Topband
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Topband: Adding chicken wire or mesh on top of radial field

To: Raymond Benny <rayn6vr@gmail.com>, Peter Bertini <radioconnection@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Adding chicken wire or mesh on top of radial field
From: Grant Saviers <grants2@pacbell.net>
Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2018 12:24:18 -0700
List-post: <mailto:topband@contesting.com>
For simulating a solid conducting plate in NEC with wires, Roy Lewallen (EZNEC author) advises 0.1 wavelength on a side squares of wires. That would be 16m for topband. Since adding the mesh is a search for tenths more db's, be conservative and use half his recommendation, 8m or 25'.

If a reasonable radial field of 36 wires x 125' were installed, then pi*D/36 = 21' tip separation (or do the trig for 10 deg angles). However, buried radials don't need to be 125' long due to the effects of ground, thus the tips will be closer together.

So IMO, based on that guidance, matting at topband wavelengths is not worth it, especially considering how close together wires are near the base of a vertical.

If a research answer is required, with NEC4.2 (EZNEC Pro/4) you can bury a mesh in the ground, connect it to the radials, and analyze it. NEC2 will give close answers with radials and the mesh an fraction of an inch above ground at a fraction of NEC4 cost. It would be a real PITA to build the wire model for radials and a square mesh since wires have to connect at segment junctions.

Grant KZ1W

On 6/4/2018 0:04 AM, Raymond Benny wrote:
Peter:

Is this a question or what you are saying is a know fact?

I am very interested in this outcome since I will a installing a TX 4SQ
system where some existing ground radials. Over time, I have heard both
pros and cons on this subject. I would like to read some research or
documentation on this subject.

Tnx,

Ray,
N6VR
Near Prescott, AZ

On Sun, Jun 3, 2018 at 1:14 PM, Peter Bertini <radioconnection@gmail.com>
wrote:

Why would bonding the added matting be required if it is laid over or
beneath an existing radial field?  It reduces ground losses regardless.

Peter
_________________
Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband




_________________
Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>