hexbeam or quad

[K4RVN]

I had a typo in climbed but could not modify it. I do know better.

[K9FV]

I had a typo in climbed but could not modify it. I do know better.

"climed" - I guess I need glasses, I read that as "climbed" - oh well.  Those small typos happen, and would be nice if the edit function lasted longer.

73 de Ken H>

[NN4ZZ]

Just a short comment here on "age and not climbing towers" - I've decided the same thing. I use a 40 ft tower (4 of the 10ft Rohn 25 sections) with a hinged base.  But an electric winch on the tower, a couple of guy wires, and it's easy to raise/lower tower for antenna work. Use the HexLock (or similar) so the antenna mast will rotate 90º up makes it easy to work on antenna (Yagi, hex, quad, etc) from the ground.

Take a look at NN4ZZ.com/ for several different types of hinges he's got. I built the hexlock and it works nice. Since I enjoy piddling with antennas, my tower is usually up 'n down a couple times/yr at least - sometimes more.

Good luck

Ken,
Thanks for the plug.  I'm back to using a 3el Quad now that I can maintain it easily from the ground with a QuadLock.  As you noted we now have products to let you maintain Yagis, Quads, and Hexbeam antennas from the ground.   

TiltPlate for yagi antennas
www.nn4zz.com/tiltplate.htm

QuadLock for cubical quad antennas
www.nn4zz.com/quadlock.htm

HexLock for hexbeam antennas
www.nn4zz.com/HexLock.html

If you can work on them from the ground easily, maintenance doesn't have to a major concern in your decision.   If you are a tiltover tower user, you may also be interested in this discussion group: 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CrankupTiltoverTowers/

Regards, Al / NN4ZZ 

[K5KNE]

You said that you wanted casual qsos. Have you tried 75 and 40 meters. I find that there are more ragchewers on those bands than on the upper bands that need a beam.

I find that most hams on 10, 15 and 20 just want a signal report - and want to move on to someone else - few are really talkers that will spend a while chatting. There are some exceptions - and those are the guys you are looking for.

A simple trap dipole or dipole with two sets of wires (two for each band) works quite well and there are usually some people on there who like to talk. There are a lot of groups that talk regularly, and most welcome new folks to the group. If you like to ham early in the morning, during the day or at night you will find someone to talk to on 75 and 40.

I like 2 meter direct contacts on 146.52. It is quite different than repeater contacts. With a good beam and a little height you will find others who are on there and most are talkative.

I have heard some good things about the stepper - so it may just need a little maintenance to get it operating right. They have more things that can go wrong than most beams - so a simple bad connection can make it not work right.

Good Luck   Walter K5KNE

[KA7NIQ]

I live and clean roofs here in Tampa http://www.roof-cleaning-tampa.com/2012/10/tampa-roof-cleaning-contractors.html, so I get to see a lot of antennas, LOL
In this part of Florida, we have a lot of retired, elderly Hams. I am a "Kid" of 58 years, but many, if not most of my Ham Radio Friends are in their 70's and 80's!
Many of these fellow Hams are winter residents only, and have big, multi tower systems, back home somewhere. I would have to say THE most popular multi band directional antennas here in the Tampa area, are w/o question the K4KIO Hex Beams, followed closely by the Tennadyne T6 and T8 Log Periodics.
Because we have so many non Ham, retired people here in the Tampa area, we have people with nothing better to do with their lives then Bitch!
Quads are scary looking things, to a non Ham.
Of all the antennas I have mentioned, the Tennadyne Logs are IMHO the Least "Hammy" looking. LOL, they kind of look like a glorified TV Antenna, once they are up on a tower.
Speaking of Hex Beams, you almost don't even need a tower to support those.

Both the Tennadyne T6 Log, and the K4KIO Hex Beam, are in the 600 dollars price range.
The Interlaced Force 12 Yagi that Tom, W8JI mentioned is a great antenna. However, they are near double the cost!

Plus,, I knew several who waited for Months to actually get a Force 12 antenna!

Tennadyne seems to always have T6 and T8 antennas, ready to ship, and so does K4KIO, I am told.

I have cleaned many a roof here in the Tampa area, that had either a Hex Beam, or a little Tennadyne T6 Log mounted on it, with a small roof tower.

I have never cared for a roof mounted tower, and of course, they are not possible on the many Tile Roofs we see here in Florida.

But, we see them on the shingle roofs here, and I hate to clean them!

Basically, we use a chlorine bleach based solution, and must be careful not to rust the roof mounted towers!

My competitors in the roof cleaning business here don't care if they rust the towers, But being a Ham, I do care!

I have developed a petroleum jelly type rub to coat the tower legs with, that protects the roof mounted tower legs from the chlorine based chemical we use.