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Suggestions for 6 meter Antenna

skeeterman

Supporting Member
Apr 4, 2005
98
0
16
Texas
This new ham needs suggestions for a 6 meter antenna. Homebrew or commercial.
I built an G5RV, which works great on HF, and have a Moonraker 4 and an I-10K for 10/11 Meter.
Need some help for 6 Meter DX.
 

Skeeter,
I use a Hamstick dipole on a tripod and rotor. It only cost me about $15 to buy 2-6m hamsticks and the hardware. I get out really well. You could make something that would work better but this is a cheap way to get started. I would like to make a 6 meter groundplane.
 
do you wan to go all out
are you looking for omni directional or beam

if money not an issue for beam get a steppir 3 to 5 element beam www.steppir.com

if you want omni directional then buy another of jay's I-10K's and cut it down a bit for 6 meters (it is designed to go to at least 44 mhz and so you would not have to do too much cutting down to get it to go there)
www.a1antennas.com

Later
 
A simple dipole (not a G5RV) should work fine. Another option is to 'cut-down' almost any 11 meter beam, or groundplane antenna. Any loaded antenna (such as a 'hamstick') will be a little 'pickier' about tuning and have a narrower usable bandwidth. That doesn't mean it won't work! Just not very well the further you get from the design frequency.
- 'Doc
 
While it's certainly true about the 'wet noodle' on an open band, the problem with that is that all noodles tend to get very dry waiting for that opening. - lol

BUT

If you really wanna try something 'odd'... just don't make a habit out of it.
Try this...

Find long wooden fence (at least 20 feet long).
drive nails in the center, and at each end... nails have to stick out an inch or so.
Construct dipole from cottom rope/string, typical center and end insulators.
Soak cotton dipole in very salty water, then hang from fence.
(see where this is going?)
Attach cotton dipole to radio and use it. Yes 'Vern', it will work!
Have to be sort of quick about it cuz it does start drying out, and as it does, the 'working' part starts to change. A couple of other thingys about doing this. Most string/rope will stretch, when it's wet and contract when it dries, so resonant frequency is not constant.
Plastic tubing filled with VERY salty water will also work and resonant frequency stay put, mostly, and it won't dry out as fast.
- 'Doc

(Used to have a very borring job (at times) and tried some really 'dumb' things. Anyway, everybody knows that 'radio' people aren't all exactly 'right'.)
 
W5LZ said:
While it's certainly true about the 'wet noodle' on an open band, the problem with that is that all noodles tend to get very dry waiting for that opening. - lol

Good one,

About ten years ago I had a MFJ 10 watt 6 meter rig with a dipole antenna up 15 feet. Had it parked on 50.125 for about two months never heard a thing. I thought something was wrong with it. One day I heard some sort of strange noise coming from one of my radios, I checked the CB, HF, scanner and VHF / UHF were is this noise coming from ? The 6 meter rig ! I made about 150 QSO's that week and then it was quiet again.
 
Build or buy a MOXON. It is a fantastic beam, easy to build, lightweight, inexpensive, etc.

To build one, start here:
http://www.cebik.com/moxon/6m.html

Download the FREE software here:
http://www.ac6la.com/moxgen.html

To buy one, go here:
http://www.parelectronics.com/stress_moxon.htm

I must note, the critcal dimension for the Moxon is the spacing between the tips (dimension "C"). You can take a small piece of fiberglass rod and have it drilled just large enough to pass the wire through and with the correct spacing.

Good luck and enjoy this FANTASTIC antenna! I built one for less than $20.00 using a wood x-frame and 4ga solid kopper ground wire from home depot. I don't recommend this approach for long term use however.
 
Thanks for all the replys. I think I will take Doc's advice to start with "A simple dipole", for now. Allthough the wet noodle would be cheaper, I hate the idea of watering it every hour.
I can expand when I get a little experience under my belt.
 
Skeeterman, Happy_Hamer builds a nice little 6 meter horizontal loop that would also work pretty well. Nothing like supporting a forum member ;)
 
why a ground plane on six? six meter SSB is generally used with horizontal polarization. yes, DX MAY invert the signal, even more then once, but horizontal to horizontal is usually best. the ar6 ringo got swapped for a set of stacked loops real quick. the loops now back up a 6 element yagi on six.
 
davegrantsr said:
but horizontal to horizontal is usually best.
For line of site contacts, yes. As you mentioned, the signal tumbles once it hits the ionosphere or even in a ducting condition, so this wouldn't always apply here. In other words, its a crap shoot.

The advantage for using a horizontal beam is more about take off angle and putting the energy in the desired direction.
 

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