Posted: 8/4/2014 8:56:17 PM EDT
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They have caught my interest. Anyone use one?
I'm thinking of building my own, any suggestions? |
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There was a build thread here a couple years back. I think it was Mndless who put it together.
ETA: found it. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/656348__ARCHIVED_THREAD____New_Hexbeam.html&page=1 |
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My plan is to put up a Hexbeam or a vertical, haven't decided yet. Hope to do something when weather cools down some here. A friend was going to make a tip-over bracket for me, but I doubt he will now. I may just buy something like this: Tip Over Mast bracket
I would cement a 6x6 into the ground about 4' & bolt the bracket to one side. Attach some mast like this: 32' Aluminum Mast - 2" OD Then just winch or walk the mast up & secure a few guy ropes to trees or ground pegs. I'm just not sure about the rotor. Are you better off with a thrust bearing somewhere & buy a good rotor to turn the whole mast/antenna? Or mount rotor at top of the mast (makes it more top heavy & harder to raise) & mount Hexbeam to rotor up high? If anyone can tell me the best way to get a rotor on this setup, please shoot me an email or IM. I would be a happy camper with a Hexbeam up & secure, then use wires for the low bands.  All I've contatced using the Hexbeam have been happy with them.
HS |
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I'd like to find a design that is extremely durable and could be assembled in say one hour (with experience).
I have a project in the back of my mind that I've been wanting to do for some time. The hex beam may just be the perfect fit. Also, how much space is taken up with it dis-assembled is of interest to me. |
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My plan is to put up a Hexbeam or a vertical, haven't decided yet. Hope to do something when weather cools down some here. A friend was going to make a tip-over bracket for me, but I doubt he will now. I may just buy something like this: Tip Over Mast bracket I would cement a 6x6 into the ground about 4' & bolt the bracket to one side. Attach some mast like this: 32' Aluminum Mast - 2" OD Then just winch or walk the mast up & secure a few guy ropes to trees or ground pegs. I'm just not sure about the rotor. Are you better off with a thrust bearing somewhere & buy a good rotor to turn the whole mast/antenna? Or mount rotor at top of the mast (makes it more top heavy & harder to raise) & mount Hexbeam to rotor up high? If anyone can tell me the best way to get a rotor on this setup, please shoot me an email or IM. I would be a happy camper with a Hexbeam up & secure, then use wires for the low bands. All I've contatced using the Hexbeam have been happy with them.
HS A 32' mast won't give you much DX performance with a hexbeam, maybe for mid range commo... |
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Technically the old Moonraker IV and the PDL was of a Hex Beam Design.
I would avoid anything that I thought would only take one hour to put up. Haste makes waste.. There are commercial vendors for a Hex Beam, and I doubt if you could put it together and tune it with an analyzer in less than one hour. I would forget about rolling your own - else you might find issues such as trying to match the line impedance to the feed point. I can still remember the time my Uncle bought a new Hy Gain Duo 5 beam and he spent months trying to get the phasing harness right. I would suggest that you watch some of the YouTube videos online - there are several interviews of Tim Duffy - K3LR that would answer most of your questions. Height is not always the key when it comes to working DX.. You have to take into account the take off angle more then the elevation by itself. |
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A 32' mast won't give you much DX performance with a hexbeam, maybe for mid range commo... Quoted:
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My plan is to put up a Hexbeam or a vertical, haven't decided yet. Hope to do something when weather cools down some here. A friend was going to make a tip-over bracket for me, but I doubt he will now. I may just buy something like this: Tip Over Mast bracket I would cement a 6x6 into the ground about 4' & bolt the bracket to one side. Attach some mast like this: 32' Aluminum Mast - 2" OD Then just winch or walk the mast up & secure a few guy ropes to trees or ground pegs. I'm just not sure about the rotor. Are you better off with a thrust bearing somewhere & buy a good rotor to turn the whole mast/antenna? Or mount rotor at top of the mast (makes it more top heavy & harder to raise) & mount Hexbeam to rotor up high? If anyone can tell me the best way to get a rotor on this setup, please shoot me an email or IM. I would be a happy camper with a Hexbeam up & secure, then use wires for the low bands. All I've contacted using the Hexbeam have been happy with them.
HS A 32' mast won't give you much DX performance with a hexbeam, maybe for mid range commo... It would end up maybe 35' or so depending length mast section attached to the hexbeam. Also the bracket could be bolted a couple feet off the ground on the 6x6 maybe. Would 35' - 37' suffice? They claim the Hexbeam works well even at lower heights, but they claim a lot of things today. 
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The height depends on what one is looking to do with the antenna.
