Topband: Elevated Radials as a sub for the real thing?

[Herb Schoenbohm]

Topbanders....on the issue of elevated radials that are of some 
significant distance above the actual ground are we not really dealing 
with a totally different configuration than a typical Marconi with a 
ground connection and radials?  In any cases as in mine insulated #14 
wires of varying length from 60 to 130 feet long run on the ground.  
Most are in the grass mat after a few months but none could be 
considered buried radials nor are they acting the same way as a couple 
of 1/4 wave length long wires elevated 10 feet in the air.  Some 
topbanders even end up with a combo package of in ground, on ground, and 
elevated radials.  There could be some major E plane and H plane 
drawbacks in the belief that a couple of elevate 1/4 wavelength wires 
can produce the same or better low angle performance and better 
efficiency than lets say 12 to 24 small 60 foot wires in or laying on 
the ground and bonded to the antenna base itself.

However these claims or myths persist that a few elevated "resonant 
wires" a better ground doth make in comparison to a spider system of 
more wires, shorter wires, laid in the ground or laying on top of the 
ground. Do a few elevated resonant wire avoid the earth losses at the 
base of a vertical?  Do they distort the field pattern by acting like 
low dipoles, at least partially send radiation into the clouds above?

I am certainly interested, as I am sure so are others, what the experts, 
the modelers, the real world FSM testers have to say on this. In all my 
years in broadcasting have I yet heard proposed an elevated radial 
system as an adequate substitute for radials in or on the ground 
although this was a big thing for low band hams in early radio.  One 
could obtain a match and radiate and work DX and locals.  Today we want 
to know where that radiation is actually going...so I inquire about the 
recent fad of a few elevated radials as a substitute for the real thing. 
I am curious.


73

Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