Topband: Best Height Above Ground for a Beverage RX Antenna

[w8av at aol.com]

Larry, et al:
 
  To add to you observations, which I also sent in a separate e-mail to K3LR,  I have found that a height of 6-7 feet above ground for my beverages seems to be the best height.  I originally installed two wire beverages at about 8-9 feet above ground and they worked pretty well.  However, my E/W beverage runs along a tree line and a storm took out a couple trees along the beverage line lasat year.  I had to reduce the height of this beverage to about 6' or so AGL (above ground level) as a quick fix before the 2005 CQWW DX CW contest.  At this lower height this 600' beverage works better than all the others and I have left it at this height.  Hence the others are being lowered to this optimum height.
 
My 550' NE/SW beverage crosses a small ravine and is about 15-20 feet AGL over this ravine for about 50-60 feet of its total length.  Although it hears OK, it is a far poorer performer than the other beverages that maintain roughly the same height AGL over their entire lengths.
 
73.................de Goose, W8AV
________________________________________________________________________
Check out the new AOL.  Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more.