Re: Topband: Use shunt fed tower

[Steve Lawrence via Topband <topband@contesting.com>]

My shunt fed tower has no radials. Two 8 ft copper ground rods were driven into 
the soil when the tower base was installed. Heavy gauge wire was used to attach 
the rods to the tower base bolts. There is simply no place for any radials on 
my postage stamp size West Coast city lot.

I believe my house plot was part of a golf course which flooded when it rained. 
Flood control channels were built just before the housing tract was developed.

I use the shunt feed on 160 and 80m where I have over 200 DXCC confirmed on Top 
Band and into the high 200s on 80.

Obviously I've been fortunate relative to ground conditions. The laws of 
physics are still at work. Could the performance improve with radials? It's 
just not possible at this QTH.

My point: Even if you can't install radials you could do worse that not even 
try a shunt feed to see how it works. It's not a particularly difficult nor 
expensive proposition.

Your mileage will vary.

GL - Steve WB6RSE
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