Topband: Searching for beverage info

[Jim Brown]

On Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:15:05 -0600, AD5VJ  Bob wrote:

>I just installed 250' of #18 gauge wire in a straight line NE and 
SW. I went to the reflector to look up 'short beverage' and came
>up with only people talking about 580' beverages.

>Is there anything that can be done closer to 250' for a beverage.

Short Beverages work, they're just not as directional. 

>would like it to work in both directions.

For that you need two wires running more or less in parallel, more 
complex termination at both ends, and a switching work. If you're 
rich, you can buy it all from DXE. If you're not, study and build 
it all from wire and parts. :) 

>I am thinking I connect the coax center to the wire and the braid 
to a ground stake at the end closest to the shack (the NE end).

For a single wire Beverage, far end of the wire goes to a ground 
stake through a resistor, roughly 500 ohms. Near end goes to coax 
through stepdown XFMR. The impedance of a Beverage is on the order 
of 500 ohms, so you need a transformer to step it down to coax. 
Coax can be almost anything, loss isn't important, impedance isn't 
important. 

Google on Beverage or study the ARRL Antenna Book or the ON4UN 
book. 

73,

Jim K9YC