Topband: Elevated Radials - W5UN's take

[Tom Rauch]

> W8LRL's 3/8 vertical with 360 3/8 radials at his QTH seems 
> to perform as good as 4 sq at low angles.
> We will run some tests between his "standard" and various 
> configurations at our Ocean Gate N2EE QTH.
> I am looking forward to play with some designs there, 
> taking advantage of salty marshes.

I wonder how can that be?

Everything known to man shows that with around 50 or 60 1/4 
wave radials over any type of soil a system is out at the 
very top of efficiency curves. Any Marconi vertical system 
on any soil has reached well into the 90% range with just 50 
or 60 radials.

A four square has 5-7dB gain over a single vertical of the 
same construction.

I can't understand that unless someone has 400% antenna 
efficiency. How would that happen?

73 Tom