[Antennas] 6 meter beam

Tue Nov 21 21:02:41 EST 2006

I did the same thing years ago.....(almost 30yrs now, egads!)...Took the 5
element design and made it a 4 element on a 10ft boom (easier to find
pipe/tubing for the boom at that length)...played with a homemade gamma
match and it worked great from 50-51...used 1/2 conduit for the
elements...and drilled thru them and used simple U clamps to hold them on
the boom.
It wasn't the best but it worked..
Difference between 1 element missing is not that much as for signal..less
than 1 db...
The optimized means it was set for best F/B and gain at the same time...you
can peak one but lose some in the other..
Optimized is not necessary for normal use.
If you decide to buy, look for something in your range....Even a Cushcraft
yagi is better than no beam..
Chris
WB5ITT
> -----Original Message----- 
> A good friend gave me a 6 meter transverter and I finally 
> decided to get into the Magic Band action. 
>> Hoping to build a 4 or 5 element beam I began my search in 
> the ARRL Antenna Book; on page 18-18, I found what seems to 
> be a good choice for starters. Labeled 506-12 on the book, 
> the antenna has a twelve feet boom, 5 elements, optimized for 
> the 50 Mhz to 51 Mhz band section with a claimed gain of 
> 10dbi, 22db F/B ratio and an SWR of 1.6:1 or better. A quick 
> check on aluminum prices turned me around and away from the 
> building scheme. 
>> Another option, is to buy a ready made antenna that could 
> cost less than the materials for the 506-12 on the ARRL 
> Antenna book. Enter the HyGain VB-64DX for 144ドル. this 
> antenna seems to be a good buy compared with the price for 
> building the 506-12, however, the big word missing is 
> "optimized". What am I missing here besides one director? 
> Can I "optimize" the HyGain beam adding the extra element and 
> changing the spacings following the Antenna Book schedule? Or 
> should I settle for the HyGain as it comes? Are there any 
> other choices in the price class?
> Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
>> Carlos / KP4GL