[Elecraft] Vertical antennas Was: KX3 and KPA1500, compatibility

[Ed Cole]

Couple comments:
Vertical radials:  I put up a top-loaded (very) short vertical for 630m 
(475-KHz).  Top "hat" was two parallel 130-foot horizontal wires and 
vertical was three parallel wires 43-foot long (inverted-L).  Used a BIG 
base loading coil but needed radials that normally would be over 
600-foot long (1/4WL).  I only had room for 70-foot radials.  I was told 
to get some 3-foot wide chicken wire fencing and lay that out on top of 
the ground for radials.

I put three down and also connected to the shield of my 120-foot run of 
1-5/8 inch hardline as fourth radial.  That system worked great and I 
was heard 4,000 miles away in Buffalo, NY (EIRP of 4w) on 500-KHz long 
duration CW.

My new 630m antenna will be a "T" vertical with four top wires formed by 
80 & 40m dipoles.  Feedline will be 40-foot 300-ohm open wire which will 
be shorted for use as a vertical and use the same base loading coil. 
Radial system will be wires lain in the lawn with staples from 
DXEngineering (so lawn can be mowed).  Start out with six radials but 
can add to that over time to improve the antenna.  The vertical will 
also set up for 160m use by using a different coil tap.

I once had a 4BTV which I bolted to the front bumper of my truck and it 
worked quite well without radials or counterpoise (heard Antarctica from 
Alaska on 20m SSB from a campground setup).  No longer have it (use 
Hygain TH3mk4 at 50-foot, instead).

73, Ed - KL7UW

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Now, it has one "radial".  Actually an Ufer ground, consisting of a
concrete slab, 70 feet long by 10 feet wide, with 80 feet
of 8AWG copper wire buried in it.  The slab is actually a solar
collection field for our swimming pool.   I left a space in the middle
for the antenna.  I was going to do radials, but had a sudden thought -
I'd be a fool if I didn't bury some wire in that concrete.  So I ran to
the local hardware store, grabbed a roll of 8AWG off their rack, and
strung it around the site, hooking it up to the rebars.  Then they came
and poured the concrete.
- Jerry, KF6VB