I agree...
I do see many love the antenna especially for restricted/limited
installation locations.
Cecil...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gene Story - Earthlink" <gfstory@earthlink.net>
To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, May 28, 2012 12:07 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] OT Use of external keyer with Omni
[hexbeam/directional arrays]
Cecil-
I completely agree that a well designed (not just any) yagi with three or
more elements will perform better than a hex beam. But even with some
trade-off's, I love the hex beam design within it's limitations. For
Roger / W7RIP; if you can afford a more sophisticated array and
tower/mast, I'd go with Cecil. But hex beams are not to shabby and can be
put up with less cost aside from the antenna itself.
Early this morning for example:
Hex Beam pointed eastward, I picked up a station in Alaska fairly well.
Hex beam "directionality" is weak, compared to 3+ elements on a common
yagi but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Rather than run the rotor
around, I sometimes try one of my dipoles to see if signal is good enough.
It was not. I went from S1 received signal to non indicated and an
extremely weak copy. I flipped back to the hex beam and ran the $90 TV
rotator from approx east, to more-or-less north. I say more or less
because a TV rotor handles the lightweight hex beam just fine but the
rotor and controller are so light duty, they don't maintain the best
direction-control but not bad really.
Swinging the hex beam to that more-or-less north direction achieved from
signal strength perspective, an indicated S3. Since the hex beam is also
a noise-quiet antenna relative to the dipoles, the signal was armchair
copy. I had already shut down the Orion at this hour so this event
occured with my KENWOOD TS-2000 running at 100 watts and extremely good
SWR match. While it has a decent receiver, it no way compares to the
Orion/other T-T models. Nonetheless, without all manner of interference
possibilities at this hour, the hex beam delivered a very good signal into
this less-capable KNWD receiver. I had a QSO with this Alaska fellow for
nearly a half hour. He was using a vertical w/ICOM IC-7000 and an
ELECRAFT KPA 500 amp. An excellent amp with two sensitive radios that do
well when interference (all types) conditions are low to moderate as was
the case here.
This is a DX Engineering 5 band hex beam that I recall was something like
$650. Not cheap but VERY well built. Very light weight, thus the TV
rotor works but highly recommend a rotor of about $500-ish. Sitting on
top of a home brew tower up abt 30 ft within a heavily tree'd forest with
approx 35-45 ft tall trees, it performs admirably on 20 through 10 meters.
A few of the reasons I chose this antenna was because of the mfg's
reputation, lightweight, and others have indicated it handles high winds
and ice situations very well.
Would I like to have a 3 or more element yagi, preferably multi-bander?
Absolutely. Maybe a 60 foot tower with a log periodic or something like
that but for now, the budget dictated a solution that handled the weather
and gave me something better than my verticals or dipoles. This antenna
absolutely delivers. Takes a while to think it's better due to it's sutle
gain and rejection capabilities and then you start nailing contacts that
were either impossible or difficult with non-directional antennas.
Strange looking. Fun to build. Cost/benefit at least for me has turned
out to be very good. But someday when funds are available, I'd love to
put up a higher gain/higher rejection array of some sort.
My Orion is normally the only rig I use. With my Orion, Centaur amp and
hex beam in N. Idaho, I have been able to join the TEN-TEC net all four
weeks in a row now with contact directly to K3UR in Atlanta, Ga. under
less than ideal conditions.
Regards,
Gene / K7TXO
On May 28, 2012, at 9:17 AM, chacuff wrote:
Might want to do the same inquery on the Hex Beam.
I've heard it's a great expedition asset but not so much for a permanent
station installation. (out performed easily by other basic yagis) No
personal experience here....just passing along things heard.
Cecil
K5DL
----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Rippy" <svtincup@yahoo.com>
To: <TenTec@contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, May 28, 2012 8:03 AM
Subject: [TenTec] OT Use of external keyer with Omni
This is just a short note to thanks to W2EJG, N4PY, N4ELM,WA9AQN, N4DW,
K8JHR, and the other hams
who sent me an email offline to let me know of their experiences with
different keyers, but in particular
the K1EL keyer. I have decided to build the K1EL WKUSB keyer; it was a
tough
decision over the
Idiom Press K-5 and the Begali CW Machine. Later this spring (still
snowing
occassionaly in SW Montana!), I hope
to tackle replacement of the Force 12 40XK vertical dipole with a
directional HF antenna; maybe a hex beam.
Thanks again and 73s Roger Rippy W7RIP
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