Jery:
with a vertical antenna, you absolutely need radials, or the antenna isn't 
going to tx worth a fiddlers fart.
Cut some quarter wave radials, one or two each for the bands you want to 
work, hook them up and just throw them where ever you can in the yard.
As has been stated, you will probably have to readjust the coils on the 
antenna to compensate the swr for the now adequit ground system.
You will notice a large improvement, perhaps not so much in receive, but you 
will be able to talk to who you hear as long as you have an swr below 2:1 on 
the band you are working and radials attached.
Even four 16.5 foot radials of 18 gage speaker wire will get you a signal 
out on 20 meters when you readjust the 20M tuning section.
with no ground radials on the vertical, you've basically been warming up the 
ground under the antenna everytime you tx.  it is precisely why you can't 
talk to anyone.
quarter wave radials on each band will work.
73
Colin, V A6BKX
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gery Gaubert" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 11:53 AM
Subject: hf6v


> Thanks for the encouragment guys.  Now to find some wire and lay out a few 
> =
> radials.  Will this make my reception better?  I'll give it a shot.  It 
> doe=
> sn't seem like the screw that you attach the radials to will hold that 
> many=
> but I'll see.  We had this discussion before but I was under the 
> impressio=
> n that if myswr was good that everything was ok.  I was wrong I guess.
>
> Gery D. Gaubert
> Assistant, Information Technology Administrator
> St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office
> office (985) 783-0208
> mobile 504-329-9439
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