Question Antenna will not work after heavy rain storm

Answer

After a heavy rain storm the antenna will not work after it has dried off, this is most likely could happen to antennas that are using the new white fiberglass coil forms. It seems that the new coil forms are slightly larger in diameter , leaving not enough space to allow any moisture to drain out.
The cure is to drill a 1/8 inch diameter hole 1/4 inch up from the bottom of the nylon end plug , bottom is the side that the buss bar is on. All four or six coils should have this hole installed. As on beginning of 2012 all antennas will have this modification.

Question Do I Need a Balun

Answer

The antenna works much better with a 1:1 current balun with some type of ferrite core. The balun matches the unbalanced 50 ohm coaxial cable to the balance 50 ohm antenna, and removes feedline radiation. The dipole version works best for mounting on a two element and a yagi version mounts best on a three element.

Question We can suggest this model of balun

Answer

RFCB-6U (HF+ 6 meters)

Question Does the Hybrid Quad Have traps?

Answer

None of the HF antennas use traps, the loading coils design is called End Loading, which involves an inductor and a capacitive hat . This means the coils do not have the losses of traps.

Question Gain figures for HF antennas

Answer

Gain figures are in dBd referenced to a 1/2 wave dipole at 25 ft.
Other manufactures use dBi theoretical antenna in space, this lets them shown a higher gain figure.
To convert to dBi add 2.14 to my dBd gain figure for comparison

 

Question How do I order

Answer

You can buy on line using the E-Bay link if it is posted or use Contact US Page

 

Question How do I tune six meters?

Answer

Six meters is not tune-able and the use of a tuner is required to lower SWR. Most auto tuners will work but not all, then a manual tuner is used .

QuestionHow high should the antennas be mount to get optimum results?

Answer

Based on 20 meter band the general rule is 30 ft or higher, but like all things in the real world, you put it as high as you can without causing covet ,neighbor and spouse problems. Three element antennas do work better clear of surrounding objects and above 40 feet.

Question How to loosen and tighten bolts

Answer

Use two wrenches to unlock the double nuts. (Antenna come with nuts locked in place)
To tighten hold with screw driver and tighten with wrench, this works much better than trying to tighten with screw driver.

Question Is the mast and balun supplied with the antenna?

Answer

No, the customer must supply a mast, 1 3/4 heavy wall or larger up to 2 1/8 diameter. No, the balun is not supplied, some customer already have one, and cost would have to added to the antenna cost.

Question Just how do you measure "PEP input power into the final"

Answer

I don't know how the original company did measure P.E.P

The 1200 PEP came from the original manufacturer Mini-products Erie PA, but I improved the coils by using coated or insulated motor wire instead of bare copper wire. The six band antennas had more space added between the hubs and the turns of wire or inductors .

The big reason for more power is , as far as I know I only had one coil problem since 1993 and it had a carbon track which could have been from excess power above 1500 watts .

So 1500 watts is based from not having any problems, as I can't test for power as I don't own an amp, and only run a 100 watts.

Question Mini-Beams Compared to Full Size Antennas

Answer
This is something that was brought to my attension , It's about comparisions of all basic yagi version by all companys , the Mini-beam to a full size. It seem there is not a fair comparison put out there as full size antennas are usually on a nice reasonably high tower in the clear a good setup.
The mini-beams are usually lower close to a building and it's roof (metal roofs like mine) surrounded by trees and other objects. I don't remember ever ready a review in QST, CQ or other magazines where the Mini's and the full size were compared under the same conditions. So the question remains how much different are they really. I guess we may never know!

Question Six Band Coil Identification

Answer

Over the years there have been changes. Identification for correct manual for tuning .
Original 6 band coils were 20 inches total length and a 3/4 inch space between hub and wire.
Revision1 coils were 21 3/4 inch long ,the only coils that length.
MQ-26 coils were 20 inches long and 1 1/8 inch space between wires and hubs.
MQ-26 coils after 06/11/2010 are white coil forms ,fiberglass supplier change

Question The antenna will not tune on one of the HF bands?

Answer

They are the rare cases where the coaxial cable is resonant right on that band, this makes the antenna impossible to get any adjustment on that band. Adding a length of cable usually solves this problem.

Question The SWR has gone high, what do I check?

