Topband: Lesson Learned

[Art]

An important lesson came my way today. My NS Beverage was installed with 
downleads to the control box of about 4-5 feet, so I would have easy 
access to the control box and termination resistor (the resistor gets 
replaced once or twice every spring from lightning).

Bad Idea! Out working on Beverage #2 the EW unit I shortened up the 
vertical downlead wires for the control box on Beverage #1 the NS unit 
to about 6 inches. Tonight at my SS ES1WN had maybe 15dB more FB than 
any signal ever I heard from Europe.

There's something, nay, a lot! to keeping the vertical downleads as 
short as possible or even eliminating them.

73 Art