> From: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
> [mailto:owner-towertalk@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Pete Smith
>
> The choice of a tribander is a fairly straight-up tradeoff
> between cost and performance. A 36-foot boom antenna like the
> KT-36XA will require a stronger rotator and perhaps a beefier
> tower than a smaller one. Cost of the antenna itself is also
> a factor. If it were me, I would look seriously at a more
> conventional trapless antenna, such as the Force 12 C-3E, before
> investing in the hexbeam. The new XR-5 from Force 12
> (www.force12inc.com) extends the same technology to providing
> gain and pattern on all 5 bands 20-10 on a short boom, but I
> don't know what the price is.
I agree with Pete ... the KT-34XA was a maintenance headache for
many people. The unbalanced 36 foot boom is also a problem for
many under size towers and rotors. However, even the short boom
versions of the newer "trapless" multiband antennas (Force 12 C-3
series and Bencher "Skyhawk") have shown performance as good or
better than the larger trapped antennas (the KT-26 is a trapped
antenna with a unique trap design) in field trials.
For five band performance (20, 17, 15, 12, 10) the log periodic
antenna has a very good record and a good compromise in performance.
It will be interesting to see how Force 12's XR-5 works out (it
looks to be a C-3e with an added 17 meter reflector, the 10 meter
reflector adjusted for 12 meters and a re-worked driven element
cluster (all of which is easier said than done - congratulations
to Tom). BTW, the web site now has pricing ... $949 list ... which
makes it about half again as much as an 18' boom log periodic
(e.g. Cushcraft ASL-2010 or Tennadyne T8).
73,
... Joe, K4IK
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