1/4 wave groundplane & end fed verticals - time for some FACTS

[hookedon6]

Would a small loop @ the end if the vertical work as well as a corona ball?

i really wrote that kinda bass ackwards.

a sharper point tends to discharge the actual static charge and can create noise.
a loop or ball reduces the NOISE by not dis-charging the static charge as readily.


Corona discharge occurs when a charge is built up and electrostatic lines of force are developed. if more lines of force per square inch appear at the sharpest points and the more likely it is that a strong field will pull free electrons from the point . Electrons pulled out from a sharp point form a corona or brush discharge. This noise can also be generated by a mobile in motion and is the reason that mobile antennas have a ball of some sort at the tip. The ball eliminates the sharp point and tries to minimize the actual discharge and thus the noise.

 

[RickC.]

I just put up an end fed 20M 1/2 wave vertical (voltage fed) yesterday, in fact was soldering the last connection with a flashlight up on the roof as it was getting dark. Unfortunately 20 is in the crapper today and I wasn't able to get it finished before the end of the contest so I'll have to wait to really wring it out.

So far I have not seen any RF in the shack with 600W, and having a short "counterpoise" or not has not seemed to make any difference in that, or in tuning. We'll see how the dire predictions on end fed half waves play out.


Rick