I thought you might be interested in this antenna information to clear the air of all the smoke, mirrors and misinformation floating around.
Grounds do conduct RF current, and are essential to forming the RF field in a Marconi grounded monopole, as opposed to the typical hamster dipole.
Antenna Types
There two main antenna types; the electric dipole and the folded dipole or loop antenna. The electric dipole antenna or open dipole antenna uses mainly electrostatic fields or electric fields to transfer radio wave energy. The closed dipole or loop antenna uses mainly electromagnetic fields to transfer radio wave energy. The electric dipole antenna can be divided into three separate antenna type groups called the Hertzian antenna type, Marconi antenna type and the capacitive antenna. It also shows the theoretical current I and voltage V waveforms that occur along the lengths L of the antennas. These type of antennas are shown in figure 1. Figure 1(a) shows a Hertzian antenna. It is basically two copper wires or tubes called conductor elements with there lengths sharing the same axis. The conductor elements 2, 3 carry the electric signal current I. The electric signal current I are made of electric charges or electrons. The moving electrons produce an electromagnetic field and electrostatic field that radiate outwards to produce radio waves. The Marconi antenna type of figure 1(b) is similar to the hertzian antenna of figure1(a), but has only one verticle conductor element 2. It does not have a conductor element 3; its conductor element 3 is the ground which conducts the RF current return to form the field. The grounding 3 acts like the second antenna conductor element 3 of the hertzian antenna type of figure 1(a).
Electric Dipole Antenna Types
Link to diagram (.gif would not copy):
http://spots.ca/~belfroy/antennaFolder/electricDipoles4.gif
Figure 1.
The capacitive antenna of figure 1(c) has a large surface area A of the main antenna element 2. The surface areas of the electric dipole antennas can form a capacitance C. When antenna lengths L are short relative to the electric signal frequency f, increasing the conductor capacitance C can reduce the antenna input impedance Zi=Vi÷Ii.
Grounds do conduct RF current, and are essential to forming the RF field in a Marconi grounded monopole, as opposed to the typical hamster dipole.
Antenna Types
There two main antenna types; the electric dipole and the folded dipole or loop antenna. The electric dipole antenna or open dipole antenna uses mainly electrostatic fields or electric fields to transfer radio wave energy. The closed dipole or loop antenna uses mainly electromagnetic fields to transfer radio wave energy. The electric dipole antenna can be divided into three separate antenna type groups called the Hertzian antenna type, Marconi antenna type and the capacitive antenna. It also shows the theoretical current I and voltage V waveforms that occur along the lengths L of the antennas. These type of antennas are shown in figure 1. Figure 1(a) shows a Hertzian antenna. It is basically two copper wires or tubes called conductor elements with there lengths sharing the same axis. The conductor elements 2, 3 carry the electric signal current I. The electric signal current I are made of electric charges or electrons. The moving electrons produce an electromagnetic field and electrostatic field that radiate outwards to produce radio waves. The Marconi antenna type of figure 1(b) is similar to the hertzian antenna of figure1(a), but has only one verticle conductor element 2. It does not have a conductor element 3; its conductor element 3 is the ground which conducts the RF current return to form the field. The grounding 3 acts like the second antenna conductor element 3 of the hertzian antenna type of figure 1(a).
Electric Dipole Antenna Types
Link to diagram (.gif would not copy):
http://spots.ca/~belfroy/antennaFolder/electricDipoles4.gif
Figure 1.
The capacitive antenna of figure 1(c) has a large surface area A of the main antenna element 2. The surface areas of the electric dipole antennas can form a capacitance C. When antenna lengths L are short relative to the electric signal frequency f, increasing the conductor capacitance C can reduce the antenna input impedance Zi=Vi÷Ii.