> I have never built either type of antenna ... I plan on buying all the
> components from DX Engineering.
If you can put up both, go for it.
I have 3 of the DX Engineering reversible beverages (each 580', covering NE,
E, SE, SW, W, NW) and one of the DXE 4 squares (98'/side per their 80/160
compromise dimensions).
They all work very well. Either can be better at a given time. The
Beverage antennas are better more often, but there are times when the 4
square is better. And, even during the times when a Beverage is better, if
there is local QRM the 4 square's vastly better rejection of high angle
signals makes it the better copy.
An example of that was CN2R on 160 tonight. He was working simplex and had
a decent pileup of USA stations. While I heard him better on the Beverage,
the USA guys were burying him. On the 4 square, the S/N wasn't quite as
good but the USA guys were way down. I called and worked him on the first
call. Had I been listening on the Beverage, I probably would have had to
wait for the pileup to shut up before I was able to tell he was calling me.
If I had to pick one or the other, I'd choose the beverages because the S/N
is better there more often than the reverse. But, having both is even
better.
73,
Tom, NI1N
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