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Reviews For: BevFlex-4X Receive Antenna System

Category: Antennas: VLF/LF/HF Receive only

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Review Summary For : BevFlex-4X Receive Antenna System
Reviews: 14MSRP: 349.95 USD
Description:
The BevFlex-4X, now manufactured by Unified Microsystems, is an improved version that builds on the success of The unique W8GNM designed BevPro-1 and JK BevFlex-4 systems. The BevFlex-4X is the basis of the best low band, low noise, antenna system for your station and property size limitations. Build a Beverage, Beverage-On-Ground (BOG), EWE, FLAG, or VE3DO loop type antenna.

These antenna configurations normally receive in one direction, but the BevFlex-4X allows you to instantly switch to the reverse direction. The BevFlex-4X Beverage/BOG configurations use inexpensive RG-6 coax as the antenna element.

The unique design allows feeding it at any point along the antenna, not just the ends, so you can feed it at the point closest to the shack.

Product is in production
More Info: http://www.unifiedmicro.com/bevflex4x.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00144.9
KR4AE Rating: 2021-03-12
Great Product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have been an active ham and medium wave/AM broadcast band dxer for many years and have always been intrigued with signal reception with wire antennas in all shapes and forms! For many years, I have utilized bogs ( beverage on the ground ), but have never attempted to make them bidirectional because its not a easy task and sometimes results can be disappointing. Having been aware of the Bev Flex Antenna System and reading nothing but positive reviews, I decided to take the plunge and I am extremely satisfied not only with the quality of construction of the components , but the results are amazing! Not only can I determine the direction I would like to hear off the ends with a flip of a switch in my shack, their system seems to match the antenna better than anything I have used before resulting in a stronger signals!

First I started with a 420 foot beverage at their recommended height of 8-10 feet and installed the system according to their well written instructions and all I can say is WOW! There is nothing like being able to flip the switch in your shack and change signal nodes 180 degrees on both the lower ham bands and broadcast band not to mention the much, much lower noise floor! Also, the fact that it's designed for 75 ohm , lower cost RG 6 was a big factor in me finally purchasing the system.

The beverage system impressed me so much with it's performance that two weeks later I purchased another complete Bev Flex 4X and installed my first EWE antenna that's shown in their manual which I made a little larger based on it being used for medium wave/broadcast band dxing along with the lower ham bands.. I also have it going in a different direction than my beverage. It was constructed at 15 feet high and 50 feet long which is an ideal listening antenna for small lots, etc. I am actually amazed at how well the EWE works for it's size and it's wonderful to have another antenna where I can reverse directions! What's really surprising is the gain of the signals on that small of an antenna and how quiet it is ! It is really a great antenna!

Even though I have been a ham for many years and a broadcast band/medium wave dxer for years, this is the first review I have ever written. but I just wanted to express my gratitude to United Microsystems and their Bevflex 4X system. Quality products are greatly appreciated!!
W8FN Rating: 2021-03-03
Amazing performance from a simple antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I installed one of the BevFlex-4X systems last fall, oriented NE-SW in the woods on my semi-rural western North Carolina property. Due to space constraints, I was only able to squeeze in a total span of 350 feet, with the feedpoint placed about 230 feet from the NE end. The antenna has provided an amazing improvement to my receive capability on the low bands. The shorter length still has good directional switching down to about 1200 kHz, and as a bonus is quite effective even on 20 meters. I routinely run my K3S in Diversity receive mode on the bands up through 20 meters, and this provides a very worthwhile performance improvement in copy of signals with QSB in the lower bands. I frequently hear Q5 signals on the Beverage that are completely inaudible on the main transmit antenna. Although I'm blessed with a fairly quiet location, there is often a noticeable reduction of noise on the Beverage as well.

