[Elecraft] Field use of Counerpiose

[Fred Jensen]

A counterpoise on the ground or buried a short distance [~5-10 cm] is a 
low resistance path in parallel with the much higher ground resistance 
for the return current for unbalanced antennas [verticals, end-fed 
wires, etc.]  They're often called radials or ground-screens, and in 
general, more is better, but one is a whole lot better than none.  The 
return current decreases rapidly away from the antenna so more shorter 
radials is usually better than a few longer ones.  Such a counterpoise 
wire is effectively grounded regardless of what you do at the end.  If 
it feels better to tie it to a stake in the ground, by all means do so.

An elevated counterpoise is just another element in your antenna. Length 
matters.  For a single wire fed at the end, if the counterpoise is the 
same length as the wire and elevated, it's a center-fed dipole again 
[whether or not it is resonant].  In the field, mine lays on the ground 
and is about 1.5 ft longer than the wire [~25 ft].

If you're next to salt water, toss it in.  MF survival radios [500 Kcs] 
from WW2 had a balloon or kite to raise the wire, and a weighted braid 
to toss over the side of your raft.

73,

Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County

On 6/11/17 1:44 PM, Gerry Miller wrote:
> Does one ground to earth, the far end of an HF counterpoise or just let it float above ground at a field location?  I had always believed it should not be grounded.
> Gerry Miller, AA2ZJ
> aa2zj at juno.com
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