For a roof-mounted vertical you only need 2 radials per band but they
must be tuned. Like another poster said you can get a better match at
the feedpoint by angling them downwards, just like for a VHF/UHF 1/4
wave vertical.
For ground-mounted radials: Radials are severely de-tuned by the
ground so you don't need to tune them or cut them to exact lengths,
but you do need them long enough for your lowest band of operation. I
kept adding more as I was operating, ending up with 36 radials, one
every 10 degrees. Don't believe the people that say you should run
them in patterns other than straight out from the base... Just cut
them at the max length you can get (due to obstructions like fences)
in any direction straight out from the base. I just laid them along
the grass and stapled them down: The grass will grow over them and
pull them down over time. Next spring I'll be able to mow right over
them and really won't see them. The DX Engineering radial wire works
really well for this as it lays out nice and flat and becomes
invisible quickly in the grass. Half of my radials are that wire, half
are Home Depot spools of wire... I wouldn't buy the cheap stuff again
as it is more visible (I bought green) and doesn't lay as flat.
Another thing: If you can get 5/8 wave on any band you can get a much
lower angle of radiation, therefore longer skips. This is why a 43'
untuned vertical with a tuner at the base works so well on 20m. Less
so on other bands.
On Thu, Nov 12, 2020 at 8:30 AM k7lxc--- via TowerTalk
<towertalk@contesting.com> wrote:
>
> Howdy, TowerTalkians -
> Which would be a better solution - mounting an all-band trap vertical on
> the ground with assorted radials or on the roof of a 1 story house with
> assorted radials? I'm leaning to the roof mount since then the radials are
> mostly out of the way of ground traffic. Tnx!
> Cheers,Steve K7LXC
> _______________________________________________
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--
Curt, WE7U http://xastir.org http://www.sarguydigital.com
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