View Full Version : Small Beam for Cabin
k0jjm
01-30-2008, 05:29 PM
My family has a cabin in NE Michigan. I am spending around a month there every summer now and will be spending more time in the future. Can you say looking forward to retirement?! Up til now I have just been using an Anttron 8010B vertical as a temporary antenna there. I would like to get and keep a small beam up there. It would just be mounted on a temporary mount (30' mast) when I am there. I would like to hear some input on which small beams people have used and there good news/bad news stories. I will be using it with an IC746. It will be dismasted (and disassembled if needed) every year and stored. Please keep that in mind with your recommendations.
Thanks!
w6vps
01-30-2008, 06:25 PM
You didn't indicate what your favorite bands are but you might want to take a look at the Cushcraft MA5B. Very small footprint...weighs under 30# as I recall and works reasonably well. Like any antenna it has it's pros and cons...but I find it works quite well for me on a small city lot.
Paul/W6VPS
When I first moved to the current QTH I used an MA5B @ about 30 ft. with good results until I was able to put up the big tower and more permanent antennas. During the short time it was up the MA5B survived a vicious wind storm much higher in MPH than it is rated to withstand. F/B is not that great but it out performed a vertical on 10/15/20. As long as you plan on taking it down and storing it during Winter you should be OK.
kl7aj
01-30-2008, 06:58 PM
My family has a cabin in NE Michigan. I am spending around a month there every summer now and will be spending more time in the future. Can you say looking forward to retirement?! Up til now I have just been using an Anttron 8010B vertical as a temporary antenna there. I would like to get and keep a small beam up there. It would just be mounted on a temporary mount (30' mast) when I am there. I would like to hear some input on which small beams people have used and there good news/bad news stories. I will be using it with an IC746. It will be dismasted (and disassembled if needed) every year and stored. Please keep that in mind with your recommendations.
Thanks!
When I think of CABIN, I think of WOODS, and when I think of WOODS, I think of RHOMBIC.
Cheap, non-critical, broadbanded, and great performers.
eric
TA33jr or TH3jrs? 20 pounds.
W1GUH
01-30-2008, 07:31 PM
I've gotta go along with 'aj about the rhombic, or even a vee-beam or a true long wire. If you've got the room those are outstanding performers. Another possibility would be a lazy-h, especially when the sunspots come back and 10 is hopping. (Gee, does it show I like wire antennas? :rolleyes:).
But a small beam does have its advantages, so how about both?
K3STX
01-30-2008, 07:52 PM
When I think of the woods, I think of lots of trees and NOT much horizontal space. If I were to get a mini-beam, I would go to to Mosley mini-32. It uses traps, not capacity hats, and I have heard that those damned cap caps on the MA5B are a bit of a nightmare to put together. I bet tree limbs would LOVE them!! The wingspan of a TA-33Jr is still about 29 feet, the mini-32 is about 18 feet (like the Ma5B).
paul
K5RCD
01-30-2008, 07:55 PM
If you don't mind spending the money.
I recommend the 5 band (20 through 10 meters) Traffie HX-5Bi
http://www.hexbeam.com/
Worth every penny. :cool:
http://www.eham.net/data/reviews/images/860.jpeg
k0jjm
01-30-2008, 08:45 PM
I have looked into a couple of the antennas mentioned, but will have to check out the others. As to the space issue, I really don't have that much. Another issue is that there is quite a slope off the back of the cabin. Great for one direction but the other way, not so good! I am looking at a beam as a better solution than a vertical. I should have mentioned that I will mainly be doing HF. I can do VHF out of my truck.
k2gsp
01-30-2008, 09:04 PM
If you don't mind spending the money.
I recommend the 5 band (20 through 10 meters) Traffie HX-5Bi
http://www.hexbeam.com/
Worth every penny. :cool:
http://www.eham.net/data/reviews/images/860.jpeg
or you could try the new broadband Hex. Either way I would go with the Hex.
Brace yourself when you see the asking price for the 5 band Hex...
WE4AU
01-30-2008, 11:02 PM
Have you looked at the TAK-tenna:
www.tak-tenna.com/
It's a small, lightweight rotable dipole.
I have not used one, but the majority of reviews appear to favor it quite nicely.
Considering your stated needs, this might do the trick for you.
Regards,
-Bruce
w2nsf
01-30-2008, 11:49 PM
Cushcraft MA5B - 5 bands, one feedline, inexpensive, and you can turn it by hand or with a TV rotator. Good luck...and happy camping!
k2gsp
01-31-2008, 02:35 AM
Brace yourself when you see the asking price for the 5 band Hex...
I built the classic 5 band for 300 bucks. I'm building the broadband for about 500 bucks. It's cost more, because it's beefier then the classic and I added some changes of my own to make it even stronger.
KC2QXE
01-31-2008, 02:41 AM
The problem with the hexbeam is the price, the multiband permanant mount version is close to $1000.
k2gsp
01-31-2008, 02:42 AM
Cushcraft MA5B - 5 bands, one feedline, inexpensive, and you can turn it by hand or with a TV rotator. Good luck...and happy camping!
Funny you mentioned by hand. I found this looking for something else. I thought it was really cool.
http://www2.arrl.org/news/features/2007/10/05/1/
k2gsp
01-31-2008, 02:44 AM
The problem with the hexbeam is the price, the multiband permanant mount version is close to $1000.
You can build it yourself and you can turn it with a tv rotor.
TA33jr or TH3jrs? 20 pounds.
Bingo!:)
Shorter 12ft boom as I recall. I had one once it was pretty cool for a first beam!
Had it on a push up mast and a TV rotor. There was no turning back from there! :cool:
KC2QXE
01-31-2008, 08:06 PM
You can build it yourself and you can turn it with a tv rotor.
I have been looking into this, particularly the Max-Gain's spreader kits as buying them that way will save a few bucks. I haven't decided if I want to do that or get an MA5B.
WE4AU
02-04-2008, 11:26 PM
Craig,
Any decisions yet?
Regards,
-Bruce
"Brace yourself when you see the asking price for the 5 band Hex..."
Nothing against Mike's fine antenna,a quality product,
but why not homebrew your own Hexbeam,
(Do Ham's still Homebrew??:cool:)
check out K4KIO,Leo's website
my 5-bander cost me about $200.00
was built in a weekend,
and works the same as the $1000.00 version, I love mine Now,can't wait to see how it works in a couple of years......
n5dup
02-05-2008, 04:18 AM
With some of the same considerations that you have indicated, I have been considering the Cubex 2 Element Quad at my ranch location. The MKII ($585) with the 5 band addition (add $60) weighs 38 lbs and has an 8 ft. boom. Not bad gain figures either. Also, I have noticed that several of the small yagi antennas have 17 and 12 on them but are listed as 1 element and 0.0 db gain. Basically, they are rotating dipoles. The Cubex 5-band MKII has the same gain on all bands.
You can look at them here.... CUBEX SPECS (http://www.cubex.com/spec.htm)
--Paul
N5DUP--
K8MHZ
02-05-2008, 11:46 PM
My family has a cabin in NE Michigan. I am spending around a month there every summer now and will be spending more time in the future. Can you say looking forward to retirement?! Up til now I have just been using an Anttron 8010B vertical as a temporary antenna there. I would like to get and keep a small beam up there. It would just be mounted on a temporary mount (30' mast) when I am there. I would like to hear some input on which small beams people have used and there good news/bad news stories. I will be using it with an IC746. It will be dismasted (and disassembled if needed) every year and stored. Please keep that in mind with your recommendations.
Thanks!
Michigan?
Who in their right mind would live there?