Topband: Sharing radials??

[k2kw-8 at adelphia.net]

As the purpose of radials is to minimize current into the ground, a neighboring radial system will help.  

I saw this when doing some work at K6KM's QTH.  We had an elevated 80m wire half wave vertical hung off one tower, with no ground screen.  It heard well, but didn't transmit well as compared to a reference dipole.

I then tried to shunt feed another tower on 160m about 130' away.  We had laid 36 radials around the shunt fed tower, and the tips of the 160m radials just reached the bottom of the 80m half wave vertical.  These radials were in no way connected to the 80m vertical as the 80m wire terminated about 4' above the ground.  The 80m vertical now transmitted MUCH better, and you could also tell the RX performance improved too (as compared to a reference dipole).

73, Kenny K2KW