Topband: Radials Question

[Gary Smith]

I have decided to move my antenna to a more secure location. One 
antenna is a butternut HF9V vertical and the top band antenna will be 
what is essentially an inverted L using the same radials as the 
Butternut uses. For receiving I will be using a K9AY and using a 
DXEngineering preamp on all bands. It seems to be at least as good on 
the higher bands as the vertical is in its current location.

This location has to it's advantage that it is adjacent to a salt 
water marsh. It is in an area less likely to be visited by two legged 
mammals... The soil below is quite damp I will have around 35 radials 
each at least 80' long with some 120' long

Its disadvantages are: 

1. it is at the foot of an 11 degree slope which extends to the east 
approximately 150 feet. The top of the butternut will be close to 
level with the top of the slope, possibly the slope might be a tad 
higher than the tip of the butternut.

2. I will need a run of coax approximately 200' long

3. Thanks to New England briars & brambles, I won't be burying most 
of the radials. My hope is to extend them into the thicket as far as 
possible but instead of actually being on the ground, they will be 
either on the ground or at places 2'-3' off the ground.



My questions are for working 80 meters on the butternut; will having 
the radial field to the east be as high as the antenna be much of a 
problem? It is clear to the west, North and South except for the 
trees around it. As my interest is DX, I'm wondering if the radials 
up the slope & of course the slope itself are likely going to 
severely interfere with my signals to the East?

Another question is since many of the radials will not be buried but 
will be held up by briars, branches & fallen logs at the marshes 
edge, will this be an issue for me? There's no way I can elevate the 
radials to be effective on 160 & 80 but I can't bury them in the 
ground either. I'm wondering if they are in such a limbo, if they 
will do their job as well as if buried? Some will be burried or 
rather, covered with leaves.

Thanks

Gary
KA1J