[HCARC] Vertical Antenna Ground Plane Connector

[Kerry Sandstrom]

Gary,

As I've said before, almost anything is right.  Especially if it is simple, 
easy, and cheap.  For HF it is hard to go wrong.

Yes, I would love to have a Hy-Tower vertical.  The only reason I don't is 
the price which I believe is now over a thousand dollars.  It is an 
extremely simple full size vertical for 80 thru 10 and quite rugged.  I 
don't ever expect to have one however and I'm happy with my old second hand 
Butternut HF2-V.  I belive the Hy-Tower is still the best vertical out there 
by far.  I only have 2 things against the 5BTV, first it uses traps and 
second it is fairly short.  Verticals that seem to perform better are closer 
to a full quarter wave in height and don't use traps.  Many people use 
5BTV's and they are fine antennas and do a good job, I just prefer a 
different style..

There are a lot of different opinions on radials for multiband verticals. 
My opinion is the more the better and the longer the better.  I use 16 
radials each 55 feet long.  From the technical side, a wire on the ground or 
buried is not really going to have a sharp resonance.  Ground is lossy and 
its proximity to the wires will destroy any resonance.  I believe the 
purpose of a radial system is to provide a higher conductivity region near 
the base of a vertical and to provide capacitive coupling between the 
antenna and real ground.  More and longer radials will improve both.  You 
reach a point of diminishing returns however.  I could use more and longer 
radials but I don't think it would make more than a dB or 2 difference so 
I'm reasonably satisfied.  Note that a ground rod is not a suitable 
substitue for a radial system but sea water or salt marsh would be, fresh 
water is not.

Kerry