Ground Radials for Vertical HF Antennas 

Being new to HF and knowing nothing, I read and watch all the stuff I can to soak up info. It has occurred to me that there is a LOT of overthinking in almost every aspect of ham radio. It's sometimes hard to sift through this stuff. Thanks for helping in that endeavor.

Excellent no bull video Walt , i think folk forget experimenting is the best part of the hobby and overthink things way too much.

I keep a DX Commander 10-meter pole in my front yard with a 29' wire attached to it next to my Tool Shed, where I play radio with it and a few other wire antennas I've made per your videos, and I've found that antenna does wonderfully with just 4 radials under it. 73 Walt, KG4VLN

Hi Walt. Just wanted you to know I just contacted Madrid Spain on 20m using my FT 891 / 25 Watts and a “Salty Walt” speaker wire vertical with four radials, mounted in my back yard. I’m in central New Jersey, about 5 miles from the Delaware river. Pretty freaking amazing. Thanks for all the great videos.

Elmer friend of mine had a permanent vertical in his backyard…he spread 4 radials out (one into each compass point)…tied a loop into the end of each one, and then connected all 4 of the radials together into a “halo” shape. Worked very well for many years.

Been on both sides of radio, broadcast and ham for many years Walt, well thought out overview of how it really works...Thanks

I agree that radial length really doesn't matter for ground mounted verticals on most bands. When you start moving to the low bands 80-160m the radial length will determine whether or not you have to use a tuner in my experience. I use an elevated vertical antenna for POTA. The feed point is over 1 meter above ground and i will say in my experience that 4 quarter wave elevated radials 90 degrees in separation work really well. I would like to see your take on this antenna. Have great day. 73's

Great video. For my DX commander portable I use 4 radials per connector, 5 connectors, 3.5m long. That's 20x 3.5m radials. From the UK to the USA it's so easy to DX and Australia as well at the right time of day.

I use two 3x8ft sheets of aluminum window screen attached to my antenna ground with alligator clip leads. It is real easy to set up with the two sheets on either side of the antenna. Performance for me, has been better than 16 3m radials

Great video. A Faraday cloth also works well and is much easier setup than laying radials

Love your videos, love the passion, love the commitment, love the experimenting. This one? This one was awesome!! They all are, but I took a lot from this. Thank you for YOUR explanation.

I so appreciate your down-to-earth videos. I’m in the media office at Hamvention. Look forward to meet you in person next month! Jim N8KET

Thanks Walt for all your help! I finally cut 5 10 foot radials for my 17 Five with an LDG 4:1 unun and a 6 ferrite sleeves in line about 18" from the end of the connector that goes to the unun. THANKS AGAIN!!! VA3COJ 73

I would love your thoughts on tuned elevated radials vs ground mounted. Maybe the POTA performer by KJ6ER vs a ground mounted vertical. Thanks Walt, keep up the good work.

Great words Walt. I took get hung up with things like that. SWR is the killer for me but you just have to ignore the small print and just get in the air. Nobody has the 100% perfect situation or setup. Just HAM. 73

A cracking vid, great cross reference to others who have worked on the same subject matter. I have lots of wire on the ground. It all helps.

Hi Walt. Thanks for the video. Very helpful, especially since you have a lot of experience with verticals. 👍

For my 17ft whip (WRC tripod) I bought a pair of heavy duty automotive clips and created a two bundle of 5 wires each about 10ft long (~100ft total) Using two of these radial bundles is fast to set up, fairly small footprint, effective, very fast to put away, and compact in my radio bag. Asphalt parking lots, desert sand, or grass it works great

According to your previous video on RF grounding, if I understand clearly from what you said, I should be using at least 4 counterpoise wires when building the 29' and 41' vertical antennas shown in your other videos? I live in the mtns on top of dry dirt and decomposed granite in Arizona. I did experiment one time with 4 wires and noticed the SWR increased quite a bit. But I am also using a tuner. Thanks again for your outstanding videos!

Thanks for another great video Walt!

Just do it! Best advise my friend!

Thanks dude! Love the info!

well said .that is how ground radials work. when portable just throw some on the ground . do what you can to spread them out. it will work just fine. over thinking it and wasting time to get it just right is taking fun away of on air time. the band conditions have more to do with making contacts then getting your ground radials just right. 73's

During my POTA activation I use a 1/4 wave vertical with feed point about 10' off the ground with 4 radials made out of walmart speaker wire. With 50 watts I have no issues hitting Alaska from middle GA. If you can raise the bottom of the antenna about 10' and have the radials come down at about a 52° angle and have them a foot or 2 above the ground you don't many radials at all. Moe KO4GBB

That was timely, just putting up an h4btv.

