Despite reading articles and searching the internet (on more than one occasion) I can’t find consistent definitions for ‘radial’ and ‘counterpoise’ and the distinction between them if any. Many of the sources contradict each other leaving me bewildered. One says they are the same thing; others imply they’re different.
I think the three short metal rods on the base of my V2000 6/2/0.7m colinear are radials because a) Yaesu call them that, b) they are a ‘tuned’ length (one of them is for 6m and is much longer than the other two), and c) the radials are ‘raised’ (about 5m from the ground).
I think the two ~7m-long wires I lay out on a rocky summit and attach to the ground spike of my MPAS Lite vertical are counterpoises because a) Chameleon call them that, b) they’re not a tuned length but (apparently) act as a capacitive connection with the ground below (the latter being the other ‘pole’ for my 17-ft monopole whip), and c) they are not ‘raised’ by much (well, only by a cm or two).
Any antenna grounding experts, feel free to un-bewilder me or point to some reliable resource.
BTW: I don’t understand why anyone would spend the time and effort to raise two or more wire radials off the ground for a temporary portable antenna particularly in wintry weather. It would seem less effort (and probably gain more performance) to erect a centre-fed dipole (e.g. inverted V).