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Reviews For: Hexbeam: by NA4RR

Category: Antennas: HF: Yagi, Quad, Rotary dipole, LPDA

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Review Summary For : Hexbeam: by NA4RR
Reviews: 85MSRP: 450
Description:
The hexagonal beam antenna is built around the improved
broadband design by G3TXQ. Features air coaxial center post
made from aluminum and stainless steel hardware. The spreaders
are fiberglass tubes and support cords are made of kevlar
covered with UV resistant Dacron. All wire sets are 14ga 168
strand Flexweave™ and are pre-measured for simple assembly.
This is a plug and play antenna with no tuning or cutting of
elements required.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.hexagonalbeam.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
64854.7
KC4MOP Rating: 2023-04-02
Worked GR8 till 70mph wind Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This antenna and probably the other copies of the original Traffie Hexbeam do not do well in high winds storms, as we had APRIL 1st, 2023. 70 MPH winds and broken spreaders. I regret installing it on my 30 foot steel tower. Now I have to call someone in to remove the antenna...Order spreader arms.....disassemble the antenna.......install new spreaders....call a tree company back to re-install. Not going through any of that. I bought a DX Commander vertical and live with the consequences of no HEXbeam. These antennas do well on a push-up mast or 30 foot tilt-over tower to make repairs that are surely going to happen. I am retired and fixed income and do not have endless resources. I was just getting into the the activity of the upper bands 20M and up with the new cycle we are in now.
VE3PTC Rating: 2023-03-05
vy fb. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
this is an update on my na4rr hexbeam. the antenna has been in service for 7 years, with zero problems. swr is 1.3:1 on all bands, rising slightly to 1.7:1 at 29.650.
in the last 2 weeks, we have had a couple ice storms, that made the wire elements about 5/8'' thick !! antenna well out of resonance. but as soon as the ice melted, normal operations resumed.
i have read about some hexbeams failing, and i must say, the thin walled plastic pipe joining the vertical post to the hexplate, could be a problem. if i was assembling this antenna today, i would substitute a thick walled fibreglass pipe, or delrin, or even solid polypropylene, to make this more solid.
however. there are a few areas, that really need close attention when assembling this antenna.
the s hooks that attach the cords to the top of the vertical post MUST be closed, so they cannot come out.
the stub mast that goes from your rotor to the hexplate coupling, must be a close fit. this is important.
spreaders, and cords. let the spreaders and support cords do their job! the element wires are not for supplementing these. there is perfect equilibrium between all 6 cords, acting on the central vertical post. dont tighten up the element wires, thats not a good idea, and takes away from the spreaders and cords. plus, you will have tight, and slack areas, that will affect the operation of the spreaders.
i think maybe some manufacturers, may beef up the thin pipe (on the na4rr),but dont throw this antenna together too fast. take your time, follow the instructions, and for sure, leave a little slack on the wires. it wont affect the performance one bit, but will allow the other parts to do their job.
mine has been up for 7 years, and i look fwd to another 7 !
great antenna, enjoy !
vy 73 de bob.
va3vs
NN2X Rating: 2023-03-03
Fantastic and compared with Mono Banders (Yagi and Verticals) Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Update: March 2, 2023

Everyone knows the Hex beams do very well; however, how about during Wind storms of 60MPH and gusts up to 80MPH? How does the HEX handle this?

Well, on March 2, in north Dallas, we had a storm (60MPh gusting to 80MPH), and the HEX beam survived. (Both mechanical and RF parameters were the same).

End of update: March 2, 2023

I had the luxury of owning both the K4KIO and the NA4RR. Both are great; both have outstanding support...I will say having Youtube Video instructions was a neat idea by NA4RR. Nevertheless, both are easy to assemble; I even hoisted the antenna on the mast myself (Both weigh the same 25 lbs)..(I am 63, not the greatest in shape, but I can see my toes!)

Performance.

Both NA4RR and K4KIO have the exact dimensions.

When I had the K4KIO, I compared with my mono banders (K4KIO Up at 35FT)

The first Mono Bander was the 24FT Mono Band Mosely antenna (20 Meters / 3 elements)) Up at 40ft

The second Mono Bander was the 12ft Mono Bander Hygain (15 meters / 3 elements) Up at 50ft.