Me I use a 1 meter long cooper rod driven into the earth with a single ground attached to the balun to quell the noise of the vertical - get the noise floor level down and the antenna seems so much more effective. If only I could get the daytime solar panel and wifi repeaters around me sorted ! 73

Just getting started and really enjoy the way you explain antennas. I'd never heard of a ground conductivity map. The FCC site says "A higher ground conductivity indicates better AM propagation characteristics. The map shows that the ground conductivity in the U.S. ranges between 0.5 and 30 millimhos (or millisiemens) per meter. The conductivity of seawater is 5,000 millimhos per meter, resulting in the best propagation of AM signals." If the soil conductivity is a 1, would you potentially require more or less radials to work better than soil with a conductivity of 30?

Sure thing. It doesn't take a whole lot. I've used a MP1 antenna at ground level, clamped to a bed in a condo and ran 4 wires across the floor. It worked!

Old boys use to call verticals image antennas as they relied on the image from the "mirror" I used 10 rolls of tin foil for phased 40m vertical for my novice FD.

I have been successful in in building 1/4 ground planes. 1/4 wave radiator & 4 1/4 wave radials. plus I mount these antennas one full wave length above the ground. vertical dipoles also one full wave length above the ground. Lower than that its Very Compromised. hight is might.

One elevated resonant radial. Mark your wire for each band. For portable.

Great info Walt. I've been wondering the same things and when I try to look it all up.... YEP A LOT of stuff to read about and all very confusing for the average guy with very little schooling on antennas. I'll just play around with it. Going to try a big lake in Northern Nevada soon.

Nice! A very simple explanation.

Great job Walt! You make a really good content! BR from Poland! SP5NT, 73 😉👍

Good info. The size of the radial system ( length and number) needs to be larger the lower you go in frequency. 40 and up does not take much. 80 and 160 requires a little more. The conductivity of the ground makes a difference so there is no definite one size fits all answer. I like to say you just need to be in the ballpark! After that the differences are pretty minor.

Interesting as I’ve always cut radials for 1/4 wavelength. Usually just place three.

One of my Elmers laid chicken wire in his grass and worked it down below mower height.

One question Walt, do the counterpoise wires have to be the same gauge as the radiating element ? Reason I ask is I am about to make a Rybakov, the radiator is approx 20AWG but I only have enough wire to make counterpoises with approx 24AWG. Do you think that will be ok ? Thanks

Great topic, couple questions, 1. If you only have room to put the radials all in one direction will that make a vertical "directional"? 2. Is it ok if the first few feet of the radials are not touching the ground? As in, if you have to attach them a few feet up the ground mounted vertical? 3. Do you have an opinion regarding magic carpet vs. radials?

How about radials on the roof??????????KJ7TBR love your videos on sigma comm 360

Hi Walt, If you say its like a mirror could you use a groundplain for direcionaly? Say more radials to the west to improve my position for England as I am working from the Netherlands.

Analysis paralysis can certainly interrupt the fun.

I found that if I watch my swr it kind of shows me if I have enough radials. I played with 1 to 14 radials and for my ground about 7 to 8 will give me the swr. More do not change swr or seem to give me better signal reports.

First? It said this was published 35 seconds ago!

what is the best reference book for antenna builders? for beginners and old timers? the arrl antenna seems to be a very popular one

Thinking.....I've got an abandoned 20 mile piece of railroad track right down the road. Thoughts on it for a counterpoise?

Good morning Walt. Why would my swr change with my Chameleon SS17? When I put it up and tune it, it’s shows say1.15, 5 minutes later it shifts to 1.5 or higher. Don’t know if it’s the breeze moving it or what. Tune it again and it will jump again. Not sure why it’s not stable. Thanks

I have the jpc-12 antenna. It has the ground radials included. I also have a magic carpet. Which one do you think would be better? thanks

Has anyone ever tried helically wound radials for use with an elevated vertical? Been thinking about this as I'm a third floor apartment dweller and have limited space horizontally from the feed point. So many antennas...so little time.

so if my vertical HF antenna is up on the roof of a 2 story condo do I still lay down the same ground plane just right on the roof?

I want testing rybacov with 2 radial for 20 2 for 30 2 for 40 and si result

If you needed more than four then VHF verticals would have more than four, but they don't.

Plan on making a video of AMDX on April 8th?

Maybe a dumb, newbie question, but how are radials connected to the antenna? Is contact necessary or are you just laying out wire?

If you are using an omnidirectional vertical how do you claim long path?

Ooooh. "The juice is worth the squeeze." Put that on the back of your sweatshirt on the next POTA. (Coincidence to the latest vid from Big Clive perhaps? LOLOLOL)

Are threeenough?Are six too many? Oh wait! That's prunes!

Lots of debate on this topic. Lol, well sort of.

I find loops better at saving wire. 😂

Yea, WALT....