[TowerTalk] Seeking Beverage tips

[Henry G Chapoton]

     I'm installing a short (300') beverage for EU to be used primarily for 
     80m, occasionally on 160, and have some questions for the collective.  
     My main goal is f/b, to eliminate T-storm static from behind me.
     
     1)  What is an "adequate" radial field?  a "good" one?  Opinions on 
     both quantity and pattern.  Now have 5 (~65' long) on each end 
     covering a 60 degree arc centered on the axis of the antenna.  The 
     radials are soldered to a 5' copper pipe 4' in the ground at each end. 
      The earth is quite sandy but with all the pine needles probably 
     acidic.  I am "high and dry" on a small ridge, but there is a lot of 
     water around me, especially into EU - swamp starts 150 yds away and is 
     down about 20-30' in elevation.
     
     2)  Does it make much of a difference if I match it with a 9:1 
     transformer?  How much and what kind of improvement will I see over 
     just hooking it to the coax?  If I do match it, is the type of core 
     critical?  I've got a ferrite rod of unknown u, and some 1"+ blue 
     (grey?) toroids.  I'll be terminating it with 450/500 ohms, have to 
     rummage the junk box.
     
     3)  Should I try to decouple the coax to preserve the f/b?  Perhaps by 
     winding a bunch of it on the ferrite rod?  Will be using rg-58c/u at 
     the antenna which is very flexible.  
     
     4)  My terrain slopes gently up.  While the antenna is fairly level in 
     relationship to the ground, the front is 3'-4' higher than the back.  
     Should I make the wire truly level, which would put the back end 8' or 
     9' above ground?  The ends do slope down from ~4.5' or 5' to ~1' for 
     the last 60' on each end.
     
     Any/all suggestions and comments will be appreciated.
     
     Greg   na8v/4
     Tallahassee, FL

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