[Lowfer] Overall Antenna Efficiency

[LEE BAHR]

Andy's experiment watching total antenna current flow as he added a few 
radials got me thinking and wondering about something.  Maybe some on here 
have the answer.

I realize if you add some ground radials to an antenna having few if any 
radials, you radiate more signal in the direction of the few radials.  (plus 
or minus a few degrees).  Your efficiency increases.  However, do you also 
increase signal in directions of the compass you have not placed radials? 
In other words, when you add a few radials to one with few to begin with and 
antenna current rises as you do this, do you get any increase of signal in 
directions other the the directions of the new radials?  I'm not sure if the 
extra power is distributed in all directions or mostly or only in the 
direction of these new radials.  (When Andy raised his current 5 ma, did the 
extra signal produced from the extra 5 ma go mostly or all in the direction 
of his new radial or some of it in the other directions too)?

The reason I ask is,  I am fighting trying to get my antenna up.  Putting 
radials to the South  and West won't be a problem.  Going to the East, they 
can't be very long, and to the North almost impossible to have any.  I live 
near Houston, Texas.  If my signal will travel mostly South into the Gulf of 
Mexico or Mexico, who is going to copy my signal?  If I add a bunch of 
radials to my antenna to the South,  am I just pumping all the extra signal 
produced to the South, which won't help a bit?  I think most listeners would 
be North and East of me.

Lee, w0vt