Topband: THE ITINERANT 160 METER ANTENNA PROJECT

[Tom W8JI]

<You said "3.) Use the largest counterpoise possible, and use one that does 
not
concentrate current, zig-zag current all around, or produce unnecessarily
high voltages." In 300 words or less please explain again Zig-zag current?>

Jim,

While some forms of coiling, folding, and bending are better than others at 
accomplishing different things, the general rule is we want to keep 
counterpoise wires for a Marconi antenna as straight as possible away from 
the antenna base.

This is because we generally want displacement currents, which are what 
allow reduction of current along the length of the radiator and allow 
current flow out to an open end, to have a short straight low-loss path back 
to the antenna base and to not create more displacement current inside 
conductor paths than necessary. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Displacement_current

Without displacement currents, Kirchhoff's laws cannot be satisfied in AC 
circuits involving capacitances, either lumped as a component or distributed 
along conductors.

73 Tom