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[TowerTalk] Now--- What is the Best Wire for Radials

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Now--- What is the Best Wire for Radials
From: wa3afs@soli.inav.net (Bruce Goldstein)
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 22:07:02 +0000
>From my experience (buried and top of ground):

I have found that the largest diameter wire works the best (jacketed 
or bare made no difference).  I used whatever 'junk' wire I could 
find and the best turned out to be 'unknown' (or I did not care!) 
long pieces of coax.  Many years ago I ran across 'short' rolls of 
coax (200 - 500 feet or so) being sold for $5 a roll (including a lot 
of dust).  The wire was new and I shorted the center conductor to the 
shield at the antenna end.  

I also tried number 26 wire and found that it took about 40 radials 
before the antenna started to play.  With the coax, the same style 
antenna started to play at 3 radials.

Some wire I buried and some I left on top of the ground.  The only 
difference was the soreness of my back.  I now 'staple' my radials to 
the ground with alumimun fence clips.  After a season or so, the 
grass and thatch cover just about all the radials and I do not have 
any problem with the lawn mower chewing on the wires.

Good luck.

Bruce, WA3AFS

> From:          "Tod Olson" <tao@skypoint.com>
> To:            <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Subject:       [TowerTalk] Now--- What is the  Best Wire for Radials 
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
> Date:          Wed, 22 Apr 1998 21:15:19 -0500

> Here is a follow on question now that the answers to the
> question, "What is the best antenna wire?", have dropped off.
> 
> Ladies and Gentlemen:
> 
> In your opinion, what is the best choice for the wire to be used
> as radials for a vertical antenna.
> (a). Where the radials will be buried.
> (b). Where the radials will lie on the surface of the ground.
> (c). Where the radials will be elevated (6" or more) above the
> surface of the ground.
> 
> If you feel that the actual type of soil (clay, loam, sand, etc.)
> will make a difference in your answer to (a) above, please
> indicate in what way.
> 
> Thanks in advance for any responses.
> 
> Tod Olson, K0TO
> 
> 
> 
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