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From: jhs@mitre-bedford.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.ham-radio
Subject: Re: beverages
Message-ID: <2245@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 18-Oct-85 12:39:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.2245
Posted: Fri Oct 18 12:39:44 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 21-Oct-85 06:06:15 EDT
Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA
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He doesn't know what beverages are?  Why, they are things that you drink!

There is a technical term also -- a Beverage antenna is a long, low,
highly directional traveling wave antenna.

According to the ARRL Antenna Handbook, anything over one wavelength is
effective, but the directionality and gain will improve if you make it
longer.  A height of 10 to 20 feet above ground is about right.  The far
end (in the favored direction) should be terminated in a resistor which should
ideally be equal to the characteristic impedance of the antenna, which acts
like an unbalanced transmission line.  The ARRL book says 500 to 600 ohms is a
typical impedance.  At the feedpoint, a matching network is needed to match
the 500 - 600 ohms to the feed line.  Or else open wire line of this impedance
can be used to bring the signal to the receiver, but then a matching network
may be needed at that point.

The Beverage antenna is said to be very effective for DX reception from a
single direction.  If you use it for transmitting, half the power is lost in
the terminating resistor, but you do get gain and directivity.

Having never used one, that's about all I know about it.

					73,
					John S., W3IKG