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You can
write your own review of the Traffie Hex-Beam.
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AH6ZZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 21, 2009 18:15
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Second Review
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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First QSO was with a Colorado station at 1400 local Hawaii time -- S9+20 out S9+5 in. Of course that is not a controlled scientific test of a new antenna – but it was thrilling to hear the 9+20 report from 3000+ miles away.
This antenna is the 20m mono-band version of Mike Traffie’s Hex Beam. It is a fine piece of work and a great antenna for my situation and location: small lot, two-story, no CCRs etc -- but concern that I not alienate spouse or neighbors.
Quality craftsmanship, a proven design, simplicity of assembly and great technical support (both in selection of product and after sale support). I have heard a few complaints about price – but you get what you pay for -- and the Traffie product is worth every cent.
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K3LJ
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 10, 2009 12:01
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HX5Bi
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I have finally stopped my procrastinating and installed my EZWay tower and put up a Hexbeam HX5Bi on top of it. The assembly of the Hexbeam could not have been any easier unless it could be made as an upside down umbrella and unfolded then installed.
I spent about 2 1/2 hours putting it together in the backyard using a picnic table with the umbrella removed and a 1 1/2 piece of pipe connected to the base plate. The spreaders went together smoothly and the running of the elements were of no problem. The connectors of the elements were color coded and etched as to band and driven or reflector element. Everything was precut and went together smoothly. I am very satified with the quality of the materials used as well as the workmanship. We had a severe thunderstorm roll through with 60 mph gusts last evening and it handled it with no problems at all.
As far as how does it work, it works as it was advertised. I have under 1.8 to 1 SWR on all all from 20 through 10 meters. I used a quality coax with the installation as well. The directivity is obvious as well as the nulling off of the sides.
I am very pleased with my selection of this Hexbeam as to it's performance and it's construction. I would have no problem recommending this antenna to anyone.
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AH6ZZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 4, 2009 09:44
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20m monobander
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This is for the Traffie 20m lightweight monobander as there is only one category for the dozen or so different Traffie products.
I chose the monoband version for a number of reasons: majority of my DX work is done on 20m; our lot and cottage are quite small; I want to keep a low profile with the neighbors as I have never had a complaint and want to keep it that way; and this is my first directional antenna so I wanted to keep the variables down.
Like the five band product this antenna has quality materials, ease of construction and good performance at relatively low feed-point height. The pieces fit together easily and securely. The instructions are straightforward and a question about one step was easily resolved with a call to Traffie Technologies. As an older ham though, I would have appreciate a few pictures -- especially of the final assembled product -- close up.
Even with the call to Traffie, construction time for this antenna was about 45 minutes -- a great antenna for field day events.
SWR on the ground and at 32 feet were exactly as predicted in the instructions. No tuning was necessary.
Performance will be evaluated as time goes on and I have seen it perform under contest and/or better solar conditions -- but in comparison to my vertical the Hex Beam is between 1 and 5 S units better (depending on direction and other yet to be determined parameters).
The most important quality -- does it increase the fun of ham radio -- is there in abundance. I would recommend the mono version of the Traffie Hex Beam to just about any ham who has a small lot and wants a boost in signals.
Contact me at ah6zz@arrl.net
73 and aloha
Tom
Hilo, Hawaii
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VK4SX
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 23, 2008 14:24
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Proof in the Pudding
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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well after my 8 yr hiatus from Ham radio, and being a silly boy, I removed and disposed of a lot of gear, towers, and yagi arrays ( still have nightmares) I decided to venture back for cycle 24, after much thought and research I ended up on a very very nice phone call to Mr Mike Traffie, that alone is worth the call costs, well my situation had altered, some vacant land beside me had been rezoned, so I only had 4mtrs to the boundry , from last existing lattice tower that attached to house, so I didn't have a lot of options, after a few calls to Mike, I was suitably convinced that the TRAFFIE HX5Bi was the way to go, it would allow a small turning area, fit in the desired lot, LOW maintenance, LOW wind load, (QLD coast) and geez it just looked good to me, so I prepaid for a unit, and then sat back and waited for the day it arrived, well Mike is true to his word in many ways, it arrived on time, as per our phone calls, BUT I had a very small stumbling block, my HX5Bi was kitted out with the NEW type resin glass spreaders, and being SO STRONG a material, they needed an alteration to the SHORT support cables to show a perfect HEX shape, Tim, Mikes son and I were in contact via emails and Mike sent me 2 x SHORTER Support cables, and presto, all fixed and up in the air, without bragging or BS'ing as we say down here, the DX fellows I have worked with 100 / 150ws max, can vouch for it's wonderful performance, to be honest , I am still quite amazed in it's actual performance, and it never fails to surprise me, I get absolutely outstanding reports for a HX5Bi on 10 mtr tower, mounted 1mtr above the rotator to the HEX Hub, very very good reports indeed. I am 7 mtrs ASL, it is an outstanding product, and everything said about it in the past is true and correct in my books. many thanks Mike and Tim of Traffie Technology,
roll on some sunspots, keep and ear out for VK4SX.
rgds all
Dennis VK4SX
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W2FBS
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 27, 2008 18:08
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Couldn't Be better!
