• You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.

Maco Shooting Star


Well at a guess. Either the vertical elements are the wrong length. Or the gamma match is mistuned.
So your saying HORZ is 1.25:1 VSWR
Vertical is 3.0:1 VSWR
(???)
The only way to know for sure is to bring it back down...check feedline and connections...length, etc.
Then check the tuning again at least 10-15 ft above ground and see.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LoneStar 281
your right on, will be doing it later today the heat outside this morning was 85 and going up to like 95 its hot to hot. Talked to Tom @ Maco he said to check the space between the mast and gamma it neededs to be 1/4 inch from boom. It will also give me a chance to check out all the connections. it takes like 5 minutes to prepare for a drop and like 45 seconds to bring the tower down. I used a universal aluminum tower tilt bars with a 4x4x5 deep foundation on a Rhon 25 40 ft tower and its so far working.
 
It looks like your horizontal gamma match goes right passed the vertical radiator. It would seem to me that the horizontal gamma would need to go the other way so it will not be near anything that would interfere with it. I think someone else here had a similar problem not too long ago. Maybe they can help.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LoneStar 281
Well, to start with,............... you tower "might" be interfering with the vertical elements.

... and the horiz ones too, but to a lesser degree.
You have the boom going thru the tower,.........................have you considered adding some mast to get the antenna above the tower?
 
Well, to start with,............... you tower "might" be interfering with the vertical elements.

... and the horiz ones too, but to a lesser degree.
You have the boom going thru the tower,.........................have you considered adding some mast to get the antenna above the tower?

I agree 100%.Get the beam above the tower & stop the interaction between the antenna & the tower.At least 10 ft of mast if possible.

SIX-SHOOTER
 
Another issue: He has the rotor sitting on the top plate of the tower. This will make it almost impossible to raise the mast so the antenna clears the tower.
The rotor needs to sit inside the tower 2 or 3 feet down, then a thrust bearing on the top plate so enough mast can be used for the vertical portion of the antenna to clear the tower.
That's one reason I never cared for a dual-polarity beam antenna.
The extra wind load, larger rotor plus H/D mast pipe just not worth the extra expense.
I always had a ground plane above the horizontal yagi. Vertical yagis were always PITA unless they were for 2 meters:ROFLMAO:
My 2 cents worth.
All the Best
Gary
 
It looks like your horizontal gamma match goes right passed the vertical radiator. It would seem to me that the horizontal gamma would need to go the other way so it will not be near anything that would interfere with it. I think someone else here had a similar problem not too long ago. Maybe they can help.
I will be posting a better pic in a bit thought I had them all but they were all the same go figure
 
Well, to start with,............... you tower "might" be interfering with the vertical elements.

... and the horiz ones too, but to a lesser degree.
You have the boom going thru the tower,.........................have you considered adding some mast to get the antenna above the tower?
yse I have I got one on order but couldn't resist once I got my coax there was too much excitement.
 
Another issue: He has the rotor sitting on the top plate of the tower. This will make it almost impossible to raise the mast so the antenna clears the tower.
The rotor needs to sit inside the tower 2 or 3 feet down, then a thrust bearing on the top plate so enough mast can be used for the vertical portion of the antenna to clear the tower.
That's one reason I never cared for a dual-polarity beam antenna.
The extra wind load, larger rotor plus H/D mast pipe just not worth the extra expense.
I always had a ground plane above the horizontal yagi. Vertical yagis were always PITA unless they were for 2 meters:ROFLMAO:
My 2 cents worth.
All the Best
Gary
yes the rotor is 3 ft down inside the tower
 
  • Like
Reactions: SIX-SHOOTER
It looks like your horizontal gamma match goes right passed the vertical radiator. It would seem to me that the horizontal gamma would need to go the other way so it will not be near anything that would interfere with it. I think someone else here had a similar problem not too long ago. Maybe they can help.
here is hopefully a better pic. you all have all come up with very good valid possibilities. I appreciate all the responses.
thanks for the input also which channel do you all usually monitor and talk skip? keep your ears open for Lonestar 281 deep south Texas.
 

Attachments

  • gamma match.jpg
    gamma match.jpg
    56.8 KB · Views: 21
  • Like
Reactions: Shadetree Mechanic

dxChat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • dxBot:
    Tucker442 has left the room.
  • @ BJ radionut:
    LIVE 10:00 AM EST :cool:
  • @ Charles Edwards:
    I'm looking for factory settings 1 through 59 for a AT 5555 n2 or AT500 M2 I only wrote down half the values feel like a idiot I need help will be appreciated