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BevFlex-4X Installation Manual Rev 2.23 November 2019
262-644-9036
11. Frequently Asked Questions about the BevFlex-4X
1. What is unique about the BevFlex-4X product?
The Unified Microsystems BevFlex-4X is a kit that allows you to construct the best possible, reversible direction, low
frequency, receiving antenna system for your particular situation. By simply changing jumpers on the termination
boxes, you can create a classic, above ground Beverage, Beverage on ground (BOG), Flag, inverted EWE antenna,
or VE3DO antenna. No other product on the market offers the ability to create all five configurations and CHANGE
them if and when your installation situation changes. Although the classic Beverage antenna configuration should
yield the best results, the BevFlex-4X kit allows you to experiment and find what works best for you within the
limitations of your location.
2. With five possible configurations, which one is the best?
That all depends on the real estate you have available and which directions are most important to you for low noise,
low frequency, receiving. All five
configurations have been and still are successfully used by world class DX’ers. As
a general rule, the performance rating order would be:
Beverage
- The longer, the better (200 to 1000 ft.), Installed above ground
BOG
- Same concept as Beverage, but placed on the ground
—can be much shorter, but has reduced gain,
particularly at higher frequencies.
Flag
- A balanced antenna with two parallel above ground conductors. It requires considerable planning with regard
to the supporting structure. The Flag produces higher signal levels than EWE or VE3DO antennas. Flag antennas
can be constructed to be rotatable.
Inverted EWE
– An unbalanced, short, above ground, antenna with simple support requirements.
VE3DO
- A balanced antenna with two parallel above ground conductors. Similar performance to EWE, but has
higher signal levels and only requires one ground rod.
(The FLAG, inverted EWE, and VE3DO require MUCH less physical space than either the Beverage or the BOG.)
3. What is the main difference between a Beverage and a BOG configuration?
The Beverage antenna is installed ABOVE ground
—typically 7-10 ft. above the surface, while the BOG is installed at
or just below (less than 1”) the surface of the ground. It can be installed in sod as a BIS (Beverage In Sod). A BOG
can generally be made much shorter than the above ground, Beverage, due to its lower velocity of propagation
factor. The BOG can provide similar results to an above ground Beverage twice the physical length of the BOG, but
with a reduction in overall gain.
4. What is the main difference between a FLAG and an inverted EWE antenna configuration?
The FLAG antenna is a balanced antenna configuration, while the inverted EWE is unbalanced. In simple terms, the
inverted EWE looks much like half of a FLAG antenna. The FLAG requires a slightly more complex installation due
to having two parallel wire elements above ground, while the inverted EWE only requires one. Several users of the
inverted EWE claim enhanced results in poor conductivity soil, by placing a small ground radial field at each end of
the antenna or by connecting the two ground rods with a wire that is buried in the ground between them. This is not
required for the FLAG configuration.
5. What is special or new about this Beverage antenna kit vs. others that are available?
