What controls the result
Short verticals can have low radiation resistance, so only a few ohms of ground and coil loss can consume a large share of input power. More or longer effective radials generally reduce return-path loss within practical limits.
The misleading shortcut
A low SWR after removing radials may indicate increased loss or a changed current path, not an improved antenna. Natural soil contact is not a repeatable engineered counterpoise.
Make the better decision
Use the documented radial or artificial-ground system, keep connections low resistance, isolate supports where required, inspect current symmetry, and compare field strength rather than SWR alone.
Propagation and antenna metrics are meaningful only with their frequency, path, geometry, reference plane, loss assumptions, and measurement method. Use current observations and the exact installed system.
