Good morning,
I have had a rotating Rohn 55 up as high as 200 feet for 30 years. Due to
health issues a few years ago it is now 155 feet high. I have had various
large, single band yagi antennas and a pair of 40 meter yagis on it.
Presently we are in the middle of a severe ice storm and all of the
antennas save one 6 meter yagi, have broken.
The second element broke on the 2 element Moxon at 145 feet. And, just
now, the full size forty meter dipole is also broken. The 20 meter yagi
had failed a few weeks ago.
So.... given my physical condition at age 79, it looks like my climbing
days and days of building large homebrew antennas must come to an end.
Given my excellent location, tall towers and large yagis aren't strictly
required, even though it has been fun doing it. I am rethinking the master
plan.
My first thought is to remove sections of the tower down to where two
sections remain above the second guy ring. That would make the tower 125
feet high. I would need a crane to do that and someone to do the climbing.
At the top, I would put my remaining 2 element Moxon for 40, with added
strut ropes on each element.
At about the 75 foot level would be a five band yagi, something on the
order of the OptiBeam OB9-5HD. This one appeals to me because of 5 bands,
smallish size, and good SWR characteristics. It is also available from
stock at DX Engineering, just 100 miles up the road.
The existing 6 meter yagi at 65 feet has, so far, survived and would remain
there. A 30 meter dipole can be made from leftover pieces of the 40 meter
dipole and would probably survive OK.
This plan would keep the number of antennas down and the size smaller.
Hopefully, this system would need less maintenance and would last as long
as I need it. I'm hoping the total cost would be less than $3K.
I put this on here to ask what other multiband yagis are there that you
might recommend? Frankly, if it is well matched and efficient, almost
anything would work well at this location.
Thanks, as always, for your excellent advice and willingness to share.
73,
Dave, K4TO
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