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Re: Topband: BOG - Selecting the Optimum Length

To: "'Mark K3MSB'" <mark.k3msb@gmail.com>, "'Lloyd - N9LB'" <lloydberg@charter.net>
Subject: Re: Topband: BOG - Selecting the Optimum Length
From: "Kip Edwards" <kedwards@ltol.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2016 09:29:13 -0700
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
Mark,

        The BOG here is 190 feet.  It works very well and is quite directional. 
 As a result of my experience so far, I'm thinking of a second one for the 
other directions.

        73 Kip W6SZN

-----Original Message-----
From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Mark K3MSB
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2016 8:35 AM
To: Lloyd - N9LB
Cc: topBand List
Subject: Re: Topband: BOG - Selecting the Optimum Length

Based upon N9LB’s comments,  I just emailed Bruce and told him to hold my order 
for a KB-1.

I have just enough room for 200 ft for a BOG.   Extending it to 250, 290
feet etc is NOT an option for me.

From my reading,  I understood that 200 feet was not exact,  but I didn’t
expect it to be 250 to 290 feet.   If I had known that I would not have
even considered a BOG.

With the cable, KB-1 etc (my BOG will be unidirectional to EU only,  not 
bidirectional),  I really don’t want to invest close to $200 on an antenna
that will not do any better on RX than my Inverted-L.    Saving it for a
Hi-Z 3 may be the better option.

So, with only 200 feet to play with,  is it worth it?

I've no doubt BOGs work,  I may not have the room for them.

73 Mark K3MSB

On Oct 17, 2016 9:35 AM, "Lloyd - N9LB" <lloydberg@charter.net> wrote:

> I have been asked how I arrived at the 290 foot BOG length.
>
> My original 200 foot BOG had a good F/B on 80m but showed almost no 
> directivity on 160m, so this indicated to me that the BOG needed to be 
> longer to improve the 160m performance with my particular soil 
> conditions and environment.
>
> A search on the Internet produced recommendations for 160m BOG lengths 
> of
> 247 to 290 feet.  Knowing that I could always shorten the wire, I went 
> with the longer number as a starting point.  That produced a greatly 
> improved 15 to 20 dB Front-to-Back ratio.
>
> The 290 foot length was not chosen for a good match, but that length 
> just happened to result in a good match.
>
> Unfortunately, I did not measure the match on my 200 ft BOG before it 
> was dismantled.
>
> The optimum 160m BOG length in your environment might be much 
> different from what I found at my QTH.
>
> - - - I think the group would benefit from hearing what others have 
> found to be their optimum BOG lengths - - -
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of 
> Lloyd - N9LB
> Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2016 11:06 PM
> To: 'Topband' <topband@contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: Topband: BOG
>
> My Reversible Bog uses the KD9SV transformer set.  It was originally 
> 200 feet long, just increased to 290 feet and that made a very 
> significant improvement on 160m front-to-back ratio, but hurt 80m performance.
>
> Conditions here are:
> Wire run across a weedy field, as close to ground as possible (weeds 
> trampled down to allow the wire to be close to ground - mostly 2-4 
> inches above the actual ground).  Soil is a few inches of decent dirt, 
> about one to two feet of clay, about one to two feet of sand, and then 
> bedrock.  Tops of the five foot ground rods can't be driven completely 
> below the ground's surface.
>
> WX - a wetter than normal Summer and Fall here in Southern Wisconsin.
>
> My Antenna Analyzer shows a 1.45 : 1 match at 1825 KHz ( 75 ohm system ).
>
> I can send the analyzer plots to anyone that is interested.
>
> 73
>
> Lloyd - N9LB
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of 
> Charles Moizeau
> Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2016 10:20 PM
> To: Lloyd - N9LB <lloydberg@charter.net>; Topband 
> <topband@contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: Topband: BOG
>
> Thanks Lloyd,
>
> But pls tell us your wire height and approximate description of gnd 
> condx for your otherwise well-described bog.
>
> 73,
>
> Charles W2SH
> ________________________________
> From: Topband <topband-bounces@contesting.com> on behalf of Lloyd - 
> N9LB <lloydberg@charter.net>
> Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2016 7:15 PM
> To: topband@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: Topband: BOG
>
> Hello Tony!
>
> Ground conditions and wire height above ground make a huge difference 
> in best length.
>
> I found the optimum for my BOG, using WD-1A wire and operating at 1825 
> KHz, at my QTH is 290 feet.
>
> 73
>
> Lloyd - N9LB
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of 
> N2TK, Tony
> Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2016 5:15 PM
> To: topband@contesting.com
> Subject: Topband: BOG
>
> Stretched out 200' of WD-1A along a stone wall. Kept it about 2" above 
> the ground and right up against the stones. Fed it with a 300 ohm 
> secondary transformer and left the far end unterminated.
>
> Used the MFJ-259 to sweep the bands starting at 1.67 MHZ.  Saw on K1FZ 
> notes that to find the best single wire length for 160M is to sweep 
> the bands and check where the SWR goes to a low value and stays there.
>
> I couldn't find that frequency. I get dips at
>
> 2.58 MHZ 4.3:1
> 3.36 MHZ 1.5:1
> 4.39 MHZ 1.4:1
> 6.033 MHZ 1.3:1
> 9.807 MHZ 1.2:1
>
> I didn't check any higher in freq. I only care about listening on 160M 
> with it.
> I twisted both wires together at the feedpoint.
> Want to check it out first as a single ended BOG to see how it works 
> before I go to the trouble of making it a two direction BOG.
> At one point the BOG is only 35' from my tower.
> Is it too high and does it need to be against the ground?
>
> Any feedback appreciated.
>
> N2TK, Tony
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