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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This is a follow up to my review in July of this year. Since then the hex-beam has gotten me over 145 countries, many new, and hundreds of contacts all over the world. I have no problem working anything I hear. In fact the Alpha Amp sits idle most of the time and the SWR is so good, the AT-4 tuner is bypassed whenever the hex-Beam is in use. I can even load it up on 6 meters with the Pro-3's internal tuner and have worked 14 states on 6.
Don't just read about the hex-Beam - Buy One!
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7Z1HL
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 20, 2008 21:31
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Exceeds expectations
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Mainly because of limited space available, I decided for the hexbeam (the raving reviews here might have supported this decision).
The put-together instructions were detailed and very helpful and I got so much fun out of assembling this beam that I was disappointed when it was suddenly ready. Anyway, I could lift it with one hand onto the rotor (imagine, a 5-band beam in one hand) and stormed to the shack to apply first HF.
Since then, I just love it. As many hams here also confirm, it is simply amazing how this quite small beam surprises everytime with what ease I can crack pile-ups or reach the very DX I still miss in my log.
I don't have test equipment, but the S-meter (IC746PRO) tells me: front-to-back is about 4 digits, front-to-side about 6 digits. SWR is well within the advertised ranges on all bands.
And the best of all, it is soooo quiet. My previous vertical offered me every day after sunset a noise level of S9 on all bands (in the center of Riyadh). There was not much ham radio at night. But the hexbeam seems to be rejecting this noise, it simply does not exist at S0 (zero!!!). Now I really enjoy switching on the radio again, because all I hear is the faint signal of a rare DX and, with that beam, I get a report from him (or her).
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WD4ELG
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 7, 2008 09:03
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The hits just keep on coming!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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July 7 2008 update
Results continue to amaze me, as I keep busting through the pileups with ease:
D2
3D2/P
9L1, TX5, VP6P, 9X, EL, 5T5, YK, VK9N, A7, 9K2
And for less-rare DX from Europe with booming signals, I get a thrill out of jumping into the mix (esp on SSB) with 100 watts and getting through on the first or second call. Pinch me, this must be a dream.
************************************************
November 2007 - I LOVE THIS ANTENNA! Continues to bust pileups and work new DX with the lowest solar conditions I have observed in my 30 years of hamming. The summer DX season is over, and I just participated in the CQ WW DX SSB contest, and here are some results with my HXL-20 at 32 feet and (as always) 100 watts:
3B7C - huge pileup
C52C - huge pileup
TT8PK - first call
5R8RJ - first call
1A4A - fourth call, humongous pileup
Z29KM - second call, nobody else copying him
Also, LOTS of RTTY DX on 20 meters: Europe, Asia (all using 40 watts).
Finally, I regularly worked into UA9/UA0 with 5 watts. Again, 1000 miles per watt no problem.
I considered the HX5Bi to cover all HF bands, but I don't know if it can be as stealthy as the HXL models (stealth is a HUGE factor for me). Also, with marginal solar conditions there are few openings on the higher bands. I will stay with the HXL-20 for another year or so before going with another hex beam model. However, any improvements will ONLY be other hex beam antennas. I am a customer for LIFE. Thanks, Mike and crew.
***********************************************
July 6 2007
I am still as thrilled with the HXL-20 as the day I got it more than a year ago; at the bottom of the sunspot cycle, 20 meters is THE band to be on for sure DX.
I have the Traffie mast and all pieces of the HXL-20 wrapped in black electrical tape (except the wire itself) and the neighbors have never complained; one buddy of mine said he thought it was a tree with no leaves.
It is mounted at 32 feet, and the results are simply fantastic. I can hear so much, and working them (always with 100 watts) is not IF but WHEN. One call, maybe three, never more than seven. When I look back at the log, it's pretty impressive for my modest station:
N8S/Swain - third call on CW with massive pileup
A71EM - second call on CW, huge pileup
4O3T - second call on CW, massive pileup
A41MX - first call on SSB, big pileup
YW0DX - first call on PSK31 and 30W out
C98GLO - fifth call on SSB, big pileup
J28JA - seventh call on SSB, third on CW, both big pileups
VQ9LA - third or fourth call on two occasions
KH8/AI4VU - first call, big pileup
4Z5AD - 5 watts for 6000+ miles, gets the "1000 miles per watt" experience
And another thing; Mr Mike Traffie and his son and the rest of the gang up in New England are simply a joy to do business with; in an age of cheap products and poor customer focus, it is a pleasure interact and receive the best customer service.
