Vertical Antenna on boat dock

[AC5OQ]

I have a boat dock on a fresh water lake. I want to install a 43 foot vertical on it. Will I have any luck without radials. The dock frame is in the water all the time and I can attach the ground lead to the vertical to it

73s

Lee K5PQ

[KB4QAA]

Sure, you will make contac  ts.  It won't do very well.

Grounding to the metal pier should improves things quite a bit.  You may need to adjust your antenna after doing so.

[AD4U]

Contrary to popular opinion fresh water is NOT a good ground system nor will pure fresh water conduct electricity  Pure fresh water is an insulator.  On the other hand salt water conducts electricity very well and can be the basis of a very good ground system.

I would expect the 43 foot vertical mounted on a boat dock to work about as well (but not quite as well) as an identical antenna mounted on the ground with no radials.

Dick  AD4U

[KM3F]

Water either fresh or salt in not the basis for an antenna counter poise anytime.
Conduction at DC or low AC is one thing, at RF it's quite another because wave length is involved.
The vertical is only one half of the antenna.
The counterpoise or radials are the other half of a complete proper system.
The metal boat dock will contribute to it but it's still not a proper 'other half'.
The water makes no different except maybe the effects if has on feed impedance.
You would do much better for efficiency to locate the antenna inland with at least 6 tuned radials a foot or so longer than the vertical element..
Good luck.

[N4CR]

I have a boat dock on a fresh water lake. I want to install a 43 foot vertical on it. Will I have any luck without radials. The dock frame is in the water all the time and I can attach the ground lead to the vertical to it

73s

Lee K5PQ

A single raised radial would work better than the dock frame. A pair of them would be very good.