Well I did it. The 5 element Yagi I was making worked better than my expectations. I was having issues with the gamma match, I was seeing high VSWR (4.0+) and couldn't figure it out. Ok back to the video for reference. It was a combination of a insulated driven element and a larger gamma match than needed. This is not a portable yagi but goimg on to my shop in a permanent mount. Got it tuned to 1.4: 1. It hits the local repeater on low power from my FT100D and operated simplex flawlessly. Distance testing next week. Thanks for the kick, in the pants to get this built. 👍 KI5IQE
Following up on the build. We found 6.5 mm inserts at Easton Arrows in Utah. Talk to Judd in tech support and he wiil help you find the correct insert for your arrow shaft's ID. In order to increase connectivity between the arrow shaft and the inserts. We put a slight crimp on the arrow shaft using a crimping tool. Then we drove the inserts in with a plastic mallet. When we checked it out on the Nanovna, the SWR an amazing 1.1 to 1 across the 2 meter ham band and the gain was an unbelievable -14db. For storage or travel,Unscrew the arrow shafts from the beam. In order to keep the nylon washers and the coax leads in place, screw a plain arrow insert over the coax leads on the nylon threaded rod that hold the driven element. Then remove the 2 screws that hold the beam together and replace the screws back in 1 half of the beam so you dont loose them. Put the arrow shafts in a bundle and wrap a rubber band around them. Do the same with the 2 halves of the beam and wrap both bundles with another rubber band and you get a nice neat package that is less than 30 inches long and will drop nicely in to a cloth tube. We followed the instructions for the element placement and cut the arrow shafts to the specified lengths and it may be the best antenna we have. We have made up the little 12v, 2rpm motor rotor and will be mounting this antenna on it. We will probably run the rotor motor off of a 9v battery to keep the whole system simple. 73s KN4ZCF
That's awesome glad you like the antenna, I have rebuilt my antenna on aluminum square tubing and connected in the middle with aluminum U channel and no need to take screws apart now jus fold both sides together and insert into my tyvek bag. I wonder if easton sells the blanks for a reasonable price, I know elk antennas uses easton.
Although your drawing shows some measurements, it completely misses the other dimensions. I am trying to learn more about SHTF antennas but I need accurate detailed drawings for which to work off .
They tune the antenna differently with a gamma match , the antenna I made you just adjust the length of the elements that may be the difference. I have Yagi's that are built both ways.
@@KK6USYHamRadioAdventures ah ok, gamma what? I’ll have to look that up 😀 I kinda like the Elk design better for sats since you don’t need a diplexer. That also has no nylon washers but is also log periodic if that makes a difference.
@@KK6USYHamRadioAdventures if you see him again let him know he’s got the best logo in the biz! Needs more merch besides just the hat. I’d pay 15 for a sew on patch alone. Such a cool design!
Hi all,Iam getting parts together to build this antenna.Iam very new to this and would like to know,,How long are the (arrow)elements? thank you for any help!
Just came across you videos and i really like them, what i'd like to understand is how to prevent the driven element from shorting to the boom, what did you use to prevent this?
@@skylabby There is a link in the comment section for the plastic threaded rod but not from amazon. I think you might find it there though if you look at the thread size and same for plastic or nylon washers.
Follow up on previous post. We are using threaded nylon all thread rod (also from McMasters-Curr)rwith nylon washers on each side of the beam to connect the driven element to the 1/2in square tube. Just cut the nylon all thread rod to size.
Great video Chuck. I love the break down design and portability. I see the ugly balun to keep the stray rf off the coax. I’m not seeing the match for the driven radial. Did you use a Hama match or hairpin match? I only see the coax with eyelets going to each side of the all thread to mount the driven unit to the boom. How do you achieve the match to get the swr so low? That antenna has great swr. Another great video. Jeff KI5HGT
KN4ZCF and my XYL, KNOAOF. (We love building antennas together.) All of your parts list is ok except for 1 item, the arrow inserts. The one you noted is 6.2mm and the ID of the shaft you listed is 6.5mm. Anyone building this yagi needs to find a source for a 6.5mm OD insert before you order the blank arrow shafts. We will list a source for the inserts when we locate one. Great video and we can't wait to finish it. We will be mounting it on a piece of PVC pipe that we will be rotating from horizontal to vertical using one of the 2 rpm 12 volt motors on a reversible speed control. I will be using the same set up for directional control. The yagi will be mounted on a stand off 35ft up our tower. In order to observe polarization and direction, we will be using a Wyse outdoor camera mounted vertical near the base of the tower under a lexan box that we built. It has the compass rose on the top of the box which enables us to see our antennas and their orientation at all times. A small $20, 30 amp power supply runs all the motors ( we have several on the tower). Since we live in Florida, it also allows us to see what antennas we might have lost during a hurricane. Great video...keep it up. Ed and Jeanie
@John Sedovic The shafts and inserts in the description were a loose fit for me. I couldn't find any inserts that were a snug fit. I had to take a hammer and punch and lightly tap the shafts in 4 places to get the inserts to fit better. They were still a little loose but they make contact and stayed in place when I inserted the screws into the inserts. I had to use a 1/4 inch metal brush in a drill to remove the anodizing from the inside of the arrow shafts to make sure there was some sort of contact with the shaft. I found the brushes on Amazon.
Bill-N6EF-Thanks for the great info. I'm going to make this but I'm going to try using square tubing as you suggest. The challenge is what to use as an insert to connect the tubing pieces together. I wonder if 1/2 inch copper plumbing pipe would work. I could use couplers to join the pieces. Worth a shot. I was impressed with the distance you got from the antenna. Question: How do you secure the metal inserts to the arrow? I think Adam crimped them somehow but I don't know what crimper he used.
Another way is to 'Peen' the arrow in a number of spots over the insert with a fine Center Punch. Maybe try it on some scrap before committing to all elements. BTW: I like this construction method. Russ KA1RUW
@@KK6USYHamRadioAdventures Were the inserts a bit sloppy in the shafts? I ordered the shafts in the link and they're 6.5mm inside diameter and the inserts are for 6.2mm shafts so the inserts are really loose in the shafts. A bit too loose to make a solid contact. I sourced some 6.2 shafts on eBay so I'll see if those work any better.
@@FreeStuffGuy916 Mine were pretty good fit and tight after crimping , someone sent me the ones I used so maybe they were the right size. Thanks for the info.
