Topband: Elevated Radials EPILOGUE

[The Bucks]

I'd like to read whatever information (real results) you guys have on this.   My email is my call sign with  @hawaii.rr.com

Thank you Milt for your info.   Nice setup!    If I understood it correctly - the buried and elevated were comparable.  

I've read most of the well known books on this and it's not conclusive.. after all these years - I would expect it be more certain.

I don't think the data is getting out there perhaps or I haven't seen it.    A study done working with low band grounding etc...

Things like

1) If you have the space and work hours and money isn't an issue - go with 120 1/4 wave buried radials.

2) Good soil doesn't require as many radials..   someone was commenting on the AM towers be reconditioned - using elevated radials.   

3) Elevated radials work better with poor ground conditions.   Higher with lower bands.. 15-25ft on 160m..

4) You don't need as many elevated radials as ground radial..  (debate about 4 to 12 or so?)   I'd say 12 but would like to see a study.   Some say 2 or 4? 

Once you have the control antenna it's easy to start comparing real world results.    How's 12 radials sound?    Cut 4 off..   how's 8 sounds.     The K.I.S.S.  approach.

I don't think it would be very hard to disconnect some radials and say - "how's the signal now?"...  two guys with a walkie talkie making doing some tests cutting some wires etc... 

During the 160M SSB there was a guy in CA who was 59 the whole time into Hawaii.   I called him back on the last day and asked what he was using..  I forgot what he said, but he switched his antennas and he went from a solid S9 to S5.   He said that sounds about right.    That was a huge difference.   

I was using a 160m dipole up about 30ft at the center and 10 feet on the ends.  I'm sure that wouldn't model very well but I was 56 to him.   I do need to model in my sloping terrain to ocean etc..

That poorly modeled dipole that would be shooting up 90 degrees or something can go 5000+ miles.


That's what I'm talking about.    Why bother with a ton of wires and work unless you can see a real world difference.     I'm putting in an inverted L with the FCP ground to see how that compares to my low dipole (radials are hard for me)

My results will be based on - "Jack (W2XX), let me switch my antenna and tell me how you copy me."    If it's not a noticeable difference I might want use that extra coax connection for something else later.

$.02



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