> I have used ground radials, over 120 of them for my vertical. They are > 5-8 feet long and lay on top of the ground. They do work, The radials > can have a directional pattern too. I still like burying my ground > system though. Also under the same tree I have 8-10 five foot ground > rods (copper pipe) buried in a circle and connected with #12 bare solid > copper wire. I installed that for the K9AY I had for a couple seasons. > Now I use it for the WNW EWE.
One thing used for grounds in broadcast is copper screening. For receive-only, some lengths of copper window screening or even chicken wire will work. For portable work, a couple of 25' rolls of chicken wire may even work better than ground rods. Certainly easier to set up. When I get some time, I'll see how it works. Many years ago, QST had an article on a three element vertical antenna array for 40 meters. By putting the radials out in a fan shape in the desired direction, it improved the pattern. Vertical antennas usually work better with radials equal in length to the tower height. A quarter wavelength at the operating frequency is also adequate in the case of a tall tower, not that it applies for most of us. Next time I'm at Home Depot or Lowe's, I'll grab some screen or chicken wire. Craig Healy Providence, RI _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: [email protected]
