Compared to the full-size Beverage, all of these antennas are a compromise and should be viewed in that light.  This is not to say that they don't work-they do!  But their performance, compared to a full-sized Beverage is somewhat lower.  That being said, for the topbander who does not have the room or the environment to erect full-sized antennas, installing one of these may mean the difference between hearing only noise and copying weak DX.  Use of a preamp with the snake and BOG is probably a necessity as the gain in both cases is something on the order of -30 dbi or more.

THE SNAKE

As its name suggests, this is an antenna which looks like a thin black snake since it is made of RG-58 coax and was designed to lie on the ground.  The original article by the late Doug DeMaw, W1FB appeared in QST several years ago; some who built it found it to be a very quiet antenna, excellent for contacts out to about 2000 miles, and very directional.  But beyond that distance many found that the antenna lacked the gain required to hear the weak DX, even with a preamp.  However, others who installed it found just the opposite and some still employ it today in circumstances where a full-sized Beverage is an impossibility.

                            At "A" above is the original snake antenna from W1FB.  At" "B is a variant which seems to work
                                     better than the original.

Another variant of this antenna was produced by W0CM several years ago and it is detailed below.  This version is supported above ground  3-8 feet and is more like a low Bev than the original snake.  Employed in the 160M "black hole" of the midwest, this version apparently does work for DX.  It appears to be much better than an inverted "L" or vertical for receive, and it compares favourably with a shielded loop, according to N0AX.  As for pattern, it appears to be bi-directional off both ends.

Length of coax required: 125 feet
Type of coax: RG58
Dimensions: "A"=100 ft if foam coax and 88 ft if solid dielectric
                      "B"=25 ft if foam coax and 37 ft if solid dielectric
A good ground rod (at least 4 feet) and a 125 foot long radial attached to it and running under the antenna are required to make the antenna perform properly.

At points 2, 3 and 4, SOLDER THE BRAID AND THE CENTRE CONDUCTOR of the coax together.  Note that the braid is opened at these points to gain access to the centre conductor.
At the feedpoint, CONNECT THE INNER CONDUCTOR OF THE FEEDLINE TO THE ANTENNA'S COAX SHIELD and the shield of the feedline to the centre conductor of the snake.  Likewise, connect the ground rod and radial to the CENTRE conductor of the antenna at point #1.

                                                       The modified snake antenna as designed by W0CM
 

THE BOG ANTENNA ("Beverage on Ground")

The BOG is nothing more than an insulated length of wire lying on the ground and pointing in the direction of desired reception.  It appears to be the forerunner of the Beverage and is described by the late Harold Beverage in  writings prior to his publishing the work on the now-famous antenna which bears his name.

Like the Beverage antenna, it is terminated at the opposite end from the feed point but unlike the Beverage the value of the terminating resistor must be found by experimentation.  I have not seen much literature dealing with this type of antenna, but it does seem to work, especially if the wire can be made long enough.  For instance, with 600 feet of wire a terminating resistor of about 200 ohms appears to work and provide a reasonable match using a 9:1 transformer at the fed end.  Gain appears to be well below -30dbi but the antenna is very quiet and numerous topbanders have reported using it effectively for DX when a good preamp is installed.  I can verify that the BOG antenna does work....I used about 350 feet of wire with a terminating resistor of 270 ohms and found that the antenna is directional and that a preamp is definitely required.

THE LOW BEVERAGE ANTENNA

This antenna is very similar to the actual Beverage antenna except that it is erected at a very low height.  I have had very good results with a 550 foot model just 30 inches above ground aimed due south.  Instead of the regular 450 ohm terminating resistor used with the Beverage at 8-10 feet, I found that I needed about 780 ohms to effect a good match.

My low Beverage is erected each November and removed in late spring; it runs across a neighbour's plowed field and is placed on electric fence insulators attached to the steel stakes designed for fencing.  This antenna is very directive and very quiet; it allows me to hear Caribbean and SA DX while reducing signals of east coast and midwest KW stations substantially. Gain is not too far below an antenna erected at the recommended height of 8-10 feet, and so I do not generally use a preamp with this antenna.

I ran one low Bev along a page wire fence one winter but found it too noisy, the result of coupling to the fence wire which in turn picked up hydro line noise from nearby power lines.  One antenna was run through a hedge at about 40 inches high has provided good results for a friend.  There are applications for this antenna where a full-sized Beverage cannot be installed.  One thing is certain...this low Bev is quieter than my permanently installed 550 foot antenna at a height of 10 feet and pointed just 30 degrees off.  Gain does not appear to be greatly diminished, and were it not for the fact that a low Bev is not compatible with a herd of cows, I would lower the other Beverage to 30 inches.