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Beverage antenna - Printable Version

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Beverage antenna - jcassity - 11-28-2017

anyone have experience with a Beverage antenna?

I have the room for one, any thoughts from a DIY'er out there?

supposed to reduce noise and be for rx only as i understand.  I am not a ham so i dont tx.,, i like the idea of a cleaner signal.  one end bonded to a ground rod with a four or five hundred ohm resistor.

interesting 100 year old tech actually.

RE: Beverage antenna - EdHolland - 11-28-2017

jcassity - Which band are you considering?

A proper Beverage "wave antenna" is typically more than a wavelength long, terminated at the far end with a resistance. This absorbs the wave coming from behind, providing a directionality that "looks" out from the receiver toward the resistor. 

If you have the room, it would be great to give it a try. Even the top end of the BC band needs a wire somewhere around 600 ft long to be a true beverage, and nearer 2000 ft at the bottom. Obviously for shortwave, things get easier.. Quite possibly, it would also be necessary to add some attenuation, as many sets are designed to work with a modest antenna. If you have space, give it a go.

RE: Beverage antenna - Paul Philco322 - 11-28-2017

I have more experiences with beverages, though not beverage antenna! I just could not pass on it. 

I do know of DXers in Scandanavia who use this antenna style in remote northern areas of their countries and have picked up stuff from all over, some routinely get lower power US stations, maybe signals go over the pole  in unique ways. Would be interested in your results. 

Good luck.

Paul

RE: Beverage antenna - jcassity - 11-29-2017

apparently the beverage antenna's up now are off the ground only to accomodate the human interaction to see it and or set it up just high enough above head level.

the original patent i looked at actually implies that the optimum location for the antenna is directly on the ground!

if on the ground, insulation needed, if in the air bare conductor ok.

also interestingly enough the wire gauge optimum size is much smaller than i would have thought.

its purpose is to eliminate some of that atmospheric noise you run across making certain parts of your bands useless.... the sound you get that actually sounds like AC interference.... thats what it gets rid of.

I also have found that the signal amplitued is somewhat decreased but the perfectly clean signal is the trade. what was a signal you never would have noticed and rolled right past it now comes in.

RE: Beverage antenna - EdHolland - 11-29-2017

True enough. If there is an increase in background noise when the antenna is connected, you will hear everything it receives. Arrange the antenna well, and away from local interference (often the biggest enemy) and good results should follow. Like you say, absolute signal level is not important!

Unlike transmitting

RE: Beverage antenna - EdHolland - 11-29-2017

..antennas (editing on this phone is tricky) efficiency is less important than S/N.

Good discussion!

RE: Beverage antenna - jcassity - 11-29-2017

I am suprised i am able to discuss it, i am elementry to this side of electronics. I dont know what i dont know yet, thats my level of experience with this type of tech. you guys have paved roads down paths i havent even cleared brush on yet. so when you say "S/N" i have not a clue what that means.

RE: Beverage antenna - jcassity - 11-29-2017

i am going to post a picture of my existing long wire and possibly experient with extending it "into" a beverage.

I will however build a beverage separate,, its real easy to do, however i dont have that impedance matching transformer part,, and i am not sure how important it is for the "experiement" .

i am seriously questioning the guage wire i use as well, seems Mr beverage was pretty clear on his patent / design suggestsions, bigger was not better.,, actually smaller was.

RE: Beverage antenna - EdHolland - 11-29-2017

S/N = signal to noise (ratio).

For details on setup, I can highly recommend this website https://www.w8ji.com/receiving.htm. He has a lot of info on Beverages, what they do and do not do. Wire gauge is relatively unimportant, it seems, while choosing the terminating resistor at the far end is important in getting the directionality. There are also helpful details on making your own balun (very easy).

Cheers

Ed

RE: Beverage antenna - David - 11-29-2017

Joseph Carr has written several books on the subject one of which is on line as a pdf . David

RE: Beverage antenna - jcassity - 11-30-2017

pic of my long wire arrangment.
leaves garage window as insulated #10.
Splices to tin coated electric fence wire  which is amost like #18.
around glass insulatiors at each turn out to dead end at chimney

all radios go to this single long wire antenna, 3 total radio sets.

each radio has a tiny 120vac ice cube relay.  the relay dry contacts are wired with the antenna tied to the NO / C contacts.

when a radio is turned on, that particular radio automatically ties itself to the antenna., removes itself when powered down.

RE: Beverage antenna - EdHolland - 11-30-2017

Nice setup!

What direction(s) can you run wire, in relation to the places you would want to pick up? Also how long a wire could you run?

I really like the relay activated antenna hookup system you described - very ingenious Icon_smile

RE: Beverage antenna - jcassity - 11-30-2017

i have 25ac of land,, 1.5ac i mow, the rest is woods.
i am up on a mountain next to moncove lake state park.

length of driveway is 1900' which is not flat, nothing much here unless your lucky is somewhat flat.

this is why i was considering extending the wire at my chimney to the left an addtional 500' with a terminating resistor there to a gnd rod.

i have a much much lighter wire that came with an invisible fence system for keeping dogs home, along with shock collars.
i have 3000' of this insulated wire made for direct burial, yet i am wondering about just laying it on the ground now....
this will start this coming weekend,

the problem is that its moot, all info you all have provided says i should have multiple beverages , the one link used the phrase "broadside" beverage antennas, and i dont know what he means by broadside,,, is it meaning parallel?

i am seeing that a star patern may be better and even a grand total of 6) making each bi directional.,, something called the 160M dream?

Im in way over my head though. i will at the least start off with two of these.
i am thinking one is placed perpendicular to the other, then i need to understand how to make each bi directional.

i am 2400ft above sea level.

I know it might look good but i have often been wondering if placing that horizontal run over top my house is good or bad.
one day someone told me my antenna on my car is assisted in picking up station by which way my car is pointed, meaning my windshield helped refect the signal. same with my metal roof but, i could be helping unwanted interference get on that same wire.

RE: Beverage antenna - EdHolland - 11-30-2017

It would be good to avoid runs over the house. A 500ft wire, extended off the left of the picture, terminated before it got to the house with a balun, then coax to the radio is what I might try in that situation.

My listening antennas (longwire and dipole) both have coax runs with baluns at the connection, and this really helps avoid sending noise from the house, down the outside of the coax and onto the antenna. They are nice and quiet, despite neighbors 100-200 or so feet away.

Cheers

Ed

RE: Beverage antenna - Paul Philco322 - 11-30-2017

Find the antenna in this shot......

https://twitter.com/LA7GIA/status/837967206134710272


PAul