Radials or Not? (

[@buzzsah]

I have the Model DX-CC antenna that's been up 3 years, only 20 ft off the ground. It works great, and the company is a pleasure to work with.

[@ericp726]

Thanks Dave. I have a EFHW configured in an inverted L. Ground rod at the antenna and a ground rod with a lightning arrestor for the coax before it comes into the shack. 100’ of RG8x. I added radials, about 400 feet total and could tell no difference at all in my SWR numbers or real world performance.

[@tahlularose9267]

EFHW's don't seem to benefit from more than a minimum ground radial

[@Pootycat8359]

Ah, I feel quite refreshed, now! I really think it improves health and promotes longevity. I've been doing it for some time, ever since Mr. De Forest taught me how to make triodes.

[@calvinhobbes7504]

It's awesome that antenna technology has advanced so much .... of course there are "no radials" verticals out there that match pretty well across the bands ... but you just can't radiate a good signal using the low-angle advantage of a vertical without a good counterpoise. It just physically isn't possible unless your antenna is mounted in the center of a water body .... and even then, fresh water won't beat even 4 quarter-wave verticals per band. Just sayin'.

[@TWebsterification]

The greyline antenna is designed as an off-center dipole on its end. It's fed at approximately 1/4 of the way up. There are two fiberglass couplers; one that insulate the portion of the pole that goes in the ground sleeve from the rest of the antenna and another that separates the lower and upper parts of the antenna. The skin of the pole is used as the radiating elements by running a ladder line stub coaxaly up the lower section of the pole. This, per grayline's instructions will not work without a remote tuner located near the antenna. The antenna without a tuner is unusable. With a good ground system for the remote tuner it's slightly more usable.

[@Pootycat8359]

Here's some VERY interesting information about gnd radials, maybe, even, an opportunity for the viewers of this video to conduct some cutting-edge research regarding the effects of RF on living organisms! In the 1980s, I was a "radio/TV engineer" for KUAT, in Tucson. One of our transmitters was 50KW AM on 1550 KHz. As is typical for AM broadcast xmmtrs, it had 120 1/4 wave radials, buried ~6in in the ground. And a very curious phenomenon was observed. The weeds directly above the radials grew taller and faster, than elsewhere. It was NOT due to heating. The amount of energy required to raise the temperature of that much area of land would be considerable, and the loss, noticed. Apparently, plant growth is stimulated by exposure to RF fields. Incidentally, those radials were bare copper (the normal practice). Think of the possible applications to agriculture. And how are humans/animals affected? I think I'll take a nap, now. Excuse me while I flip the switch on the linear, and crawl into my bed, which is inside the 5' diameter inductor. Nighty-night! :)

[@brianshanahan3878]

Starting at 3:48 You start explaining about 66' wires on the ground below a 40m dipole. Can you explain further please? I'm getting ready to setup my first dipole and I"m especially interested in NVIS. Thanks again for all your knowledge you share with us!!!

[@tahlularose9267]

Dipole's don't require radials but adding one below it will slightly change the far-field pattern (varies with height)

[@forgetyourlife]

You don’t need what he’s talking about for a dipole.

[@jonaubuchon1040]

The Grayline, at the antenna, has a remote tuner connecd tied to the coax, then a 1:1 Balun transformer, connected to a ladder line that goes up the antenna 25% and connects to the antenna top and bottom, the top and bottom are insulated, along with the base insulated from ground. So to me this is a dipole, maybe like an end fed dipole. Does this change you mind about radials. so you need to buy one and play with it, and report.

[@k2icc]

I am using a 49:1 with 130' of wire. 4' from the ground, into an inverted L. 8'ground rod below the transformer, and also three on the #2 ground wire for the radio room. With a Palstar AT2K, I can tune any band from 160-6 meters, yes, any band, any frequency in between with my IC-7300. No other radials used.

[@forgetyourlife]

An AT2K can tune almost anything on any band. No surprise there.

[@kellypaws]

It does. I have the same ATU with 32 radials. Yes, it works far, far, far better.

[@jeffpriddin9711]

Hi, I have the BTV6 and I have had it for about 4/5 years and it says that it doesn't need radials it works ok ???? i think what are your thoughts on this antenna please. Cheers Jeff MW6OVT

[@davidbrennan5]

I am planning on getting a 6btv soon. I talked to a lot of people that own one and 98 percent of them told me it will work better with radials. 2 of them are using a chain link fence in their back yard as a counterpose instead of radials and they said it works excellent. The one guy I talked to mounts his to a travel trailer without radials when he is camping and He said it works very good but not as good as with radials at his home. I plan on using radials when I get mine set up.

[@jeffpriddin9711]

@@davidbrennan5 I have tried both with and without and I cant find any difference

[@davidbrennan5]

@@jeffpriddin9711I have a low chain link fence in the back yard, I was going to mount it with a hinge bracket to one of the poles. I get high winds some days and I want to be able to fold it down for the bigger storms. I think I might try it with radials insulated from the fence pole and try it not insulated from the fence pole and see what works best.

[@jeffpriddin9711]

@@davidbrennan5 Hi I live in the UK North Wales we don’t have a chain link fence I have tried radials but they make no difference whatsoever but everyone says they do , I just don’t understand what I can do next. My BTV is bolted to a pole five foot into the ground so that might act as an earth and it’s why mine works.

[@martinuk777]

Jeff get rid of the 6bv and get yourself a DX Commander, it’s a much better antenna

[@terryburge6763]

Important part of 10 meter? I like 10 AM myself. Terry

[@forgetyourlife]

Yes the lower part.