Rotten based on recovered signal strength. A low efficiency antenna that
can require a low noise preamp because the typical HF receiver has
relatively poor sensitivity due to the normal level of atmospheric noise
on an antenna like a dipole is much greater than the signal or noise
from the Beverage. The Beverage is superb for LF directivity which can
often give a greatly improved S/N if the receiver has a low enough noise
to hear it.
73, Jerry, K0CQ
On 12/3/2010 6:22 PM, Rick - NJ0IP / DJ0IP wrote:
Jerry, thanks for the clarity on the ground.
I wasn't sure if the ground stake for the termination was considered to be
an RF or DC ground.
As for the performance of the Beverage, with all due respect, the Beverage
is an outstanding antenna, not a rotten antenna.
I guess I have about 200 co-members of our contest club who have witnessed
this to, used it time and again.
On our larger contest DX-peditions we always put up at least 4 beverages.
They are fed by a splitter which enables multiple receivers to use the same
beverage, even if they are on different bands.
We hear stuff on the beverage that we can't hear with the verticals, dipoles
or 4-Squares.
I have seen and done this countless times, so I'm not sure why you think
it's a rotten antenna.
For home use, many of our guys use the K9AY "terminated" loop.
Its performance is inferior to a beverage, but on a small city lot, it also
enables hearing weak signals on the low bands which you do not pick up on
the transmit antenna.
Perhaps someone will argue that the resistor introduces some additional
loss, even on receive, but that is a mute point. Without it you would not
have an antenna whose "signal to noise ratio" on that band at that location
is superior to anything else you have.
I'm curious why you said the Beverage is rotten ???
73
Rick
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