| K3JVB |
Rating:      |
2006-07-01 | |
| The antenna that could ! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
It has been over a year..it is up at 40 feet. Using a Rohn push up mast. I run a moderate station and medium power. Ft 767gx, and an FL7000 amp. It does all and more of it's claims. Only use a tuner on 10 meters. It shines on 17 and 20 meters. Breaks pile up on a consistent basis.
Almost as good as a full size beam...almost !
73
JohnB |
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| KB5SZ |
Rating:      |
2006-03-19 | |
| KB5SZ |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Let me start by saying that I don't usually give reviews,but this antenna deserves all of the high marks that I give it.The Traffie Hex beam is all of the excellent remarks that it has recieved on this site.I am amazed by the performance from such a small foot print in the air.When I recieved it,and eagerly opened the box,the quality jumped out at me.After one hour and 45 minutes of assembly time ,it was ready to go in the air.It is 38 feet in the air on A Roan 25 G tower,utilizting a Glen Martin Hazer.The SWR's are from 1to1 to 1.2 on all 5 bands,AMAZING.I guess I don't need my AT4K tuner anymore.On the air it performs like a BIG YAGGIE.Last but not least,Mike and his wife are a delight to talk to on the phone,which is a blessing these days.If you have limited space and are looking for a 5 band antenna that works,this is the one,by the way how many antenna makers out there offer a 30 day trial,Traffie does,less the shipping of course.Thanks Mike for a great Antenna...Ron Crowe(KB5SZ) |
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| WA3IRJ |
Rating:      |
2005-10-17 | |
| It works well ! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Well, I have had it on the air over a month. And have gotten it up to the 40 foot mark.
It does a great job for a two element beam. I have had much DX success...It seems to perform just a Traffie said it would. Good flat SWR on all bands...I do use a tuner on 10 meters with my amp.
But for such a compact antenna, it is a good value..and above average performer ! It does seem to be just the ticket for the QTH that just does not have the room for a full size beam.
kb3lxy
73 |
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| KF0OH |
Rating:      |
2005-02-27 | |
| Super Antenna - Should have bought one earlier. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
After procrastinating for well over two years and playing with verticals and then a Butternut Butterfly, I found a used HX5B available. The antenna was close to a 5Bi but needed several new insulators and cables. Traffie supplied them and now it is virtually an HX5Bi!
The Hexbeam replaced my Butternut Butterfly. First, the reduction in background noise was quite obvious. The maximum height for installation at my QTH is about 35 feet. That was not enough for the Butterfly since it "aimed" right into my roof and house wiring, but not bad for the Hexbeam. The 20 meter element (at the top) now "looks" over my roof.
As promised by Traffie, the SWR is flat across every one of the bands. I was immediately able to disconnect my LDG AT-1000 Autotuner that was inline after my Alpha 99 since it was no longer needed. The SWR is essentially undetectable on any of the bands except for 20 meters where it reaches a high of 1.5:1. Amazing! It is so nice to not have to retune when changing bands or frequencies within a band.
The antenna was extremely easy to put together. It took approximately 2 hours and that included the coax feed line and mast preparation. Once constructed on the ground in my backyard, I simply lifted it up by the mast, carried it up the steps onto my deck, up a 6 foot step ladder and then placed the mast into my rotor. It got a little wobbly to hold at that point due to it's size but is surprisingly lightweight and easy to pick up.
While I haven't fully tested it, several received signals have increased by 2 to 3 S units as I rotated the antenna towards them and continues to be 2 to 3 over my ground-mounted Hygain vertical. Also, I haven't missed several DX stations, barefoot, when I could barely hear them (S1 to S2). So I guess it is working well and directional on transmit.
For those that are looking for a superb antenna with a small footprint, this is the one. While the price of a new unit is high, once you see the craftmanship and grade A parts you'll understand why. Also, the customer service from Mike and Tim Traffie is unbelievable. This one is a winner. |
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| K7PEH |
Rating:      |
2004-09-27 | |
| Excellent Antenna |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
So far so good. I love this antenna. I read all the reviews, studied the Traffie web page, and then decided to do a buy. It hurt a little at just under $1000 for the five bander but I am very glad I made the purchase.
What drove me to this antenna is that I didn't have any room for anything larger. This Hex Beam has about a nine foot rotation radius which fits my QTH just fine.
So, as soon as I put it up, I heard the difference. My 20 meter band came alive and full of signals. Before, I was only hearing the strongest signals and didn't think there were very many active hams on 20 meters. But, this antenna made a big difference.
By the way, SWR on 20 meters is virtually flat across the band and the highest SWR I measured was on 10 meters at 1.4:1. Traffie promises under 2:1 and I can understand that SWR depends on location and nearby objects. But, as my experience shows, the SWR can be very good.
As soon as I can arrange it, I will do a performance test comparing the Hex Beam to a dipole here at the same QTH and I will write another review providing the results.
