| WP4O |
Rating:  |
2012-09-20 | |
| a winner! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Easy to assemble and it works very well.
instructions very clear.I added the 6 meter kit to it, on six its good for for E season, does not compare to my 5 element yagi for TE or long haul DX. its a fantastic all in one package.
This product got my interest back into HF!
73, Ed WP4O El87RV |
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| ZS6RJ |
Rating: |
2012-09-05 | |
| Excellent centre-post upgrade |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
This is my second K4KIO hexagonal beam. I was curious to see how the new centre post compared to the original design.
Noticeable improvement in matching when compared at the same height in the same location using an antenna analyzer (not that there was anything wrong with the original really!) Excellent improvement in mechanical rigidity, allowing easier "shaping" of the elements when setting up without exerting too much tension on the wire elements.
On-air performance has been well covered in previous reviews and is by now legendary, as is the build quality. What started as a quick check-out with the antenna at 18 feet turned into 125 QSO's with EU in 60 minutes on CW in a split pile-up. This is my go-to antenna for portable ops and Dxpeditions. Come and listen to it in action on our 7P8D Dxpedition in November 2012.
This antenna just keeps getting better and better - it's truly rewritten the history books in terms of a high performance 6 band, no tune solution, and it's incredibly easy to repair, to boot. An important consideration when you're stuck down in Africa. Awesome product, keep up the great work Leo!
73, Roger, ZS6RJ |
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| K4YDN |
Rating: |
2012-07-16 | |
| GREAT PERFORMER IN MANY WAYS |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I've been hamming for 54 years and have had all sorts of antennas. This is an exceptional antenna in that you can run the legal limit if you need to, it can be mounted at 30 feet and perform very, very well. It is a very quiet antenna. It is light weight and has a small turning radius. A light weight rotor is all you need. The price is reasonable. Leo did a masterful job of engineering and my hex when together with no effort. Buy one, you won't be disappointed. 73's, Mike, K4YDN |
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| N7HHC |
Rating: |
2012-06-20 | |
| Outstanding Antenna |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I stated that I would update my first review after I had a chance to really test this antenna. Without reservation I can honestly say this is the absolute best antenna I have ever had up in the air. This antenna has opened a whole new world of ham radio for me. I have made more DX contacts in the last two weeks than I did in the last 10 years. I am not always the first station to bust a pileup, but I always get the contact made within 15 or 20 minutes of waiting and calling. I am so impressed with this antenna I ordered my first Amplifier this morning. If you like DX, or just really solid 59 contacts, you just can't go wrong with this beam. Very light weight and easy for one person to get onto the mast. |
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| KA4TOM |
Rating: |
2012-06-10 | |
| Have recommended it several times!!! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| Okay folks, I originally gave this thing a 4 when I had a problem with interaction between 10 and 12 but you know what, a little bit more grounding of the tower suggested by a friend cured that problem and I have to admit that it is a great antenna. In the year it has been up, have worked over 129 DX countries just by accident by operating every now and then. Leo did a great job with this antenna. Thanks Leo. |
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| N4KC |
Rating: |
2012-06-10 | |
| 18-month update |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
The K4KIO hexbeam has been up for 18 months now and still working like a champ. I have now had the opportunity to work some 6 meter sporadic-E and though it is no 5-element Yagi, it does quite well with the 6-meter wires added. It is actually a bit sharper on directionality than I expected with only two elements.
A few months ago, I suddenly developed very high SWR on 15, 12 and 10 meters. Uh oh. First thought was trouble with those elements, based on my previous experience with a homebrew hex. From the ground, they looked solid, though. I chose K4KIO's version because of the solid, sealed center post, so surely there was no problem in there. Maybe at the feed point? But wouldn't a center post or feed point issue be a problem on all bands? I have a 25-foot pigtail from the feed point down the tower to a point where I can reach the end from the roof of the house. I then had 100 feet of 9913 coax from there into the shack. Then, on a whim, when I took the 9913 loose and hooked up a run of RG-8X I keep from the shack to outside for antenna playing, the hex worked fine. Bad 9913, which does tend to wick water!
