That sounds nice! You may be getting lower signals, but also the noise floor is lower, so you can receive the weaker signals closer to the noise floor. With a receiver it is about getting the proper level balance of signals coming in, where the RF section can handle the highest power stations as well as having low enough noise to pull in the weakest signals and make something of them.
I've tried a few on-ground antennas after you guys were talking about it, and I was testing antennas on my Kiwi. I made a DOG, dipole on ground, I'd guess about 75 feet total length and it was okay, but didn't bring in full signal strength like it should. Next was a LOG, or loop on ground, and that was another 10 db lower than the DOG. Those antennas probably needed to be much longer and bigger, that was my thought. The loop got way better when I lifted it vertical on poles, with 120 feet of wire.
One of the things that ground antennas take advantage of is that proximity ground loss flattens out the dips and peaks in the frequency response that a raised wire would have, which could stop overloading on particular bands, while length makes up for the losses. There might be less static buildup on a wire that's on the ground too.
On transmit you'd have lower signals, it's non-resonant, and due to ground losses, but yes you can get out, people have done it. I'd try it and see if you can tune it up and talk to someone.
Ainmal
