Recommendations on antenna for 2 meter SSB?

[K7IHC]

I was recently operating 2m SSB on my vertical monopole antenna, but I realize that if I want any kind of good DX performance, a horizontally-polarized directional antenna is best.  Any recommendations for a simple antenna, commercial or homebuilt?  I would like to homebrew a 2m yagi, but maybe I'm missing a better design.  I'd like a low-profile setup, so a stacked array might be too much.

[K5CQB]

There was an article on this site a while back about an antenna that would probably be what your looking for.  I can't remember the name of the antenna.  It is shaped like a square and made of copper tube, cheap and easy to build and small too.  You might try searching the articles.
K5CQB

[KC8AXJ]

http://www.hamuniverse.com/2ssbyagi.html


http://www.m2inc.com/products/2m.html

[KI4BUM]

Home built 5 element Yagi built from an FM antenna purchased at Radio Shack for $20

http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/pdf/9907034.pdf

This was my first home built project and it worked perfect.

[WB2WIK]

A great design that's easy to homebrew and works very well is the Quagi, originally published in 1977 (QST by N6NB.  The Quagi design was in the ARRL Antenna Handbook and the VHF-UHF Manual for many years and there are many thousands in use around the world.

Complete details are on Overbeck's website http://www.n6nb.com.

The nice thing about the Quagi is that it requires no matching device for the driven element, and provides a wonderful match at the "SSB end" of the two meter band without one.  This saves time, work, money and helps prevent the biggest mistake most hams make in homebrewing VHF beams, which is improper matching device construction or adjustment.

If you opt for a commercially made beam, the smallest, lightest, easiest-to-rotate, highest-performance 2m beam on the market (balancing "most bang for the buck") is the M2 model 2M9SSB.  It works extremely well for its diminutive weight (only a few pounds), only takes about 20 minutes to assemble and is very well designed with a matching system that literally requires no adjustment other than setting it up dimensionally according to the instructions.  Info on that, and other M2 antennas, is available at http://www.m2inc.com

Remember your antenna system is by far the most important element of your two meter station, if you want to "DX" on this band.  And it's the whole *system* that counts: Antenna, its feedline, and its elevation are all vitally important.  Use the lowest-loss transmission line (coax) you can, get the beam up as high above ground as possible (and "higher than possible" works even better!), and use a good beam and strong rotor (to minimize failures and maintenance) and you're going to love what the 2m band can produce.  With 25W PEP to a good antenna system, daily, typical contacts to 200-300 miles are normally commonplace, unless you live in a very poor and blocked location.

WB2WIK/6

[WB6BYU]

W4RNL has a whole family of 2m yagis with 50 ohm inputs
and very clean patterns, with 6 to 12 elements:

http://www.cebik.com/2mowa1.html

The 6- and 7- element versions are quite practical to
build using an insulated boom.  The designs presume
the elements are insulated from a metal boom, though
the dimensions could be adjusted for other common mounting
methods.

[K7IHC]

Steve:
thanks for the tip on the Quagi.  I had heard about the design, but had forgotten about it.  I think I'll build one in the next few months and give it a try on 2m SSB.

[WB2WIK]

Erik, it's hard not to like the Quagi and how well it works.  I've built dozens of them, almost all using 14' bamboo poles for booms (strong, lightweight, weatherproof), plexiglas for the driven element and reflector spreaders, #12 solid insulated copper wire (household AC wiring, Home Depot) for the driven element and reflector, and brazing rod for the directors.  Total cost for any single 2 meter Quagi is maybe $15 and the return on that investment is amazing.

Tip: Bamboo poles aren't exactly a household item around here, but they are in a lot of Asia and the Pacific Islands.  I get them from rug shops who import rugs from Asia; the rugs are often rolled up on bamboo poles, which just happen to be fourteen feet long.  I think this is why N6NB started out with the 2 meter, 8 element Quagi having a 14 foot boom length -- it's the perfect length to use, for available bamboo poles.  I've never paid anything for the bamboo -- either the shop has it and will give it away, or they don't.

Good luck!

Steve, WB2WIK/6

[WB6BYU]

Here is another source of designs that are simple to
build, to give you some alternate boom lengths:

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

[KE4DRN]

Hi,

Not to talk you out of the yagi, I've used both of these and they work well, easy to build and get you on the air fast and now you have time to build the yagi.

http://www.cebik.com/moxpage.html
Not as large as the yagi but has almost same gain.

http://www.cebik.com/hs.html
simple wire antenna for 2m.

Both can be used vertical or horizontal.

73 james