On this site shows 35' to 55' changes the angle considerably. But the antenna also limits the input dropping the noise level. I didn't quite fully grasp the double pay off beam until I made a handheld beam for my HTs. They concentrate your TX and RX in one direction. They are not perfect but are close to having a modest amplifier and a better receiver all in one. Originally Posted By Mndless in the linked thread Frostbite posted above:
Got the hex up on a pole... only up 20 ft or so... pretty impressive.. very low swr right out of the box, all 3 bands... very quiet... like turning down the volume state side and turning up the volume in the pointed direction.... very cool.... |
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I currently have a 20m moxon at about 30ft. The thing is a hammer up the Eastern seaboard and into Europe/Russia. Same out to the SW and NW, I have a hill messing up my take off more or less due West. I am building a hanging array of moxons for 20/15/10...although I may yank the 10m and move it over onto a different mount with m2 2m beam. The moxon array will be hanging, rotator on top. The 2-meter/10m will be hanging, but with the rotator ground mounted and a PVC or fiberglass assembly going up to the antennas for rotating. I though I had read the hex beams only did 4.8dbi? The site above lists 5.5dbi. 
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It would end up maybe 35' or so depending length mast section attached to the hexbeam. Also the bracket could be bolted a couple feet off the ground on the 6x6 maybe. Would 35' - 37' suffice? They claim the Hexbeam works well even at lower heights, but they claim a lot of things today.
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My plan is to put up a Hexbeam or a vertical, haven't decided yet. Hope to do something when weather cools down some here. A friend was going to make a tip-over bracket for me, but I doubt he will now. I may just buy something like this: Tip Over Mast bracket I would cement a 6x6 into the ground about 4' & bolt the bracket to one side. Attach some mast like this: 32' Aluminum Mast - 2" OD Then just winch or walk the mast up & secure a few guy ropes to trees or ground pegs. I'm just not sure about the rotor. Are you better off with a thrust bearing somewhere & buy a good rotor to turn the whole mast/antenna? Or mount rotor at top of the mast (makes it more top heavy & harder to raise) & mount Hexbeam to rotor up high? If anyone can tell me the best way to get a rotor on this setup, please shoot me an email or IM. I would be a happy camper with a Hexbeam up & secure, then use wires for the low bands. All I've contacted using the Hexbeam have been happy with them.
HS A 32' mast won't give you much DX performance with a hexbeam, maybe for mid range commo... It would end up maybe 35' or so depending length mast section attached to the hexbeam. Also the bracket could be bolted a couple feet off the ground on the 6x6 maybe. Would 35' - 37' suffice? They claim the Hexbeam works well even at lower heights, but they claim a lot of things today.
Realistically it has the same exact issue as any other beam or wire antenna with regards to its main lobe/take off angle. At 33ish feet you are 1WL high for 10m which is ok for DX (TO for your main lobe is ~15 deg), you are 1/2 WL on 20m which means your main lobe is taking off at 30 degrees which is ok for mid range and might give you a bit of gain for DX... On the bands in between the TO will basically rise as frequency falls. I'm really curious about an actual explanation as to why a hex beam would perform any differently compared to normal Yagi... Now of course it will perform better than a dipole or wire, mainly since you have about double the gain to begin with. But I can't think of any reason it would perform any better over low ground than any other antenna system. ETA I use a buddi yagi at around 30feet and it works quite well on 10m, and so so on 20m... The main issue is just getting it setup... |
I had the K4KIO version at my old house up about 30 feet using a radio shack rotor. It worked better than any wire antenna I could get up at my old QTH. Really low noise and I worked DX just fine. IMO its a large antenna and an ugly one. I don't think there is stealth operation with a hexbeam and that's why its sitting unassembled in my attic at the current QTH. My old HOA and neighbors didn't complain but its not like that where I live now. I miss that antenna. 
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For the record I'm not saying you can't work DX with a hexbeam, hell you can do it with verticals and dipoles as well, and yagi's/beams offer more gain at the same elevation relatively speaking. But ideally you want low angle gain for DX, i.e. under 15 degrees or so for a take off angle and realistically more like 1-5degrees, and that doesn't really happen with any antenna under 1WL high, a good compromise height is 1.5WL... Do the math for whichever band you want for that.
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This is typical terrain where I live. This is NOT my location, but similar. Unless you are on a ridge top around here, you have a hill or mountain taller than you nearby.
I'm perched on a flat half way up the North side. If have a ridge line to my north that is 175' above my level. So it's no wonder I don't do well due North, but Northeast I do great. Got a fairly clear shot south & west. It's a wonder you can get a signal out of these WV hills & hollers. 
