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Fm 2 meter yagi antenna?


i had a 3 element vertical yagi then got hooked on 2m ssb so I changed it to horizontal and I can say that the very distant fm repeaters that I could hit no problem vertical,, I no longer could with the antenna horizontal

I then changed to a very short 10 element horizontal and can hit those distant repeaters but the signals still just don't seem to be as strong fm wise as they were with the 3 element vertical,, but it does great on ssb
 
So running horizontal fm just isn't worth it unless others are also on horizontal fm yogis? I know it's more for ssb but was just wondering if it's a decent option
 
Ok..just wondering if maybe some oddballs work FM with horizontal antennas for greater range.
 
So a 5 element horizontal beam won't increase your distance over a omni? Beam to beam vs omni to omni?


That is not what you said nor what I said. You asked if anyone was using horizontal antennas to increase their range on FM. I said that using horizontal antennas would not increase your range. Take a pair of 5 element yagis both mounted vertical. Now take those same antennas and turn both of them 90 degrees so they are horizontal. There will be no increase in signal and no increase in range. Now you are asking about yagis versus omnidirectional antennas which is a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THING ALTOGETHER.Just because an antenna is vertical does not mean it is an omni. If this is what you were originally meaning then you were not clear on that all. Thoughts do not convey very well over the internet.
 
I ran a pair if 17 element yagi's stacked for 2 meter SSB in the 90's. It worked well but was a pain to install, I had them mounted on an 80' Rohn crank-up tower(antenna's were easily at 100' with mast). Talking to someone 3 or 4 hundred miles was easy on 25 watts and when 2 meter opened most of the US was possible.

A three element yagi will help if you're looking to get into 2 meter SSB but ask around first to see if there is any activity. SSB on 2 has really died off and I have nothing for it anymore.
 
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I'm hoping to get a pair of 13B2's up this summer. Both horizontal but stacked vertically for lower TOA and wider beamwidth than the other way around. They will be going on the tower with other antennas however and the spacing will be lees than optimal but I have hopes they will work decent. They will be at approximately 65 and 75 feet plus or minus a foot or two.
 
There is nothing preventing you from running horizontal on FM as long as all stations are horizontal too. The only thing you need to take into account is a 20 dB signal reduction due to cross polarization, if the other station is vertical. The SSB/CW operators use horizontal polarization to reduce noise (most man made QRM is vertically polarized), and to obtain slightly more distance, since horizontal signals tend to bend over the horizon better than vertical signals. This is due to most natural obstructions being vertical (i.e., trees).
 
2m is dead around here except for the regular nets so I don't ever get to use my IC-271A to it's full potential. I run a Comet vertical on a chimney mount and I can hit every repeater within 50 miles of here and direct to another ham 12 miles away on FM. . We have pretty flat terrain. Spring time comes I'm gearing up for 6 meters for the first time in 29 years with a lightweight 6M Yagi to be installed on one of the W8IO rooftop towers. Probably just going up about 25-30 feet.

Still can't convince myself to put up a real tower for hf.
 
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I'm hoping to get a pair of 13B2's up this summer. Both horizontal but stacked vertically for lower TOA and wider beamwidth than the other way around. They will be going on the tower with other antennas however and the spacing will be lees than optimal but I have hopes they will work decent. They will be at approximately 65 and 75 feet plus or minus a foot or two.
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