1. Carl Luetzelschwab K9LA k9la@arrl.net http://k9la.us
Beverages and BOGs
Carl Luetzelschwab K9LA
NWIDXC Dec 2016 K9LA

2. 160-Meter DXCC Received my 5BDXCC in 1987 when we lived in Texas
Started on 160-Meter DXCC when we moved back north in 1988
160-Meter DXCC from Indiana seemed easier than 80-Meter DXCC from Texas
Closer to EU in Indiana
Another hop to EU from Texas
Better transmit antenna in Indiana
Inverted-L with elevated radials vs half-sloper in Texas
Higher power – 1 kW in Indiana vs 400 W in Texas
Quieter location – rural Indiana vs residential Texas
NWIDXC Dec 2016 K9LA

3. My Inverted-L Served Me Well
Achieved DXCC on 160-Meters using the inverted-L for receive
On a typical winter night with the inverted-L, my S-meter hovers around S3 (about -103 dBm) in a 500 Hz bandwidth
But I was not hearing many other countries spotted by others and locals (K9UWA, KR9U, KD9SV)
NWIDXC Dec 2016 K9LA

4. Trials and Tribulations
I tried an EWE (WA2WVL design in QST) oriented towards EU
Hardly ever saw any improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)
Thus it didn’t stay up long
Tried short Beverages – about 250ft
To the East - showed SNR improvement
To the South – more noise with the Beverage!
NWIDXC Dec 2016 K9LA

5. Put Up the SAL-20 SAL = Shared Apex Loop
20 refers to 20ft horizontal base of each of the four triangular loops
8-directions, 40ft diameter footprint
Control is thru RG-6 coax
Only one line to antenna
SNR improved significantly
I could hear stations that weren’t there on the inverted-L
See the April 2014 QST for my review
NWIDXC Dec 2016 K9LA

6. Tried the KD9SV RBOG
The “R” stands for reversible, which means you can electronically switch it from forward to reverse
200ft length recommended for 160-Meters
ENE / WSW RBOG – most of the time it gave a better SNR than the SAL-20
N9FN has NE/SW and NW/SE RBOGS
Uses it on 80m, too, with external preamp
Caution – RF on BOG coax in transmit
May need front-end protection
Caution – proximity to AM broadcast station
May need high pass filter
See the September/October 2015 NCJ for my review
NWIDXC Dec 2016 K9LA

7. Never tried . . . Pennant Flag K9AY
Other variations of small receive antennas
Receive 4-Square
My opinion – if you’re going to put up a 4-Square, make it for transmit, too
NWIDXC Dec 2016 K9LA

8. RDF Receiving Directivity Factor
Main lobe gain versus average gain at all angles
Allows a theoretical comparison of different antennas
Caution – definition assumes noise arrives from all directions around the compass
But noise is directional in nature
Caution – many people focus on F/B as it’s easy to measure
But I believe RDF trumps F/B unless noise arrives off the back
NWIDXC Dec 2016 K9LA

9. RDF of Various Antennas
NWIDXC Dec 2016 K9LA

10. Beverage Performance
NWIDXC Dec 2016 K9LA

11. BOG Performance
NWIDXC Dec 2016 K9LA

12. Tips for Beverages and BOGs
4ft copper ground rods appear to be adequate for my QTH (in other words, my ground parameters)
Your mileage may vary
Might want to try a common-mode choke on the feed line
I see about 4 dB more noise with a 75 ohm resistor terminating the coax at the antenna than with a 75 ohm resistor terminating the input of the preamp in the shack
Noise getting onto the coax
For a BOG installation
Use rake or blower to keep leaves (dry and wet) and dirt and other debris off the wire – don’t let it get buried
NWIDXC Dec 2016 K9LA