I'm so pleased with the performance of the BevFlex-4X that I will be installing a second one running perpendicular (SE-NW) to the first. I've built up an outdoor relay switching unit that takes the place of the supplied desktop directional switch unit that will allow me to select one of the four directions and bring a single RG-6 feed into the shack through my surge-protected receiver antenna entry panel.

If you have the room to put up one of these antennas you'll find it gives a lot of performance at low cost. The use of commonly available RG-6 coax for the antenna itself makes it mechanically much more robust than conventional Beverages made from wire, and the ability to locate the feedpoint anywhere along the length of the span allows minimizing the length of feedline to the station . The dual feed can use "siamese" twin RG-6 coax that's inexpensive and readily available online. The BevFlex-4X is a great design that works well. Try it, you'll like it.
NO9E Rating: 2020-02-05
Outstanding performance Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have two 600 ft long installed in the woods. Very clear reception on 160-40, often with FM like signals from distant DX. Also works on 20m with reduced sensitivity. No preamplifier needed on 160-40.

The beverages are attached to trees at about 6-15 ft with looped tie wraps, and the ends are attached with extra leeway to allow for fallen tree branches. Some branches fell, with quick repair. Elevated beverage has much stronger signals than BOG.

The provided switching works only for one beverage. Now I use Green Heron RX8 switch. With hotkeys, all directions can be checked in a fraction of a second, and 2 outputs are available.
N9JKP Rating: 2019-09-18
Awesome execution of a bi-directional Beverage antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just received two of these. Winter is coming and I wanted to get two sets of beverages (NE-SW and NW-SE) running before it snows. My goal is to have the coax strung up through my woods before December. I seriously looked at wire beverages and building ones which would allow reception from both ends of the beverage wire.
I had read about using coax for the receiving wire. I ran across this design by W8GNM. It seemed to be exactly what I was looking for and it would only need me to add the coax and grounding rods A new manufacturer, right here in Wisconsin was gearing up to make them.
I pre-ordered two sets and just got them a couple of weeks ago. They look well made and the service I have received from them rates a five. It will be a few weeks before they are operational and when they are I will update this review.
Given that winter will be here before you know it, I thought I would do this early review so if you are looking for something like this you can get it in time for the "quiet" time of the year on the lower bands.
W3HKK Rating: 2019-01-12
so far so good Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Been working hard on 160m these past few years using an Inv-L ( 52 ft vert, qtr wave) and a SAL-30 rx antenna with pretty good results. Now 155/128 on Top Band. But Ive noticed the heavyweights on the band all use some version of the Beverage antenna to pull weak sig DX out of the mud.

My SAL30 does a good job but noise can be an issue, so I thought about the Beverage. However my lot measures 200x600 with the house/shack in the middle, making for a long run of RG6 from one end back to the shack. When I saw the JK BevFlex4, the RBOG option appealed. So I laid it out as a 300 ft antenna running NE-SW. But on RX, most signals were too weak to copy, the F/B was limited, and the SNR didnt manifest itself. I probably could have used a 25dB or so preamp, but opted to raise the antenna off the ground instead.

As we speak, I am using a 305 ft NE/SW above ground Beverage that averages 4-5 ft high in a series of arcs between its temporary supports, and the results to date have been quite good.

Now I recognize the 305' length is short for a Beverage, but it produces a consistant F/B of 12-24 dB from its favored directions. The manual Control unit ( no DC required) lets me change directions. And maybe most important of all is the fact that the two feedlines connect at any point along the antennas length. In my case, about 100 ft from the NE end lets me run 100 ft of RG6x2 to my shack, rather than a much longer pair of feedlines from either end of the antenna.

I still have some low level noise issues even with the Beverage, but it does quite well for such a short Beverage.

Next year, I may move it to the south PL and extend the antenna to 600 ft. That means sacrificing my current European heading in favor of a due E/W orientation. But for the present I will continue to test its performance as is for the rest of the 160m season.

In summary, my results as an unamplified RBOG were disappointing, but as a traditional above ground Beverage it looks to be first rate.

