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Topband: Two-wire switchable-direction beverage

To: <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Topband: Two-wire switchable-direction beverage
From: "Barry Baker, K4CZ" <k4czusa@attglobal.net>
Reply-to: k4cz@arrl.net
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:16:00 -0500
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
I recently built a two-wire switchable-direction beverage based on the
description in ON4UN's Low-Band DXing (4th edition).  The beverage is 375'
long and an average of 6' high.  I am using WD1-A wire and the transformers
use 2873000202 cores and have isolated windings as described on W8JI's
website (http://w8ji.com/beverages.htm).  Turn ratios are based on Table
7-35 on page 7-73 in ON4UN's book.  Currently, I am using two coax runs to
the shack but will eventually use a single coax that is switched between the
low impedance sides of the two transformers.  The beverage appears to be
working properly (F/B, S/N, gain).

I followed the schematic in ON4UN's book except for two grounds which I
omitted:

1)   Figure 7-98A on page 7-70 shows two grounds on the far end of the
beverage.  One is the ground on winding n2 of the transformer, which I
included in my beverage.  However, the schematic shows a second ground (to
the left of T5n1), which is connected to one of the two beverage conductors.
What is the purpose of this ground?  Can I use the same ground rod that I
used for T5n2 or must it be separated by some distance?  If it should be
separated, what is the optimal distance?

2)  Figure 7-98A also shows a grounded connection between coax J2 and coax
J1.  What is the purpose of this ground?  Since I am using separate windings
on my transformer, I don't think it makes sense to connect these coax
grounds to the ground rod for T1n1.  How far from the feedpoint should this
second ground rod be placed?  If I have a common mode choke at the
feedpoint, where should the ground rod be placed relative to the choke?
Since I have two coax runs, can I simply connect the two shields in the
shack?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

73, Barry K4CZ

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