[TowerTalk] Laying out radials around a stone fence

[jimlux]

On 5/14/18 5:44 AM, Kelly Taylor wrote:
> Hi Don,
> 
> Interesting observation, no doubt accurate given the qualifications of VE6LO, but I wonder to what extent this reconciles with assertions by K9YC, and, I think, N6LF, about radials serving to shield the radiated signal from the lossy earth as much as they serve as a return path for RF current.
> 

An interesting observation for the current - I wonder what the physics 
behind the observationis.

If you're way out on the radial, the current's going to be small.  I 
could imagine the current on the "horizontal" parts that are radial of 
the wire being very different from the "vertical" parts or horizontal 
parts that are sideways to the antenna.   the interesting question would 
be would the current be after a zig zag.



> I seem to recall some work by K9YC and others on the positive effects of radials that weren’t even connected to antennas that, unlike a quarter-wave monopole, were already complete (such as dipoles both vertical and horizontal), and thus the radials didn’t serve as a return path, but instead helped reflect radiation that would normally be swallowed up by the earth.

Exactly- they effectively reduce the soil resistivity, more than being 
part of the antenna.


> 
> If both observations are correct, perhaps the answer is to lay radials outside the stone wall but not worry about connecting them to radials inside the wall?
> 
> 73, kelly, ve4xt
>