Gizmotchy Beam Antenna...Coming Review

[Robb]

I had a really nice conversation with the owner of Gizmotchy Antennas today. Few of you might know that they are also the makers/builders of the entire MACO antennas as well. Gizmotchy beam antennas are quite popular to this day. They are hand-made from precision jigs that are held to tight dimensional tolerances. This is also true for the MACO line. Everyone at the factory has hands on to the entire building process for all of their antennas. Including the girl who answers the phone for your questions. She is also well acquainted with any of the products, so one can ask any question and get helped out immediately.

Gizmotchy 10/11 meter beam

Based in Illinois, this is a family owned business that was passed down to Tom Charles in 2000. They also bought out the Wilson line of Amateur antenna products. So we will be seeing some new antennas available to the 10-15-20 meter Yagi designs in the near future as well. The Gizmotchy line presently have beams for 2 and 6 meters available. The WWRF may also be doing a review of one of these in the near future.

Gizmotchy 2 meter beam...

Since the 1960's - with refinements in materials and design

Gizmotchy Antennas

Tom will be sending me a beam with a reflector, radiator, and director element (as shown below). As well as an additional "Power Booster" director element. The Gizmotchy beam antennas are modular in design. One can start out with a single reflector, radiator, and director - and then add on additional "Power Booster" director elements to increase forward gain and further reduce side-to-side RF transmissions. One can upgrade your own when you please - to your own needs and requirements. This modular concept is both practical and economic.

More info to come...stay tuned here!

 

[DIRTYWHITEBOY]

If you can find out the wall thickness and alloy of the tubing.

 

[Robb]

Since has taken over MACO antennas, he has made improvements in materials. He also said that recently he has strengthened/reinforced some of the verticals in particular.

 

[NorthStar]

I'm interested in the 6 meter and 2 meter Antennas far as performance etc.

 

[Robb]

These are the parts being sent.
The antenna can be seen at Palco.

Gizmotchy G31 Antenna - Palco Electronics

Gizmotchy Power Booster - Palco Electronics

 

[TonyV225]

Im adding onto my Gizmotchy this spring although the antennas great just as it is I use it on 10 meters and it really works well.

 

[W6HSA]

I have wanted a 2m Gizmotchy for some time and may order one shortly. For 11 meters, I went with a flat side with a vertical on top as I didn't want the directionality of the Gizmotchy on vertical. I may put up another mast for the omni-vertical and then put up the Gizmotchy. They are really superb antennas.

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

just curious ....
are you buying these for yourself or are they being given or loaned to you for the testing ?
if theyre loaned how long do you have to evaluate them ? how do you plan on mounting them and what other antennas and building are neaby ?

 

[Robb]

just curious ....
are you buying these for yourself or are they being given or loaned to you for the testing ?
if theyre loaned how long do you have to evaluate them ? how do you plan on mounting them and what other antennas and building are neaby ?

The mfr has agreed to give me one for the purposes of evaluating them from the user perspective. I plan to mount it on a 40 ft push-up pole set a 36 ft high. I will have to buy the coax and the antenna switch to be able to test both the effectiveness of horizontal polarization and vertical polarization. All of the buildings around me a flat ranch-type homes; so there will be no masking from metal objects - if that is what you mean.

I also plan to contact Cobra and see if I can get one of the new Cobra148GTL in the coming weeks for review. I also have a few more reviews coming within the next few months.
Thanks for asking...

 

[KingCobra_CDX882]

I am at a loss here..

How does a simple power booster as they call it..
Actually add 4Dbd..

it at best doubles the length..
as such can only at best add 3 Dbi ( not even Dbd )

Also they claim each additional adding of a power booster also adds an additional 4Dbd ( it is not doubling the size of the entire antenna every time another power booster is added )

Seems to me ( like many antennas) Dbd or Dbi claims are exaggerated .

 

[Robb]

I am at a loss here..

How does a simple power booster as they call it..
Actually add 4Dbd..

it at best doubles the length..
as such can only at best add 3 Dbi ( not even Dbd )

Also they claim each additional adding of a power booster also adds an additional 4Dbd ( it is not doubling the size of the entire antenna every time another power booster is added )

Seems to me ( like many antennas) Dbd or Dbi claims are exaggerated .

The "Power Booster" is -of course- an added director for the beam.
As far as Dbd or Dbi claims, it is my opinion that most antenna data given by mfr's are skewed.

There is a guy using a Jo Gunn II beam in my area, and I am going to use that station as a comparative for others to hear and judge between the Gizmotchy beam and his. If I get a friend with a mobile radio directly between the Jo Gunn II station and mine; he should be able to see a relative change in his S-meter. His S-meter reading should be definitive enough if both beam stations are using equivalent low power.

 

[Robb]

BTW - I think a relative comparison is the best way to review claims - as far as beams go...
Especially if most people are leery of published spec.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

it at best doubles the length..
as such can only at best add 3 Dbi ( not even Dbd )

3dB is 3 dB. There is no dBi or dBd when talking about EXTRA gain being added.dBi and dBd are reference points and when talking about gain increase or decrease the reference is the other gain figure quoted. Gain is gain when looking at the DIFFERENCE. It DOES matter when stating the TOTAL gain.
I do agree however that adding one director will NOT add another 4 dB gain. Not even with another buzz word added like "ground gain" that some manufacturers like to use.

 

[Moleculo]

3dB is 3 dB. There is no dBi or dBd when talking about EXTRA gain being added.dBi and dBd are reference points and when talking about gain increase or decrease the reference is the other gain figure quoted. Gain is gain when looking at the DIFFERENCE. It DOES matter when stating the TOTAL gain.
I do agree however that adding one director will NOT add another 4 dB gain. Not even with another buzz word added like "ground gain" that some manufacturers like to use.

Palco is the one that printed 4db. The article that Robb posted from Gizmotchy's site says 3db. I suspect a typo on Palco's page.

 

[Robb]

From Palco Electronics:
-----------------------------
"Gizmotchy Power Booster
Product #1006628

Palco Price:
$75.99 (MSRP $106.00)

Description:
The Charles Gizmotchy™ Power Booster consists of another set of director elements identical to those on the antenna plus an extension boom 45" long. The addition of the first Gizmotchy Power Booster adds approximately 4 db to the forward gain to the antenna. One or more Gizmotchy power boosters may be added to the antenna. The weight of each power booster is 4 lbs."
-----------------------
I suppose it is how one defines 'approximate'.
Does that mean 3.6Db's - and rounding up to 4?
Or - was it a misquote?
Either way, when I review it I will find something definitive.

Since the Gizmotchy has +12Db gain before the add-on director; I should see a minimum of +15Db forward gain with the added director/"Power Booster". This added booster will change the antenna from a 3-element beam - to a 4-element beam.

Now, every 6Db is equivalent to one S-unit. Since my other antenna is an IMAX - with +6Db gain - the difference from the two antennas should be 9Db gain or more. To put it another way, I should see a 1 1/2 S-unit gain difference (9Db's = 1 1/2 S-units) when switching from my IMAX to the Gizmotchy. I'll be using my Dosy 4002-SW as the switching platform since it can handle up to four antennas. SO - that will make the switching and comparing the antennas a breeze.