The third Mono Bander was at 12 FT Force 12 (10 Meters 4 ELements) / Up at 55 ft.

You can see it on my QRZ Page...

I compared the Hex Beam to the Mono banners...(Hex Beam was at 35ft)

The results.

I first modeled the EZNEC Software, and I'd like to let you know that the Hex beam performance is best at 35ft for both DX and Local). (If you go higher or lower, the performance suffers) Go figure? And we always thought the higher, the better...But I digress

Hex versus Mono Banders

The HEX Beam for 20 Meters, The Mosely slightly won (Mono Bander 24ft boom /3 Element @ 40ft/ The Hex Beam 35ft), but you would never notice the difference, maybe a 0.5 S unit...(Both Local and DX). But with QSB, you would have a hard time seeing the difference.

For 15 Meters, the Hex Beam won (Against the 12FT Boom 3 Element Yagi @50ft / The Hex Beam 35ft)...Flat out, especially in DX. I can't explain, but a full 1 to 2 S unit favoring the HEX Beam (DX) Local is about the same.

For 10 meters (4 Elements 12 FT Boom @ 55ft/ The Hex Beam 35ft), The Yagi 4 Element had slightly better results for DX but only 0.5 S Unit to 1 S Unit for DX, but once again, hard to tell, with QSB...But nothing to get too excited about.

The MONO band system = Costs about $7,000 (Rotor, Tower, and antennas)

The Hex Beam = About $1,000 (Antenna, Mast, and Rotor)

My takeaway from modeling with EZNec, you would need a boom length of 32FT to start knowing you upgraded from Hex to Large Yagi array.

So all those multi-band configurations, for 10-20, unless it is 32 ft, don't bother...Stick with a Hex beam unless 32 FT Boom...

I paid dearly learning this with my mono banders.


Hex versus DX Commander (Vertical)

I am about 10 ft above the ground (NA4RR), and the VSWR measured Flat on all bands (Less than 1.5:1) / 10/12/15/18/20. I will raise it to 35ft...


I have a DX Commander to compare with; it is about 4 to 5 S Units difference locally (Favoring the HEX Beam at 10ft (10-20). I will upload the results on YouTube when I get a chance. I am sure the performance of the DX commander will get closer when working DX...I saw one DX on 15 meters (Just JA) still was at least 3 S Units difference, but I need more time to compare. (Favoring Hex Beam)

But local (Which is typical, the two-element HEX, will do far better). Another point for the DX Commander, so much is determined by Ground quality.

Please note: My DX Commander has only 32 radials and an average of 15ft in length for each radial...Maybe in another location, DX Commander would do better (Ground Quality and Longer radials)

In summary...

NA4RR is an excellent product with superb customer support, a great price...and outstanding performance.

About the wind storm...I bought a Spiderbeam Aluminum Mast (41ft) very easy to pull up and down. Pull down with knobs to 5FT 7 inches; I also purchased the Quad Pod. If winds come along, 3 minutes to pull down.

C U on the bands

DE NN2X / Tom
VE3WF Rating: 2023-02-23
Performance is great. Quality is poor. Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I am very impressed with the performance compared to my vertical. 100 new countries in a few months time tells the story. Currently 56t off the ground. SWR is 1.3:1 or less on all bands which was a pleasant surprise .
The problem is that the center post is poorly designed and just plain weak. The insulator is a cheap pvc pipe and the center post is very thin wall aluminum.
Mine broke at the insulator from just a small amount of freezing rain. If you have descent wind or any ice it will fail. I am seeing many failures pop up on the internet.
I even added the ice cords which may have made things worse. It is a huge ordeal to have to replace this antenna after only 4 months on the tower in an area with mild weather.

KG5RJR Rating: 2022-12-29
LOVE My NA4RR Hex!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Multiple years in-service. PushUp Mast, thru thrust bearing with Yaesu 450 rotor on the bottom, driving this extended to 25'.

