Which one would you choose?

[TimmyTheTorch]

I have started collecting parts for the next stage of my station build. I am trying to find some stuff used if possible so I am starting looking now instead of waiting another 4 or 5 months. I expect some stuff I'll have to get new. My goal is to have a good DX setup plus a strong local setup. In my past I'm used to just using beams so not having an omni-directional antenna is not something I worry about. I switch radios between a President Lincoln II+ and an Anytone AT-5555N-II that I just picked up to try out. So far I think I still like the President better.

My new station will have a 40 foot tower that supports up to 15 square feet of wind load and a Yaesu rotator that supports about 21 square feet. I haven't decided yet if the tower will be freestanding or guyed, it'll depend on how much $$$ I can scrape together to do it.

I live in NE Wisconsin and we can get temperatures from -20F to 100F with snow, hail, ice, thunderstorms, locusts and just about anything else you can imagine. I don't want an antenna that is overly delicate.

I am currently looking at three different antenna options to put on the 40 foot tower:

1. Maco M104C mounted horizontally on the tower with my Maco V58 mounted above it without the ground planes. Cost estimate is $320 for the M104C and I already own the Maco V58. I only need to buy one more run of good coax (RG-213 or better).

2. Maco Shooting Star on the tower. Cost estimate is $470 plus two runs of good coax (RG-213 or better)

3. Gizmotchy G51 on the tower. Cost estimate is $450 plus two runs of good coax (RG-213 or better)

If I have a Shooting Star or Gizmotchy I would possibly either mount the Maco V58 on a 20 foot pole somewhere a bit away from the beams or maybe just sell it.

Is antenna option 1, 2 or 3 my best bang for the buck? Or is there another good option I am overlooking? I can maybe spend a bit more money to future-proof it a bit more or step up in quality but 30 foot booms etc are not in my future (although I always wanted a 40 foot long Super Laser 500 when I was a kid to go along with the Tram D201A, D104 and a nice big tube amp I also wanted).

Thanks in advance for any advice or personal experience you can share.

 

[RT431]

Since you already have the v58, get the 104c and go that way. I have the 104 20or so ft up. I modified the antenna a bit but it works well for me. .

 

[sp5it]

Fck local, get real horizontal beam.
No compromise, or you prefer to wipe with glass?
Mike

p.s. gamma match always suck.

 

[AudioShockwav]

104c out of those 3 options.

73
Jeff

 

[TimmyTheTorch]

Fck local, get real horizontal beam.
No compromise, or you prefer to wipe with glass?
Mike

p.s. gamma match always suck.

I do still want some decent local ability since I am not 100 percent DX-only fixated.

Not sure what is meant by "prefer to wipe with glass". Google didn't help.

I am definitely not limiting myself to these three options. Rather, they are just the ones I know about now and am evaluating. Is there a good commercially available directional antenna available on the market that does not use a gamma match? My knowledge of the technical details of antenna engineering is very limited.

Thanks.

 

[sp5it]

No idea for US market, but in EU most of them are direct feed.
For example: http://gb312.pl/?page_id=1325

200$ plus shipping.
Mike

 

[TimmyTheTorch]

This actually sounds like the coax connection method on a homemade PDL II I made out of wood and wire when I was a teenager. It worked surprisingly well, at least until the woodpeckers had at it.