Maco v Quad ????

[Beachbum]

Hello to everyone I'm new to the forum and looking for some antenna advice. I've got an Antron 99 up now on my base and I'm looking for a beam to put up with it. I don't want a big beam because I don't have room, and only have a push up pole, but think something like the V Quad that works with dual poarity would be good. Does anybody have any experience with this antenna? The only thing that I'm really concerned with is running the pole up between the elements on the beam to mount the Antron 99 above it. Will the pole between the elements affect the beams performance ? I'm also looking at the SE Thunder 8 XB antenna, how do you think it would compare to the V Quad, I know it doesn't have dual polarity.

 

[Marconi]

The Thunder 8 is a very big antenna. I believe a flat side only three element Maco would be better in your setup with the A99 set above the beam a foot or more. Might even try building a metal single element horizontal dipole and mount it below the A99 first to see how the flat side response works in your area. You won't have much if any gain, but you might be surpirsed at the response difference when DX start to really roll in a year or two.


The A99 may also present problems with the quad as you describe.

 

[Beachbum]

Thanks for the reply Marconi, I see your in the Houston area. I'm in the woodville area and even my local contacts for the most part are very long distance because of my location ( very rural ), so I want a beam that I can use for local also. Those weak stations that I can pick up with the antron could then be tuned in with the beam if neccasary. Thats why I'm looking at something with Dual polarity ( again I like the V quad because of the size and dual polarity). I wonder how many elements I would need on a beam to pick up stations in Houston? I think it would be around 100 miles as the crow flies, what do you think?
I only have a push up pole, so I don't think 1 of the monster beams is an option for now.

 

[Marconi]

You might need to get up in the 2nd wavelenght in height in order to get into the Houston area good with all the trees and the soil conditions in the Woodville area. Some areas up in there are just plane dead spots.

In the 90's I use to have regular contacts that were in the Jasper, Lumberton, and Port Arthur areas that we use to contact every morning, maybe even barefoot using a CB. You are a bit over 100 miles from Houston and that may be a tough haul for right now from your area. For sure if you cannot get up above 40-50 feet with a vertical. If you had a four element beam up 75-100 feet you would probably have no trouble at all hearing us.

Have you ever heard anyone over in the direction of Livingston, Conroe, or Beaumont on your station? I am about 7 miles from downtown and when conditions are good I had no trouble reaching these areas with my barefoot CB about 45-60 feet to the base of my Starduster antenna. We use to regular contact friends up north and northwest about 100 miles away if they had beams up about 75-100 feet high. Just not much traffic any more as the cycle is way down for us.

Give conditions a bit more time and they will improve and maybe even the noise will go down as well. It is noisy in the Houston area, but for the most part I can still reach stations in the 40-70 mile range pretty easy in the early AM of the day using sideband. If you only have AM that will also limit you somewhat.

 

[radioreddz]

the V-quad & the Y-quad are very good antennas that can be push up pole mounted with light weight rotors. i have used the Y-quad and have many contacts over 100 miles ground waving on the flat and horizontal. and they are great talking DX. i am using the lightning 4 plus now,but have only good things to say about the Y-quad. another good small light compact antenna is the 3 element gizmotchy. i have not used the V-quad or the gizmotchy but know operators that do with great results. you can't go wrong with any of those three all light weight compact push up poll mountable and can easily turned by light duty rotors.

 

[Beachbum]

I appreciate the replies and info, I'm going to do a little more investigation and make a decision on a beam. Thanks again.

 

[ranbunctious]

V quad beam antenna

I had a V Quad for a few years and I absolutely loved it. I had two neighbors that had moonrakers and the V Quad kept right up with them. It has excellent rejection from signals that it's not aimed at. I used to get terrible bleedover from channel 19 from truckers. I turned the beam away from the source and it dropped almost completely away. On AM, it had a range of about 25 miles, and about 60 miles on SSB. When skip was rolling, I could talk to just about anywhere. I promise you, you won't be sorry if you purchase this beam. Back then they made a CD44 rotor that was perfect for this antenna. It was a medium duty rotor, and the strongest wind wouldn't turn it. It is light and easy to erect and has low wind resistance. Just be sure to arrange it in the 'L' position. The great thing about this beam is that it receives and transmits vertical and horizontal at the same time! You can arrange it in a 'V' if you just talk horizontal, but you won't get any vertical reception. The SWR was adjustable down to almost zero, but you want it tuned to around 1.2.

Good luck.

 

[airplane1]

Can you post any pics?

 

[tracker1962]

I used my V quad for many, many years. As ranbunctious said, it would keep up to some very impressive antennas. I kept it for future setup and would never sell it. I even recently did some research to see if they were still available new and found out they are. Mine is a little tired as it spent a few years on top of a mountain and took a beating! The other thing I like about it is that the maintenance (making new wires) is quite easy.
On the slight downside, as the copper wire corrode and break, and they do, they need to be replaced. For me that was a minor inconvenience and always had a spare set ready.
I'm in the planning stages to get my 10 rig up when the next cycle rolls in and other than my .64, you can be sure I will find a place for my V Quad.
tracker

 

[Robb]

Hey Marconi; do you know Tim/KP-82 out of Galveston?
Talked to him for quite awhile yesterday.

I have often wondered about V-quads. Why would someone necessarily want to run it as an 'V' as opposed to a 'L'? One would figure that the 'L' would have all of the obvious advantages if it wasn't a quad design. What is the advantage of running 'V' as a 'V'? Because the wire between each radiator creates a more circular polarity. What's the difference?

 

[DXman]

I have often wondered about V-quads. Why would someone necessarily want to run it as an 'V' as opposed to a 'L'? One would figure that the 'L' would have all of the obvious advantages if it wasn't a quad design. What is the advantage of running 'V' as a 'V'? What's the difference?

Stronger signal in horizontal than with it in the "L" position.

 

[Robb]

Stronger signal in horizontal than with it in the "L" position.

Why?

 

[DXman]

Why? Well Rob, for a technical answer you will have ask some one else.

But for many years around here, the guys that wanted to talk long distance dx, always kept the antenna in "V", the antenna showed a stronger signal in the horizontal, then when mounted "L".

That's the only reason that I know why......

 

[Marconi]

Very old thread, but a Good answer DXman.

 

[Mudduckmobile]

Hello to everyone I'm new to the forum and looking for some antenna advice. I've got an Antron 99 up now on my base and I'm looking for a beam to put up with it. I don't want a big beam because I don't have room, and only have a push up pole, but think something like the V Quad that works with dual poarity would be good. Does anybody have any experience with this antenna? The only thing that I'm really concerned with is running the pole up between the elements on the beam to mount the Antron 99 above it. Will the pole between the elements affect the beams performance ? I'm also looking at the SE Thunder 8 XB antenna, how do you think it would compare to the V Quad, I know it doesn't have dual polarity.

How about a "MOXON" you can buy the 10 meter one from MFJ, mfj-1890 for about $84.95 +s&h. and it will open up to 11 meters.It's only 8lbs, and about 50in X 12ft. OR you can make your own...there are lots of MOXON calculators on line. Good luck, and have fun!!!
Set the MOXON up so it;s SLOPing, 45* for H + V
Wow....old thread...my bad.