Topbanders....on the issue of elevated radials that are of some
significant distance above the actual ground are we not really dealing
with a totally different configuration than a typical Marconi with a
ground connection and radials? In any cases as in mine insulated #14
wires of varying length from 60 to 130 feet long run on the ground.
Most are in the grass mat after a few months but none could be
considered buried radials nor are they acting the same way as a couple
of 1/4 wave length long wires elevated 10 feet in the air. Some
topbanders even end up with a combo package of in ground, on ground, and
elevated radials. There could be some major E plane and H plane
drawbacks in the belief that a couple of elevate 1/4 wavelength wires
can produce the same or better low angle performance and better
efficiency than lets say 12 to 24 small 60 foot wires in or laying on
the ground and bonded to the antenna base itself.
However these claims or myths persist that a few elevated "resonant
wires" a better ground doth make in comparison to a spider system of
more wires, shorter wires, laid in the ground or laying on top of the
ground. Do a few elevated resonant wire avoid the earth losses at the
base of a vertical? Do they distort the field pattern by acting like
low dipoles, at least partially send radiation into the clouds above?
I am certainly interested, as I am sure so are others, what the experts,
the modelers, the real world FSM testers have to say on this. In all my
years in broadcasting have I yet heard proposed an elevated radial
system as an adequate substitute for radials in or on the ground
although this was a big thing for low band hams in early radio. One
could obtain a match and radiate and work DX and locals. Today we want
to know where that radiation is actually going...so I inquire about the
recent fad of a few elevated radials as a substitute for the real thing.
I am curious.
73
Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
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