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Please help me decide which 4 element beam to get

Crazy_D

Crazy_D

Active Member
Aug 22, 2006
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I want to put up a 4 element beam for horizontal base station to base station and DX usage when that starts happening again.

Beam will be on top of house on 5ft tripod with 10ft mast. no rotor will be used, I will point the antenna at the other base station for now and then when skip comes in just point it south and be done with it. Total height from the ground to the boom of the beam will be 28ft. I cannot go higher.

I do not have a budget, I will pay more for something that is tested better. That is why I am asking here since there is alot of people that have tested different beams...

Here is what I have been looking at:

Maco 104C
Wolf Radio WY4_11M
Jo Gunn Super Audio SA4
Sirio SY27-4
Cubex Magnum 4-CB

No gizmotchy or signal engineering, I dont want any type of vertical elements to deal with.

I look forward to your advice. I am really leaning towards the cubex quad since theoritically it should perform the best with lower noise but who knows?

Thanks!
 

They should all perform about the same. What you should concern you is which will be the longest lasting/hold up against weather and wind, etc. I really can't help you with that. I'm only slightly familiar with these manufacturers since I am rather cheap and try to build my own antennas whenever possible. When my antenna blows down I just throw it back on the roof. :)
 
The 4 element Cubex quad should theoretically out-perform the 4 element yagi beams as the gain is "roughly" the equivalent of a 5 element yagi due to the higher gain of the full wave driven loop. Not a substantial amount, around 1.2 dB or so. YMMV. And you're correct about the quad being quieter as far as static from rain/snow/etc. Just my $.02.....
 
Considering the installation you suggest I would consider only the horizontal yagi type antennas. The quad may be lighter, but is much harder to handle working on a roof. If constructed and tuned properly, you should find good performance with any antenna suggested. Personally I don't recommend installing on your roof, but they can work just fine up there. Problem is having something that large attached to the house and the wear and tear on your roof.
 
I had the white lightning cubical quad. Worked real good until the wind toppled it over :( Tore it up real good. I now run a set of Maco 103's horizontal at 24ft that are ancient, but work real damn good:) Just my .02
 
A friend uses a 4 element Maco. He modified the antenna with a hot feed match and with 2000 watts RMS they hear him for sure. Im in the prosess of getting a tower up. I have everything I need but been working so much have not got it up. Im starting with a Maco H/V 105. Using a Delhi 48 ft freestanding tower and a Yeasu SA 800 rotator. Frigure the hard part is the tower. If im not happy with the antenna that will be an easy fix.
 
Everyone certainly has there ideas as to what would be the best of the choices you gave, so here's what I have to say:
4 element Yagi would be what I would suggest (like Master Chief mention). I say this because; I have ran a 5 element since 1976 and never more than 125 watts have I ever had to use. 96% of my talking is done with 25 watts.

Oh, one more thing, the Yagi is very efficient antenna for working "backscatter" also.
 
DXman said:
Everyone certainly has there ideas as to what would be the best of the choices you gave, so here's what I have to say:
4 element Yagi would be what I would suggest (like Master Chief mention). I say this because; I have ran a 5 element since 1976 and never more than 125 watts have I ever had to use. 96% of my talking is done with 25 watts.

Oh, one more thing, the Yagi is very efficient antenna for working "backscatter" also.
Click to expand...
With the Yagi you are limited to rx/tx on the horizontal or vertical depending on how you set up the yagi. With the lightning 4+ you get both at the flip of your coax switch box, better ears than the yagi, More gain per element than the Yagi, and Quads are lighter than yagis.
 
signal engineering

markie said:
has anyone tried the signal engineering super hawk or white lighting cubical quads
Click to expand...
I got to tell ya the signal engineering white lighting is the best anntenna ever but if you live somewhere that has bad winter's Ice storm's ,don't get it because IT WILL NOT HOLD UP:eek:
 
Drifter,
I sort of tend to agree with you until you get to the quad being lighter than a yagi. I haven't seen that one yet. Quads are just more mechanically complicated than a yagi. That typically means that there will be more to them physically/mechanically than a yagi, and that typically means heavier. I certainly haven't seen all of them, but the ones I have seen are not exactly 'light'.
- 'Doc
 

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