Hi Steve,
It sounds like you have done *much* better on 160 than I --and a lot of
other Topbanders-- have, *and from such a small lot*! It sounds like you
have exceptionally good ground conductivity.
In any case, I believe that you would have done even better (is that
possible? ;-) if you had laid down as many short radials on your small lot
as is possible and connected those to your ground rods.
I recall W8JI once telling me that there was another Topbander not far from
his first QTH in NW Ohio. The other ham had an inverted-L thrown over a
tree on his very small city lot, and he laid down many radials --short as
they were-- anyplace that he could fit them in. I think he even had some of
them running under or through his house.
Now, Tom had a 120' tower with 120 λ/4 radials connected to it, and they
used to compare signals ("RF drag race", I guess) on 160m. As unbelievable
as it may seem to some, the other ham was doing almost as well as Tom.
I'm just sharing what I believe to be true for the benefit of present and
future readers of this thread. What is your opinion?
73, Mike
www.w0btu.com
On Sat, Sep 15, 2018 at 3:21 PM Steve Lawrence via Topband <
topband@contesting.com> wrote:
> 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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