Small beam maybe ??..........

[Oatmeal]

Guys Ive been fooling with CBs for a long time and Ive had beams in the past, but this one Im not sure of....I now live in a mobile home park and I also have one across the road from me....I have a road coming through here out back and out back here I also have power lines running through my yard....

Now on the side the road comes through here I also park my truck out there and its like 20ft off this road....and I have talked dx setting in the yard so Im sure it is a hot spot and I was looking at a few different small beam antennas and hoping I could squeeze one in here...

Would this be a waste of time and money ?....
What would you all do in this situation ?.....

 

[HomerBB]

Put up a hexbeam. a moxon, or a two element quad. Either of these are small by 11 meter standards, and can be turned with a TV rotor. they are reasonably easy to homebrew, too. If you just want to put up a decent vertical there a many good choices.

 

[W5LZ]

Directional antenna can certainly have benefits, but they also have a few 'draw-backs'. One of those draw-backs is size. Not the number of elements, but physical size, they do take up some room. they can be 'shortened' slightly, but that reduction in size also means a reduction in performance, there are practical limits to that. Another draw-back is all the 'other' stuff usually required for a directional antenna. First, you have to be able to point the thing, or turn it, so a suitably sized rotor. Then there's something to sit that antenna and rotor on, a mast/tower. that mast or tower typically requires some guying. Depending on what you may already have on hand, all that 'other' stuff can add up to more than the antenna cost.
And then there's the part about people seeing that antenna and they have a 'target' for all the interference they have ever had in their whole lives! Unfortunately, that's not as much of an exaggeration as it may sound like. Even if the @#$ thing isn't hooked up!
The 'flip-side' of that being able to hear really well in one direction is that you won't hear too well in other directions, without turning that antenna. That has benefits too, you can sort of 'null' out stations, don't have to listen to them.
I don't think I'd let those draw-backs prevent me/you from getting a directional antenna, just be aware of them.
- 'Doc

 

[Oatmeal]

10-4, I was looking at small beams to be used on 10 and 11 meters..

Ive been looking at the Giz, V and Y quads, M103C...
Ive ran the M103C years ago and I know it does a fine job....just a little concerned about the length of the boom...and dont think I can get up high enough due to power lines out back...and wonder what the neighbor may think...lol..

 

[hotrod]

if you can get away with raising your current antenna [imax]
then id do that.cause thre are other issuses when dealing with beams
plus the stright stick type antennas dont take up as much [space]
may wanna try the maco v5/8 it will do slightly better than
the imax

 

[airplane1]

if the power lines are real close be very very careful no matter what you decide to put up.

 

[hotrod]

if the power lines are real close be very very careful no matter what you decide to put up.

yes absolutely