I have been quite pleased with Times Micro LMR-400 UltraFlex coax. It's excellent quality. There are some places one EBay that will provide it with your choice of connector types nicely installed.

73/
Jack

Some things you may want to check:
Is all equipment in the shack properly connected to a common ground?
Is there a good ground rod in place?
What is the SWR when the RFI occurs?

Well, that sure makes my decision a tad more involved. I took the advice of KE2TR and looked into the Force-12 offerings for a true five band beam. The only thing I can say about not having done so earlier is “Oops, I should have thought of that”!

Perusing the Force-12 Website (www.texasantennas.com) for a true 5-band antenna came up with the Force-12 XR5 multiband Yagi. It appears to offer true gain and a decent F/B on 10-12-15-17-20, all on an eighteen foot boom and fed by a single feedline. I think it is two elements on each band, like my current C-3 SS with the extra 4 elements dedicated to 12 and 17 meters. I can’t find online a spec for the longest element length so am assuming it is the same as the 20M elements on the C-3 SS at 24 feet (They should publish that spec as do the rest of the manufacturers).  

EHam.net user reviews are all positive, although there only a dozen posted. Google did not come up with any bad news either. The XR5 is not a lightweight, coming in at 56 pounds, comparable to the Mosley TA-53M and Tennadyne T8 and the specified wind surface area (8.5 square feet) is the highest on my ever growing spreadsheet. I think it should be OK for my unique installation (see my first reply on page one of this thread).

There is always one fly hiding in the honey. The only thing I see dissuading me from placing an order for a Force-12 XR5 is the budget busting price of $1,699. That’s a big price tag, almost double the hit for the Mosley or Tennadyne antennas. I’d go $1,000 for that antenna, but $1.7K (plus shipping) has me in sticker shock. It sure does look nice though. I'm not ruling it out, just drooling!

All of the input, advice and informational links provided have been fantastic. I really very much appreciate all of the sharing of knowledge here on eHam.net. Please keep it coming. Also, I stepped on my own tongue again by call the Hex-Beam ugly. That was uncalled for and I apologize. As Frank, K4RVN, said beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I need be careful or I’ll start in on politics – that will really shut down the thread!

Well, it is clearly not all that easy!

For me it is coming down to the F/B and traps of the TA-53M vs. the much longer element length of the Log Periodic. Second consideration is the price of the Mosley vs. the more experimental feed methods of the Tennadyne. The Hex Beam is a non-starter as we get a LOT of ice here every year (and, subjective as it mat be, It looks ugly!).

Honestly, either is a compromise for my situation (see post#1) and will do. I suspect my next step is to haunt the classified here, on QTH.com and QRZ.com to find an offer I can't pass up on one or the other. Not a very scientific answer, I know, but I can't have my cake and eat it too!

Thank you for all the input - much appreciated. It's not done until the fat lady sings so feel free to chime in. Also, if you I know of a great deal on one or the other let me know!

Oh, power --- yep, understood. My last HF rig was a TS-930 with a TL-933 running off 220VAC. That worked!

73/
Jack - WA2OLZ

Interesting - my hope was to narrow my beam selection based on experienced user input. What actually happened is the list grew insted of shrinking!

I put together a spreadsheet to capture the info on each antenna. The idea was to quantify factors while excluding emotion. I can't figure out how to attach the spreadsheet but would be glad to email it to anyone who would like a copy for their own evaluation. The spreadsheet records the Gain (dBd), F/B, SWR, Number of elements (total and per band), Power Rating, Boom Length, Longest Element, Turning Radius, Wind Load, Wind Surface Area, Weight and Price. All data points were collected from manufacturer websites, so I am not totally confident in the accuracy. The antennas include the Mosley TA-53M, Tennadyne T6 Log Periodic, Tennadyne T8 Log Periodic, Optibeam OB9-5, Force 12 C3-SS (my current antenna), K4KIO HexBeam and DX Engineering Hex Beam.

In general - and based only on manufacturer claims - the superior antenna in each category is as follows:
Gain (dBd) - Mosley TA-53M. No other even close.
Front to Back Ratio - Tennadyne T6 & T8 (Specs are identical) and Optibeam OB9-5
SWR - Mosley TA-53M with Optibeam OB9-5 a close second.
Elements per band - Mosely TA-53M, although the Log Periodics don't look at the spec.
Power Rating - No defined winner, but I expect they are all acceptable
Boom Length - Tennadyne T6, but all are within my eighteen foot maximum
Wind Load - Tennadyne T6
Wind Surface Area - DX Engineering Hex Beam
Weight - Either Hex Beam
Price - Tennadyne T6

Clearly no decision yet - but more fodder to consider!

Is there some wizadry I am missing that will allow me to post the chart?

I don't know where to start.. you guys are fantastic!! I really appreciate the support, input, information, etc. Excellent. Anyone else following the thread MUST follow the link provided by W7XG ( http://forums.qrz.com/archive/index.php/t-326197.html).

Thanks to all of you I have definitely decided to get a T8, TA-53M and a TA-54 - it just depends on what time it was and whose input I read last  It proves there are different types of antennas for good reason. Many of those reasons iterated above. The Log Periodic was almost declared  the winner (for me) until I asked the original question. Now I am back where I started.

