Topband: K9AY loop -- adding additional radials?

[K9AY]

Pete and all:

A couple years after the original article, I began recommending adding 4 or 8 radials if the ground rod alone did not provide a good pattern. The radials need to extend a bit beyond the loop wires' footprint. 21 ft should be OK.

My own loops have always worked with just a ground rod, first in Georgia red clay, then here in the midwest black dirt. Also, with just one null, in one direction, it may take a while to be sure how your loop is working. 

Gary K9AY
www.aytechnologies.com



Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2018 17:33:38 -0500
From: Peter Bertini <radioconnection at gmail.com>
To: topband at contesting.com
Subject: Topband: K9AY loop -- adding additional radials?
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<CA+uDY2RaM3JUJ5qPovLhzzNaTPARqhn__=EAUsZ=JQHj_ZAWTA at mail.gmail.com>
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Hello to the group.  I installed a K9AY system last week and added four 21
foot radials on ground radials with a ground rod at the center.  The
antenna didn't seem to have much directivity, so today I added another four
4-ft inexpensive TV type ground rods at the ends of each of the radials.
We've had some heavy rain, but tonight I am noticing excellent nulls on
European stations when changing directions.  The antenna is located in a
wooded area, and I had assumed the ground was fairly conductive, but
apparently not... would adding another set of four radials in between the
existing four improve the system?  I am not sure how much the change
relates to the heavy rains or adding the grounds.

Pete




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