Today I was able to install the new North American Beverage receive antenna. The existing NA wire, about 900ft long, was closer to the road and suffered some QRN from power line and street light noise. I felt like there was another layer of stations I could hear and work without the noise, like my EU/JA Beverage which is usually absolutely quiet aside from weather QRN.
This new Beverage is longer, for a total length of 1080 feet (330m). It is pointed just a little bit further to the north at 040 degrees. This should provide good coverage from Maine (025) to Texas (055). Additionally, this antenna is 800 feet further west of the road and QRN sources. Initial daylight testing shows this new antenna to be quieter than the older one.
I am using an older type Beverage transformer for the time being. Once I get my order of binocular cores, I will wind and install a W8JI type transformer, which I find to be superior. Additionally, I have some 2 watt, 470 ohm carbon composition resistors to swap out all of my terminations.
Assuming this antenna outperforms the older one, I will use the wire from the old antenna to give me a third RX direction, to the East. This will help me hear stations in Central and South America, as well as Europe LP on the higher bands (40 and 30m).
Things have been very busy for me over the past couple months. I am currently enrolled in a MA History program (with a focus on WWII) and had a highly ambitious curriculum this semester. That and two major work projects did not leave much free time for radio.