[Elecraft] Long wire balun question

[Stuart Rohre]

As others have noted two radials is a minimum.  They should be used in
balanced numbers, pairs.
You also may benefit to have one radial in each direction you wish to work,
as that increases the signals from that direction when you have only one
radial in that direction.   Pairing radials is supposed to balance return
currents and then the radials do not radiate, but that depends on the actual
balance which is a combination of the radial and its ground together as a
system.
-Stuart
K5KVH