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Author Topic: Opinions on 6 meter beams  (Read 7073 times)

KD5HEM

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Opinions on 6 meter beams
« on: August 06, 2000, 02:46:53 PM »

 HI Gang, well gonna takedown the trusty 5 element Cushcraft and put up a little bigger beam. I'm looking for suggestions or coments on a few of the beams on the market. I'm looking to stay around a 30 foot boom. Like the looks of the M2 - 6M7 or 6M7JHV. I would greatly appreciate pros and cons and suggestions on any other Brands or models. The little 5 element Cushcraft works fine, just want a little more than a 12 foot boom. Would like more receive than the 5 el. can give. Also comments on a 6 meter preamp, mast mounted or in the shack model. I live in the city, so can't go all out, the antenna will go back up at about 60 feet. Just looking for a few pointers.

Thanks, Shane kd5hem DM91
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K6SDW

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Opinions on 6 meter beams
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2000, 01:12:12 PM »

I too use the Cushcraft 5-el and been really happy with it....I would suggest looking into stacking another 5-el beam for better directivity.......73.../ed
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K0RS

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Opinions on 6 meter beams
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2000, 07:30:56 AM »

Roll your own.  Get your hands on a yagi optimization program and beat up a few designs til you get the performance you desire.  The Cushcraft hardware that you already own is the perfect starting point for your own design.  All you really need is some more boom length.  Experiment with element spacing and length.  Anybody's beam design can be changed and improved, or at least personalized to suit your individual needs.  That's the beauty of the computer software.  I purchased a Cushcraft 6m boomer (617-6B) and modeled it before I even assembled it.  The gain and pattern sucked, but all the hardware was there to build a stellar performer.  Now it looks a lot different than the original assembly instructions, but it really works.  
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"90% of the people in a pile-up have no idea what's going on.  It's up to you to be in the remaining 10%."  *W9KNI*

N6TR

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Opinions on 6 meter beams
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2000, 04:44:14 PM »

I support the idea of using your existing hardware to create a new beam.  My first antenna was a 10 element CushCraft and while it worked well enough, I took it down and extended the boom from 24 feet to 37 feet and removed three of the elements.  This seven element antenna works very well and has made three EME QSOs.  For probably $20, you can get the materials to extend your boom.  A little work with an antenna modeling program, and you will be impressed at the improvement.  

However, if you want to get a new beam - please let me buy your old one!

73 Tree N6TR / K7RAT
CN85TJ
Boring, Oregon
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K6FEE

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Opinions on 6 meter beams
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2000, 11:08:14 PM »

Say Larry,

I have the same antenna ( Cushcraft Boomer ) I would be most greatful if you could email me the modifications and antenna patern, gain specs etc.I thought the antenna was a real performer as it is. I used a MFJ antenna anilizer to match it to 1 to 1 at 50.200. If you made it perform better WOW!!!! I've worked stuff others haven't been able to hear, let alone get their attention ( my KW doesn't hurt either ) like yj's,3d2,A35,fk8 etc. The Boomer is presently at 40' but soon to go on a new tower at 80+. What modeling program do you use?

73 Keith K6FEE
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K0RS

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Opinions on 6 meter beams
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2000, 08:51:02 PM »

Hi Keith....I would be glad to email and discuss the 617-6B, except.....I need your email address!  You might consider adding it to QRZ.COM.  Looking forward to hearing from you.  
« Last Edit: August 27, 2011, 02:10:21 AM by K0RS »
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"90% of the people in a pile-up have no idea what's going on.  It's up to you to be in the remaining 10%."  *W9KNI*

N4UE

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Opinions on 6 meter beams
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2001, 10:38:53 AM »

Shane, you asked for an opinion, so here it is.....
The suggestion to roll your own, is probably the best. Materials are inexpensive and information abounds. Plus, you will have the satisfaction of 'bragging rights'. If you're not mechanically inclined (that's fine), there are several commercial sources of antennas. I have always liked Cushcraft. The antennas are quite simple and rugged. I have had several CC 6 meter antennas, including several I 'redesigned' and made into long 7 element yagis. They worked well.
When I moved to this location, I put the 7 element antenna up, then modified it according to W3CCX (club station) suggestions, using Yagi Optimizer. This reduced it to a 5 el with a shorter boom. It worked well with the Gamma match and Tee match.
Just for fun, I put up a new M2 JHV. I won't go into the gruesome details here, please read my 'review' here in e.ham.
One thing about antenna gain claims: take them with a grain of salt. Somewhere on the WWW there is a graph of gain versus elements/boomlength. These are plotted against the famous NBS design, which is considered the standard. There is one thing that makes gain = boomlength. You can clean up the side lobes with interelement spacing and element lengths, but you don't 'make' power, but you can focus it into an ever more narrow main lobe. This comes at a cost of bandwidth, mechanical problems, and diminishing returns, etc. The CC Boomer (which is a very nice antenna) appears to be rated too high in reference to the other antennas in it's class. These are all Mfg. claims, of course. Some mfg. forget details such as 'gain over a dipole' or 'gain over isotropic', which 'looks' better, but is purely theoretical.

I will be more than glad to discuss this with you further, here or directly.

ron

N4UE
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WA7BTG

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Opinions on 6 meter beams
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2001, 10:17:53 PM »

RON N4UE, Can you or anyone else give me some referals on sources for beam parts, such as tubing and brackets for mounting elements. I'am interested in building my own,
Thanks, Kim WA7BTG  bkc2002@juno.com
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N4UE

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Opinions on 6 meter beams
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2001, 12:49:02 PM »

Kim, I buy Al at the local Coast to Coast hardware store. They have a good selection of sizes, as do the Lowe's Superstores.
If you don't have the machine tools to fabricate your own parts, you can get some of them from Cushcraft.
However, since I have a machine shop, I just use their on-line catalog to pick up ideas.....

ron
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N2JDQ

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Opinions on 6 meter beams
« Reply #9 on: March 14, 2001, 09:39:39 AM »

I agree with k6sdw....I would try stacking first....u will add optimumly 3 db gain right there and make ur pattern to the horizon lower and narower to the sides....i have extensive experience from a contest station that uses 2 cushcraft 5 ele yagis ant 40'  seperated abt 10' apart...and i really love being the "loud" one on the band....btw...10' seperation may not be optimum...i thing 12-15'..but not sure...any way good luck!!  ps. stacking might save u 100$$'s  of dollars.

73's -steve  n2jdq  qrv 2m ssb/cw  from fn13ee
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