The more radials the better.  Heavier-gauge wire could be better.  Stranded, 
insulated, should make little difference.  How are you going to mow the lawn 
if the wire is just on the ground?  I have heard that if there is good grass 
growing, the wires will tend to get buried in organic matter, which prevents 
further damage by lawn mowers.
If the antenna is bracketed to the house (I think you said a couple feet 
outside), this antenna is going to be rather compromised, anyway.  It is 
really impossible to predict the results you will get, good or bad.  The 
radials will probably make the biggest difference on the low bands.  I hope 
you will have the tuner out near the antenna base and not back in the shack. 
Prepare to do a lot of expeerimentation.
73,

Lloyd Rasmussen, W3IUU/4, Orlando, FL (at the NFB convention)
http://lras.home.sprynet.com
-----Original Message----- 
From: Richard B McDonald
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2014 8:12 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Questions about Setting Up Radials

Hi!



Soon, I will install a 43' HF (160M - 6M) antenna.  I have a few questions
about setting up the radials for this antenna, as follows:



1.  The manual for the antenna recommends using 18 gauge wire.  Would using
a larger gauge wire (e.g., 16 gauge( be better?  Since my radial system will
not be ideal (see below), I wonder if increasing the gauge of the wire might
be helpful.



2.  Does it matter if the wire is solid copper or braided copper?  Is one
better than the other?  Also, should the wire be a) insulated or b)
uninsulated?  Does it matter, or is one better than the other?



3.  These radials will not be buried in small trenches in the ground.
Instead, the end of each radial will be "staked" into the ground, and also
likely a few "stakes" along each radial's length.  So, regarding the
"stakes", is it OK that they are metal?  Is it better if these stakes are
insulated, similar to the wire?  Would plastic or wood stakes be any or much
better?



I think I will be able to layout about 16 radials.  However, not each will
be the height of the antenna (maybe half of them will be), their layout will
not be symmetrical (like spokes on a wheel) and about 180 degrees radius off
of the antenna will not have radials extending outward in this quadrant.



Finally, are there any tricks I can employ to improve my radial system?  For
example, I think I once heard of someone laying down chicken wire around the
antenna base.  Is something like that beneficial?



73,

Richard KK6MRH