My strongest reccommendation is to make up and use a counterpoise for the frequencies you are using. You can do this real easy by using a length of antenna rotor cable.
If you buy a 50 foot long piece of 5 wire, you can connect the left end wires number 1,3,4, and 5 to a common ground. Join the right end of wire 1 and 2 together. now measure in about 16 feet 5 Inches from the right end ( making a total of 66.5 feet ..50 + 16.5) and cut a little window out of wire # 2 to break it there. Wire #3 is cut out at 33 feet and a inch or two, wire #4 is cut at 16.5 feet and wire # 5 is cut at 8.5 feet. You can just leave the "unused " pieces of wire where they are , or figure a way to strip them out. These are all cut a little long so you can trim each wire to resonance on your particular frequency of desired use. This whole piece of rotor cable can then be run around the room or under the carpet, or hung out the window and the other end ( left end) with wires 1,3,4,5 tied together is hooked to the ground on your antenna tuner or back of radio.
If ya hook it there, it is a counterpoise. If ya hook a second one just like it to the bottom of the antenna ( outside or ground side of the connector) it becomes a set of radials. If ya hook two of them together and hang them in the attic feeding one side with the center conductor and one side with the outer conductor of a piece of 50 ohm coax you have a pretty good low power ( say up to around 100 watts) dipole antenna, with the 80 meter portion being a partial folded dipole. Tape up any where there is exposed conductor at the end away from the radio as there can be some awesome voltages present.. a couple of wraps of #33 electrical tape will work.
So now you know the secret to the best use of rotor wire, although some one told me it works ok for running antenna rotors too...
If you use the 8 conductor wire and cut a couple of them side by side for your favorite bands , one a little short, one a little long, the radio sees it as a wire with a really big diameter...
This is not my idea, It has been around a long time but that is because it works.. good luck
tom
N6AJR
P. s. If you are left handed then reverse the ends ..Hi HI
1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------|
2 --------------------------------------------------- *** ---------------|
3 ------------------------------------------ *** ------------------------
4 ----------------------------- *** -------------------------------------
5 ----------------- *** -------------------------------------------------
<- join this end of 1,3,4,5
................... join this end of 1 & 2 ->
remove a little window of wire where the ***'s are.
<-- this is the end you attach to radio ground etc.