I highly recommend this antenna if you are faced with the same limitations that I have or if you want a small footprint beam to replace that dipole or vertical. |
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| W6VA |
Rating:     |
2004-08-23 | |
| Works As Advertised - But Expensive |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I was at first extremely skeptical that this beam could even work, but after reading extensively reviews on it, plus talking to Hex Beam owners I decided to take a chance.
My location required a small beam so it would have to be something like a mini beam or the Hex Beam.
It performs as well or better than the spec's on the Hex Beam site. Very easy to build. I'm a total bozo when it comes to mechanical stuff and I was able to put it together by myself in about 2 hours which in itself is a testament to the Hex Beam people in having everything laid out nicely. At this point I still was uneasy about it's performance.
Put it up on a small 30' tower and the SWR was great across all bands. No tuning or adjustment needed. After testing out with a couple of local hams I tried it out on some DX and it really works. With my dipole as a test reference I could see 13 DB improvement in signal strength. Of course this isn't a perfect test dipole, just my own personal reference.
I would have rated this a 5 but the price is no longer $749 as shown above, but closer to $900 and that puts it in the same range as a 2 EL SteppIR. Given I had limited space the Hex Beam fit the bill but at the same price if I had more room I'd probably have gotten the SteppIR. |
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| WA6NHD |
Rating:      |
2004-04-20 | |
| HX-5Bi - Excellent |
Time Owned: N.A. |
First of all, I have been off the air from 1977 until November 2003, though still licensed. I needed to find not only an HF rig, but antennas as well. I installed a homebrew 1/4-wave 40M vertical elevated (on roof) with 4 radials that has worked extremely well. But what to do about the higher bands, when you're stuck with a 60 x 100 ft lot and no room for a tower?
So, after some research and chats with other hams, I purchased Mike Traffie's HX-5Bi around January and the antenna has been in place for about 2 months now. Between work and somewhat sporadic band conditions, it has taken time to gather some decent observations regarding this antenna. At this point, I have concluded that the hex beam is amazing. Don't be fooled by it's relative simplicity. It will perform, even at low heights. In fact, my experience to date tells me going from this to a simple yagis at a much greater height would not be worthwhile.
The antenna itself is indeed well crafted and you can tell much of the cost is due to many custom-fabricated components. It's robust, light, and very easy to assemble. First QSOs were after assembly on the ground, with the HX-5Bi placed on a 4ft step-ladder. I had no problems working all I could hear with my K2, then at 10 watts. It's final location is on the garage atop a 15 foot mast with a Yaesu GB450 rotor, for a total height of 29ft.
VSWR is < 1.5:1 across all 5 bands, somewhat lower in the SSB portions than CW. My K2 is now running 100watts and I can work everything I hear! Signal reports given to me are as good as, or better, than how I am receiving the other station. This is a phenomena I have heard other hams report with hex beams. This morning, I had a QSO on 20M CW with an HS1 running 100w to a 3-el Yagis at 25M. There was no difference in signal reports between the two of us. Last night I caught a sporadic opening on 20 to Europe and had 2 stations in europe come back to my CQ. I could barely hear both stations, yet they had no trouble hearing me. I have many other obsevations like this and have concluded this is an incredible antenna.
I highly recommend the HX-5bi, especially if you want good to excellent HF performance and you're space-limited. In addition, Mike Traffie patiently answered questions about the hex beam prior to my purchase. After all, this is an expensive proposition and the antenna itself is a fairly new concept.
Currently looking for a retirement QTH with a minimum of 5 acres. Yes, I will probably install stacks at the new QTH, but I can assure you the HX-5Bi will not be sold or traded. In fact, I look forward to being able to install the 40 meter version. |
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| NA1A |
Rating:      |
2003-10-09 | |
| HXL-17 MonoBander - outstanding Performer |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
After receiving the HXL-17 HexBeam, opening the box and un-wrapped the antenna, I noticed the meticulous with attention to details from every brass lug nuts to the special machine wound 14 gauge copper wire to the fine machined fiberglass arm with Poly-Urethane coating to the polished die-cast aluminum hub. Everything is neatly packaged. The manual is clear, simple and easy to understand with nice illustrations.
For a novice like myself who has never assembled a HexBeam before, I must say it went very well. My total time was only 45 minutes with one hand tool - a regular size Phillip screwdriver.
