Topband: Elevated Radials

[Eddy Swynar]

Hi Guys,

Forgive me, please, if I'm re-hashing a bit of the "...same-old, same-old" here, but I am really curious as to any "real world" experiences that might be out there in the matter of elevated radials, vs. those that are simply laid atop the ground...

My arthritic knees here are making the chore of rolling, & unrolling, my seasonal 24-radials-per-"L"-element radials (I have THREE of them here!) just that, i.e. a VERY painful chore...and barring the possibility of there being a new "bionic" knee replacement(s) in my future, pray tell me:

(A) Is it true that a couple of elevated radials are just as effective as the "optimum" amount of buried ones...?

(B) What is the "ideal" number of elevated radials that one should use...?

(C) How many elevated radials are "just enough"...?

(D) How high should these radials be...?

(E) Would it be a requirement that I raise the feedpoints of my "L's" to the same height as the elevated radials, or can I simply leave the bases where they are now (at ground level) & simply slant the radials upward with no effect upon performance...?

(F) Is it OK to bend the elevated radials to fit property allotments...?

(G) What is the desirable length of an elevated radial...?

(H) Should any existing connections to real earth at the base of the "L's" (i.e. a ground pipe) be completed severed with a system of elevated radials...?

This morning I happened to work a NJ station with elevated radials that almost pegged the S-meter on my 751A---the short distance between us notwithstanding, obviously something was working very well for him there!

Thanks in advance & my vy

~73!~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