i don't think i could see the small change shown your 1/2wave models eddie, not even using my fluke as a meter, there does not look to be enough mast current to cause high angle radiation,
creating a low cm impedance mast length may show more current,
i have seen the claim that a 5/8wave is worse than a 1/2wave for mast currents, i don't see anything in your models that argues against that with the mast length you chose for the models.
Bob, I agree the currents on these masts look very low and thus probably won't cause increased high angle radiation or CMC's that might cause some problems.
I know you understand when I do models I always risk doing something wrong, either a stupid mistake and I know better, or leave something out, or I make a mistake due to not understanding enough. Some would say, those issues should stop what I try to do.
I find myself pushing a lot of buttons in this project, and I need to slow down, but below are some of my follow-ups with some of what I think you're curious about.
I had a feeling I might have been hasty in saying that I could almost eliminate the currents on the mast with a 12"-18" radial, so I did this again. Maybe that is only true if the mast is isolated (ISO) at both ends, the ground and the antenna. Right now I'm not sure.
I did discovered this AM that I may be getting somewhat confused in doing some of these iterations with the models.
At this point though I think the gist of my thinking is still viable. There does not appear to be much I can do with radials or no radials on a 1/2 wave radiator that seems to make a critical difference in gain or angle. I keep coming back to the same indications with these models.
I'm not even trying to track the match in all of these models to see how it is effected...albeit these EFHW models are no where near matched.
However, my experiences in Eznec tends to suggest to me that the match is not that important to the typical results we look for or expect, but I still do it, and still I wonder...because sometimes we just never know for sure.
I will add that Homer did some checking with an EFHW 1/2w he had built along the ideas I had suggested to him. This was regarding checking to see if the match changed for him during a series of modifications to the antenna... similar to what I'm doing here, adding radials, and what I had previous done in some real world testing I did sometime back.
If I recall correctly he recorded similar results to my own real world testing using the idea, and what those models tended to show...was not much changes on an end fed 1/2 wave radiator whether he added radials or not. I didn't do slanted radials here in these models, but I did in my RW testing. I think Homer might have done something similar in his testing.
Sure I see some differences and so did Homer, but in the whole they were very small differences, and maybe they don't even matter with guys that have radios like mine...that can't really detect a small difference as we see here in these models. You and I have talked about that before.
I've also scoured YouTube for videos of guys comparing signals, and for the most part I see guys reporting small changes on switching antennas, and talking about needle width differences as well.
So, I just don't know what else to try and do.
Sorry I didn't do the ideas for a 1/2 wavelength or odd 1/4 wavelength feed lines and mast yet, but when I unwind a bit, I will try that idea and post it... whatever it shows.
Here is some stuff I just did checking what I did last night. It is mostly adding a feed line to the models, but again...not much changing in the gain and angle.
View attachment Bob's discussion on the .50w.pdf
I also added the Tabular Currents Reports so you can try and check how the currents change in these models. Let me advise that this log shows the currents at segment 1 first. That is the bottom of the radiator and the last segment is the tip. So not to be confusing, they are upside down.
I also added some notes to point to the areas I tend to watch on the wire segments listed. I expect to see bigger currents in the middle area of a 1/2 wave radiator and near zero on both ends. I expect to see big currents at the base of 1/4 wave radials, and near zero at the tips. The same is true for a 1/4 wave radiator. You might also compare the max current at the segment on the radiators as well. This current is what I understand makes the maximum signal.
On a 1/4 wave I also expect that if I sum the currents for the first segment for each radial, that the result will be approximately what the current is on the first segment of the radiator. If it is not, then the resulting difference will most likely flow over onto the shield of the feed line/mast and back to ground as it touches the Earth ground where ever it terminates. As we know, it is the magnitude of those currents that matters concerning CMC's.
These are not facts, it is just my opinion on things noted here.
