Topband: 160m portable operating

[steve d]

Thanks everyone for your input. That helps a lot! 
  
  Now - more questions HI. 
  
  I was looking at the rx antenna chart on W8JI's site. He has a 1.75wl  beverage listed as being superior to lesser lengths. Based on 936/wl  being the equation for a full wave, 1.75wl on 1800kc is 910'. Im not  sure I can swing that length yet, Ill have to do my measuring/plotting  first.
  
  Question: is it possible to take two beverages in different (but close)  directions, say, 45deg and 60deg, and switch both in to broaden the  beamwidth and increase performence between them (around 52-54deg?) Or  would having both wires in make me hear only the two directions they  are pointing, thus increasing noise and not performence?
  
  My plan is to have multiple beverages at one feedpoint (Im not sure how  many feedpoints Ill have just yet, hopefully just one) with a relay box  to connect each wire to the transformer/feedline independently.  However, it would be very simple to connect two (or more) at the same  time just by sending power to the relays that I need. What made me  think of this is if I have very few beverages set up and am trying to  recieve a station that lies between the beamwidths of the closest  beverages I have it would be nice to be able to bring them in better.
  
  As AA1K pointed out - detuning the transmit antenna would lesson the  noise gereated by interaction between rx/tx antennas. If I put a relay  at the feedpoint of the transmit antenna to switch the radiator in and  out, would that be sufficient to do the trick, or, since the wire is  still resonant at 160, (just not connected to the feedline) will there  still be interaction?
  
  Steve, KC8QVO
  
       
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