Topband: Short radials?

[Shoppa, Tim]

In fact I had my ARRL Antenna book (a mid-90's edition) in front of me at the dinner table last night and I think I saw the exact same table.

My feeling based on some less than quantitative tests is that a couple of quarter wave radials, has been more effective on topband than 16 0.1 wave radials for my station at my QTH.

Others here have have told us how to measure that quantitatively (and in fact I may try on my antenna preparations in run-up to at least the October Mini-Stew, to some of the things that W8JI has outlined. I'm learning a lot!!! And W8JI's Gotham Vertical review is perhaps the most entertaining thing I've read!!!)

My property doesn't extend out far enough for me to really run a permanent radial field out to a quarter wave, but I can sneak out in the dark of night this winter and try it out for sure.

Tim N3QE

-----Original Message-----
From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of lmlangenfeld tds.net
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 11:29 AM
To: topband at contesting.com
Subject: Topband: Short radials?

*A sidebar and table in the ARRL Handbook (22.23 in the 2007 edition) suggests that, for 16 on- or in-ground radials, there is little benefit to cutting them longer than 0.1 wave.  Only when the number of radials goes up, they say, do you start to realize improvements from longer lengths. *
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*This seems somewhat counter-intuitive, and differs from info I have seen elsewhere.  Because I am about to cut and lay out 16 radials under an inverted L, I could sure use some feedback based on real-world experience.*
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*Tnx es 73,*
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*Mark -- WA9ETW*
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