Yes, grass grows up north, but does yours get cut with a brush hog?
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Ryan [mailto:mryan001@tampabay.rr.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2017 10:53 PM
Cc: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] digging radials
I think someone is overthinking this ...
Ground radials are so much easier than this. I just put down about 2,000ft of
wire for two verticals here. Ran the wires out and used 6" landscaping staples
to pin them to the ground. The grass grows over them quickly (perhaps quicker
here in Florida but grass DOES grow up north doesn't it?). I used about 1,000
staples which I bought on eBay in bulk at 500 per box. Press the staples down
with your foot or a small sledge hammer...No muss...no fuss. -Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Bob
Shohet, KQ2M
Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2017 9:41 PM
To: Dick Green
Cc: w5prchuck@gmail.com; towertalk@contesting.com; Herb Krumich
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] digging radials
Hi Dick,
Well I was talking about how well it might work to cover the radials with top
soil as opposed to using an edger attachment, especially where you are laying
down radials on ledge.
As far as the amount of top soil required, that’s reasonably easy to
estimate.... One 40 lb bag of topsoil is (from memory) about 1 1/2” thick, x
18” across x 30” tall = ~ 810 cubic inches. One cubic yard = 36” x 36” x 36”
= 46,656 inches. = ~ 58 40lb bags of topsoil = ~ 2,320 lbs of topsoil.
Now, one 1/4 wavelength radial (for 80M) is ~ 65’ = and assuming that you need
2” wide of top soil to cover the radial x (65’ x 12” = 780”) x 780” long x 1
1/2” inches deep = ~ 2,340 cubic inches per radial. Dividing this into 46,656
inches per cubic yard, means that one cubic yard of topsoil should cover 20
radials. If we use 30 radials per each 4-square element, we would lay 120
radials and that would require ~ 120/20 = 6 cu yards of topsoil.
6 cu yards of topsoil x ~2,320 lbs of topsoil/cu yard = ~ 13,920 lbs of topsoil.
Several years ago I bought 15 cubic yards of topsoil for just this purpose but
then I decided to put up elevated radials instead. Now I am rethinking going
with ground mounted radials instead.
Someone might want to check my math but that should work fairly well unless you
want to cover the entire rectangle bounded by the 4-square (~ 65’ on each side)
plus one radial in each direction extending out from the 4-square and
perpendicular to it. That would make the “total” dimensions ~ (65’ x 3) = 195’
x 195’ = or 38,025 square feet or just shy of one acre.
So to cover 120 radials as I calculated above would take roughly 120 x 810
cubic inches/radial = 97,200 cubic inches of top soil.
To cover the entire 38,025 square feet would take 38,025 square feet x 144
inches per square foot = 5,475,600 square inches x 1 1/2” deep = 8,213,400
cubic inches. 8,213,400 cubic inches / 46,545 inches / cubic yard = 176 cu
yards of top soil or 176 x 58 (bags / cubic yard) = 10,235 bags. YIKES! 176
cubic yards x 27 feet per cubic yard = ~ 4,750 cubic feet of top soil.
I think the covering the radials method is a manageable amount of top soil to
purchase and spread (albeit a hell of a lot of hard work). My question is how
will it compare in peformance to actually using an edger and burying the
radials?
73
Bob KQ2M
From: Dick Green
Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2017 8:51 PM
To: Bob Shohet, KQ2M
Cc: w5prchuck@gmail.com ; Herb Krumich ; towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] digging radials
Covering radials for an 80 4sq and a 160 vertical 1-2 inches deep would require
a *lot* of topsoil-- I think about an acre and a half worth. I'm not an expert
on the calculations, but I think it would be abut 10,000 cubic feet of soil,
which I think would be over 20 dump truck loads.
73, Dick WC1M
73, Dick WC1M
On Mar 19, 2017, at 6:34 PM, Bob Shohet, KQ2M <kq2m@kq2m.com> wrote:
What about laying the radials on the ground – and then covering with ~ 1 1/2”
of top soil? The New England weeds will quickly grow on top and then you can
mow right over them. In a few months you won’t even know that they were there.
73
Bob KQ2M
From: Dick Green WC1M
Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2017 6:27 PM
To: w5prchuck@gmail.com ; 'Dick Green WC1M' ; 'Herb Krumich' ;
towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] digging radials
Would love to rent one of those, but no known options for that here in rural
west-central NH.
73, Dick WC1M
From: w5prchuck@gmail.com [mailto:w5prchuck@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2017 6:21 PM
To: Dick Green WC1M <wc1m73@gmail.com>; 'Herb Krumich' <wa2fgk@yahoo.com>;
towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] digging radials
I have not used an edger, but I think it will be slow going especially if you
try to go deep. The manual says:
“NOTE: There are 5 cutting depth settings from approximately ground level to
2.5” (63 mm) deep. Do not overload the edger capacity by attempting to edge too
deep at too fast a rate. To edge at deeper settings, make multiple passes,
first cutting at shallow depths.”
This would be a good way, but expensive to buy. I think renting one might
work: http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/142313439152?lpid=82
<http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/142313439152?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true>
&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true
Chuck W5PR
Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows
10
From: Dick Green WC1M <mailto:wc1m73@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2017 3:58 PM
To: 'Herb Krumich' <mailto:wa2fgk@yahoo.com> ; towertalk@contesting.com
<mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] digging radials
Anybody tried one of these?
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Powermate-9-in-79cc-Gas-Walk-Behind-Edger-with-Curb-Hopping-Feature-PWLE0799/202817519
73, Dick WC1M
-----Original Message-----
From: Herb Krumich [mailto:wa2fgk@yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2017 11:14 AM
To: towertalk@contesting.com <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] digging radials
I got back to Home Depot and the edger is on sale for 54.00 Ryobi
EdgerExpand-It Attachment9" Dual Serrated Blade101-823Adjusts from 1/2 inch to
2 1/2 inches
Fits Toro Weed Wacker
73'sHerb K2LNS
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