I'm planning a 20-meter vertical dipole for my backyard setup where radials aren't really feasible due to concrete patio. Looking at elevated counterpoise options versus traditional radial systems. This vertical dipole configuration was chosen because my house and back yard layout (a full coverage concrete patio was already installed) do not lend themselves to the installations of a good ground radial system. The most efficient of these verticals are actually vertical dipoles. Yes, they are dipole antennas stood on end!

What's been your experience with vertical dipoles? I'm considering center-feeding with a 1:1 balun and wondering about real-world performance compared to quarter-wave ground planes.

My available height is about 35 feet total. Worth building or should I stick with horizontal options?

I've run vertical dipoles for years at my QTH. Yes, vertical 1/2 wave dipoles are always better than a 1/4-wave ground-plane, even with an excellent ground radial system. The key is getting that center point up high - at least 1/4 wave if possible. It's because the lower element is also a radiator (doubling the signal aperture), whereas any 1/4-wave ground-plane is just simulating the missing lower element for matching purposes.

Built one last summer using two Hustler 6-BTV sections mounted butt-to-butt. The vertical dipole is fed at the center by a 1:1 balun and is further isolated with a 14 turn coil of RG-8 coaxial cable wrapped around a 7 inch diameter fiberglass form. The total power loss is around 1.5 db on 10 meters, 2 db on 15 meters, 2.5 to 3 db on 20 meters compared to full-size. Still works great for DX though - just worked JA on 20m yesterday morning.

For a backyard setup with space constraints, definitely go vertical dipole over trying to fit radials. If you can't lay down a spider web of radials, dipoles are often better choices. The performance difference is significant - I've compared them side by side and the vertical dipole consistently outperforms a compromised ground plane system.