To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
>Date: Wed, 25 Dec 1996 17:06:55 -0500
>To: Richard Karlquist <rkarlqu@scd.hp.com>
>From: Bill Cotter <bcotter@pop.uky.edu>
>Subject: Re: Radial wire plows
>
>Rick,
>
>I simply mow the grass REAL low (apprx 1") and lay the all wires on the
ground in the pattern I expect. I "staple" them with 4" piece of #10
aluminum bent in a "U" shape about every 4-6ft (I make hundreds at a time
and place in a bucket). The grass grows up and over the radials in a few
weeks and there gone from sight! I then mow at 2-3" and never uncover or
catch a radial.
>
>A friend of mine, Pete W4***, has a more unorthodox solution. He purchased
a CHEAP circular saw and dado blade from K-Mart, and fastened a broom
handle to it. On the broom handle he mounted a reel for the radial wire and
a steel tube that follows in the trench and feeds the wire. Pete cuts his
radials into the ground and still has both legs! I'm a too much of a
chickensh*t to try this method. HI :-))
>
>Bill, N4ALG
>
>
>
>
>At 02:31 PM 12/19/96 -0800, you wrote:
>>
>>I am interested in building a wire plow to put in radials. I read
>>the section in Low Band DX'ing about them and also one of the two
>>Ham Radio references ON4UN gives (I'm missing the other issue). In
>>the Ham Radio reference, the author says there are commercial ones
>>used for AM broadcast stations. Does anyone have any pointers to those?
>>Has anyone built a wire plow? I'd like to hear about your experiences
>>with it. In particular: would it make sense to attach one to a garden
>>tractor, or is the "armstrong" type easy enough to use. I would rather
>>spend more money and do less work, rather than do a budget version.
>>The ground I will be working on is not super flat (+/- 6 inches or so)
>>and I don't want to mow it and grade it before installation. How deep
>>should the wires be buried to assure they don't reappear on the surface?
>>I am more interested in structural integrity, rather than the imponderable
>>question of whether it's more optimum electrically to have them on the
>>surface than buried 6 inches or whatever. Thanks in advance.
>>
>>Rick Karlquist N6RK
>>rkarlqu@scd.hp.com
>>
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>>
>>
_______________________________________________________________________
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