There is person who is also a ham who sells radial staples -- they
work very well and are dirt cheap -- something like $7 USD for a 1/2
pound bag of 315 pcs. He is (or was) on Ebay but his email is:
radialstaple@wowway.com
There are a couple Ebay instant buy items now -- see
http://cgi.ebay.com/315-Premium-Radial-Staples-for-Vertical-Antennas_W0QQitemZ320460637974QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4a9cf14716
I have no connection with him other than being a repeat customer every
Spring...
Pete W2PM
-----Original Message-----
From: Dennis Peterson <dennisissure@comporium.net>
To: Topband Reflector <topband@contesting.com>
Sent: Sun, Dec 13, 2009 6:00 am
Subject: Topband: Buried radials or non-buried radials?
To be or not to be-----------TO BURY OR NOT TO BURY--that is the
question..................................IMHO of 34 years playing with
antennas,
it has been my experience to use NON-BURIED Radials as I am a firm
believer in
making WORK-WORK FOR ME......Since we aren't faced with the ardent task
or
necessity to place QUARTER LENGTH RADIAL WIRES, doing exactly what many
have
suggested is adequate enough towards laing out a radial field.
HOWEVER;
when laying the radials on the ground, it is important to note that
just
placing them on the ground isn't good enough unless you anchor them
securely. I
use metal coat hangers discarded by many housewives today who prefer
the plastic
over the metal. These metal coat hangers are very good for ground
radial
staples. I can get 6 or 7 six inch lengths of wire per coat hanger.
Bending
them in half like a hair pin provides enough length to securely anchor
the wire
to the ground every 18 to 24 inches. On the far end of the wire I wrap
two
turns around the hairpin wire and pull the wire tight to help hold it
in place
and then work backwards towards the ground plate or grid to place the
staples.
I have never had any problems with this method nor have I ever pulled a
wire
loose during the mowing season. A good application of fertilizere
after the
ground laying procedure in the fall will increase the grass growth in
the spring
and afterwards you can't even see there they were or are. I even do
the same
thing for the feedline coax for my RX antennas. Course the hairpin
wires need
to be about 8 or 9 inch lengths and then folded in half to make a 4
inch hairpin
but they work FB just the same.
Another advantage of NON-BURIED radials is that you won't end up with
an
unsitely star pattern in the lawn that creates an eye sore for the
XYL.....................
As to the question; which is better-----buried or non-buried goes to
saying
which is better FORDS or CHEVYS; APPLES or ORANGES. I don't think
there have
been too many studies on the topic that can really sustantiate with
good cause
whether buried is better or vice versa. Whatever the operator feels he
is
confortable with doing for HIS own specific condition. Again, I want
the WORK
to WORK for me I'm not going to WORK for it! Therefore, I choose on
the ground
insulated ground radial wires stapled every 18 to 24 inches. Most of
my radials
are only 36 feet long; although my current inv-L system has 9 wires at
136' each
and 24 at 36' each,
The dry cleaners will sell you metal coat hangers very cheap if you
don't have
any. I think the last time I paid something like $5.00 for 50 of them.
That's
10 cents each which is cheaper than buying anything else. Oh, by the
way;
another cheap type of lawn staple is the welding rod ends thrown away
at a
welding shop. Those make good staples as well and they don't rust as
fast..................and they're cheap. Most shops will you a 5
gallon bucket
to carry away if you want.
Have fun and remember--------don't make work out of the project----make
the work
WORK for you.
de K4CKDennis
Read my story below by clicking the URL:
http://www.yananow.net/Mentors/DennisD.htm
Dennis G. Peterson
326 East Jefferson Street
Apt 2
York, SC 29745
803-389-9366
_______________________________________________
160 meters is a serious band, it should be treated with respect. - TF4M
_______________________________________________
160 meters is a serious band, it should be treated with respect. - TF4M
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