[QCWA] Radial systems

[THOMAS & BEVERLY WEBB]

I worked as transmitter engineer for WJPS radio in Evansville, IN from 1958 - 1964.  This was a three-tower directional array with 120 radials under each 200 foot tower.  It was installed in 1948.

Every spring when the corn grew up in the field around the antennas, we would have to continually adjust the matching network to maintain the pattern.  Occasionally the farmer would cut a radial with his disc plow and let us know so we could splice it.

Something went wrong around 1963.  A drastic change in the pattern occurred when it rained.  Long story short, there was a square copper mesh under each tower.  The radials were soldered to the perimeter of this mesh with soft solder.  Corrosion made these connections open circuits except when it rained.

We had to dig up the ends of all 360 radials, silver solder extensions to them, and bring them up to the ground connection from the main feed.  This took us all of one summer.

Tom  W4YOK