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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