Lloyd N9LB, you may be correct, but I prefer cited facts and data to back a statement. So to that end I went back and did some reading.
In addition to the previous paper I cited, see page 10 here: http://www.crawfordbroadcasting.com/Eng_Files/AM%20Antenna%20Systems.pdf That's an excellent resource in other ways for the medium wave operator. To help the fellow who asked about radial plowing, here's some diagrams detailing installation and a radial plow: http://www.hatdaw.com/papers/groundsystem.pdf Arch Doty wrote a paper in 1983 (http://home.fnal.gov/~atkinson/Doty-Radials.pdf) that details results of his research on radials above ground, on the surface and buried, both insulated and bare. He has a variety of conclusions and finds insulated on the ground is better for collecting return currents, if elevated is not possible. Several factors vary measurements: length, soil type, frequency, number of radials. I generally maintain that if you must bury radials, a few inches one way or the other do not matter, but the sources I read above, mentioned in various ways that the return currents in the earth are a skin effect phenomenon, seems to support your statement that depth matters in small increments. So in the future I'll advise laying of radials on the surface if they do not need to be protected. Also important (from what I read) is that many many radials close in, are very good for antenna efficiency when a short vertical radiating element is used (i.e. inverted L). In other words, it won't hurt to double up on 60 radials with another 60, each of 20 feet or so, in between each long radial. This is a good time of the year in the N. Hemisphere for laying down radials as the growing season is over for most of us. 73 Rob K5UJ _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
