[TenTec] Radials

Mike Gorniak gorniak at ncis.com
Wed Jun 9 20:30:04 EDT 2004


Gary,

To clarify, I was referring to Field Strength, measured in Millivolts per 
Meter, which is the standard expression. It takes 6 db to double the 
measured signal strength, which is equivalent to one "S" unit.

3 db would translate to One Half  of an "S" unit, still significant, but 
not double.

Also, I used the term "within 3 db". Actually, the 2 times that I tried 
this experiment, the results were 2.4 and 2.1 db improvement in Field 
Strength when adding 90 (not 60) quarter wave radials to the existing 30.

The Field Strength was measured using a Potomac FIM 41 Field Strength meter 
on a dozen monitor points at distances of 1 to 3 miles from the antenna.

I stated "within 3 db"  to make sure that I was positively accounting for 
measurement errors, including the meter's plus or minus 5 percent 
certification, environmental factors, such as power lines, railroad tracks 
and ground conductivity, as well as operator error.

73.

Mike
NM7X


>Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 23:07:39 -0400
>From: "Gary Hoffman" <garyhoffman at spacetech.com>
>Subject: Re: [TenTec] Radials
>To: <tentec at contesting.com>
>Message-ID: <002201c44d05$c5a84110$6301a8c0 at aa2iz>
>Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> >
> > The "point of diminishing returns" will vary relative to each person's
> > perspective.  On 160 meters, 30 (nominally) one quarter wavelength radials
> > will yield a field strength at any ground wave reference distance that is
> > within 3 db of 120 one quarter wavelength radials.
> >
> > Mike
> > NM7X
>
>Yes, indeed, it is most certainly a matter of perspective.
>
>Now, my perspective is this:   3 dB is Double.
>
>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.
>
>Gary, AA2IZ






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