[TowerTalk] Ground Radials Insulated or Not

[Jerry Keller]

Chuck...I don't think it really matters whether you use insulated or bare wire for your radials. 
Also, I think very light wire is OK even with high power.

I happened to spot a spool of #24 bare copper wire at my local metals salvage yard and picked it up 
for the pound price of copper... think I paid $25 for it. It must contain literally miles of wire. I 
built a frame for the spool to sit in and I can just grab the wire and walk out whatever length, 
wrap the end a few times around a 10 penny nail, and stick the nail in the ground... I push it 
beneath the surface with a small metal rod. I then go back to the antenna base end of the wire and 
do the same thing there with another 10 penny nail. It's plenty strong... haven't had a break yet. 
The wire sits on top of the lawn, drawn tight, and I've "stapled" each radial down every few feet 
with pieces of galvanized wire bent into a hairpin shape. Over the winter, I expect the wire will 
gravitate down into the lawn thatch and virtually disappear. Hope this gives you some practical and 
economical ideas.

73,  Jerry K3BZ

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chuck" <wcmoore at verizon.net>
To: "Towertalk" <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, December 06, 2004 7:31 AM
Subject: [TowerTalk] Ground Radials Insulated or Not


>I think the article by K3LC answers my question about the best number of radials for the 
>installation in my particular application. The nest question I have is what benefit if any is there 
>to using bare wire as opposed to insulated wire in the radial system.
>
> When I go to the local houses to buy wire it is cheaper to buy 12 or 14 guage spooled insulated 
> wire rather then bare wire. When I look at ordering it online buying locally is more attractive 
> from a cost point since shipping has thus far made online orders significantly more expensive then 
> local purchases.
>
> Does direct earth contact buy anything as opposed to insulated radials with respect to use as the 
> rf ground?
>
> Chuck WD4HXG
>
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