I agree with Joel about fresh water as part of a ground system.  Back in the early days, I had vertical antennas and snow cover didn't help at all. 

I've made contacts while walking, riding a bike, and flying in a helicopter and airplane, as well as a sailboat. I intended to make some CW contacts from my kayak and researched how to use a radial field on fresh water with a vertical antenna.  I found out that dropping a wire into the water would negate any effect, like Joel said.  The area I fished in had a lot of lily pads, so I thought about draping a radial or two on top of the pads.  I settled on running a single radial around the edges of the boat.  That would have done the job with a single radial and ZM-2 tuner with a QRP rig.  I may or may not get back in the kayak, but at least I found out a few things while thinking about it.
 
73,
Dennis/RZ

On Fri, Jan 10, 2025 at 3:25 PM <w5znjoel@gmail.com> wrote:

I remember, once upon a time, I was having a chat at some radio event with Roy Lewallen, W7EL, the developer of EZNEC. A guy walked up and said “I have a question about ground systems and radials, and I realize that ground systems and radials is a lot like talking religion….” Roy interrupted him right there and said “That’s an easy answer and I don’t even know you’re question, I don’t discuss religion!!!!”

 

OK with that out of the way, the short answer is no. It won’t help the ground system on any antenna. We’re talking about fresh water (in any form), so the only real impact it will have is if you have a ground radial system that is under fresh water by a couple of inches you effectively don’t have any radials. Of course, salt water is an entirely different animal.

 

With that said, this is a religious question so opinions vary greatly and someone here may offer a different perspective (opinion). As a close personal friend of mine, Larry Price, W4RA (sk), told me on more than one occasion “You’re entitled to your opinion, even if it is WRONG!”

 

73 Joel W5ZN

 

From: adxa-bounces@mailman.qth.net <adxa-bounces@mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Michael Nettles
Sent: Friday, January 10, 2025 9:10 AM
To: ADXA <adxa@mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [ADXA] Inverted L and the Snow

 

Since we are in the middle of the current Snowmagedon I have a question for you guys. W5ZJ and I talked about it this morning too.

 

Does all this snow help the ground system on an Inverted L?

 

73

Mike kb5wbh 

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