Simple Ham Radio Antennas

If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0mWdNlHw5E .  This is post 2204 in a continuing series of simple ham radio antennas. For me, the worst part of using a HF Vertical Antenna is cutting and installing a radial ground system.  Without a good counterpoise or ground radial system, you won't be able to get maximum performance from you new vertical antenna.  In this video, Kris ("dixielandfarm") takes us step by step in the installation of a vertical antenna ground system.  Here are some of his observations: "In this video I show how I lay down ground radials to help improve the signal/efficiency of my 40m 1/4 Vertical Antenna. Remember, more radials that are shorter are better than fewer that are longer. The general rule is put down 4 wavelengths of wire in the ground and try to get about 16-20 radials installed. If you can't make it perfect, don't worry. If you...

If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0mWdNlHw5E . One of the toughest parts of a vertical antenna installation is the preparation, building, and installing of a ground radial or counterpoise system.  The ground radial system supplies the "missing half" of a vertical antenna and is needed to improve signal strength and boost efficiency. In this video, we see one way of putting that "missing half" in the ground without too much effort. As suggested by "dixielandfarm", more short radials are preferred to fewer, longer radials.  Although there is no ideal number of radials for a vertical antenna (some AM broadcast stations use up to 120 quarter wave radials). try building a radial field using 16 to 20 buried radial wires.  Another possibility is using four to six elevated radials for your vertical antenna.  I've used this solution for frequencies between 20 and ...