Portable 2m base yagi

[KC0VNY]

QST,

I just got into ham radio last November and got my Technician (currently working on General) License. I made the mistake of buying an HT for my first radio, but, I got a Yaesu VX-7R and LOVE IT! I go camping a lot in the summer months and was looking for a good and relatively cheap 2m yagi antenna with a fair amount of gain.

ALSO: I was looking into buying a Yaesu FT-857D for when I get my General license.

Would enjoy any thoughts you have on a 2m yagi, or comprable antenna, OR the Yaesu FT-857D.

Thanks, 73

[K5LXP]

Yagi:

Build or buy?
Fixed or portable?

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM

[KC0VNY]

I would prefer to buy one. To the question of portable or fixed: If I can mount a fixed yagi on a pole and collapse it for transportation It will work, but it will have to be no bigger than 5'x5'x1' because I have an RV with about 6.5ft clearance inside and parents with ideas of another nature...

Thanks,

Thomas

[AC2RC]

Arrow Antenna has a 2m beam for portable use that can be taken apart quickly .I put mine on a mast of pvc pipe.Doesn't take up much room at all.

[KE4DRN]

hi thomas,

take a look at this 2m antenna,
takes up less space the a 2 element yagi

http://www.cebik.com/moxon/moxbld.html

Easy to build and takedown, portable too !

73 james

[KE5FUL]

If you want to build one very easily, try this out:
http://www.ke5ful.com/Homebrew/7db7bucks.pdf


It is very easy to take down and transport.

JRed
KE5FUL

[WB6BYU]

There are a lot of different yagi designs available, and
some are very easy to build.  The method shown on this
page is one of my favorites:

http://oldweb.clarc.org/Articles/uhf.htm

Note that these are designed for the lower part of the
2m band, but you can shorten all the element lengths by
about 1% if it doesn't work well enough at the top end
for you.  I build them using PVC pipe for the boom, and
the elements slip right out and store inside of it, so
they take up very little space when not in use.

Actually there are several construction methods that allow
the elements to come off the boom.  This is the one I use
when I have to take a yagi overseas in my carry-on luggage:

http://home.att.net/~jleggio/projects/rdf/tape_bm.htm

I don't bother with the hose clamps - just several wraps
of fiberglass strapping tape to hold the elements to
the PVC fittings.  (I do put a sheetmetal screw in each
side of the driven element, though.)  I roll or fold up
the elements and secure them with rubber bands then pull
the PVC pieces apart to put it in my suitcase.

Another good option is a quad - I make mine with PVC
fittings and copper wire.  The elements pull off of the
boom and stack nicely when I want to carry it in the
trunk of my car.  I don't have a description of it online
(though I'll be glad to explain it further), but here
is another fold-up quad option:

http://www.qsl.net/nz0i/projects/quad/quad.html