‰  NOW 20 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM AUGUST 2008 QST  PAGES 62, 63 AND 85  ‰

THAT AND THUS WILL BE MUCH LESS EFFECTIVE AS LIGHTNING PROTECTION GROUNDS.
AS AN RF GROUND FOR AN ANTENNA, THE INSULATION WONT MAKE MUCH DIFFERENCE.
FIGURE 1 SHOWS THE EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT OF A VERTICAL MONOPOLE FED AGAINST A
SINGLE GROUND RADIAL.  WITH MULTIPLE RADIALS, THE CURRENTS THROUGH THE
CAPACITANCE WOULD DIVIDE AMONG THE RADIALS TO RETURN VIA THE PARALLEL
CONNECTIONS.  THE INSULATION WILL MAKE VERY LITTLE DIFFERENCE, PERHAPS A
SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE CAPACITANCE OF THE PATH.  THE CURRENT WILL MOSTLY
RETURN THROUGH THE RADIAL WIRES SINCE THE EARTH WILL HAVE A MUCH HIGHER
RESISTANCE.  IN SUMMARY, THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION DEPENDS VERY MUCH ON
WHETHER YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN RF GROUND FOR AN ANTENNA OR A LIGHTNING
‰  FROM PAGE 85  ‰
N2TN/340 WA2NHA/341 JP1NWZ/341 ON5PO/338 DK5QK/348 N3ED/351 DK8DB/340

‰  END OF 20 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