I completed the last of the installation work on my European
Beverage array for this year today. While I'll deal directly with
only my installation, there will be what amounts to indirect
comments on recent reflector postings.
My Beverage array is similar to last year's, with a few hopeful
improvements. I have three almost parallel, stagger fed Beverages
towards Europe. Two are 881 feet long at a 52º azimuth, spaced
6 feet apart and are stagger fed 1/4 wavelength apart. The third
Beverage is 1150 feet long at a 45º azimuth and spaced an average
of 160 feet from the nearest one. Last year's array saw similar
improvement between using just the two short spaced Beverages
and just the wide spaced Beverage with the one closest to it.
Using all 3 Beverages improved receive over either two 90 - 95%
of the time. All three Beverages can be seen in the picture at:
http://images.honesty.com/imagedata/h/112/18/21121834.jpg
Looking closely you can see part of the wide spaced Beverage at
the extreme left. The short spaced Beverages are at the right end
of the picture. You can see some of the things that I do with them
in the photo. Another view of the close spaced Beverages is at:
http://images.honesty.com/imagedata/h/112/18/21121833.jpg
In it you can see their location relative my house which is
hidden in the middle of the blurry towers.
The Beverage wires are about 3 feet high and are mounted on
4' fiberglass electric fence posts. 6/1 matching ununs are used
between the 75 ohm coax and the Beverage feedpoint.
Separate approximately 750' coaxes (with many ferrite chokes)
feed each Beverage and they are combined in the shack via two
modified MFJ-1026's. By adjusting the phase, the center azimuth
of the main lobe can be adjusted between 29 - 74º. The nulls can
also be moved. I find this very helpful in both improving reception
and in detecting changing conditions--I couldn't see not having the
array adjustable in the shack after getting used to having the ability.
Last year's similar array worked excellently. It will take a couple
of months before I pass final judgement on this year's array...
73, Bill K0HA
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