PDL2 Beam Antenna issues

[pdl2user]

Hello Forum,

Thanks for letting me be a part of your awesome site. I have read as much on this site about PDL2 beams as there is to offer, but I still have questions regarding my personal station here in South Florida. For the last 2 days I have been relentless about flattening out the SWR's on the vertical side of the beam. I have the horizontal side to 1.3 with R-50 on a MFJ analyzer. But after perhaps 20 adjustments in and out of the gamma rod and even adjusting the swivel on the hoop, I am unable to get the vertical side down below 1.8-1.9 with R-38. Optimum level of performance is 1 to 1 with R-48, so quite a ways off on vertical. All of the acquired info I have on this PDL2 states that when adjusting the swr on flat side, it will not effect the vertical side, but I am finding that to be false, as when I change the vertical gamma rod more than an inch, it definitely affects the swr on the horizontal. So my knees are just about shot from climbing the ladder to make changes, and NOW, I must swallow my pride and ask for assistance. I have had a PDL2 for over 40 yrs, but this one is definitely being a bugger. ALSO... not that I dont have enough issues with the swr's on the beam, but I want to know what this forum thinks about just running the flat side on the pdl2, removing the vertical gamma rod and sliding an Imax 2000 up between the front and back wires to use the vertical aspects. Thanks in advance for your help and advise. Frustrated in Florida!

 

[midnight special]

have you tried swapping the gamma rods with each other and see what readings were then?

 

[Robb]

The PDL is an oldie; but a goodie.
Something is starting to break down . . .

 

[unit_399]

I would guess that the wire length is wrong for the freq where you are checking the SWR. This is usually the problem if the SWR won't come in with gamma adjustment.

- 399

 

[wavrider]

swap the coax around and se if that makes any difference.

Sounds like it may be coax issues.

Those old PDL2 are great antennas and should tune down to a low VSWR

 

[pdl2user]

swap the coax around and se if that makes any difference.

Sounds like it may be coax issues.

Those old PDL2 are great antennas and should tune down to a low VSWR

 

[pdl2user]

Thank you members for your thoughts on lowering swr's on my pdl2. I will try those suggestions and repost results. Being a former us marine, I am not the type to cut and run, so I will figure it out. Thanks

 

[frederick alton]

Hello Forum,

Thanks for letting me be a part of your awesome site. I have read as much on this site about PDL2 beams as there is to offer, but I still have questions regarding my personal station here in South Florida. For the last 2 days I have been relentless about flattening out the SWR's on the vertical side of the beam. I have the horizontal side to 1.3 with R-50 on a MFJ analyzer. But after perhaps 20 adjustments in and out of the gamma rod and even adjusting the swivel on the hoop, I am unable to get the vertical side down below 1.8-1.9 with R-38. Optimum level of performance is 1 to 1 with R-48, so quite a ways off on vertical. All of the acquired info I have on this PDL2 states that when adjusting the swr on flat side, it will not effect the vertical side, but I am finding that to be false, as when I change the vertical gamma rod more than an inch, it definitely affects the swr on the horizontal. So my knees are just about shot from climbing the ladder to make changes, and NOW, I must swallow my pride and ask for assistance. I have had a PDL2 for over 40 yrs, but this one is definitely being a bugger. ALSO... not that I dont have enough issues with the swr's on the beam, but I want to know what this forum thinks about just running the flat side on the pdl2, removing the vertical gamma rod and sliding an Imax 2000 up between the front and back wires to use the vertical aspects. Thanks in advance for your help and advise. Frustrated in Florida!

my dad always was able to get the 1.1-1.2 setting up on the ground then putting it up with out a problem 1977-1999 and he is bull headed lol im getting ready to put mine up this year and he will be helping me i call him the pdl2 king lol so i may be doing a video if i remember 2