Topband: Beverage length

[Chortek, Robert L.]

I’m not arguing the point that longer is better to a point.  I’m limited to 300’. I’d love it it I could extend to 400’ 500’ or longer.  But I can’t.

  I’m just saying, well, what I said.

73,

Bob. AA6VB
Robert L. Chortek

On Aug 1, 2019, at 12:59 PM, Chuck Dietz <w5prchuck at gmail.com<mailto:w5prchuck at gmail.com>> wrote:

I previously had 4 Beverages with 3 of them being about 300’  They definitely worked! However, the 650’ was better… On my new property, I hope to compare Beverages, SAL-30 and an 8 circle. First, I have to get it cleared and fenced…
Sigh!

Chuck W5PR

Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows 10

From: Chortek, Robert L.<mailto:Robert.Chortek at berliner.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 1, 2019 2:40 PM
To: Drew Vonada-Smith<mailto:drew at whisperingwoods.org>
Cc: topband at contesting.com<mailto:topband at contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Beverage length

I’ve got an unterminated 300’ foot beverage about 36” high.

WorkS GREAT so I respectfully disagree with the implication a beverage much shorter than 1-2 wavelengths means you should use something else.

I’ve got multiple rx antennas and that short beverage is the best one,on average, in its favored direction based on years of comparison.

That said, I’ve never been sorry I had multiple options.

Bob AA6VB
Robert L. Chortek

> On Aug 1, 2019, at 12:27 PM, Drew Vonada-Smith <drew at whisperingwoods.org<mailto:drew at whisperingwoods.org>> wrote:
>
> Joe,
>
>
> For a simple Beverage, you just point the antenna (unfed end) at the target.  For length, "longer is better" is approximately true, but the ideal lengths are about 1 to 2 wavelengths.  Much longer than that, and phased shorter Beverages work better.  Much shorter than that, and you might as well use some other type of RX antenna.  One Bev can work pretty well on both 160 and 80, and will occasionally be useful on other bands also.  During spring/summer precip static, common in KS, the Bev is often my only usable RX antenna on ANY HF band!
>
>
> A Beverage has negative gain.  But you don't care about absolute strength, you only care about S/N, as any modern radio has enough gain on 160M for the smallish Beverage signal to be fine.  Some, like me, use a preamp just so the various RX antenna gains are approximately equal when switching between them.  A 15 dB preamp brings my 600 ft Bev signal strengths to the level of my TX Inv-L on 160.  But you don't need it.
>
>
> Beverages are not in the great favor they once were, mostly due to the advent of excellent vertical arrays.  But they still have the big advantage of being the simplest RX antenna one can imagine, that nearly always works as described without difficulty, assuming you have the space.  And cheap!
>
>
> Reversible Beverages are only slightly more complicated and give you another direction with no more space required.  Lots of good articles out there for a Google.
>
>
> 73,
>
> Drew K3PA
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 18
> Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2019 13:25:25 -0500
> From: Joe <nss at mwt.net<mailto:nss at mwt.net>>
> To: Wes <wes_n7ws at triconet.org<mailto:wes_n7ws at triconet.org>>, topband at contesting.com<mailto:topband at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: Topband: BOG height
> Message-ID: <cb0a992a-8c3a-ebf7-6925-180fae8c0dba at mwt.net<mailto:cb0a992a-8c3a-ebf7-6925-180fae8c0dba at mwt.net>>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>
> beverages have always fascinated me. But I have never had the property
> to have one.
>
> I might now, BUT, how do you know how long and what direction to lay it
> out to maximize signal to the desired direction?
>
> I assume the longer it is, the higher gain it has and more towards the
> ends the lobe is?
>
> Joe WB9SBD
>
> _________________
> Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
_________________
Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector