[TowerTalk] Questions on Low band receiving antennas in forests and wetlands along ridgelines and ravines.

[sawyered at earthlink.net]

Yes Bob.  Mine are tree and limb catchers as well and twice a year beverage
walks are required to keep them whole.  I have a total of 8 beverages that
range from 600 - 900 ft.   7 are terminated - 2 are bi-directional N/S and
E/W.  The terminated beverages terminate through a 450 Ohm resistor to a
ground stake and then quarter wave radials set as a T angle to the beverage
for 160, 80, 40, and 20.

Performance is varying depending on arrival angle.  High angle radiation
benefits the beverage but its less caring as to which beverage.  However
lower angle radiation is quite simply amazing.  3 - 5 S-Units difference in
signal when the right beverage is chosen.  And of course they are incredibly
quiet vs the transmit antenna unless the conditions are very quiet with no
storms around (which is less than 25% of the time and NEVER in the May -
Sept time).

Interestingly, I find the terminated beverages to be better but not much
better in signal strength in the favored direction vs the bi-directional
maybe 1 - 2 S units.  However the front to back ratio of the terminated
beverages is sometimes stunning - in the order of 20 - 30dB.  Which makes
listening to EU on 40 or 80 0r 160 much much easier than using the
bi-directional beverages or transmit antenna.

The beverages are worth the maintenance effort for me.

Ed  N1UR

-----Original Message-----
From: kq2m at kq2m.com <kq2m at kq2m.com> 
Sent: Wednesday, December 8, 2021 8:19 AM
To: sawyered at earthlink.net
Cc: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Questions on Low band receiving antennas in forests
and wetlands along ridgelines and ravines.

Hi Ed,

Thank you for that info.  My beverages, aka "Tree-catchers", worked well in
the past but they were excruciating to maintain constantly.  Then when the
Deer Tick population exploded about 20 years ago, it became hazardous.  I
have been avoiding that ever since but realize that I may have no choice
except to reconsider.

73

Bob, KQ2M


On 2021-12-07 14:42, sawyered at earthlink.net wrote:
> Bob,  I have a similar situation here.  I just run the beverage wire 
> approximately following the ground contour - however steep and 
> undulating - about 6 - 8 ft off of the ground.  My ground is thin 
> topsoil over ledge.
> Beverages low poor ground conductivity.
> 
> 
> 
> Ed  N1UR
> 
> -------- Original Message --------
> 
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Questions on Low band receiving antennas in 
> forests and wetlands along ridgelines and ravines.
> 
> Date: 2021-12-06 15:18
> 
> From: kq2m at kq2m.com <mailto:kq2m at kq2m.com>
> 
> To: john at kk9a.com <mailto:john at kk9a.com> , towetalk at contesting.com 
> <mailto:towetalk at contesting.com>
> 
> 
> 
> TY Alan and John for that.  Unfortunately my ledge has little if any 
> ground conductivity and is extremely uneven with 45+ degree hills and 
> ridges and ravine dropoffs everywhere.  The only areas that are flat 
> enough are either on my neighbors lawns or my septic field or far too 
> close to my transmit antennas.  And none of that will work.
> 
> 
> 
> It's quite a challenge here!
> 
> 
> 
> 73
> 
> 
> 
> Bob, KQ2M