Topband: Radials around the house . . .

[Herb Schoenbohm]

Dan Zimmerman N3OX wrote:

>Does wrapping them around the house actually work?  
>  
>

Dan,

 My house is in the way of my path to North America and within 30 feet 
of the tower.  Since it is not wide at this point I wrap a few radials 
around my one story house.  I also was fortunate to also have a copper 
water pipe system with lawn faucet nearest the tower which runs 
throughout the house at foundation level to kitchen, three bathrooms 
from two cisterns.  The foundation line next to the house makes an easy 
way to lay down radials on each side of the house.  However I don't 
think that bunching them together and then fanning them out is helpful.  
If you can ring the house with a single cooper wire it is propably 
better to fan out from  that wire on the other side of the house unless 
you have a basement.  Then running under the house is easy right through 
the basement on out the other side.

In the past topbanders used to advise tying everything into the ground 
system, i.e. furnance, plumbing, well, flashing, electrical nuetral, 
power and telco ground under the theory that on top band any ground is 
better than no ground or the more the better.  However, in AM radio 
installations this practice is always strongly shunned.  A proper RF 
ground system designed for the antenna, above and apart from the AC 
grounds are prefered with the general rule of never connecting to 
anything which is an unknown ground especially electrical safety grounds.


Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