Topband
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Topband: Elevated Radials

To: <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Elevated Radials
From: "Richard Fry" <rfry@adams.net>
Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2013 17:45:27 -0600
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
Guy Olinger posted:
...The very same NEC 4.2 with raised quarter wave radials over routine real life ground made of dirt will show field intensities in the ground. (etc etc)
_______________

Sorry, but this is a misunderstanding/misuse of NEC for this situation.

The r-f currents flowing in the earth under and near elevated, horizontal radials are NOT the source for the r-f currents flowing on those radials, themselves. Those radial wire currents are supplied by the currents flowing on the inside surface of the outer conductor of a coaxial transmission line used to drive the monopole -- which is connected to the common point of those elevated radial wires.

Elevated radials behave much differently than buried radials. In effect, driving a vertical monopole against an even number of geometrically- symmetric pairs of at least two elevated, horizontal wires used as a counterpoise converts a base fed (unbalanced) monopole radiator into a balanced radiator -- which neither needs, nor can use a structural connection to the earth for most efficient system performance.

For proof of this, please study the measurements of a real-world system using 4 x 1/4-wave elevated radials described in the link below, for/at WPCI, 1490 kHz in Greenville, SC, and the rest of that paper.

http://www.commtechrf.com/documents/nab1995.pdf

RF
_________________
Topband Reflector

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>