Counterpoise vs. Radials on HF: What’s the Difference

If you work with HF antennas long enough ... verticals, end-feds, inverted-L’s, random wires ... you’ll keep running into two terms that get used interchangeably in casual conversation but aren’t always the same in practice: counterpoise and radials.

They’re closely related (radials are often a type of counterpoise), but the way they behave ... especially elevated (raised) radials vs. ground radials ... can change efficiency, feedpoint behavior, noise pickup, and “RF in the shack.”

The core idea: every HF antenna needs a return path

Your transmitter forces current into the radiator. That current must return to the source to complete the circuit. Even if you don’t see a “second wire,” the return still exists through:

• the other half of the antenna (like the second leg of a dipole),
• a deliberate conductive reference (radials, a counterpoise wire, a vehicle body, etc.),
• or parasitic paths you didn’t plan for (coax shield, rig chassis, house wiring, USB cables, mains earth).

Definitions: what hams usually mean

Counterpoise (broad concept)

A counterpoise is any conductor (or set of conductors) that provides the return path for an unbalanced antenna system ... most commonly a vertical, an inverted-L, or an end-fed wire.

In everyday ham use, “counterpoise” often implies a minimal solution: one wire or a few wires, not necessarily symmetrical, sometimes tuned and sometimes not.

Radials (a specific implementation)

Radials are a multi-wire return network arranged from the feedpoint area ... often like spokes of a wheel ... used to form a ground plane / return system for vertical-style antennas.

Key takeaway: Radials are usually a structured, multi-wire counterpoise system. A “counterpoise” can be radials ... or it can be one wire ... or it can be your coax shield (whether you like it or not).

Raised (elevated) radials vs. ground radials

This is where most of the confusion ... and most of the real performance differences ... live.

1) Elevated (raised) radials

What they are: Radial wires held above ground (even ~1–2 m helps) and bonded at/near the antenna feedpoint.

How they behave electrically: Elevated radials act less like “earth” and more like part of the antenna system. They carry strong RF current and can radiate ... which is why they can be very efficient, but also why they must be treated as “live” conductors.

• Fewer wires can work well: 2 radials can function, but 4 (symmetrical) is usually more predictable and less pattern-skewed.
• Higher efficiency potential: less loss in soil means more RF becomes radiation instead of heat.
• More sensitive to geometry: length, height, symmetry, and nearby metal matter more than with on-ground systems.

Tuning/length: Elevated radials are often cut near ¼ wavelength on the band of interest because they behave like resonant conductors in the system. Expect to trim after installation ... height and environment shift resonance.

Feedpoint behavior: A quarter-wave vertical over a good elevated radial system often lands closer to “textbook-like” behavior (more stable and repeatable) than a base vertical over mediocre soil with too few ground radials. Textbook values assume ideal conditions; real installs vary.

Safety note: Elevated radials can have high RF current and RF voltage. Keep them away from people/pets ... and from “touchable” metal.

2) Ground radials (on the ground or shallow-buried)

What they are: Many wires laid on the ground (or buried shallow) connected at the base of a vertical/inverted-L.

How they behave electrically: Ground radials are primarily about reducing earth loss. HF ground is lossy; without radials, a meaningful slice of power becomes heat in the soil.

• They don’t need perfect resonance: on-ground radials can be “imperfect” lengths and still help a lot.
• It’s a coverage game: more wire on/near the earth provides lower-loss return paths ... so less current flows through lossy dirt.
• More radials = better efficiency: big gains from 0 → 8 → 16 → 32, then diminishing returns (still useful for fixed stations).

Length strategy: Many people aim for ~¼ wavelength on the lowest band, but shorter radials still help. If you can’t do long radials, adding more shorter ones can partially compensate.

Installation advantage: Ground radials are easy and safe for permanent stations (no wires in the air), and they scale over time ... you can add radials whenever you have a spare afternoon.

So what’s the real difference (in practice)?

Feature	Counterpoise (typical ham usage)	Elevated radials	Ground radials
Typical form	1–2 (maybe a few) wires	Usually 2–4 wires (sometimes more)	Often 8–60+ wires
Primary purpose	Provide a return path (often minimal/portable)	Low-loss return that behaves like “other half”	Reduce ground loss via many low-resistance paths
Tuning sensitivity	Sometimes (especially if short/few)	Often yes (length/height/geometry matter)	Low (length is less critical than quantity/coverage)
Efficiency potential	Variable (can be great or awful)	Often excellent if done right	Excellent with enough wire
Sensitivity to surroundings	Medium to high	High	Medium
RF in the shack risk	Can be high if coax becomes the return	Often lower if symmetrical + feedpoint choking	Often lower with a decent radial field + choking

When the coax braid becomes the counterpoise (and why you care)

A classic HF problem: you feed an end-fed or a vertical without a deliberate return system. The circuit still must close, so it often uses the coax shield, the radio chassis, station grounding wires, and house wiring.

Common symptoms:

• RF feedback (hot mic, audio distortion, “tingle” on the key)
• RFI in electronics (USB drops, touchscreens glitch, speakers buzz)
• Unpredictable tuning and bandwidth (“it changed since yesterday”)
• “It works better when I touch the coax” (a classic clue)

Typical fixes:

• Add a real counterpoise or radial system (give RF a better return path).
• Add a common-mode choke (often at/near the feedpoint; sometimes also at station entry).

Typical HF scenarios (what to do)

Quarter-wave base vertical

• Best permanent approach: ground radials (start 8–16, then add over time).
• Space-limited but you can raise wires: 2–4 elevated radials (tuned; 4 is usually more predictable).

Inverted-L (vertical + top wire)

• Still needs a return system at the base: ground radials for permanent installs.
• Elevated radials (or a counterpoise) if space is limited or portable.

End-fed half-wave (EFHW)

• Even with a “half-wave radiator,” the feed system still needs a return path.
• A short counterpoise can work, but without control the coax shield often becomes the return.
• A good choke plus a deliberate return conductor usually makes the system behave better (less RFI, more repeatable tuning).

Random wire / “end-fed long wire” with tuner

• Return path matters a lot because feedpoint impedance and common-mode currents can be extreme.
• A deliberate counterpoise (or multiple) often makes tuning easier and reduces RF-in-the-shack problems.

Rules of thumb (practical, not mythical)

Elevated radials

• Start with 2 or 4 radials near ¼ wavelength on the band.
• Keep them symmetrical if possible (even if sloped).
• Plan to trim for best match after installation (height and environment matter).

Ground radials

• Lay down as many as you can.
• Don’t obsess over perfect resonance ... obsess over wire on the ground.
• If limited on length, add more radials rather than fewer “perfect” ones.

A clean way to say it

• Counterpoise = the return conductor(s) for an unbalanced antenna system (broad term).
• Radials = a multi-wire counterpoise system, usually arranged like spokes.
• Elevated radials behave like part of the antenna and are often tuned/symmetrical.
• Ground radials primarily reduce earth loss and benefit most from quantity and coverage.

Decision guide (fast)

• Portable / fast setup / limited wire: use a counterpoise wire (or a few) + a good choke ... accept compromise.
• You can raise wires safely: use 2–4 elevated radials (tuned) ... strong performance with little wire.
• Permanent base vertical with yard space: use ground radials ... start 8–16 and add over time.

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