Just my observation. If a ground is broken on either end, it will work in one direction and not the other. I have 3 bidirectional ones here. I have not noticed any change whether there are 2 ground rods or 4 at each end. But if one ground gets totally broken it's get out of the chair right now and get the flash light. 73 Hardy N7RT
----- Original Message ----- From: "Guy Olinger K2AV" <olin...@bellsouth.net> To: <he...@vitelcom.net> Cc: "TopBand List" <topband@contesting.com> Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2011 12:00 PM Subject: Re: Topband: Daisey Chained ground rods On Sat, Nov 19, 2011 at 2:38 PM, Herb Schoenbohm <he...@vitelcom.net> wrote: > So the answer is a better ground on the Beverage ends may not buy you > much....but could it hurt you? .... > I am looking for a db here or there which i > probably will never see. IMHO the Beverage grounds, or lack thereof > probably has more to do with pattern shaping anyway. correct? Yeah, from the incoming signals. But common mode is an unwanted violation of the desired pattern. Anything not admitted by the shape of the beverage wire is an unwanted violation of the desired pattern. Perhaps the grounds connected or in proximity shape the admittance of unwanted common mode. What would perplex me the most, is doing the change and not being able to MEASURE it. Do all that work, and already expecting to be unable to hear anything conclusive at the receiver (even if it WAS better), and no DATA to show for it. Figure out some way to do it with test signals and repeatable measurements. Suppose you get something that seems .6 to .3 dB with signals. Take a wire from an XG3 and tape it to the outside of your feed coax from the beverage. Tape it to any conductor in the area that could bring signals in. Develop a way to make accurate relative measurements at the RX. I'd think hard about getting an Elecraft XG3. " I am looking for a db here or there." Yes, indeed. The sport of champions. Something found here, something found there, just that way and you have a folded counterpoise that works. A LOT of ways to bleed one of those to death just a shard of a dB at a time. Probably the reason why that didn't hit the big times a long time ago. Someone had to first run into one that had all its shard wounds cleaned up to see something that could work. Or just go get dirty and clean it up one dB shard at a time. 73, Guy. _______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK _______________________________________________ UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK