Topband: Antennas and saltwater

[W7TMT - Patrick]

I run an 80' high vertical on 160M from my sailboat in the saltwater of Puget Sound/Salish Sea near Seattle. After experimenting with a number of different saltwater connections I've simplified it to a single piece of 1/2" dia. copper pipe 10' long and tapped in the middle. I hang it horizontally over the side just below the water surface. Works great.

I recently ran across a post by SE0X running  an 160/80M vertical on a floating dock who uses two lengths of suspended pipe. His RBN testing suggested that adding a second one made a difference. Details here: http://blog.se0x.info/?p=3442#more-3442

73
Patrick, W7TMT

-----Original Message-----
From: Topband <topband-bounces+w7tmt=outlook.com at contesting.com> On Behalf Of GEORGE WALLNER
Sent: Monday, December 19, 2022 14:19
To: Radio KH6O <radio.kh6o at gmail.com>; topband at contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Antennas and saltwater

If the antenna stands in the salt-water or if you have a short, low impedance connection to the water, you don't need radials.
During the VK9WWI DXpedition to Willis Islets, we installed a vertical on a sand spit that was covered by water most of the time. We had 12 radials of various lengths a couple of feet above the water. The antenna was fed via an antenna coupler (tuner) mounted on its base. Every night during high tide the waves knocked down and washed the radials into a tangled mess. For the first three days we restored the radials every morning. But we never noticed any difference between when the radials were up or when they were in a heap at the base of the antenna. After three days we got rid of the radials. The antenna had a heavy metal base which was always in contact with the water. 
Ever since then, on various DXpeditions (TX3A, VK9GMW, PT0S, etc.), we always put the antennas into the water (or the very edge of it where we drive into the sand a grounding stake) and never bothered with radials.

Years ago I had a vertical at C6AGU standing in the water. During one night a storm knocked it down. I reinstalled it up the beach about 75 feet from the high tide line. I added 16 radials about 3 feet above the sand, I was told that my 160 m signal was down 10 dB. I put the antenna back in the water and had a good signal again. Whether the difference was really 10 dB, I don't know. But it was substantial. (That was before RBN.) 73, George, AA7JV/C6AGU

On Mon, 19 Dec 2022 09:23:54 -0800 Radio KH6O  wrote:
>> Ideal is if you can run some RG58 out to the beach and plunk it next 
>> to thewater.  Also use 4 radials there.Enjoy.Ed  N1UR

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