[Antennas] Re: Elevated Ground Plane Question

[Hue Miller]

> W2WU wrote:
> >
> > A small "top hat" on a vertical is an old broadcast antenna trick.
> > I agree that putting radial on top of the antenna would severely limit
> > current flow and proper radiation.
> >
> > In fact a large hat would cancel proper radiation. See: Dr. Brown & his
> > paper on vertical antennas. Also see "Antenna Engineering Handbook" by
> > Jasik, John Battonson B.E. & other applicable engineering texts.

But.....haven't i seen antennas with really major top hats or capacity
loading at top?
Isn't there a commercially produced single band vertical, the "Gladiator" or
some
name like that, for 80 OR 40 ONLY, that uses top loading lines down from the
top of the antenna almost to the ground, looking quite like guy wires (
which they
even maybe serve as) ?
With my limited understanding, i could only explain this by #1 there is
practically no
radiation from the loading (top hat) wires, as the top hat pairs have
current running
in opposite directions, and #2 the guy-wire like top hat wires do not
effectively
screen the radiating vertical.
Aren't VLF antennas practically all top hat and practically (in terms of
degrees
wavelength) no vertical?
Comment?
Tnx, Hue Miller