Photos - Beverage Construction


The midpoint of the 1000 foot Europe Beverage, just before Geoff soldered it on 24 February 2003. The solid #14 copper is tied, then wrapped mechanically around a stainless bolt/nut/washer arrangement, then twisted, soldered, and waterproofed for the ages. Soldering in the wind was fun with the propane torch.	Look closely and you'll see the tops (yes, the TOPS) of the towers at PJ2T. This was taken about 400 feet from the Europe Beverage's feedpoint, and gives an idea of the height of the terrain negotiated to install this antenna. The 40 meter yagi you're looking down on is 107 feet high!

Here's the Europe Beverage (wrapped around the tree branch) at about the 450 foot point, looking down toward the feedpoint. These trees are incredibly rigid hardwood; they grow very very slowly and live for many decades.	At the 200 foot point of the Beverage, once again looking DOWN on the top of the PJ2T antenna farm. (Note one section of the Europe tower sporting sand-colored primer paint.)

Finally, the Europe Beverage feedpoint -- the 9:1 transformer in a K1FZ KB-1 box waterproofed and with the feedline connected. W0CG's XYL, Cindy, waited patiently below in the cactus and thorns as he tossed a rock over the edge. She tied on the RG8-X and Geoff hauled it up and connected it. (Thanks to K8ND for the transformer, and to W1MD for 350 feet of RG8-X coax.)	Sorry about the fuzz, but this is interesting: the Beverage on 1834.3 at the feedpoint. Without the crow's foot radials deployed, the SWR was needle-pegged high. As each of the 35 foot radials was laid out on the rock, the SWR dropped, with this final result. It is even better on 80 meters. The "ground" here at the feedpoint is not ground at all, but very porous limestone rock. Soil depth = 0. (Thanks NP2L for the MFJ meter!)

Here's the feedline running down over the 50 foot high cliff edge to the bottom -- look for the black RG-8X. This cable runs 350 feet through a cactus and thorn field below to a point across the road from the PJ2T lot. We run a temporary jumper across the road, and take it up in the morning. Eventually, we'll dig a ditch across the asphalt road, install conduit, and hot-fill it. The feedline from this road-crossing point will be RG-213 Bury-Flex, installed in a tough waterproof jacket to protect from abrasion. This'll be installed the week of 10-17 March 2003.	Finally, a zoomed-in view of PJ2T from the Europe Beverage feedpoint. Lots of coax to get from here down there to the shack!