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Re: [TowerTalk] Tuning raised radial verticals

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Tuning raised radial verticals
From: Jim Brown <jim@audiosystemsgroup.com>
Reply-to: jim@audiosystemsgroup.com
Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2017 09:25:32 -0700
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
Dan and Gary are two fine engineers, and, as usual, their work is excellent. Gary's work was careful to study each element of the array alone, with the other elements open circuit to minimize coupling from them, but also to study each element as part of the array. This is textbook, and exactly right.

Any study of radial systems should also include the extensive and very disciplined work of Rudy Severns, N6LF. He has done multiple studies that attempt to model what he measures, then measure what he models, then model again, and measure again, with each study learning more about the various mechanisms at play.  One of the subjects of Rudy's work was elevated radial systems, and it was published in two parts in QEX.  It is required reading for anyone implementing raised radials.  One of Rudy's most important observations was that it is very important to make radial currents equal, that the variability of ground under the radials can affect that a lot, that 4 radials is minimum and 8 is better, and that it helps to tune radials slightly short of a quarter wave.

N6BT has also done a lot of work with verticals and elevated radials. I had installed a couple of 160M verticals with radials elevated only about 6 ft, and was not getting the gain predicted by the model. He advised me that for 160M, radials should be elevated by at least 16 ft. I raised mine to an average height of about 20 ft (gull wing style) and gain did improve.

http://www.antennasbyn6lf.com/design_of_radial_ground_systems/

73, Jim K9YC

On 9/2/2017 12:41 PM, Bryon Paul Veal NØAH wrote:
I never have heard of a successful array using raised radials ... so this
has been a good exercise.  Also strongly agree with tuning the verticals to
the intended frequency  ..... but this is all with comtek. From the power
dump port,   I had  300 foot roll of coax coming back to my meter measuring
the power dump onto the dummy load in my shack!


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