[TenTec] Radials

[Richard Detweiler]

Lots of articles from near the beginning of radio on this subject.

I've gotten along very well with 40 radials,  9 degrees apart.

All laying at the ground level, not buried, but not raised,  ( use coat 
hanger staples and let the grass roots over take it )  This seems to be the 
best level for ground mounted vertical on HF.  Buried actually detracts some 
especially at 6 inches or more.

Varying lengths as the fence cuts off some areas, no less than 15 feet and 
no more than the height of the vertical.

This seems to be the balance of benefit to cost & work

More radials does add some, but not enough to justify the cost & work,

Longer radials does add some, but again not enough to justify the cost & 
work,

If I’m only getting half a dB gain,  then it really isn't enough do justify 
the work.

I'd need to get 3 or more dB Gain to justify the work, For a vertical, that 
would be these things.

  1) A higher vertical would do allot, especially on 80 or 160.
  2) Raising the vertical above ground as high as possible,  20 to 30 feet.
  3) 4 or 8 half wave Raised radials ( now counterpoise ) sloping down 
slightly but at least 10 feet up.
  4) a 4 sqaure phase vertical array,  using techniques 1,2,3 above.

I'd do these as that would give many many dB Gain, but, it is impractical at 
this QTH,

Thus it's back to the basic issue,  dB Gain versus cost and space.

for Gound mounted vertical,  If you have space,  more radials and longer is 
better.  But at some point though, it's not gaining much and then you have 
to weigh how much is worth it for you.

My 2 cents worth.

73's
Rich
K5SF



>From: Ken Brown <ken.d.brown at verizon.net>
>Reply-To: tentec at contesting.com
>To: tentec at contesting.com
>Subject: Re: [TenTec] Radials
>Date: Tue, 08 Jun 2004 19:23:49 -1000
>
>>
>>
>>If I could double my signal, as inexpensively as burying 60 extra pieces 
>>of
>>the old wire I have laying around, I would most certainly do it in a
>>heartbeat.
>>
>>
>If you've got the money and are willing to spend it paying a laborer to 
>bury that wire, then it may be "in a heartbeat". Otherwise, even with the 
>aid of power tools, it will be very many heartbeats and a lot of sweat. And 
>that, along with the cost of the wire, is why people want to know is 30 
>quarter wavelenth radials better than 60 eighth wavelength ones (or some 
>other comparison  of equal materials and digging)
>
>DE N6KB
>
>
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