TopBand: 160m Ground Systems

[Bill Cotter]

Peter & anyone else,

I ,too, found Paul Lee's books (rev 1$2) "Vertical Antenna Handbook"
facinating and thought provoking reading and they have a permanent place in
my bookshelf of Amateur Radio literature. On the subject of radials and
their impact on an antenna system: The more the better, up to a diminishing
returns point of about 113-120 radials.

What I haven't been able to resolve from Lee's books or Brown's and
Jasick's texts, are the consequences (or lack of benefit) of not observing
the statement below concerning the bonding of radials in a field. What if I
don't bond together the radials as they cross? I suspect most amateur
arrays are this way.

I have installed a 40m 4-sqr array with 64-radials per radiator. About half
of the radials are #14 enameled wire and the other half are #16 plastic
covered wire. None are bonded together as they cross. The only bonding
between the radiator ground systems are the outer braid of the feedlines to
the ComTek box. Will I expect less than perfect gain, directivity, F/B
Ratio, or Radiation Resistance? Should I expect something more insidious
like arcing, static or who knows what. Or, as I suspect, no discernable
consequence.....  Comments/experiences please.

Thanks,

Bill N4ALG



>
>Regarding ground systems for phased arrays, K6TS says "where radials
>overlap, they should be joined... the whole ground system should be one well
>bonded unit with no loose connections or unsoldered crossing wires."
>
>73,
>Peter VK3APN
>


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