Topband: Deep earth rod vs radials

[nz4o at tampabay.rr.com]

In 2001 I think it was PY3CEJ drilled 1/4 wave straight down into the ground and placed the other half of the antenna in it. He put in a concrete pillar and mounted the 1/4 wave tower to that. The antenna is/was in the middle of a fresh water lake.

I can't remember now if he also added radials at a later date. His 160 meter 1/4 wave vertical did work pretty good. He sent me a picture of it of which I still have.

As others have already mentioned the 1/4 wave wire into the ground vertically is not the way to go. Radials are the way to go. I currently have twenty three 1/8 wave radials stapled on the surface of the ground and of course the 160 meter inverted L antenna works much better with them than without.

73 & GUD DX,
Thomas F. Giella, NZ4O
Lakeland, FL, USA
http://www.nz4o.com