To be or not to be-----------TO BURY OR NOT TO BURY--that is the
question..................................IMHO of 34 years playing with
antennas,
it has been my experience to use NON-BURIED Radials as I am a firm believer in
making WORK-WORK FOR ME......Since we aren't faced with the ardent task or
necessity to place QUARTER LENGTH RADIAL WIRES, doing exactly what many have
suggested is adequate enough towards laing out a radial field.
HOWEVER;
when laying the radials on the ground, it is important to note that just
placing them on the ground isn't good enough unless you anchor them securely. I
use metal coat hangers discarded by many housewives today who prefer the
plastic over the metal. These metal coat hangers are very good for ground
radial staples. I can get 6 or 7 six inch lengths of wire per coat hanger.
Bending them in half like a hair pin provides enough length to securely anchor
the wire to the ground every 18 to 24 inches. On the far end of the wire I
wrap two turns around the hairpin wire and pull the wire tight to help hold it
in place and then work backwards towards the ground plate or grid to place the
staples.
I have never had any problems with this method nor have I ever pulled a wire
loose during the mowing season. A good application of fertilizere after the
ground laying procedure in the fall will increase the grass growth in the
spring and afterwards you can't even see there they were or are. I even do the
same thing for the feedline coax for my RX antennas. Course the hairpin wires
need to be about 8 or 9 inch lengths and then folded in half to make a 4 inch
hairpin but they work FB just the same.
Another advantage of NON-BURIED radials is that you won't end up with an
unsitely star pattern in the lawn that creates an eye sore for the
XYL.....................
As to the question; which is better-----buried or non-buried goes to saying
which is better FORDS or CHEVYS; APPLES or ORANGES. I don't think there have
been too many studies on the topic that can really sustantiate with good cause
whether buried is better or vice versa. Whatever the operator feels he is
confortable with doing for HIS own specific condition. Again, I want the WORK
to WORK for me I'm not going to WORK for it! Therefore, I choose on the ground
insulated ground radial wires stapled every 18 to 24 inches. Most of my
radials are only 36 feet long; although my current inv-L system has 9 wires at
136' each and 24 at 36' each,
The dry cleaners will sell you metal coat hangers very cheap if you don't have
any. I think the last time I paid something like $5.00 for 50 of them. That's
10 cents each which is cheaper than buying anything else. Oh, by the way;
another cheap type of lawn staple is the welding rod ends thrown away at a
welding shop. Those make good staples as well and they don't rust as
fast..................and they're cheap. Most shops will you a 5 gallon bucket
to carry away if you want.
Have fun and remember--------don't make work out of the project----make the
work WORK for you.
de K4CKDennis
Read my story below by clicking the URL:
http://www.yananow.net/Mentors/DennisD.htm
Dennis G. Peterson
326 East Jefferson Street
Apt 2
York, SC 29745
803-389-9366
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160 meters is a serious band, it should be treated with respect. - TF4M
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