Topband: BOG Question

[K1FZ-Bruce]

Hi Glenn,

 
I got my BOG working very well in the early spring time. up to 8 S 
units F/B.  Through the summer it got very dry (drought) here in 
Belfast. The F/B went slowly down to 2 to 3 S units depending upon the 
direction & incoming angle. 
 
Last night we got a huge thunder shower and the F/B on some 
neighborhood  noises are over 4 S points. 
 
I had been thinking that I would use the garden watering can to wet the 
ground, if ground conditions did not change.  (BOG length Is now only 
171.5 feet long)
 
Bogs are very dependant upon ground conditions. I would never stop 
using one though. There have been noise conditions so severe that a BOG 
was the only antenna that I could copy DX on. 
 
At an earlier time, one of my original  BOGs  had a strange  ~7 
MHZ  impedance change. 
QTH info: (While not the original house, the lot goes back to the 
1790s  Never know what will be found when digging in the ground.   
Checked the BOG length with a metal detector and found a very old 
water pipe. Removed a large section of the pipe and the impedance 
change went away. 
 
A BOG antenna will work, and a BOG antenna will work very well, and 
also can work exceeding well.  The exceeding well is difficult to  
maintain.  A resonant circuit that variables keep changing.... mostly 
from
the rain, but also vegetation growth..   A lawn mower and watering 
can is good solution  for Summer time DXing.  Winter time snow takes 
care of the most active DX season. 
 
Had  purchased a MFJ-5014 "White Noise Generator" and adjusted the 
wire length for best 'front to back'   low in the 160 meter band. 
 
Posting to the topband reflector to also help others 
.             http://www.qsl.net/k1fz/bogantennanotes/
 
73
Bruce-k1fz
 
 

On Sat, 10 Sep 2016 15:53:38 -0400, Glenn Kurzenknabe  wrote:

       Hi Bruce,
 
The WX is supposed to start getting cooler, so I am planning some work 
on my BOG’s...   A couple of things came up and I would like your 
opinion.... 
 
They will lay on top of some of my TX radial field  ---  radials are buried
 
They will intersect the  control cable from the Hi-Z RX array and the 
feed line of it and a couple of other antennas, all above ground..... 
 
BOG’s are insulated wire. 
 
After a few misfires with BOG’s I am looking forward to trying them 
with your design and notes, this time!! 
 
Am I in trouble???
 
Thanks and 73
de Glenn, K3SWZ