[Elecraft] [KX1,K1,KX3] QRP Portable Antenna

[John Oppenheimer]

Yes, some sort of ground will greatly help.

A wire radial which is mostly touching the ground is a ground radial.
Ground radials are not resonant. The general rule for ground radials is
more shorter radials will work better then few long radials. The minimal
sweet spot is 16 radials, each 1/10 wavelength long for the lowest
frequency wanted (14' for 40 meters)

The optimal accepted pseudo random length antenna for a multi band
monopole antenna is 22 or 44 feet.

John KN5L