For a moment, I was afraid I would be the first to give Leo less than a 5 on this fine product. No worries. The beam was still working fine. My coax had been conducting as water as it was RF. I can give as much anecdotal evidence as you want but trust me, the beam does what it is supposed. to do. And as noted by many, the construction is a snap. Anyone...yes, anyone...can do it! And when compared to my arsenal of other aerials...dipole at 60 feet, big horizontal loop, 4-BTV vertical with a nice radial field, and a G5RV, the hex wins every time.
Don Keith N4KC
www.n4kc.com
www.donkeith.com
http://n4kc.blogspot.com
(A blog about rapid technological change and
its effect on society, media, and ham radio)
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| VK4HG |
Rating: |
2012-05-19 | |
| Exceeded expectations |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
My report is based on more than 12 months and 3,500 QSO from South East Queensland. I am fortunate to live on acreage. The hex beam is on a tower @12 meters height on the ridge behind my house. We are at 90 meters above sea level.
For the first two months of operation the beam was 4 meters above ground. During this time I was at the receiving end of several long path Europe pile ups on 20 meters.
In my opinion the beam works best on the 20 meter band. The antenna noticeably struggles with lack of gain in marginal propagation, where multi element arrays have no problem.
At 12 meter height I worked DXCC during active solar conditions during 2011. There is no doubt the antenna is a good low angle radiator. Tests prove a quite reasonable Front to Back ratio. My practical experience this can be up to 5 S points.
The beam has a big forward lobe, which means you are heard by other countries off your beamed direction. Makes for fun DXing.
I am going to experiment with more height over the next 12 months to see if any practical improvement can be made in gain.
Time will tell if the antenna can withstand the subtropical climate here.
No complaints on service, delivery or price. Would I buy another, yes - and several of my ham friends have. Nice antenna. I really like it.
73
Iva de VK4HG
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| K5LXY |
Rating: |
2012-03-30 | |
| Get one NOW! |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
Had my 3 band (10/15/20) antenna from Leo up about 3 months now and I can't even muster enough superlatives. Has me questioning why I would even need to buy an amp. Mounted @ 50' this gem will work any station you can hear with 100 watts.
I have busted pile ups against stations running higher wattage regularly. For what is basically a 2 element quad this thing kicks butt.
Light weight, easy to assemble, low SWR's just a fantastic antenna. K4KIO nailed a great design, you won't be disappointed! |
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| G1PDA |
Rating: |
2012-03-08 | |
| Update on hexbeam performance |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I wrote a review in December 2010 after using this antenna for about a month, I gave it 5/5
I don't do contests or anything like that and mostly listen to what's going on. The surprising thing is when I do chat, I am heard, usually at a good S9 signal strength. Overall performance is amazing for such a small footprint, 6 band antenna although sometimes I wish it had a better front to back ratio.
What I like most about this antenna is that its electrically 'quiet'. I live on the flanks of a Greek mountain and the background noise from such a dynamic environment with rain clouds passing overhead, electrical storms etc can be intense.
The antenna has also survived quite heavy although infrequent high winds with no problems. If I had to do it again I would buy the larger diameter baseplate to make installation more compatible with slightly larger antenna rotators.
This is a great antenna and my mainstay for bands between 20m - 6m.
SV0XBU, Ellis |
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| WB7BCN |
Rating: |
2012-03-04 | |
| Service beyond. . . |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
The superb performance is well documented by my fellow hams so what I would say is just redundant.
A fierce snowstorm in mid January dropping 14 inches overnight here in WA state and was followed the next day with freezing rain. I had mounted the beam on a 40' Rohn telescoping mast last summer. Although I properly guyed the mast a 10' intervals, the icing of the mast well exceeded the design limits and buckled between the guy points. I first noticed one of the spreader arms had collapsed about 1/2 hour before the mast buckled. When the whole thing came down, three spreader arms were destroyed.
Nothing in Leo's design would have prevented this damage. However, his support of repairing this was so intense that it left me with much admiration and sets the standard of how support should be.
I live in SW Washington State and the mild winters lulled me into a false sense that storms like this don't occur here. I would advise anyone who plans to install this antenna on a pushup mast, so do so with a great deal of prudent consideration of what mother nature is capable of regardless of where you live. |
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