[160m] Radials

[Tom Rauch]

> What would be the effect of adding a ring to the outside
> ends of the radial wires to bond them all together?  This is
> done at some AM Broadcast stations.
> 
> Would it be beneficial to justify the labor and co$t?

I've never seen radials bonded with a perimeter ring at BC stations. 
They do use a wide copper flashing buss when radials are truncated, 
such as when the radials are stopped short of full length by a 
building or another radial system.

There is no reason to tie the ends together if the radials are 
reasonably long. If they are short, then tying the ends together with 
a perimeter buss might help a bit. The smaller the system, the larger 
the help. 

Where my radials come up to the house, I tie them into a large buss 
that circles the house....but that is for better lightning protection 
and reducing RFI problems. (One of my four square elements is only 70 
feet from the corner of my house, and when work NW directions it 
beams almost straight into the full length of my house!)  

Every conductor (even power line and telco grounds and my TV antenna 
tower) entering the house or leaving the house is tied to that 
buss.73, Tom W8JI
W8JI@contesting.com