Topband: Ground Radials

[R. Earle Sanders]

HI...
I HAD ESSENTIALLY THE SAME SET UP WITH MY GROUND RADIAL SYSTEM.  HERE'S IS
HOW I SOLVED IT/  FIRST THING I DID WAS TO SET THE LAWN MOWER FOR AS SHORT A
CUT AS IT WOULD GO.  ONCE OVER THE LAWN AND I WONDERED IF THE LAWN WOULD
COME OUT OF IT.  AT THAT PONT I PUT DOWN THE RAIDIALS AND STAPLED THEM INTO
THE SOD UNTIL THEY WERE SECURELY FASTENED.  THEN I WATERED AND FERTILIZED
THE LAWN.  WITHIN A MONTH AFTER YOU COULD NOT SEE A WIRE ANYWHERE .  THE
LAWN AND SOD HAD GROWN UP AROUND THE WIRES.  I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE RAKE AS
I NEVER USED IT I JUST GATHERED THE LEAFS UP WITH MY REAR BAGGER MOWER.
STILL CAN'T FIND THE WIRES.

-----Original Message-----
From: topband-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:topband-bounces at contesting.com]On Behalf Of Fred Cresce
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 5:36 AM
To: Top Band Reflector
Subject: Topband: Ground Radials


Hello Fellow TopBand ops,
I have a small "wonder" vertical on my wooded lot. And I would like to
construct an inverted L , also needing a ground screen. There's about 50
radials for both antennas already laid out on the ground with some sod
staples holding the radials down. I'm one of those types of fellows who
likes to keep the lot clean and fairly free from the leaves and the twigs
and branches. My ground radials are really catching hell from the raking.I
also notice on my clumsy days, that I'm tripping over these radial wires
too. Blowing leaves with my backpack blower is better, but there is a time
where they need to be raked into the Chipper / shredder machine.I might
answer my own question here. It looks like I have to use a LOT more sod
clamps every couple of feet to nail down these radials, before I destroy my
entire RF system. Are there other ways to create a ground screen? I
understand that chicken wire is a good thing for RF ground, but how much of
that would be equal to the individual wires I'm using now? What are the rest
of yous guys doing that have ground radials in a woods situation? I would
appreciate some innovative ways around this ground radial problem.
Thanks for any help.
Fred KC4MOP
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