so ive been going back and forth on this for like three weeks now and i figured id just post here and see what people think. my situation is that i have a decent sized backyard but theres a big oak tree on one end and my neighbors fence kind of limits where i can run wire. i was originally dead set on putting up a half wave dipole for 40m because i figured simple is better, but then i started reading about verticals and now im second guessing myself.

the main thing is i mostly want to work dx, not so much local stuff. i know dipoles have that nice figure-8 pattern and if i can get it up high enough itll do well for dx, but high enough on 40m is like 65 feet minimum and my tallest support point is probably 35-40 feet off the ground using the oak. so its gonna be a drooping inverted-v situation no matter what. which is fine i guess but then i start thinking maybe a vertical with a good radial system would be better for low angle radiation anyway.

the thing is i really dont want to lay out 30+ radials. i know some guys do elevated radials and claim 4 or 8 works fine but ive heard mixed things. anyone run a 40m vertical with a minimal radial system and actually been happy with it? or am i overthinking this and the inverted-v at 38 feet is just gonna work fine?

honestly the inverted v at 38 feet is going to work better than you probably think. yeah it's not ideal for 40m dx but it's not a disaster either. the low angle radiation is worse than a full height dipole but you're still going to make contacts. i ran an inverted v with the apex at about 35 feet for a couple years before i moved and i was working europe regularly, nothing crazy but it definitely worked.

the vertical question is real though. if you can do elevated radials - like 4 of them up off the ground at maybe 8-10 feet - that actually does pretty well without the hassle of burying a bunch of wire. i've seen comparisons and yeah it's not as good as 60 buried radials but it's a workable compromise. the problem is you still need that vertical element to be reasonably clear of obstructions and depending where you mount it, that oak tree might actually cause you more grief than the fence situation with the dipole.

my honest take: put up the inverted-v first because you can do it this weekend probably. see how it performs. if you're frustrated with it in 6 months then think about adding the vertical. doing both gives you options too which is never a bad thing on 40.

i went through almost this exact same thing last year. ended up doing a fan dipole with 40 and 20 elements off the same feedpoint and its been pretty solid. not the same as your question i know but just throwing it out there in case you havent considered it.

the radial thing for verticals is real, dont underestimate how much work that is if you go the buried route. i tried doing 16 radials and gave up around 11 because hitting rocks in my yard was making me miserable. the antenna still works but im convinced its leaving signal on the table.