After I received enquiries from another couple of Topbanders about "my
system" of installing radials, I thought I'd forward this description on
how I tied all the loose ends together at the base of the Butternut HF2V
that I have installed to get me through the winter until I can put up my
"major sized" vertical in the spring. I hope it proves helpful to some
of the newer members.
> Here's what I did at the base of the antenna:
>
> Needless to say, a big ball of about 20 wires wires won't fit very
> easily on the tiny little 1/8" bolt that most manufacturers provide at
> the base of the vertical, so a "radial collector plate" is used as a big
> terminal strip to tie all the things together in the right place at the right
> time.
>
> At the base of the antenna, I drove in a 6 foot long piece of copper
> pipe as a ground rod, attached a length of about number 6 copper wire to the
> rod, and then brought all the radials up to a plate of aluminum about 8"x3"
> about 3/16 thick which I bought at the scrap metal dealer for 50 cents.
>
> The aluminum plate was drilled with a bunch of holes around the
> perimeter appropriate to the size of nuts and bolts you use. Digging
> around in the junk box, I found a lot of 10-32 size stainless steel
> nuts, bolts, and star lock washers to which I attached all the radials and
> the wire from the ground rod. This plate was then bolted to the ground side
> of the antenna feedpoint which was just a little wimpy type bolt that would
> normally have accomodated only about 4 wires on it.
> Thats all there is to the custom manufactured "radial collector plate"!
>
> Here's an important tip for you. Go to any electrician, and ask him to sell
> you about 2 ounces of a product that is very commonly used at
> electrical joints of dissimilar metals (like a junction of copper to
> aluminum wiring), called "Penetrox" there are several different product
> names which all do the same function....to enhance conductivity, and inhibit
> corrosion in the face of electrical activity between dissimilar metals.
> About $3 of this stuff will greatly reduce the likelihood of you having any
> trouble. Warning...this stuff is IMPOSSIBLE to get off your clothes if you
> smear some on your shirt....the shirt is ruined!
>
> After the Penetrox treatment of all joints as you are attaching the
> wires, nuts and bolts, I dabbed on a bit of electrical silicone sealer
> to make it harder for oxygen to get to the attachpoints. Do not use the
> household type silicone sealers for this as they can be corrosive....if it
> smells like vinegar, don't use it, it is the wrong
> stuff.
>
> Then spray the entire plate with some paint...I used varathane, to keep
> the air off the contacts and further inhibit the possibility of
> corrosion.
>
> I hope I've given you a few tips that are helpful.
>
> You should be glad you didn't end up cutting about 500 coathangers
> up to make the radial holdown clips, the fence staples are much easier to
> get!...would have been a hell of a job!
>
> If you have any questions, let me know.
>
> 73 de Lee Smith
> VE4ANC
>
>
> >
> > Hello Folks:
> >
> > Just finished putting a radial system in about a month ago, and had
> > excellent results with a method originally from an old QST "Technical
> > Correspondence" article which is really just an industrial strength
> > version of the "bobbi-pin suggestion" filed here a short time ago.
> >
> > I used "fence staples" about one and a half inches long. These are U
> > shaped "nails" with 2 sharpened ends, (from here on, I'll use the terms
> > staples and nails interchangeably) These "nails" are used to attach
> > fence wire to wooden fenceposts, and are available at just about any
> > hardware store.
> >
> > When I put in 20 radials 65 feet long, I used about 5 pounds of these
> > fence staples to nail the wire to the ground after cutting the grass
> > exceptionally short.
> >
> > I put in a staple spaced about every foot on the somewhat uneven
> > sections of ground (every 6" or less in the really rough spots), and
> > about every 2 feet on the flattest of sections to hold the wire very
> > tight onto the surface of the earth and short grass. By using a good
> > heavy booted foot, and stomping on the fence staple with my heel, I
> > could drive a staple almost below the surface quite easily, and keep the
> > wire very tightly hugging the surface along it's entire length.
> > Initially, I started to put the staples in using a hammer, but found the
> > foot pressure method to be a lot faster and just as effective for the
> > sections on even ground.
> >
> > Each radial was attached to the ground side of the antenna and laid out
> > in the proper direction. The end of the radial near the antenna was
> > held in place with two nails to really anchor it in place tightly. The
> > far end of the radial wire was tied securely to a staple and the tag end
> > cut off. I then pulled the wire tight and pounded the nail into the dirt
> > with a hammer so that it was about a 1/4 " below the surface at the end
> > furthest from the vertical radiator.
> >
> > Then I worked my way out along the radial starting at the antenna
> > working toward the end armed with a big bag of staples, applying them
> > quite liberally. (after all, they were really very cheap by the pound)
> >
> > After the 20 radials were laid (the whole system took me about 3 hours),
> > I bought some "slow release, fall application" lawn ferilizer and gave
> > the lawn a going over. Old-timers that I've worked on the air say this
> > radial system will disappear after about the second grass cutting in the
> > spring with your lawnmower (set the blade up about an inch and half
> > higher than normal for the first two or three cuttings), then as the new
> > grass cuttings form the usual ground cover thatch you'll find in any
> > lawn, the mower can be lowered to your favourite level, and nobody will
> > ever know there is a pile of wire out there.
> >
> > So far, the system is proceeding as promised by the article and the old
> > fellows, and I recommend the method to anyone who (like me) has quickly
> > tired of the lawn edger 6" at a time method of putting in about 1500' of
> > wire, which became discouraging very quickly. Next spring, Ill be
> > putting up a 67 foot aluminum tower with base insulator, and intend to
> > use this method again when I lay out my 60 radial system.
> >
> > I hope to work some of you soon.
> >
> > 73 de
> > Lee Smith
> > VE4ANC
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