[Antennas] Vertical

[Hendrid at aol.com]

Hi Sean,
 
Not sure how this adding a reply works, but Cebik has done a lot of  analysis 
and antenna testing and is a well accepted authority on hf dipoles and  
verticals.  His conclusion is that gain wise, a well made dipole in the  clear and 
up about 1/2 wavelength is about as good as you can do for a wire  antenna or 
a vertical.  This includes versus low take off angle which  the vertical 
favors.  
 
For those of us that do not have a clear area and the capability to get a  
dipole up 1/2 wavelength, and for dx or long range communication (farther than  
1000 miles or so), the vertical or some similar antenna such as a half  square 
would probably be favored.  I have built and used a number of low  dipoles 
and some verticals (not very successful on verticals) over the years and  
studied what others have said and done.  An elevated vertical (base  elevated) seems 
to get out significantly better than a ground mounted one if 4  or more also 
elevated radials are used.  
 
For ground mounted verticals, 50 or more radials seems optimum with 130 or  
more near perfection but 4 or so does work.  Also, what many vertical  
theorists and builders and users seem to neglect is the "ground plane"  
characteristics of the soil at 2 to 4 wavelengths from the base of the ground  mounted 
vertical in addition to the radials at the base of the vertical.   That is the 
reason that verticals are not normally recommended in the desert or  where the 
soil is dry.  Verticals next to an ocean shore or a body of water  or moist soil 
normally work great.
 
Hope this helps,  Don NT7N  Grants Pass,  Oregon