Hi Larry,
I apologise for seeking yet again to pick your brain but....

I am having a Pactor III (USB) modem installed as soon as I get my
mast back up again. The local technician who is goiung to do it and
whom I purchased the modem from tells me that I need the best earth
for data that I can get and that I should purchase a sintered bronze
earth plate. Granted, but my retired US Navy radio whizz in Malaysia,
Bob, spent a few hours getting our system tuned and earthed a few
years ago and said then that it was a good earth.

I don't mind shelling out US$200 if it will provide even a modest gain
in reception or transmission. What is your angle on this?

Given that I do buy it, where is the best place to install it, apart
from permanently below the water line?

Thanks in high anticipation.
cheers
Peter Hendra

By the way, I am changing all my existing galvanised 1x19 standing
rigging for stainless, mainly as the rust on the galv. looks terrible
after 14 years aloft. I wanted the old fashioned poured sockets when I
built this boat, couldn't get any so made a pattern and had them cast
from bronze. - wire is unravelled and a small bent back hook made at
the end of each one, re-ravelled and pulled down into the tapered cone
of the body of the socket and then filled with molten Camelia metal -
lead like. when I cut the sockets off, the wire was perfect and would
have lasted another 14 years - rust was only external. fo\restay has
always been stainless. The good thing is, that like stalock and
Norseman, they are reuseable but there is not the problem of galled
stainless upon stainless. The metal also can be reused.