Topband: Re insulated vs:bare radial wires/Chicke Wire

[wa5pok at peoplepc.com]

 i know some guys over desert sand like chicken wire, and
> have thought about here for a limited real estate application. with
> our acidic soil in east texas, i'd bet chicken wire would be a pile of
> rust in just a few months...> 
> 
> 
 It says that putting down
> chicken wire type mesh under the vertical is not good due to some sort
> of RF cancellation.



A number of years ago I installed the "UG" vertical antenna (Paul 
Lee's Vertical Antenna Handbook) and covered the back yard, 40 x 
60 feet, with chicken wire and brazed it together at different points. 
For what the system was, it "seemed" to work well. NA Qs were 
always easy with 100 watts. Rust, couldn't tell you, I had it up only 
one season.

Later when I was able to wiggle an inverted L into the pine trees I 
installed one elevated radial and fed the system through a choke 
balun of ferite beads. This has also worked well. The bases for my 
installation came from an article in CQ Contesting, Sept 1996 by 
ON4UN that has these subheadings in it:
1. What are radials for?
2. Current collecting
3. Parasitic Return Currents
4. One or Two Radials? (discusses elevated radials)
5. Bandwith
6. Practical Hints
7. Improving Ground Reflection
8. Conclusion

Part of the title of the article is " ... Clearingup Missconceptions"
I have a copy of a copy of a copy and I have scaned it (very 
readable). I can e-mail it out to anyone to read, hopefully I wouldn't 
be violating any copyrights, etc ... 

73, Mike WA5POK

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