Mike,
I use a 4-square vertical array on 160 meters. Until last month,
I had two elevated radials per vertical. That system had large
stacks of ferrite cores ("baluns") on each feedline at the base of
each vertical. The only reason I used elevated radials was lack
of time to install an extensive radial system. The 4-square
worked okay, I could (eventually) work almost anything I could
hear on the 4-square or my Beverages. I was rarely first in a
pile-up with the big guns, but I got thru, mostly...
Over the last few months, I removed the elevated radials and
installed 60 radials on each vertical, about 25,000 feet of #14
bare copper wire laid directly on the ground and 7,000 sod
staples to hold it all in place and out of my mower deck. The
improvement has been spectacular. Breaking pileups is
routine and if I don't get thru a pileup, usually no other east
coast station does either.
The feedlines to the four verticals are buried and I no longer
use the ferrite chokes.
73!
Frank
W3LPL
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See: http://www.mscomputer.com for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather
Stations", and lot's more. Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions
and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
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