[TowerTalk] Vertical and ground-radial question?

[n0tt1@juno.com]

Hi Ed,

Yes, the chicken wire should be bonded to the radials at the
base of the antenna.  Yes, it will help reduces losses, in fact
many "professional" amateurs lay out copper screen, etc 
at the base of a antenna just for that purpose.

One caveat...ordinary chicken wire will probably rust away
very quickly in the ground....that's why copper screening
may be best (but expensive and maybe hard to find).

As for gopher and mole protection...not likely to be foolproof.
I have heard that a homebrew castor bean "soup",
watered in, will detour the little beasts....check with a reputable
lawn expert.  Apparently, moles, etc don't like the taste/smell of
castor beans and they will go elsewhere.

73,
Charlie, N0TT

n Sat, 16 Feb 2002 20:06:25 +0000 "Eddy Avila" <k6sdw@hotmail.com>
writes:
> 
> This for the antenna prognosticators......
> 
> I have up in my backyard a ground-mounted Butternut hf2v 80/40 
> vertical with 
> 24 buried radials of various lengths, none of which are of the 
> "optimum" 
> lenght, unfortunately. But it works fairly well beating my dipole 
> most of 
> the time. (Yes, I know, the dipole at 20' off the ground....well, 
> sucks!!)
> 
> Anyways, my questions is: the wife wants me to cover the entire area 
> above 
> the ground radials with chicken wire so the gophers and moles will 
> bump into 
> the chicken wire instead of digging up to the surface, so should I 
> bond all 
> the chicken wire together and bond it to the ground-radial system??? 
> Will 
> this help my signal any? Or may be making things worse?
> 
> Oh, no choice installing the chicken wire...this is a compromise to 
> her 
> first wish: pulling the vertical out of the backyard....U G H!
> 
> Thanks mucho!
> 
> 73.......ed
> 
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