Topband: beverage questions

[Dick Green WC1M]

I'd like to hear from anyone else who has used the KD9SV dual-beverage
system and/or compared it with other models on the market.

 

I have a single 580' beverage up now, pointing roughly at EU (well,
20-degrees), and would like to add a second switchable beverage for
Caribbean/SA. I've considered the W8JI design sold by DX Engineering and the
K1FZ version. Both are more expensive than the KD9SV version. My current
beverage transformer is the single-antenna unit made by K1FZ and it works
exceptionally well on 160m and 80m (*way* better than the ICE beverage
transformer did), but it doesn't work well on 40m. K1FZ says it's because
the pattern is very narrow on 40 and the antenna isn't pointing right at EU.

 

Also, I'm wondering if there's any difference in performance between using
ladder-line and twisted pair with the KD9SV units.

 

Ideally, I'd like to leave the existing beverage wire up and string the
dual-beverage wire along the same path, separated by a few inches. That way,
I can compare performance. Will the two beverages interact? If so, would it
work to ground the unused beverage? If that won't work, and I end up not
being happy with the dual-beverage performance, can I tie the two leads
together at both ends and use them with the K1FZ single-beverage
transformer, or will capacitance between the wires be a problem?

 

73, Dick WC1M