You can contact me for more info and I will gladly share my experiences: mlunday@nc.rr.com
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AA5CH
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 10, 2008 22:41
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Irony
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I guess one could say that reviewing my HX-5Bi a few days after it collapsed is ironic. But it occurred to me that I had never done so, even though it had been in use since the summer of 2003.
Mine has performed flawlessly and I have been extremely pleased with it. After almost 5 years in the air, the bandwidth still exceeded specs.
I am a "casual" contester, meaning I'm not that dedicated but attempt a few hundred
S&P QSO's in each contest. The Hex Beam seems perfect for that task, providing forward gain with some F/B and F/S rejection, but not so much that you can't hear and work moderate strength stations you aren't directly pointed at. These are characteristics of what many might consider a "compromise" antenna but I have never considered it in that manner.
It was mounted on a 40 foot telescoping mast guyed in three places with 5/16" Dacron rope and turned by an inexpensive Channel Master rotor.
The Hex Beam has withstood numerous heavy thunderstorms, wind storms, snow, and icing.
A few days ago we received 5-6 inches of a very wet snow. Tree limbs throughout the neighborhood were snapping from the weight of the snow but I wasn't worried about the Hex Beam.
I should have been as the telescoping mast buckled just above the 20 foot guy ring and the Hex Beam came down.
At first I feared it was destroyed but when the snow melted I was surprised at how little damage it had experienced. In fact, I probably did more damage [cost wise] to it in freeing two of our dogs and a cedar tree that had become entangled in the wire elements.
I spent a couple of days in a real funk over the loss of the Hex Beam. I was very proud of my installation and every time I used it or looked at it, I was reminded of what an excellent choice I had made in purchasing it 4 1/2 years ago.
Several of my friends thought I was nuts spending that much money on a goofy looking wire antenna. A couple of them now have come to the conclusion that they should have gotten one.
Spending several hours online researching alternative antennas and towers, I estimated the cost involved in rehabilitating a Rohn self supporting tower I had up years ago, as well as purchasing and installing a new 50-60 foot guyed or self supporting tower.
I calculated the cost of purchasing a log periodic antenna, removing some trees in the back yard, digging a footing, forming and pouring concrete, hiring a crane or bucket truck for installation, etc.
I arrived at the same conclusion I had reached in 2003 when I ordered the Hex Beam. Even if I had to purchase a new one at the significantly higher current price, it still was the best solution for my situation.
Given my location, current budget considerations, satisfaction with the performance of the Hex Beam, and the relative ease and quickness in which one be installed, the Hex Beam won again.
I have spoken with Mike Traffie and we are trying to sort out what parts I need to get the Hex Beam repaired an back on the air. I think we'll be able to do it, but if not...I'm willing to purchase another one. That's probably the best testimonial one can give any product.
Obviously, I will use a heavier duty mast in my next installation. I discovered that the mast I had used was not the heavy duty version I had been led to believe it was. It failed under the weight of the snow. The Hex Beam didn't.
I would encourage those of you planning to mount your Hex Beam on a commonly avaialable 'push-up" pole to ensure you get the heaviest duty mast possible. Getting a longer mast and increasing the overlap at the section joints is probably a good idea.
For a ham, there are few things more depressing than walking to the window and not seeing your favorite and most used antenna where it is supposed to be.
73,
Brad
AA5CH
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WA4IAM
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 24, 2008 16:29
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Great antenna for limited space!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've been using my five band Hexbeam HX-5Bi for a little over seven years and I can say without reservation that it is THE BEST limited space antenna for 20-10 meters that I've ever used! Usually I'm able to crack heavy DX pileups wall to wall with kilowatt stations in the first couple of calls running only 100 watts. It is a bit pricey, but the quality of materials is first rate and the performance beats anything in its size class. SWR is 1.1 to 1.3 across all bands (exception on mine is a brief excursion up to 1.7 at the bottom of 12 meters, nothing to worry about). It has survived hurricane force winds and heavy ice storms with no damage whatsoever. If you don't have the space to put up a full size beam and you want a good a good gain antenna with high quality and survivability, you can't do better than a Hexbeam!
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F5NZY
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 12, 2007 10:26
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I like this antenna...
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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Within only 8 months and low sunspot, I worked my 250th DXCC with a power max of 100w.
For its size, foot print, weight, performances, this antenna is just the right for me.
Between a HexBeam and 200 pounds of aluminium... No hesitation!
73's de Steph, F5NZY
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