Subject: [QRP-L] RE: W3EDP antenna From: "Monty N5ESE" Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2005 11:00:44 -0600 (CST) Reply-to: n5ese@io.com List-post: Joe: I like to use a compact, portable "radial system" as a counterpoise. By the way, this is one of my favorite antennas for portable ops, and usually I've strung it as an inverted L at about 20-25 ft. It works great 80-10 meters. For my smaller portable kit (AT-Sprint 40/30/20M plus BLT), my counterpoise consists of 4 legs, 2 are 31 ft, and two are 16 ft. They connect on one end to a common solder point, where I have attached a single 30-inch piece of lead-in. The leadin connects to the tuner common (ground), while the radials are laid out flat on the ground in an 'X' shape, with the antenna bisecting the X. All wire is AWG 24 teflon insulated. For my larger kit (K1 or K2 with integral tuners), I use a similiar counterpoise made out of a 4-legged (31 ft each) 'X' with the 30 inch leadin, and I clip-on an extra 2-legged (16 ft each) if I am working 20 Meters. Again, we bisect the 'X', and the 20 Meter legs are laid out perpendicular to the line of the antenna. Never fails to tune-up, and works like a champ on both the 85 ft Inverted L and the 66 ft classic windom with 16 ft single-line feed. Since we use small guage teflon wire, the counterpoise assemblies coil up nicely and are very compact and light, don't absorb water, and are durable to boot. Once, as an experiment, I laid out a single counterpoise and the "radial" counterpoise. I first connected the single counterpoise, and noted an increase in audible signal strength and background noise in the receiver. Then, I connected the more elaborate "radial" counterpoise, and noted a similar increase above the single counterpoise. Not very scientific, but enough to convince me. Been with the radial counterpoise ever since ;-) 73, monty N5ESE http://www.dit-dididit-dit.com/