A couple of specific responses:
I am 68 years old and don't even go on the roof either, never mind towers. That is what grandkids are for!
The tuner is used on WARC with the Force-12. It works, but I'm sure the loss is major. I have nothing with which to compare it though.
I considered the new model Force 12 antennas. Those with full band coverage have boom lengths exceeding my self-impose max.
I had a TET 4 element many years ago. It was a great beam! I wish they were still available in the US.
The SteppIR is ruled out as I do not like the idea of mechanical moving parts at the antenna end.
My rotor is a Ham-IV located in the attic. There are concentric black pipes going through the roof to the beam. (See page #50: http://archive.org/stream/73-magazine-1986-09/09_September_1986#page/n50/mode/1up)
Do Log Periodics need to be higher above ground than Yagis? That would be a deal breaker if so.


Keep the replies coming, folks - this is great!

I am seeking your expertise and experience to help me decide on my next HF antenna. All inputs are certainly welcome and I especially appreciate real world comparisons of others who may have traveled the same road. There’s a tremendous amount of Internet lore about the pros and cons, often spiced with liberal doses of theory and prejudice with little actual trial by fire. I also am falling victim to the marketing hype of the manufacturers and want to avoid that trap!

My Situation:
Currently running a Kenwood TS-480SAT through an LDG AT-100Proll tuner to a Force-12 3-CSS beam on the roof of the house (~35' AGL). A Collins KWM-2A will be joining the party after being tweaked and tuned by a Collins guru. All ops are barefoot and I expect will stay that way for the foreseeable future.

All operations are SSB.

There is no opportunity to install a tower.

I am not a serious DX hound or involved in contests. My operation is a casual one in which I enjoy conversation and the challenge of getting through a pileup to contact that ‘rare’ one.

The Objective:
My objective is to get increased gain on all bands between 10 and 20 meters, including WARC. Improved front-to-back and/or front-to-side are also desirable.

Six meters coverage would be a side benefit but not all that important to me.

The maximum antenna boom length should be eighteen feet or less. This is more an XYL and neighborly restriction than a physical one.

The Contestants:
The short list (I think) is down to the Mosley TA-53M and the Tennadyne T8 Log Periodic.

This is certainly not an exclusive list and others would be considered.

Yes, cost IS a consideration also!

All input, as I stated earlier, is welcome!

Thanks and 73
Jack – WA2OLZ

No responses but I got it figured out. For anyone else that may find this thread someday via a search -- the answer is 12VDC. The three port model uses +12VDC, 0, -12VDC to select he three ports.

I have a remote antenna switch made by Inline Instruments. The relay is model 103 and I also have the coupler that goes with it. I can't find any documentation online for it. I believe applying "X" volts to the coupler switches the relay from antenna A to antenna B. The question is - what is the required voltage to make the switch?

EDIT: I'm almost certain this is the same product that at one time was sold by and branded as Unadilla.

Tnx & 73
Jack
WA2OLZ
JVM@D8ALUS.NET

Nice tower and antennas! Did you have any issues with the town about permits or whatever (from another Jersey ham!)?

Sorry. My attempt at humor was feeble

I rather suspect his vacation was over quite some time ago

I plan to roof mount a Force 12 HF beam and just had an idea that bears asking your opinion.

I have a Diamond X-50A dual-band VHF/UHF vertical on the way. In attempt to minimize the use of rooftop real estate I am considering mounting the vertical on the mast above the beam, hopefully with minimal spacing. I'm not very concerned about impacting VHF/UHF performance but would like to not mess up HF operations.

On to the question: How far above the beam does the vertical need to be?

Thanks - yet again!

73/
Jack
WA2OLZ

Thanks for all of the replies. I appreciate the input.

K1ZJH: I also doubt the meter only because I've never sen one fail, but using my DVM in ins place works so that's what led me there. The pot does read the proper 500 Ohms and the wiper to each end 250 Ohms at center, tracking from zero to 500 through the rotation.

AA4PB: I found a reasonably priced meter on the Hy-Gain website, much less than the listed prices at the repair shops. I also sent Norm an email asking for a price but it's a holiday weekend so no reply yet. Thanks for the comment about a possible bad bearing. That seems to make sense for a few reasons. The control box was sitting undisturbed for 10 or more years in the basement. That alone can't be good for tiny bearings! I didn't mention in the first email that I need sometime 'flick' the meter with my fingernail as it sticks. That's strike two. I did manage to remove the clear plastic cover and very gently move the needle full scale. It's so delicate I doubt I would feel a bad/flat/dry bearing anyway.
I have seen pictures of the digital displays, but never one in person. That's a possibility but I imagine the price is far more than a replacement meter, even at fire sale prices.

W4OP: True confessions time: I have been out of the hobby for so many years I no longer have a test bench! That's silly, but the way it is. I'd likely spend more on getting the test stand set up than a replacement meter. Yours is a very logical thought, however.

Thanks again to all. I'll wait until Tuesday after the holiday to see if any deals pop up on a control box and, if not, go ahead and get the meter from Hy-Gain.

73/
Jack
WA2OLZ

Thanks, Ray. Yes, I have had the rotor apart not once but three times. I'm getting pretty good at it now! The pot in there is good. I cleaned it and the copper contact and it is A-OK. I can measure the resistance at the rotor and the controller and it's right on the money. That would have been my bet also. In fact, it was. Disconnecting the controller meter and replacing it with my digital volt meter works fine, so the only thing I can think of is the meter bought he farm.