setup and see nothing wrong and move on.. I also plan on a little sweeper for my station stating that were a part 15 compliant station, broadcatsing at 100mw and using a 3 meter antenna, just to qwell any nay sayers..my main rason fo this is our content is a little bit disturbing to some, we broadcast liberal and freedom of speach stuff, some may be offended by this content and may want to call the FCC on us.. So I plan on killig that idea right up front.. sure they may call anyway if there pissed by our content.. but if they do, there assholes and I will d as they do, and broadcast there name on the station, "So and so called the FCC on the station, and we were found completly compliant.. the power freedom of speech in action, you got to love this country"
There not shutting down my station for any reason, they would have to kill me, but then the automation would still be in place 🙂
Jason