I recently purchased the Intellitron AA-1814T and it came with a #10-32 stud for radials. However, I have NO idea where this stud is supposed to be connected to that will provide a connection to the shield (braid) of the coaxial cable or to the antenna’s base/ground point. The entire spike is Black powder coated which will not allow the connectivity needed, as I understand ground radials.
Well, as you know the spike goes into the ground. Your Hamstick antenna screws into the standard 3/8 x 24 mount, and your coax connects to the bottom of this mount at the SO-239 connector. The #10-32 goes into the hole on the square plate just adjacent to the spike and closest to the ground when pounded in. Yes, the spike is black powder coated to resist corrosion. There is no need for the braid of your coax to attach to any radials. The radials are held to the “plate” and the 3/8 x 24 mount is part of that plate and the coax braid is connected through the PL-259 to the SO-239. This is similar to using a lip mount on your vehicle with the 3/8 x 24” mount mounted to the hood or trunk as a ground plane. Additionally, the braid on your coax from your radio to the antenna also acts as a “radial”. As noted in the manual, these are the connections:
Attach any antenna with a standard 3/8-24 mounting stud directly to the spike.
Connect your coax feedline using a PL-259 to the built-in SO-239 connector.
For grounding and counterpoise, attach one or more wire radials to the #10-32 stud provided.
@N0PBY the complete Owners Manual is on the product page under the header of “Includes”:
https://www.gigaparts.com/intellitron-aa-1814t-ground-spike-mount-with-3-8-24-connector.html