Topband: Use shunt fed tower

[wb6rse1 at mac.com]

My shunt fed tower has no radials. Two 8 ft copper ground rods were driven into the soil when the tower base was installed. Heavy gauge wire was used to attach the rods to the tower base bolts. There is simply no place for any radials on my postage stamp size West Coast city lot.

I believe my house plot was part of a golf course which flooded when it rained. Flood control channels were built just before the housing tract was developed.

I use the shunt feed on 160 and 80m where I have over 200 DXCC confirmed on Top Band and into the high 200s on 80.

Obviously I've been fortunate relative to ground conditions. The laws of physics are still at work. Could the performance improve with radials? It's just not possible at this QTH.

My point: Even if you can't install radials you could do worse that not even try a shunt feed to see how it works. It's not a particularly difficult nor expensive proposition.

Your mileage will vary.

GL - Steve WB6RSE