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Re: Topband: Radials over a stone wall

To: "N2TK, Tony" <tony.kaz@verizon.net>, "topband" <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Radials over a stone wall
From: "Bill Wichers" <billw@waveform.net>
Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:26:22 -0400
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
I would expect an "up and over" to clear the wall would result in a
choke-like effect on the radial and would, at best, reduce the radial's
effectiveness.

It should be easy to just drill some small (maybe 1/4"?) holes through
the wall in a few places to pass the radials through. With a decent
hammer drill and a carbide bit a small hole like that is pretty quick
and easy to complete -- even in concrete or stone. Then just use a piece
of coathanger wire as a wire fishing tool to run the radials through the
hole.

I use a wire pulling tool called a "creep-zit" to pull radials under
fallen trees and logs in the woods. It works great. I basically just
take one of the 6 foot long fiberglass rods (each of which is a little
over 1/8" diameter), tape the radial to one end, and then I can push it
under fallen debris easily. With a little practice you can even get
around hidden obstructions in the ground this way.

  -Bill


> I shunt feed my tower for topband. I use variable vacuum caps and a
vacuum
> relay at the base to switch between the low end and the high end of
the
> band. It seems to work okay. I have 100' buried radials spaced 10' at
the
> ends from o degrees going clockwise through about 220 degrees. I have
a 4'
> high stone wall that runs about 20/200 degrees that is about 35' at
its
> closest point to the tower. So the radials are progressively shorter
on
> the
> West side of the tower.
> 
> 
> 
> I am making an assumption that going up over the wall will distort any
> benefits of extending the radials on the West side? Is that a true
> assumption.
> 
> I can't really have the radials go from the tower base up at an angle
to
> clear the stone wall and continue on. If I am to extend them the
radials
> would have to go on the ground to the wall then up and over and back
down
> to
> the ground.
> 
> 
> 
> 73,
> 
> N2TK, Tony
> 
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
_______________________________________________
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

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