Topband: Ground Radials

[Gene Smar]

Fred:

     I agree with Phil.  It sounds like you need more staples closer
together.  I made my own staples (for half a mile of radial wire) out of
wire shirt hangers from the dry cleaners.  I did the same thing as Phil -
took about 8 inches of wire and bent it in half to make a hairpin shape.
Then I pushed the staples (sometimes hammered it - imagine what that looked
like to the neighbors!) into the ground on either side of the radial.  A
couple of months ago I relocated a couple of radials.  I really had to pull
on the wire to get the staples out of the ground.

73 de
Gene Smar  AD3F
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <kb9cry at comcast.net>
To: "Fred Cresce" <fcresce at comcast.net>
Cc: "Top Band Reflector" <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 9:18 AM
Subject: Re: Topband: Ground Radials


> Fred, I've had the same problem with my radials for the 4 square and the
shunt fed tower on 160M.  Both myself and the dog can't seem to pick up out
feet until the grass overgrows the wires.  And trust me, they will in short
order and then you won't have this problem.  Yes, you need to use more
staples; in some places I've used one every foot.  To reduce the cost, make
your own staples.  I buy an 1/4 mile roll of 14 Ga electric fence wire from
Farm n Fleet for about $18.  I cut off about 6 to 8 inches and fold in in
half over my hand.  I then bend the bottom half of each leg outward a bit
and stick it into the ground over the wire.  As I insert it into the ground,
I squeeze the legs together and the slight bend in the legs spreads out a
bit in the ground and helps to hold it in.  The staples get lost under the
grass and then will eventually corrode away. I have not problem raking now.
Phil  KB9CRY
> > 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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