curious as to what everyone is using for hf vertical antenna ( 10-160), if you use one. I'm not interested in C B antennas since even with a tuner they are only good up 20mtrs., if that.
Don't add grounds to a Titan, please repeat that again over and over again.
I own a GAP Titan. It's a vertical dipole, not one of the vertical dummy loads that have 'optional' radials. The Titan is a balanced antenna by design. If you add radials or even mount it without the proper insulator at the mast mount, they will detune and you will have more losses.
They are a big compromise antenna for people who can't put down a proper radial field...in my case I have a sloping area to use, lots of space but not in a nice plane for radials to work well.
Mine has performed well for what it is, 80m it's nearly a dummy load and only good for very long path 80m work. 40m and up it performs almost as well as my typically low 135' dipole fed with ladder line. The wire beats it, don't get me wrong, but many times the S/N is better on the vertical because the noise is much lower at my location on the vertical and it makes copy easier though it may be a bit lower actual signal.
To do it again, I wouldn't buy a Titan unless I was more severely restricted than I am now. What I would do, is make verticals out of wire, one for each band I really wanted to work.
Just don't put radials on a Titan, it's a center fed vertical dipole.
I won't have to worry about that since i'm not even going to put it up. maybe take it to camp and leave it there, or find some new ham locally that would like it for a first time hf antenna and can't put up a lot of wire. looked at the zero 5 antennas which cost more than my tower and then factor in the baluns and tuner you could get a steppir verticle. or make your own for a lot cheaper than either if that being the route you would want to go.
oh but "if i can hear em , i can work em" So can a 100watt light bulb or an old bed spring on a tuner.Yeah the SteppIR is actually a 'real' vertical in the sense that it's tuned resonant. that i will agree with, for a premium price.
The ZeroFive, take that concept and model it in EzNEC and you will be amused...essentially when you wide band tune a vertical like that out of it's resonance the radiation patterns are pretty awful.