Tuning verticals

[thomas@cybrzn.com]

Gentleman:
I am in final stages of putting together 1/4 wave vertical for 80M, with
about 70 on-ground radials. The radiator will consist of aluminum
tubing, tapering from 2-3/8" to 1-1/4" o.d.
Can I lay the vertical on a pair of sawhorses and employ a dip
oscillator to find the resonant length? Or, how about standing it up and
tieing it off about 2 feet away from my tower so I can climb up and trim
off the top end (would not be using any radials for this procedure), or
would the proximity of the tower cause a shift in the resonant
frequency. Will adding the radials later cause it to resonate on a
different frequency? Would prefer to do the trimming at the top end, as
I will have the feedpoint hardware, etc already in place at the base.
What say, antenna gurus?
Thanks in advance for your input.

Tom K0SN
Porterfield, Wi.



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