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antenna project pdl-II made into a quagi please help antenna qurus!

Sweet deal on getting a truck! That will make life easier for you.
As far as my antenna goes, I haven't messed with it much! I'm becoming a puss when it comes to heat and we have had a record breaking summer with 113 degree days. Now that it's not getting into the 100s I'll venture out more and get the show on the road. I have all the parts I need the only thing left to buy is the coax and control wire.
I have a welder building a henge plate, and base plate. I'll be using twenty foot of tower for a deadman to winch up the antenna tower.
Good luck with your project.
 
The four element PDL is almost finished! My tech is going to build a new gamma for the horizontal side. We built and installed a new one on the vertical side today! 1.1 SWR on twenty and tuned with a MFJ tuner.
I tried to upload pics but apparently the files are to big. I'll figure that one out later.
We have about twenty hours time invested in the last two days. I still have to drive a screw through two hubs to lock them to the boom so they won't ever turn on the boom. Check all connections and hardware.
My welder has been sent out of town till this weekend so the tower won't be ready for this cool antenna for a week or two. At least I will have plenty of time to check and seal this baby up.
This build has been a blast and I can already tell it will definitely worth the work and money invested.
I'll try and figure out how to size the pics so I can post em!! (y)
 
I had a guy about 25 miles from me that went from a pdl2 to a moonraker 4 at the same height having both up at the same height. the moonraker had a very slight edge on my meter. Not very high tech but maybe a db difference. I like the idea of a pdl 4. You will rock irock lol!
 
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PDL 4 specs available ??

Hi all ... anyone willing to share any specs on the PDL 4 ???
I have all the parts and spars to do this ..

TNXS (y)
 
Master Control said:
Hi all ... anyone willing to share any specs on the PDL 4 ???
I have all the parts and spars to do this ..

TNXS (y)
Click to expand...

I know a guy that made a four element out of his PDL2, and it seemed to worked very well. I don't have any details for the dimensions however.

All I can tell you for sure is he used a basic PDL2 on a Moonraker boom that I think was about 16' feet long. I have no idea what the wire dimensions were...and that could be the most important factor to get right. Maybe you could consider the PDL2's reflector and driven elements to remain stock, and then add the new director wires maybe 2% - 5% smaller than the driven element wire.

As far as spacing went, he just spread his elements out...as the hubs would permit on the Moonraker boom. The MR boom has a extra support tube in the middle that is 55" long and the hubs will not fit on this part of the boom in the middle, they will only fit over the tube ends. I don't know how he dealt with that issue if the PDL2's boom is not the same diameter as the ends of a Moonraker. He also had a support setup for the boom to help keep it straight without drooping.

I think I remember him telling me the new wires he added for the 2 directors were both the exact same length. The old man died, or I would ask him some questions.

How about asking the guy in this thread that claimed to be building one of the antennas.

Good luck and welcome to the fourm. Keep us posted on your progress.
 
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On the 11 meter band? No idea, but there's been quite a few used on other bands. There doesn't seem to be any huge significant benefit though. Try 'googling' "quagi antenna", you'll get a few hits.
- 'Doc
 
IMG_0803.JPG This is one of several that are in use today! I love it. It's directional as heck on transmit and receive! I can't recall right now what the gain is but I do remember the number is impressive. I adjusted most of the day that it went up the last time and have flat swr's. Tuned 50 ohms on channel 20. The guy that designed these is designing a set of stacked three element PDLs. That will be a crazy directional antenna. Anyway I love mine and will continue using them! Thanks
 
I tuned mine for ten i love it and have worked the world just looking for an edge in pileups and more rejection, its ready for some maintenance before winter so i thought of adding a element or 2 to it and not yagi. thats a good picture i might be able to judge some measurements from it. Has anyone figured if the element wire length were smaller toward the front
 
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Director elements are slightly shorter than the driven element, something on the order of 5% give or take some. Typically, all the directors are the same length. If they are -close- is the biggy, a micrometer isn't necessary to do that measuring. Adding elements to an antenna will result in lowering the input impedance so count on having to re-tune the thing. May not be much, but it will make a difference.
Then you get to think about the diminishing return of additional directors, that's a mechanical thingy to a large extent. The first or second director addition can make a very noticeable difference in 'directivity/gain'. After that there's not a -huge- difference. Whatever amount of effort makes you happy...
- 'Doc
 
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I have all the drawings and measurements in the radio room! When I'm not dragin major as*, from work, I'll get them scanned and post em! Off the cuff, there's a 5% reduction as you move forward!? My gammas are made from scratch and have been known to handle large power! The non conductive hub is machined from Nylatron! If you know of 2-0, (Nick) in Guthrie, OK. he's the man. He stands by 3A most of the time. He has a 4 in the clouds! Reach out and touch him! He hears very well up there!

Have fun
 
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Has anyone figured if the element wire length were smaller toward the front[/QUOTE]

Yes they are 5% shorter! The separation between is kinda crucial too! I'll get ya the measurements that mine are set too!!!

One thing about these is, they don't like ice, ie, freezing rain! But after using mine in OK., the friggn freezing rain capital of the world, "seems like", I won't trade!
 
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sweet! thanks man! yup i know what you mean my stock pdl 2 didnt like the last winter ice storm but i fixed her up, i am going to add a director and find its sweet spot with a field strength meter and another station (my dad) about 4 miles away. then add one more element and repeat tuning. no hurry i don't even have all my tower sections yet and that crap is hard to find at a reasonable price!
 
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IRock817 said:
View attachment 11360 This is one of several that are in use today! I love it. It's directional as heck on transmit and receive! I can't recall right now what the gain is but I do remember the number is impressive. I adjusted most of the day that it went up the last time and have flat swr's. Tuned 50 ohms on channel 20. The guy that designed these is designing a set of stacked three element PDLs. That will be a crazy directional antenna. Anyway I love mine and will continue using them! Thanks
Click to expand...
i have an extra pdl-2.....would it be possible to send me all the specs.?thanks
 

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