[BC] Another site vandalized

[Cowboy]

On Wednesday 21 December 2011 04:52:50 pm Jeff Carter wrote:

> I've been led to believe my entire career that AM station antenna
> system are basically quarter-wave antenna, and the number and length
> of radials are specified by the FCC (based on the assigned carrier
> frequency).

 The radials are specified on the license as whatever we tell them
 we're going to use as part of the engineering exhibit when we
 apply for the license, CP, whatever.

> Two things:  How is it that any part of the "ground plane" can be
> ripped out without causing the impedance-matching to go absolutely
> nuts to the point you're knocked off the air,

 Actually, you can take most of it away and the Z appear fairly close.
 It'll change some, but the big change is in how much of your signal
 is now warming up the dirt instead of being radiated.
 Also contributes greatly to instability.
 It's an important part of the *system* but not so critical as
 you might be led to believe.

> and how is that there's 
> enough resale value for the copper or whatever to make it worth what
> has to be an incredible effort to remove it from the earth?  I though
> scrap copper only brought about three bucks a pound or so.
> 
> What am I missing?

 Not much.
 Probably, just that this kind of theft is usually by crack heads, who
 have no perception of value beyond the purchase of their next fix.
 Their time ( to them ) is worth nothing at all, so it's all "profit."

 So, they collect $4 and do $40K damage in the process.
 They don't care. After all, it's *your* money, not theirs.


-- 
Cowboy