[TowerTalk] Ground Screens, Radials, and Landscaping

[Jeff Stai WK6I]

hi - Let me see if I have this right, qualitatively of course...

- A ground screen prevents losses in the ground for any antenna
near the ground, vertical or horizontal.

- A ground screen need not be directly coupled to the antenna to be effective
(e.g., a dipole over a screen).

- A radial system provides the "current return" for a vertical antenna.

- A radial system near ground with many radials can also act as a ground screen.

- A radial system near ground with few radials will provide the current
return for a vertical antenna but will not prevent ground losses.

- An elevated radial system of few radials over a good ground screen is at
least as effective as a buried radial system of many radials.

Now: given that a good ground screen is generally a useful thing... I am
landscaping a large area of my backyard. It is a tempting idea to lay down
a good screen before we put down the lawn and stuff, so that when I start
messing around with antennas out there it is "ready to go".

Does anyone have thoughts or experience on laying down a large screen like
this such that it lasts a few years under a lawn, and can be built in a
reasonable amount of time...?

thanks!! - js
-- 
jeff stai
WK6I DM13
NAR #21059 TRA #3356 L2
jstai@home.com / wk6i@arrl.net
ROC web page: http://www.rocstock.org/

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