Topband: Ground Radials Yet Again

[W2pm at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/14/2006 10:14:56 AM Eastern Standard Time,  
ian.keyser at btopenworld.com writes:

>  Specifically, wire laid atop the ground may be considered to have a 
>  velocity factor of 50%...which means, of course, that any 1/4-wave 
>  (physically long) radials that I meticulously laid-out beneath my inverted 
 
> "L" last year were, in fact, 1/2-wave (electrically long)  radials...



Wow, that explains a funny effect I was getting the  other day on 20m when 
experimenting with a ground  plane!!!




I'm not the physics expert here but somehow I don't think this is valid to  
the point of how a long radial works with collecting ground return currents.  
Seems to the point of physically long radials is to provide that much more low  
resistance return path...  This concept sounds like something Doug DeMaw  
would write but I may be entirely wrong. For once a "free lunch" - or maybe a  
cheap one???