[Elecraft] OT- Radials for Vertical Antenna

[Dyarnes]

Hi Randy and All,

A lot of answers to your questions, but I think what you really need to do 
is read the extensive coverage of this topic by Rudy Severns, N6LF.  Go to 
this website:

http://www.antennasbyn6lf.com/

There are at least two groups of QEX articles you probably would be most 
interested in reading.  One is his general series on ground system 
experimentation, and his later articles on elevated radials.  All these were 
published in QEX, and Rudy did a great deal of study and experimentation in 
preparation for writing them.  Few people understand this subject better, or 
at least the practicalities of such systems.

Early on Rudy commented that as few as 4 elevated radials could probably 
outperform an extensively laid ground radial system.  However, it turns out 
that this also required very rigid tuning procedures, and that probably 8 or 
more were really what would be necessary.  The bugaboo, apparently, is 
getting the current distribution right in the radials themselves--otherwise 
they can become counter productive, or I think that was his conclusion.

In any event, this is really good stuff, and well worth studying.  It may 
not answer all your questions, but you will undoubtedly learn a lot about 
radial systems in the process, and you can experiment on your own as you see 
fit.

Dave W7AQK