[TowerTalk] TowerTalk Digest, Vol 168, Issue 64 raised radials

[Marv Shelton]

Elevated radials.
I know all the science is good (I am an engineer after all) but what I found easiest to do when I constructed my 160m inverted-L was to attach a 500' spool of wire to the base and reel out the wire along previously installed insulated posts, until my analyzer indicated resonance at the desired frequency.  I then cut off the wire from the spool and terminated it. I plotted the swr curve to verify things.
I repeated the process for as many elevated radials as I had room for. The result of adding radials was to widen the useable bandwidth of the antenna. 

I think this 'practical' method is advantageous because it instantly accounts for all the difficult to determine factors and variable that effect a calculated system design (ground resistance/loss, height of radials above ground, twists and bends in radial runs, type of wire, inductive affects of nearby objects, etc) 
Rather than trying to measure, estimate or calculate things, I just start running thru the woods with my spool of wire. Much easier and faster, especially in the middle of the winter contest season!   smile

Marv - wa2bfw


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And YES it's cool!