The developers are very willing to work with you through any issues you may have.

PS I have no plans to use it in the other two configurations.
W6IZT Rating: 2018-03-04
A great performing receive antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
At first I was skeptical about this product. At my previous QTH I had several existing single wire beverages in place. I was offered a unit to evaluate, but passed as I was happy with my existing receive antennas.

We moved to a new QTH about 6 months ago, and I just don't have the space to put up 6-8 unidirectional beverages. I looked at the SAL30 as well as a Waller Flag, but opted to try the BevFlex.

I ran 3 ea. 600 foot lengths of RG-6 strung over tree branches, and terminated the ends with the supplied terminations, and a single 4 ft ground rod. Installation was easy. Since the feed point can be installed at any point along the antenna, I was able to minimize to length of the coax back to the shack.

So do they work? In a word YES! In my opinion as well as a single wire beverage of comparable length. RG-6 is strong, inexpensive, and will need less maintenance. With my single wire beverages I had to inspect the antennas by walking the entire length to check for damage. With an antenna made from coax I can use the TDR function of my VNA to check for any anomalies from the shack.

If you're looking for a good, cost effective receive antenna, then you should give this product a close look.

In my opinion this is antenna is a great option for DXpeditions, as it performs well, and can be installed in much less time than loops, or phased arrays.
AB4KJ Rating: 2017-12-29
Excellent low noise receive antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased the BevFlex last year as another beverage option. I really like the flexibility of the product. A single RG-6 cable serves as the antenna for both directions. That's an advantage over most other beverage antenna products. What's really nice is the feed point back to the shack can be located at any point along the antenna. This makes installation much easier and reduces the lengths of the cable runs back to the shack. Moreover, the product can be configured as a beverage, a bog, a flag, or other flag variant. It's great for experimenting with different antennas, whether ground dependent or non-ground dependent. Last year I set it up as a standard beverage for a contest. When I was done I reconfigured it as a Misek steerable array using the NCC-1 variable phasor. I used this for bcb dxing. My next use for it will be as a reversable flag and then possibly a reversible dkaz. The product is well made and no issues here in cold midwest. I would recommend it. Also, the technical support is great. I even had the designer and creator of the antenna respond to a technical application question I had.
N8RR Rating: 2017-11-21
Excellent Performance Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is my 2nd season using the JK Bevflex-4. It is very convenient being able to feed the system anywhere within the antenna length with no sacrifice in performance.

I first tried the antenna as a BOG, in two different locations on the property. Both of these spots were over solid rock, not the best spot for any BOG. On the last one, oriented NE/SW, I raised the antenna off the ground and extended the length, making about a 400' beverage. The performance at this spot was great and compared very favorably to a standard single wire NE beverage to EU in side by side comparison. It also compared favorably with a Hi Z triangle vertical array, although the beverage was usually quieter. The front to back ratio when switching SW was excellent. A previous bi-directional beverage tried here was a failure due to attenuation in the back direction.

In the fall of 2017 the JK Beflex-4 was relocated again in bi-directional beverage configuration in a SE/NW orientation. The performance in this new spot is fantastic. Very low noise and the directivity is excellent. Output on both forward and reverse directions seems equal. No external receive preamp is necessary. The antenna is used on 160/80/40 meters.

I have not tried the antenna in EWE or flag configuration.

It is a real advantage being able to feed the antenna at a convenient point, instead of feeding it on one end.

