BC Man,,, I think I know what your problem is. Here's an experience I had forty years ago:
I had just moved, after my field engineering assignment had changed, and I wanted to get my 100 watt ham rig on the air in a hurry in the 75 Meter (3.8-4.0 MHz) band. So I attached the far end of the "hot" half of my 135 foot dipole antenna to a power pole and laid on the ground the center of the antenna and the coiled up "cold" end. (The hot end was that leg attached to the center conductor of the coax cable and the cold end was that leg attached to the cable's shield. I had something -- I forget what -- keeping the center insulator off the grass.)
I then tuned the transmitter, which had pi network tuning, like I believe the Hamilton has and the SSTRAN transmitter definitely has. I got good tuning but I wasn't "getting out." Hmm... So I took an old antenna current meter I had left over from my marine days (and the original 2-3 MHz marine band days) and stuck it between the cable's center and the hot leg. (Ammeters become more and more useless as the frequency increases, but...)
I got good current. Another hmm... So I disconnected the hot leg -- and the tuning and antenna current changed very little. I was tuning to the ground, tuning THE ground, probably capacity coupling through that coiled cold leg. So...
I think you are tuning mostly to that meandering "ground" wire you have. I'd be willing to stake my rep, such as it is, that if you removed that whip from the top of the transmitter, you'd see very little change in the tuning -- or the range.
Therefore, I highly recommend what I posted last time -- put your transmitter on a mast that reaches all the way to the ground and connect the bottom of the mast to a ground rod. Again, see the info at my web site. I just by instinct (gained from experience) plan to do what I posted at my web site. It's called good engineering practice.
Antenna theory has more math involved than any other aspect of radio engineering, probably because antenna practice involves a lot of art along with science.
Speaking of good engineering practice... Re the way you have mounted the transmitter on the mast. Is that what Hamilton recommends? You have a "flag" there, and it will flutter in the wind, affecting the tuning and the integrity of the mounting. I can see the U-bolts loosening, allowing the transmitter to act as a weather vane and eventually slide down the mast -- if the cables don't wrap around the mast first from a rotating transmitter.
Another thing... Without a direct connection to ground, that whip antenna will be more of a lightning "magnet" than a drain to ground for static buildup.
Also, when using tie wraps outdoors, use black ones. The sun's UV rays cause rapid deterioration of white ones.
I hate to be so critical, but I became a super tech and made a good living in the communication, navigation, and computer fields correcting problems created by degreed engineers with their slide rules and, later, calculators. Most of my work was not in labs but in the field, where reality sets in.
My biggest expose was proving that an expensive device that was supposed to allow seven transmitters tune to three antennas (on a Navy guided missile cruiser) didn't work well. That multicoupler was designed and built by the famed Naval Electronics Labs in San Diego, CA.
By the way... I'm hoping my pipe mast-mounted SSTRAN will allow me to get usable range initially, until I can set up a base (coil) loaded (complete with capacity "hat") antenna in the yard, which I know I'll have to do eventually.
Best wishes,
Bill in SE Texas
BC Man... There's something else I forgot to mention. Based upon where you told Daddy G your transmitter site is, I determined from the FCC map that your ground conductivity is 4 millimhos.
My ground conductivity is at least four times that and I'm hoping for only a half mile range. Of course, it could be greater. I hope so, but I'm not planning on it.
I was planning to get a Rangemaster but, after adding the price of a compressor/limiter, too, the cost was getting beyond my budget. Happily, I accidentally clicked on the SSTRAN site and read something I hadn't noticed during previous reads, that the SSTRAN had a compressor/limiter. So I bought it -- and got the needed combo for less than ten percent of what I had originally planned.
I want to get on the air something that is new to me and requires good fortune, too. For that kind of speculation, I really don't want to spend more than a $1000 for such limited coverage. I can always upgrade later.
The Rangemaster has a good rep for what it is. It does get good range when used in TIS and sales service. Both of those installations are usually on metal supports with a large surface area and buried deep in the ground. A successful AM microbroadcaster has his mounted on, and grounded to, what looks like a Rhon (lattice) mast.
I think Hamilton should ask potential customers what the transmitter will be used for as well and how and where.
Bill in SE Texas
http://members.aol.com/K5BY/Index.htm
BC Man... While further studying your transmitter installation, I noticed two more things that may cause problems.
That appears to be a Radio Shack mast. Anyhow, although it may not make any difference, because it is so short (but the antenna is, too), I would hacksaw off that narrow part at the top of the mast. An antenna should be mounted high enough so that it isn't in line with any part of the mast.
The other thing is in regard to the U-bolts. Those don't look like Radio Shack U-bolts because Shack's are golden in color due to anodization. The Shack U-bolts I use also have a clamp with dual coarse serrations (R.S. #15-826). This clamp fits between the device and the mast. When tightened, the teeth of the serrations bite into the mast. Because of shadows in the photos, I can't tell whether your U-bolts have such clamps.
Best wishes,
Bill in SE Texas
http://www.members.aol.com/K5BY/Index.htm
Thank you to everyone for your inerest and comments.
My set-up has been reviewed by Keith Hamilton and he is thinking that my ground is poor.
He is suggesting that I have an "elevated ground plane."
I should try to set up my transmitter in the middle of the roof and have 64 copper wires radiating out from the center with the transmitter grounded to the center of the radials via a copper ring. The groun plane would be made of #12 ground wire.
My roof is big enough that I could do almost 50' radials, but he is thinking 25' should be sufficient. I really don't know if I have the choice if it is better to have twice as many radials or the same amount of radials but twice as long.
Any comments about this idea? (I would still also use my other ground wire for lightening protection).
I went up on my roof today and tried to retune my transmitter, thinking that might help--so far just have made things worse.
I received a suggestion similar to Bill's from an engineer--to mount my antenna on a mast going up the side of the building.
Not sure now if I want to try that first or the elevated ground plane...
I recommend Keith Hamilton's suggestion. Right now, you have an extremely short vertical antenna that is 30 feet above its ground plane (the ground itself). That's almost like a point-source radiator in free space, with probably something closer to a spherical radiation pattern. You need to move the "ground plane" closer to the antenna, so you do an "artificial" plane of radials. Given the choice of more and shorter or fewer and longer, I pick the former, although it won't hurt to make them as long as practical.
tregonsee,
I will try the elevated ground plane first.
Do you think I could keep my transmitter where it is and run a ground line from it to the center of my radials, or should it be positioned above the center?
Also, what height above the the ground plane do you recommend for the transmitter to be?
A question:
I thought that my 30' or so ground wire would act like an antenna extension and in effect give me a 40' or more antenna length. Why didn't it work out like that?
Broadcastman, Just wanted to know how your elevated ground plane worked? I hope your coverage is better. I have a question :?:, if you need an elevated ground plane how does the tall towers work. A tall tower would put you farther from your ground plane. Good Luck, Sticklizard
Broadcastman.. You have any updates? What's the news?
I tried adding some radials from the transmitter in its current location and retuned it.
I couldn't get any additional range. (I am not sure that I was tuning it right, though).
This project got put on the back burner, but this month I hope to move it to the center of the roof and do up to 64 30' radials, and see what happens.
So far I am extrmely disappointed and discouraged, but hopefully this will help. I probably will have an eningeer come over and check things out.
If there is anyone in SW Oregon who wants to help, please let me know.
Thanks for the interest. I will update after I make the changes.