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Re: [TowerTalk] Unequal Radial Currents

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Unequal Radial Currents
From: Jim Brown <jim@audiosystemsgroup.com>
Reply-to: jim@audiosystemsgroup.com
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2020 04:42:34 -0700
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
On 8/29/2020 9:24 PM, Robert Harmon wrote:
I wonder if he has done any testing of shortened radials ?  Need to find 
out...........   Inquiring minds want know, hihi.

Last time I studied Rudy's work on radials was his 2-part QEX piece, reprinted on his website. The "slightly less than a quarter-wave" applied specifically to elevated radials, for which he also said more than four (8-12) also helped equalize currents. It's the inequality that increases loss.

For on-ground radials, length is far less critical, more is better, and the shortening effect of ground yields a VF on the order of 0.7, making a quarter-wave about 90-100 ft. I got this result by modeling a dipole and moving it closer to ground. I did NOT have the licensed version of NEC, so take that result with a grain of salt. :)

My two verticals with elevated radials have only four each -- with falling branches during winter storms, it's hard to keep that many, plus two Beverages and two VE3DO loops in the air. :) When trying to work EU, I can really tell if one of the radials is on the ground.

Don't know what I'm going to find when returning from evac after the fire. House is still good, we'll see about the antenna farm.

73, Jim K9YC

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