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This is typical terrain where I live. This is NOT my location, but similar. Unless you are on a ridge top around here, you have a hill or mountain taller than you nearby. I'm perched on a flat half way up the North side. If have a ridge line to my north that is 175' above my level. So it's no wonder I don't do well due North, but Northeast I do great. Got a fairly clear shot south & west. It's a wonder you can get a signal out of these WV hills & hollers.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8szUYk8Ozbc/TqP2yfCmU0I/AAAAAAAAAc0/KOndzaOrQO4/s1600/11-27ywv+hill+tucker+county.jpg Well most of that is a 30-60 TO angle... good enough for local comms, not so much for DX unless as you said you were on a hill. |
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I'm on a flat about 1/2 way up north side of a hill. The valley to the south side is across the Elk river. The 2 main ridge lines that run parallel, are at least a mile apart. Them river dwellers get most of the flat rich farm land. Down there where the fog settles. I'd love to own a mountain top & level it off with a 120' tower on top. Cost a fortune to get utilities to some of these paces, but would be awesome broadcast spot. I'm only about 850' above sea level. North 150 miles there are mountains 2 - 4000' above me.
brundoggie may do great DX with a hexbeam at his QTH on the big island! 
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Wait until after the hurricane passes before you put it up. Seriously though, batten down the hatches and stay safe. Quoted:
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..........any suggestions? Wait until after the hurricane passes before you put it up. Seriously though, batten down the hatches and stay safe. I'm pulling down my vertical sometime Thursday before the first of 2 tropical storms hit. Should be an interesting weekend. |
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I'm pulling down my vertical sometime Thursday before the first of 2 tropical storms hit. Should be an interesting weekend. Quoted:
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..........any suggestions? Wait until after the hurricane passes before you put it up. Seriously though, batten down the hatches and stay safe. I'm pulling down my vertical sometime Thursday before the first of 2 tropical storms hit. Should be an interesting weekend. Stay safe & charge up your batteries! |
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Stay safe & charge up your batteries! Quoted:
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..........any suggestions? Wait until after the hurricane passes before you put it up. Seriously though, batten down the hatches and stay safe. I'm pulling down my vertical sometime Thursday before the first of 2 tropical storms hit. Should be an interesting weekend. Stay safe & charge up your batteries! No problem, the whole house is on batteries. (I am totally on solar) |
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I started looking into components for DIY building.
Max-Gain has spreader kits and links to build pages too. |
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My plan (because I'm lazy) is to buy a 20m hex and add the other bands to it.
When I was pricing the parts, I could locally source the 20m hex parts for about $100 less than I could get it from k4kio, but $100 is worth it to me to not have the hassle. I may order it with 10m too, not sure. |
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Going to try and get mine put up tomorrow. I can post MY thoughts about them when I get it up and running, if anyone is still interested. Will try to get pics of it going up as well.  Yes, please. I'm very interested in your set up. Cooler weather coming & I'm thinking about a hexbeam.
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My plan (because I'm lazy) is to buy a 20m hex and add the other bands to it. When I was pricing the parts, I could locally source the 20m hex parts for about $100 less than I could get it from k4kio, but $100 is worth it to me to not have the hassle. I may order it with 10m too, not sure. http://hexagonalbeam.com/order.asp The price here is 450.00, plus shipping, for 6M, 10M, 12M, 15M, 17M, 20M. This is the one I will be putting up. Just saying, something to look into. |
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http://hexagonalbeam.com/order.asp The price here is 450.00, plus shipping, for 6M, 10M, 12M, 15M, 17M, 20M. This is the one I will be putting up. Just saying, something to look into. Quoted:
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My plan (because I'm lazy) is to buy a 20m hex and add the other bands to it. When I was pricing the parts, I could locally source the 20m hex parts for about $100 less than I could get it from k4kio, but $100 is worth it to me to not have the hassle. I may order it with 10m too, not sure. http://hexagonalbeam.com/order.asp The price here is 450.00, plus shipping, for 6M, 10M, 12M, 15M, 17M, 20M. This is the one I will be putting up. Just saying, something to look into. I'd be interested in hearing how well it works in windy conditions. |
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As a total newbie is the hex related to the spider beam or ....??? I believe the hex beam covers multiple bands with 2 elements on each band and was developed in England, and the spider beam covers multiple bands with 3 elements 2 to 4 elements on each band and was developed in Germany. Both are similar in that they're lightweight and do multiple bands using wire and no traps. I also wouldn't consider either one a permanent antenna where I live. Here's one of many sites showing a comparison of the two. http://www.dj0ip.de/wire-beams/spiderbeam-vs-hex-beam/ |
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Did not get it up, the heat and humidity went thru the roof. Am going to wait until the temps are a bit more reasonable. Will post when I get this done. I am excited about getting this up. I've heard some on the air and can't wait. I contemplated for weeks over the hexbeam. So many people with great signals using them. Hope it works out as well for you. |
Well got it put up. Seems to be doing fine. Can't compare it as I don't have anything else up now. Took a little work, my helper was only here for a short time. Only got pics of it up and done edit; Turned it towards AZ For W1AW/7. First time I ever got thru a pile up on my 1st call. I'm starting to like this. |
| I noticed that a new one just sprouted up 1 mile down the road from me this week, and I go by it on the way to work each day. Never even knew a ham lived there. It looks to be 30' up on a push pole and everything including the bright white guy ropes is all new and shiny! ETA: He's turning it with one of the small common TV rotators. |