Well,
Quite some time ago I was rummaging on the internet and I came across this site:
http://n6bt.com/
Now, particularly interesting to me was this antenna:
http://www.n6bt.com/n6bt-Q52-p1-1.htm
It's called a Q-52 and is basically a shortened, inductively loaded 2 element beam for 20, 15, 17, 12 & 10 meters.
I ordered one and yesterday it arrived.
The antenna came in 7 parts; 3 part boom plus each side of the elements telescoped into itself - the box was surprisingly small.
Each element (the driven element and the reflector) have a switch controlled relay box which alters the element inductance.
Then there is a central wire connection box which allows you to run a control cable back to the shack where you select the band required on a rotary control unit:
So here it is on the mast, I have removed the MA5BB that I have been using for a few years; this antenna has less visual impact and also less weight. The main reason for changing the antenna is that this will give me 2 elements on 17 and 12, the MA5B is just a rotary dipole on those bands.
Time will tell, but the concept is certainly interesting. The construction of the antenna looks excellent and building it was very simple indeed.
More to follow!
New cats Maggie and Luna are settling in nicely:
Local conditions,
Fn egh?
Quite some time ago I was rummaging on the internet and I came across this site:
http://n6bt.com/
Now, particularly interesting to me was this antenna:
http://www.n6bt.com/n6bt-Q52-p1-1.htm
It's called a Q-52 and is basically a shortened, inductively loaded 2 element beam for 20, 15, 17, 12 & 10 meters.
I ordered one and yesterday it arrived.
The antenna came in 7 parts; 3 part boom plus each side of the elements telescoped into itself - the box was surprisingly small.
Each element (the driven element and the reflector) have a switch controlled relay box which alters the element inductance.
Then there is a central wire connection box which allows you to run a control cable back to the shack where you select the band required on a rotary control unit:
So here it is on the mast, I have removed the MA5BB that I have been using for a few years; this antenna has less visual impact and also less weight. The main reason for changing the antenna is that this will give me 2 elements on 17 and 12, the MA5B is just a rotary dipole on those bands.
Time will tell, but the concept is certainly interesting. The construction of the antenna looks excellent and building it was very simple indeed.
More to follow!
New cats Maggie and Luna are settling in nicely:
Local conditions,
Fn egh?
