[TowerTalk] Ground radials for phased arrays

[Guy Olinger]

Phased antennas with buried radials need to be done with bare wire. That
allows the ground conductivity to participate in and improve the
conduction. The soldered wire crossings "bus bar" removes intermittent
diodic connections and everything that might cause, including noise and
intermod from broadcast stations. It also allows phased current current
outcome to proceed in a planned, stable and low resistance fashion.

Don't do it and you are leaving issues up for grabs instead of controlling
them.

You can probably to some degree "get away with" not doing all that, but the
outcome could range from no measurable difference, to odd behavior and
results, and decibels lost. It all depends on the dirt. And who wants to
dig up a radial system and do it over.

Everybody hates doing radials to commercial standards. Royal PITA, for
sure, no argument.  But for 4 squares, even FCP's have special requirements
to insure equal feed Z and radiation efficiency. 4 squares just need to be
done right, whatever that is.

73, and good luck,

Guy K2AV

On Fri, Jan 13, 2017 at 2:34 PM, Steve, NR4M <steve at nr4m.com> wrote:

> Hello Charlie. I don't know why. I've done it both ways with each
> installation working quite well. And it may be something like, depending
> upon the phasing, unequal currents in the radial wires. if they're just
> laying across each other randomly, there may be a difference a potential
> causing some kind of noise, like some kind of common mode noise. When you
> find out let me know.
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Jan 12, 2017, at 11:31 PM, <n0tt1 at juno.com> <n0tt1 at juno.com> wrote:
> >
> > Gents,
> >
> > About on-the-ground radials for vertical phased arrays...some
> > "instructions"
> > have said to connect the ends of the radials to a "buss" that (more or
> > less)
> > divides the 4 elements in say, a 7mhz 4-square.
> >
> > My question is why do that....Is it just to save on radial wire
> > or is there a technical reason for connecting them to a buss?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Charlie, N0TT
> >
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