> From: waltk@PICA.ARMY.MIL (GC-DSTI)
> Subject: Two-Wire Beverages
>
> Has anyone ever built or used a two wire beverage. Misek writes
> about this antenna in his book on Beverage antennae. I'd like
> some guidance on constructing one or your candid experiences.
I had a pair of two wire beverages up for many years that worked very
well. They were 2 wavelengths on 80 (550 ft.) and were built and matched
according to ON4UN's article which I think is in his book, Low Band DXing.
Basically at the far end, one wire was grounded and the other wire floating
or insulated. At the feed end, the two wires were either feed in phase
or in push-pull, depending on which direction you want. Very simple but quite
effective on 80 but less effective on 160. I recall about 15 dB F/B, the
European beverage could always hear Eu's for about 2 hours before we could
work them with a 100' high dipole from the West Coast. I found some plastic
electric fence insulators at a rural hardware store that space the wire out
about 5 inches. Nailing one of these on either side of a 4x4 post supported
the two wires about 13 inches apart and held them 6 to 8 ft. off the ground.
GL Rick N6ND
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