Topband: Beverages

[Phil Clements]

Sage advice has been given lately here on the reflector on Beverages. I
procrastinated for a long time after putting up my first one. It is to the
East, 80 degrees. Last month, I put up a N/S, switchable (DX Eng.) 800 feet
long. Looking at the pretty pictures in ON4UN's book and others makes mine
look shameful. It runs through a heavy pine and hardwood forest laced with
briars. The 450 ohm ladder line is spliced in several places. The ends start
at ground level and slope up to the first 6 foot posts, which are 65 feet
away. The ladder line is supported c. every 100 feet with ladder line
insulator clips. (DX Eng.) Some supports are 4X4 posts, and some are tree
trunks. Wildland growth runs up to within 3 feet of the line almost the
entire length. There are two 4.5 foot ground rods spaced 5 feet apart at
each end. The first 30 feet of feed line (flooded RG-6) is buried 3 inches
in the ground. There is a choke (DX Eng.) in line at the end of the
underground run that has its own ground rod, grounding the braid of the
coax. at the receiver end of the line. Then the RG-6 continues 150 feet into
the ham shack. Direction switching is done through the coax. (DX Eng.)

Bottom line is that it doesn't have to be pretty, level, and in the clear to
be awesome. VQ9LA went into the log last night at 0000Z for the proof of the
pudding. This is probably the world's ugliest antenna, but nobody can see it
for the undergrowth. Like the Nike advertisement, "just do it!"

(((73)))
Phil Clements, K5PC