Reversible Beverage On Ground

Rich McCabe

I think I am going to setup a reversible beverage antenna and in the typical configuration they use a pre-amp for 160 meters.  I have been very happy with the pre-amp in my 6600 so wondering if I need an external unit. The feedpoint for the on ground beverage is 75 ohm and about 10-15 feet from the radio. The unit is fed with two coax's so I would have to rig up a relay to switch it back and forth (for direction) but would rather just use the Flex preamp of possible.

Anyone have experience with this?

Rich

Kam Sirageldin

I run a KD9SV on ground beverage with my 6600M (actually I keep it an average of 2 feet above the ground).. Preamp built into the 6600M works fine. 73 Kam TI5/N3KS

Tom Worthington

You should be able to use the two Rx ports and just switch between them to change directions.

Rich McCabe

Thanks guys. I thought about using two ports but I think that ties up both SCUs so I cant have another band being monitored. Correct?

Tom Worthington

That's correct, I think but you could use a transverter port instead.

Clay N9IO

How long is your BOG Kam?

Kam Sirageldin

It's about 680ft Clay

John - K3MA

Another option is to use.  https://jkantennas.com/jkstore/jk-bevflex-4.html

I have it configured as a BOG 250ft long.  Uses all RG6.  One BOG wire that can be tapped at any point along the BOG.  Can change directions.  The RX lines back to the Flex are 150ft long and the Preamp in the Flex work well enough for 80M and 160M RX.  If you want to use it on higher freq bands then additional preamp might be needed.

John K3MA

Rich McCabe

I looked at that one as well John but in my setup it made things a lot more complicated.  The KD9SV would be much easier to implement and is ready for the elements without adding enclosures.

I might have ran out of time to do this as I live in Iowa and getting ground rods down and staples for the wire is going to be a challenge. Unless we see some 40 degree days.

Joe N3HEE

This is probably too long for optimum directivity and f/b ratios. Try something closer to 200 feet first. Depending on your soil type you may need something a little longer. The preamps in the 6600 will work fine. I use them on my K9AY loops. You can use RXA and XVA for switching directions on 160 meters on the same slice receiver. Joe - N3HEE

Stan VA7NF

I'll disagree with the 200 ft unless you are looking at 20M and higher.
Used two beverages, 575 feet N and S and 400 feet E and W, each with two RG6 feed lines (4 total) which ran into a TV 4:1 switch.  That switch happened to permit two buttons pressed at once so many combinations were available.
I didn't have a need to remote this switch.
An aside, the West direction pointed directly (1000 foot away) at a traffic light coil in ground pickup sensor which created significant EMI.

philip.theis

Here's the test: in the middle of the day when noise is lowest, connect the beverage. Does the noise increase over no antenna connected? If it shows an increase you do not need a preamp.