Topband: 160 and radials

[John Harden]

I've really enjoyed reading all of the posts relative to the above 
subject... I really do not worry about radials any more...

I have a 100 foot 45G tower festooned with monobanders from 80 to 10 
meters. I use an Omega match on 160 with 32 radials of #14 stranded, 
insulated wire from Home Depot. The 2000 pfd vacuum variable is tuned 
with a 1 RPM, 12 VDC motor, and the SWR is always unity or close to it.

IF I can hear it on the Hi-Z 4-Square I can work it. Of course that is a 
treatise in itself.

An too, I won't go into electromagnetic theory. However I do have a copy 
of Dr. John Kraus' book _ELECTROMAGNETICS_ with a 1953 copyright date. 
W8JK was an awesome individual . He said "a transmitting antenna may be 
defined as the structure associated with the region of transition 
between a guided wave and a free-space wave, or vice versa for a 
receiving antenna. The wave radiated from an antenna spreads out in all 
directions much like an expanding spherical soap bubble having the 
antenna at it's center."

Other than that it is ALL in the books. My late father gave me the book 
in the 1960's while I was a student at GA Tech.

Go get 'em on 160... Every antenna is a compromise..

73,

John, W4NU
K4JAG (1959 to 1998)