This antenna has NOT let me down yet.. Great construction and if you follow the suggestions and instructions will work for years.
W0RDR Rating: 2022-12-21
Outstanding and Easy Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This HexBeam went together easily, simply followed the instructions (and watched the video) and it was a snap. I did take the extra steps (and time) to use plastic primer and flat-black protective enamel paint on it before assembly. I'm sure that will pay off in the long run.

Once it was up on the tower and connected, before I even tried it on the air I did a sweep of it with my uVNA. I was amazed to find the SWR well under 2:1 on all bands (in fact in the middle of all bands it was under 1.5:1. Mine even sweeps out to be under 1.5:1 on 2m a band it's not advertised to work on.

I made my first contact with "The Christmas Train" in VA. On RX, comparing it to my R9 vertical, the HexBeam increased his signal from S8 to more that 10 over S9. He advised I was +20 on the HexBeam. I didn't have a chance to do a comparison as he was very busy.

Overall I am VERY impressed, although my wife says our neighbors are going to wonder why I put the clothesline up so high and it keeps rotating...
K7RLD Rating: 2022-07-25
Good pricing, great service and outstanding performance Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I got the NA4RR Hexbeam in late 2021 and got it up in the air at 50ft on a Rohn tower in March. I've had nothing but excellent reports from stations all over the world.
I had one issue with an "element" but Bill had a new one overnighted at no cost. That is over 3000 miles distance from FL to WA.
SWR has been less than 1.6:1 on all bands with no tuner except 12M which is common to many hexbeams. Even that is less than 2:1. I use a tuner to get the SWR flat on all bands.
Quality is excellent. You can spend a whole lot more on a hexbeam but this is a great value for a well built unit that performs well on 20M-6M.
I'm glad I chose the NA4RR hexbeam.
KA0AZS Rating: 2022-06-18
Easy assembly, great customer support, good performer Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
June 2022 Update. This has been up in the air for almost a year now. No issues with snow/ice over winter or storms with up to 60MPH gusts.

Since this has been up I've completed my digital DXCC (153 DX to date), and 5 Band WAS on digital. With no hype, I can say that this antenna is the reason I've done so well so quickly (I didn't start working on either until the lockdowns of 2020). I'm also starting to work on WAS and DXCC for SSB.

It has good directionality, but is not such a narrow beam as to totally close off stations on the side or back lobes. I like this as it gives me better situational awareness of what's happening on the band and gives me the opportunity to swing around to catch needed stations.

I've talked with several hams that have the same antenna and none have had a bad thing to say about it.

Still highly recommended, particularly if you have a small lot with limited space that makes putting up a standard beam impossible.
****************************************************
I just got mine into the air yesterday, on top of my 33 Ft. tower. My first contact was Lebanon on 20M followed quickly by several EU stations and the UAE. I'm having DX stations call me when I finish a QSO, a first for me. This was on FT-8 using 40W.

Assembly was easy. I took a couple of hours due to breaks from the sun, and taking my time to double and triple check what I was doing. Good written instructions and YouTube video. Only needed 2 tools, a wrench and a nut driver.

Bill was responsive to all of my questions via e-mail both before and after purchase.

SWR is below 2:1 across all bands.

I'm looking forward to getting my rotor mounted later this week to be able to take full advantage of this antenna.

Highly recommended.
K5XOM Rating: 2022-06-17
Happy with the purchase Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I put the NA4RR Hex Beam on a 48 foot tower with a 4 foot mast. So the hex beam is 50 feet. Elevation here is 35 feet ASL. I already had the tower set up for I guess 20 years. So instead of taking a section out and installing a longer piece of 2 inch pipe mast I just left it like it was at 48 feet. I usually don't have any difficulty breaking thru a pileup on 20 meters usually. My ICom 7300 drives a Collins 30L-1 and output of it is 400 watts into the Hex Beam. The SWR is 1:1. I am really satisfied with my purchase.
VE9DM Rating: 2021-11-29
Great value!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I am 76 with lots of arthritis and I had no problem assembling the antenna. I can't say that about my Steppir Big IR. The Hex beam performs perfectly as it should. It is up 30 ft with a tripod mast and 3 guys and a Yeasu Rotator. It is close to my old Moseley TA 36. SWR was high on the ground but settled down perfectly once in the air. I rented a man hoist and my neighbor did the install which took less than an hour. Great antenna!