The W5ZO Multi Band Fan Vertical.

                                   THE FAN VERTICAL       \I/

I began experimentation on this antenna in the early 1980s . I had  a ground mounted commercial 4 band vertical (Hygain 14 avq),  Like all verticals ground mounted, I had a modest radial field. All verticals radiate a vertical "radiator" and the braid of the coax is grounded to the radial system and also possibly a grounding rod.

With the emergence of the WARC bands-- 30 , 17, and 12 meters in the early 80s, I was frustrated with NO ANTENNA!! Frustrated by this and bound then by cranky neighbors hostile to roof top stuff, a thought occurred to me to do something simple. ( like most of my thoughts on any subject). Simply cut a 1/4 wave resonator and attach it to the base of the active resonator on my present vertical and see if the current runs to resonance on that wire. 

' Well, I cut one 1/4 wave for 17 meters and tied it to the base of the vertical radiator and cinched it down with electrical tape so it would make contact.  The far end of the wire wire I attached to tweed eater line ( I have miles of weed eater line-- far better that "egg insulators") and pulled it up at about 30 degrees into an available tree. When I sat down to test resonance at the rig ,I was about 50 KHZ or so off  I added or shortened a few inches of wire and wow!!1:1 !! Now would it work? Answer Yes!! 599 --  worked DX -- busted pile ups - etc. It was great!!

Well, now could I do it again on the same vertical?? On 30 Meters? Same drill. I attached the 1/4 wave #14 insulated wire to the base of the resonator ( you can use a screw or just wrap it around the base of the resonator and what HO? It worked again! This time I had to fan it down the fence line at about 15 degrees because it was 24.5 feet long.  Now I had a 6 band vertical!! How about 12 meters??? I tied the third small 12 foot resonator on the base of the vertical and I  tied the other end to a length of weed eater and came up sharp at about 70 degrees into the tree. IT WORKED!! On each fan resonator I had to trim or add to resonance . If you can't do that I can't help you. Ha! Separate your fans as much as possible and in different directions if possible. What a deal!!

Think of all the money being spent on multi band antennas. It is my 30 year observation that these Fan multi resonators all work like any other vertical. The more ground radials -- the better. Radials are easy. Buy very cheap insulated size 22 or 24 awg hook up wire in spools of 8 strand and unwind it at 30 foot intervals . Radials carry very little current-- small wire is great!! Pin it to the ground with big nails or screws. Let the grass grow.

I built an 80 meter L . It was 40 feet at the Top. Guess what I did at the base on the radiator? 30, 20, 40 meter   FAN configuration. Since then I have moved on to some different antenna that I write about but you must understand "ZO's Law of RF.  If the rf current can find resonance it radiates that portion of the antenna. I am convinced that  is what is happening on any multi band antenna.  I have taped a wire at say 20 feet up the radiator and then extend a wire out or down measured to resonance on 30 meters ( about 45 feet 1/2 wave  to resonance)  Well, how about that-- IT Worked!! Nice!!! I trimmed to 1:1 SWR at 50 ohms coming off elevated on the  the vertical  radiator rather than fanned out from the bottom !! 

By the way-- You can make the main radiator out of wire and attach it to a non resonating support like those military fiberglass mast sections that slide into each other. I use those. Or if you are blessed with trees-- take that wire  radiator tied to weed eater and throw it over a high limb-- Instant vertical!! all it needs is ground or elevated radials.  ( Elevated radials are cut to frequency but not ground mounted radials) 

Here is the best I can do on an illustration below. if you havent understood, so far. . You can always ask me question at mikew5zo@yahoo.com  Good Luck. Mike W5ZO
 P.S. I know you EZNEC engineers are having fits. Too bad. I do have 2000 plus "dxcc challenge" countries and many many on a fan verticals ) 73!!

This antenna does not use "counter poise" Don't say it does. . If you want and excellent discussion of what a counterpoise really is read:

Counterpoise?
On the Use and Abuse of a Word

L. B. Cebik, W4RNL

http://www.antennex.com/shack/Dec06/cps.html 

This is the big vertical that is an 80 L that the Fans are attached to at the feed point

Here you can see fan moving up from the left from the feed point

Here you can see the 17 meter resonator running up to an attach point on a guy wire.

This was the 40 meter tap at 20 feet that runs down instead of fanning up. Works great! The RF current finds the resonance its looking for .

Let me know how your turns out at mikew5zo@clear.net 73