Ok...since it's been a while I'll post up again. 314 I'm still dying to know if you got this up and how it is working. If I don't hear anything back soon I'm going to have to buy one myself just for a test.
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Base Hex Beam for 11 Meters!
- Thread starter Riverman
- Start date
BJ radionut
Supporting Member and 6m addict
the Maxon he had up has "slightly" more gain that the HEXBEAM...but so small likely he never noticed the difference.
The True gain of the Mono-band Hexbeam is just "slightly" better than 3 db over a DIPOLE...
The real advantage is the Front to Back rejection you get with the HEX or Maxon over the dipole at same height
The True gain of the Mono-band Hexbeam is just "slightly" better than 3 db over a DIPOLE...
The real advantage is the Front to Back rejection you get with the HEX or Maxon over the dipole at same height
BJ radionut
Supporting Member and 6m addict
BJ, I think I noticed in working with my Hex model that was constructed as a monoband at 28MHz, that my fine tuning had to be done at the low end of the band.
This is not to say I understand this antenna, but again I seem to remember thinking about this at some point back then. I think it was after I read somebody talking about being at the low end of the band, and/or else losing the nice bandwidth.
Is this making any sense?
This is not to say I understand this antenna, but again I seem to remember thinking about this at some point back then. I think it was after I read somebody talking about being at the low end of the band, and/or else losing the nice bandwidth.
Is this making any sense?
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BJ radionut
Supporting Member and 6m addict
Not sure Marconi. I have certainly told op's if they want to use a 10 meter rated antenna and use it for 11 meter also. Most certainly tune it for the Low end of 10 meters 28 MHz (the CW section). Many of the ground planes or small 3 element beams (possibly even Moxon' s and Hex) have sufficient bandwidth to cover good portion of 10 meter band and still be "usable" near the top end of the CB band.
Most certainly in the 2:1 range, and with outboard tuner or even internal tuner on some rigs the antenna will preform nicely.
This will affect gain "slightly" but would be marginal difference overall.
All the Best
Gary
Most certainly in the 2:1 range, and with outboard tuner or even internal tuner on some rigs the antenna will preform nicely.
This will affect gain "slightly" but would be marginal difference overall.
All the Best
Gary
BJ, I just model the idea. The bandwidth did change a little but the gain for the model I tuned at 28 Mhz showed maximum gain 4.69 dbi gain at 0* degrees, while the model I matched higher in the band at 28.85 MHz only showed 3.69 dbi maximum gain at 0* degrees.
Both models showed about the same bandwidth and both models showed to be workable over the entire 10 meter band at <2.00:1 SWR.
I only adjusted the length of the tip elements on the driven element wires #17 & #18 in the model. The tuning difference in the radiator length, in this case, was only 0.87" inches on both sides of this Hex beam driven element.
Maybe the difference might be more significant with a multi-band setup where each band wire is probably effected a little by the tune of the other wires close by.
For a monoband however, this little adjustment in tuning length and resonance...made a big difference in the gain reported and I did not expect that.
Models tuned vs. re-tuned and compared below.
Both models showed about the same bandwidth and both models showed to be workable over the entire 10 meter band at <2.00:1 SWR.
I only adjusted the length of the tip elements on the driven element wires #17 & #18 in the model. The tuning difference in the radiator length, in this case, was only 0.87" inches on both sides of this Hex beam driven element.
Maybe the difference might be more significant with a multi-band setup where each band wire is probably effected a little by the tune of the other wires close by.
For a monoband however, this little adjustment in tuning length and resonance...made a big difference in the gain reported and I did not expect that.
Models tuned vs. re-tuned and compared below.
So I broke down and ordered one of these from Radiowavz. Just put it together and started testing today. Very simple assembly. Fiberglass rods are solid and pretty heavy duty. Basically just stick the poles in the hub, run the rope lines for tension to the hub from each pole. There are two wires that attach to the hub and go out to the poles in opposite directions, then a reflector wire that goes around the back and then you use the insulators to connect it all for tension. It basically looks like the image below. SWR 1.3 but it's only 12 feet off the ground right now.
Did a quick test to a SDR RX 30 miles away and was definitely stronger on the beam vs vertical but to another SDR 30 miles in the opposite direction couldn't hear it vs vertical so the polarization is definitely noticeable locally as expected.
Did a quick test to a SDR RX 30 miles away and was definitely stronger on the beam vs vertical but to another SDR 30 miles in the opposite direction couldn't hear it vs vertical so the polarization is definitely noticeable locally as expected.
So I broke down and ordered one of these from Radiowavz. Just put it together and started testing today. Very simple assembly. Fiberglass rods are solid and pretty heavy duty. Basically just stick the poles in the hub, run the rope lines for tension to the hub from each pole. There are two wires that attach to the hub and go out to the poles in opposite directions, then a reflector wire that goes around the back and then you use the insulators to connect it all for tension. It basically looks like the image below. SWR 1.3 but it's only 12 feet off the ground right now.
Did a quick test to a SDR RX 30 miles away and was definitely stronger on the beam vs vertical but to another SDR 30 miles in the opposite direction couldn't hear it vs vertical so the polarization is definitely noticeable locally as expected.
Boy, I musta been mind-reading from Texas. This antenna on my mind (again) the past few hours. At home and wondering why I-don’t have something in the air.
I guess the lack of a pole is involved.
Thanks for the $ spent, the time & labor involved, and the in-use report, Big K!
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Yeah I'll give a full update once I get a chance to do some testing. Noticed about 1s unit less noise switching back and forth. I'm not going to be able to mount at full 36' for testing.
Did a test with a forum member this evening (40 miles over some big hills with 200W) and he saw 5 s units on his horizontal and couldn't hear me on his vertical (and we can't talk vertical to vertical). I had him at 2 s units but he wasn't running power. So locally beam to beam it definitely is working. That test is with the antenna at 10ft on a temporary mount. There is some rejection but not a ton and I talked to local stations off the back and sides today.
The specs on their website are incorrect - it's not 5.5 ft diameter
it's 11 ft diameter and 5.5 radius. Extremely simple to put together and fairly lightweight. Could be turned by a TV rotor I'm sure.
Did a test with a forum member this evening (40 miles over some big hills with 200W) and he saw 5 s units on his horizontal and couldn't hear me on his vertical (and we can't talk vertical to vertical). I had him at 2 s units but he wasn't running power. So locally beam to beam it definitely is working. That test is with the antenna at 10ft on a temporary mount. There is some rejection but not a ton and I talked to local stations off the back and sides today.
The specs on their website are incorrect - it's not 5.5 ft diameter
it's 11 ft diameter and 5.5 radius. Extremely simple to put together and fairly lightweight. Could be turned by a TV rotor I'm sure.
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I built a moxon, but no one would join me on the flat side.
S&W357
$upporting Member KO4RJD....WDX-556
One guy I talk to has a Moxon he made and he mounted it vertical. Seems to work good enough.
His next step is to rig it up so he can turn it either vertical or horizontal.
His next step is to rig it up so he can turn it either vertical or horizontal.
I've tested a Moxon and V Quad and now this Hex and I'd say the V Quad and Hex both outperformed the Moxon. No specific scientific testing for proof, but just in readings from other stations, etc.