Wednesday, January 9, 2019

80m FT8 RX results on beverage antenna


I realize not everyone has the opportunity to connect a large fence wire as a receiving antenna. I don't hope I make people very envious. I just want to show what could be possible with a beverage kind of antenna. But even people with small properties can do it by trying a earth electrode antenna since G3XBM is receiving low bands with that and has similair results! The problem only is the construction of such a earth electrode antenna, I haven't got a clue with the description Roger gives on his website, he doesn't mention you need to transform the impedance as well. Best would be a universal transformer like a antenna tuner so you can match the antenna on several bands. If someone can explain it with a nice drawing and transformer information? I've been searching the internet but so far I can only find results and not a actual build diagram. Even with a small garden this could be a interesting experiment.

Back to the results with the fence "beverage". I started to listen 3530KHz for Japan FT8, but till 21:30UTC nothing was heard. So I switched over to the original 3573KHz and immidiatly saw a few Japanese stations. Why are so many Japanese stations on 3530KHz FT8? Is it for local traffic? It puzzles me since I didn't decode a single station on 3530KHz. The results from last night were astonishing. World wide reception of signals with best DX ZL1AIX from New Zealand (17962km), his signal wasn't even far into the noise...the noise is very low anyway! 

I'm planning a 60m session this evening and night and will switch over to that band shortly after I publish this post.

7 comments:

ON5ZO said...

What I want to know:
- is the S/N better than on your TX antenna?
- do you hear things on the fence beverage that you don't copy on the TX antenna?

Keep the reports coming!

PE4BAS, Bas said...

Hello Franki, on 1,8MHz en 475KHz certainly! On 80m, not shure, have to test it on WSPR, same for 60m. Keep an eye on my experiments it's fun. I'm on 60m FT8 tonight. The mast is still lowered so I can't use my inverted_V TX antenna. 73, Bas

W0BTU said...

That earth antenna is for VLF, and is not a Beverage antenna.
To help a Beverage ground, pour a hot concentration of Epsom salt and water around the rod so it soaks in. My Beverage antenna page explains further.

PE4BAS, Bas said...

Hello Mike, indeed a earth electrode antenna is not a beverage. I might be not so clear in my text. But G3XBM has good results with it on at least 160m and 80m. Since not everyone has the opportunity for a beverage or a fence antenna like me it could be a nice experiment using a earth electrode antenna. After all I write about experiments with my fence "beverage" but in fact I doubt if it is. It is not the classic beverage you write about on your page although it is the same principle. PA3FYM calls it a open beverage. And it seems a open beverage is omnidirectional...my experiments do prove that since reception is not in a certain direction. However I appreciate your help and comments on the topic since you are far more experienced with these kind of antennas. I would like to know how to construct a simple (small) earth electrode antenna for experimentation in small gardens. That includes a "how to" construct a transformer. 73, Bas

W0BTU said...

The rods sound interesting, I might try that someday.

W0BTU said...

I only heard about the dual-ground-rod antenna this month, on the ELF and VLF monitoring, transmission and experimentation group. Very interesting, I suggest you join and look around. :-)
https://m.facebook.com/groups/1646093279024939

PE4BAS, Bas said...

Tnx Mike, I'll take a look. 73, Bas