73 Charlie N8RR
WW3S Rating: 2017-02-24
works great as a EWE Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
been wanting a RX antenna for some time, but small lot in the sub-division means antenna space is a minimum, and the back yard is full....I had some room in the front yard for a small rx antenna, and started to make my own EWE, but needed the transformer, etc...when searching for a commercial source for the transformer, I found JK website....a pre purchase email to the company resulted in a prompt courteous reply, answered all my questions, so I bought online....a few days later actually got a phone call from the company, saying the order would be delayed a few days, while they hand tuned the components and did I mind waiting (great customer service) !!!! a few days later the box arrived, I cut some feedlines, and I tried to install it in the front yard using a few available trees as supports....it failed miserably !!!!! so I built a couple of tripod supports out of 2x2 and pressure treated wood, 12 ft high....my EWE is 10 ft vertical elements, and 38ft spacing....everything wired (75 ohm catv coax) as a the instructions and diagram indicate, but it appears to be backwards (did I say its reversible?) so another quick email to the company resulted in another quick reply with "oops, we goofed, the diagram is correct for a beverage but backwards for the EWE (did I mention this kit of components will do 4 different type RX antennas!!!) reverse your forward and reverse feedlines....so I did and WOW !!!! what an antenna for 160M !!!!.....and the broadcast band....I'm sitting here tonight listening to the 160 SSB contest, and a station in Quebec (my ne direction) is full scale, but when I reverse it (sw) I can barely hear him....I'm in NW PA, just south of Lake Erie, and with my NE/SW orientation, I can pull in Boston on 1030 to the NE, and when reversed, get the Kansas City station, with Boston knocked down to next to nothing....a few days after my last email, I got a new printed manual from them, with the corrections to the EWE diagram, again, great customer service.....honestly, I havent noticed a big difference on 80m, but on 160, I'm hearing EU, etc that I cant hear on my inverted L....worked 3 different KH6 on 160 during the ARRL test, last night, I heard 9K2HN for the first time ever, not even a whisper on the TX antenna....like most rx antennas, the signals are much lower on the antenna, but so is the noise...if you are looking for a commercial vendor, equipment right out of the box (everything but feedlines and support) I wouldnt hesitate to purchase another one, if I only had room !!!!!
AC4G Rating: 2014-08-11
Its a Keeper Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have used classic wire Beverage antennas for low band DXing. I always wanted to be able to switch directions at an affordable cost, but most commercial vendors require this, that, and other things to get them to perform.

Last Fall (2013) right after speaking to the Pixel representative at the 2013 Huntsville Hamfest and after talking to the Team Leader of the Mozambique C82DX DXPedition, I had made up my mind to purchase a Bev-Pro-1 system due to its performance on the books and its ability to switch directions.

I was sold on the hype, so I bought one Bev-Pro-1 system and configured at my QTH (location) in the NE-SW directions. Its performance was as good as my classic uni-directional beverage, but the Bev-Pro-1 provided me bi-directional switching at a reasonable price. It was so convenient and worked so good that I bought another Bev-Pro-1 system and configured if NW-SE directions. Wow, I was able to work so much DX on 160m and 80m into Europe. It was amazing even to bag the 2014 Granddaddy DXpedition in January/February 2014, FT5ZM on 160, 80m,40m using this Bev-Pro-1 receiving setup. Yes, I also worked C82DX. Since then I have added even more DX to my collection as the most recent was VK3IO on 160m CW summer 2014; Spring 2014 9M2 on 40m; HSO on 80m; VU7 Anndoman and Laccadives on 80m approaching my antipode; K9W-Wake Island; and others too numerous to mention.

I typically do not write reviews, but this system is a keeper and made me a believer. For the first time in my 36 years as a ham, I am now able to hear those hidden signals below the noise that I never was able to hear, but knew they were there since other hams spotted them on the DX clusters. The signal to noise ratio is so amazing and much better with this system than any loop, dipole, or vertical that I used in the past for the low bands!

I have recently obtained the Bev-Pro-4 and it works like a champ to be able to switch directions with the flip of a switch like the Bev-Pro-1, but allows more configurations other than the classic Beverage!

If you have the space, this is definitely worth the investment. The team at Pixel is great and also can answer any of your technical questions.
I am happy to share my secret with you and trust you might consider one of the Bev-Pro systems.

Happy low band DXing and hope to CU in the pileups!

Bruce