I've read that the minimum lengths for ground radials is no shorter than the height of the antenna and that 50% of ground losses occur in the first one-quarter wavelength distance from the antenna.
This tells me that "too long" radials have diminishing returns. I've played the radials on ground game for years; I think this year I want to try a pair of elevated radials as Mike W0BTU suggests. 73 Mark K3MSB On Sun, Feb 18, 2018 at 6:56 PM, Charles Moizeau <[email protected]> wrote: > Well it is understandable. The current maximum in the half-wave antenna > is lifted well above ground level. Had there been a radial system it would > have had to employ very long radials, for most of the vertical's radiation > would have been hitting the ground at points far away from the base of the > vertical. It is only at those distant points that very long radial wires > would be able to gather the radiation from the ground's surface and feed it > back to the feedpoint. > > > Charles, W2SH > > > ________________________________ > From: Topband <[email protected]> on behalf of Mike Waters < > [email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2018 6:31 PM > To: Roger Kennedy > Cc: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Topband: 1/2 wave inv L > > Yup! The lack of a radial system explains why the 1/2w vertical worked > better. :-) > > 73, Mike > https://nam03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url= > www.w0btu.com&data=02%7C01%7C%7C45041a0e70384ee2478008d57727b9e9% > 7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636545934864203108&sdata= > Pk6iMJXzsyQupFqxoKoeDy7Qn7WTNUF%2BOgHr40Q5n6E%3D&reserved=0 > > On Feb 18, 2018 4:55 PM, "Roger Kennedy" <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > Many years ago, a friend of mine used to operate on 160m with vertical > antennas suspended on a big Weather Balloon filled with hydrogen . . . > > After using Quarter-wave verticals for a few months, he changed over to > Half-wave verticals . . . he found they worked much better ! > > He didn't have much of a radial system (due to lack of space), mainly just > earth rods at the base . . . so I suspect that's one of the reasons why. > > Roger G3YRO > _________________ > Topband Reflector Archives - https://nam03.safelinks. > protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.contesting. > com%2F_topband&data=02%7C01%7C%7C45041a0e70384ee2478008d57727b9e9% > 7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636545934864203108&sdata= > nFxj%2BLqwi1DLEFj3hHgpcSkBljKeHcT2AZrzNna7YSw%3D&reserved=0 > _________________ > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