Upon completion of assembling the antenna, I mounted it on a 10 ft pole in the back yard for testing. First of, the SWR was flat as a door nail even at this low level. On the air test against my Carolina Windom, the results were averaging about 2 S-units stronger on the HXL-17 at 10 ft versus Carolina Windom at 50 ft. The thing that surprises me the most is that, never in my ham radio life, I have used an antenna that can "hear" signals and when switch to another antenna, that signal simply disappears. That is my experience with the HexBeam and the Carolina Windom. Some signals that I heard on the HexBeam (not weak like S2 or 3 but about a good S6 to 7) just completely gone when I switched to the Carolina Windom. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Carolina Windom is an excellent antenna for all around usage. I actually find it better than my resonant 40, 20, 15 and 17M dipoles. For about two straight years, I had a 2 element Lightning Bolt 5 bander cubical quad up at 50 ft. along with the same Carolina Windom. Every signals that I heard with the quad, I could hear them on the Windom as well. Not as strong as on the quad but I could still hear them. On the HexBeam, some of those signals are simply not recognized with the Windom. I have had this Carolina Windom for about three years now so I know how well it works and what to expect from it.
Average signal strength difference between my HexBeam now at 50 ft and the Carolina Windom also at 50 ft, is an average of 2 to 4 S-units depends on the band condition and the other station’s location. I still continue to experience the amazing capture effect that the HexBeam has over the Carolina Windom. That is the disappearing of a signal when I went from HexBeam to Carolina Windom. Again, this phenomenon is not for all signals, but most noticeable on those signals from far away DX stations, long paths, stations operating with wire antennas, especially those indoor ones and or QRP stations. Today, I just wrapped up an hour of solid 10 to 20dB over S-9 signal with a station in the mid-West. When we signed off, I tuned around the band and there was just not a peep. Band had literally shut down for the evening, except for that station whom I QSO-ed with. He was using a 5 band HexBeam at 38ft and 100 watts.
I feel that this is a phenomenal antenna. Size can really fools you and dB gain as specified by the manufacturer is “on paper only” and “for your eyes only”. Real on-the-air test is what counts. To know how well the HexBeam performs, you simply have to experience it for yourself. There is no other way or word to describe it.
If you hear me on 17M, give me a call. Until then, 73!
PS: Per the manufacturer, you have 30 days to return for a full refund (less shipping charge, of course) should you not satisfied.
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| WB5UVP |
Rating:      |
2003-06-17 | |
| Original HX-5B As Good as Ever |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
As a follow up to my April 15 2001 review (VK4KKO), the HX-5B is once again on the air after almost two years in storage! The AU location was right on the Pacific Coast, at Maroochydore. Lots of sun, wind, rain, and salt mist. Never a problem at this location.
It was great to get this trusted antenna (SN 083)out of storage and re-assembled. Like riding a bicycle, getting everything back up, and on the tower took about an hour. Wow! Better than ever in St. George, Utah.
The TMM551 US Tower puts us up a little over 40 feet. Add in another 6 feet of rotor mast (1 3/8 cyclone fence stock), and we are capable of getting to the reported ideal elevation (AGL) for this design. I really love making DX contacts and backing down to QRP power!
Actually, this thing works pretty darned well at about 18 feet (tower down). Fed with LMR-400 coax, from an ICOM 756 Pro, I'm completely satisfied -- <1.3:1 SWR on each band, single feed point, very low wind loading, light weight, quality materials and design -- how else to discribe SUPER. Even the neighbors like it!
Little background noise compared to the R-8 vertical. Still using the Channel Master rotor, but upgraded to their new digital and IR remote package (very nice). A little bit of an adaptation exercise to get this rotor to work in the tower -- drop a note if you would like the details. Easy.
Mike, thanks for your hospitality several years ago! I have found your product to be everything claimed, in a nice compact package. Anyone needing a little background should check out the HexBeam web site. I just wish I had room for the 40m version!
Regards,
WB5UVP |
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| ONL5183 |
Rating:    |
2003-06-06 | |
| A monoband multibander ? |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I had the opportunity to test a hex-beam 6 band-pac for some hours only yesterday while I was in communication by fax with Mike Traffie.
Results are fine. In its category this 2 ele beam work pile-ups successfully (probably not better than a R7 or so, but it works), and in condition of low propagation as during these last days (early june 03) we can work DX at eve without problems.
This beam is fine... at the condition you can satisfy of working one band at a time, what confirmed Mike.
The problem is next.
I desired to work on 15m in place of 20m, noway. I had to leave my shack, go in the garden lowering the mast, changing the element, etc, then come back to the shack, etc. Time lost about 10 min each time !
Imagine this in a contest ? Never !
Even for a casual ham, I found this "constraint" of making these modification to change of bands much too heavy. I need of a solution where the beam is a REAL multiband not a simili-multiband requesting manual operation (physical) on the antenna each time I want to work on another band.
So this is of course a good performer, relatively small, it offers not a high gain of course but it works fine in most conditions of traffic. But it lost all its "plus" if you are searching for a true multibander.
NB, there is a bias factor : its price. vs its competitors (DF4SA, spiderbeam, and other 2 ele quads) it is much more expensive (between 2 - 3 times)...
73
Thierry
http://www.astrosurf.com/lombry
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