Topband: Beverage Antenna

[donovanf at starpower.net]

Bryan,

Galvanized chicken wire (wire mesh) makes a superb ground for Beverage terminations especially in your ideal (for Beverage antenna performance) dry rocky environment.  

A 20 or 30 foot length of wire mesh should perform very well on 160 meters.  Run it perpendicular to the end of your Beverage if possible, otherwise run it in whatever direction you can.  If it lays under the Beverage, the portion of the Beverage directly above the wire mesh will behave more like a low loss transmission line than an antenna.

I would encourage you to install the Beverage far from your transmit antenna, RG-6 is a excellent inexpensive solution.  

While a low dipole may get you on the air, an inverted-L vertical with ground redials will be far superior.  Try to get as much vertical height as possible, at least 40-50 feet if at all possible.  More is better.

73
Frank
W3LPL



---- Original message ----
>Date: Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:02:36 -0500
>From: Les Kalmus <w2lk at bk-lk.com>  
>Subject: Re: Topband: Beverage Antenna  
>To: topband at contesting.com
>
>Bryan,
>
>Use RG-6 direct burial or equivalent for the beverage connection. No 
>need to use LMR400.
>You should be able to find it relatively inexpensively.
>Make sure you have a matching transformer for the beverage impedance to 
>72 ohms for the RG-6.
>
>W8JI.com will give you just about all the information you need to make a 
>transformer.
>
>Les W2LK
>
>On 11/9/2012 12:28 AM, Buck wh7dx wrote:
>> After some more reading... It looks like NE is the best approach.   Point it towards North America.   I can probably get it pointed at the lower states.
>>
>> I wasn't sure if I wanted to go bi-directional or not and try and get Australia / NZ but I think I'll go for quiet and just try NA for now.
>>
>> I will need to take it up about 50-75 feet from the feed point I would guess.   I don't now if an elevated beverage would be a negative.
>>
>> The ground is mostly hard old volcanic ash with loose dirt here and there.. just enough to make you fall down....   It's usually always dry and I'm thinking it is a very poor ground.
>>
>> Drill a few holes for copper ground rods on both side?   Put about 10 radial wires on the rods and spread them around.   In Hawaii I'm thinking bailing wire but it will rust.  Fence wire isn't common.
>>
>> Question..  I was going to start the beverage pretty close to the 40, 80 & 160 dipole in the tree..  I'm low on LMR400.   Last of my spool.
>>
>> If it was important, I could order more from mainland and start it higher on the mountain - giving me a more horizontal antenna.
>>
>> Should I be concerned with the beverage distance, using it for receiving and probably on a different radio?
>>
>> Thank you.
>>
>> Bryan WH7DX
>>
>>
>>
>>
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