Answer

Some frequency shift is normal if the antenna is covered with wet snow or ice. The antenna will go back to normal after it melts off. If problem exists, 90% of all problems is connections related to coaxial cable, connectors, baluns. Also see coil position next. The two 10-32 nuts that sit into the two pockets of insulating board, must be tight against the driven elements or problems will develop after a short period.

Question VERY IMPORTANT Should the coil buss bar be up or hanging down?

Answer

The buss bar has to be down, and the wide slot in the aluminum tube must be facing down or moisture can not drain out, this is all elements. The bolt goes through the buss bar eye then through the clamp with the nut on the other side of clamp.

Question What do I need for a rotor ?

 

Answer

The two element will turn with a heavy duty TV rotor , the three element versions requires medium to heavy duty rotor. The rotor specifications vary if mounted without thrust bearing (mast or pipe mount) or tower mounted with thrust bearing for lateral support.

Question What do I use to touch up coil coating

Answer

The best thing to use to repair the coating of the loading coils is GE silicon II clear, and a small piece of a vinyl margarine container for spreading silicon . For old MINI-Product HQ-1 coils remove the old waxy coating, and coat in thin coats as many as four coats of silicon. Thick coats are hard to get smooth.
For newer HQ-1 they had silicon , remove loose material and use the directions above repair spots.

Question What is the front and rear of the antenna?

Answer

The reflector is the rear and the driven or director (in the case of a three element) is the front. The front of the antenna is pointed at the station you wish to work.

Question Will a B-246 or R-246 tune on 12 meters

Answer

During testing it was found that these antennas very easily tuned up on the 12 meter band using an auto-tuner, in fact so well I almost missed it happening. But the analizer did not show that it was resonate in that band even thought the basic antenna is a 12 meter beam. Interesting

 

Question Info for test on the MQ-26 Beam

 

Answer

I have come up with a number of things to check.

1/ Check connection to balun from lugs that connect to the antenna to the side of the balun, solder lugs recommended

2/   The two bolts that go through the driven element have the two nuts snug up before going through the insulating board, also they sometimes get

    loose  when attaching the lugs for the balun, happened to me once.

3/ one customer didn't put the eye from the loading coils under the head of the clamp bolt , instead put in the middle of the coil clamp,

basically no connection.

4/ Some cases of didn't get the right spokes in the right coils, throws off frequency , and of coarse wrong coils in the driven element has happened.

5/ The club for a member put up a a B-246 , later it worked on 80Meters great but that was all, I climbed the tower did a test at the balun it was perfect

pulled the coaxial cable down that was bought new, but it had water damage and was a green inside, change cable problem solved.

 Just in case , antennas use 50 ohm Coaxial cable.

6/ Connectors have got me in the past, one case under size center pin made no contact,  My early soldering on the coaxial cable in the shack

was not today's standard .

7/ Had a few anailzer fail after lending out , checking with dummy load is a good test.

8/ One case the auto tuner had die he found out check dummy load, You havn't got that far.

9/ Checked a new Maple Leaf balun  Center of connect goes to one side and connector ground goes to the other side.

So that's how they work.

 One thing balun eyes are not touching the boom or that would screw things up.

That's all I can think of at the moment, there never has been and antenna that didn't work in 23 years

Question Assembly order for SR Reflector

 Answer
 There is a of the picture one side of the reflector standing on the three diagonals page 4A

This how I assemble the reflector  I fold it back open so the two diagonals are in place with bolt at the outside through

 the ends  then I put the center diagonal in place with bolt through it so it stands up on all three diagonals . Next I put long wires on the bolt hang down on both sides of the center diagonal , the put on washer and nut  part way . Tighten  up the smaller bolts on the outside diagonals ,then get the wires in position between the two diagonals then tight up the nut on top of the long wires so the wires are centered.

I do this for both sides.

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Next I assemble the center of the reflector horizontal and vertical the the black hub that fits in the boom later.

The vertical insulator bolts face in towards the boom  for the diagonals.

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Next with the bracket with the three short tubs installed in the bracket 1,2,3, one at top , Install the three clamps and the three short clear insulators.    Open the two large hose clamps and put over the vertical insulator  ready to slide over the bracket ends.   Put bracket into place and center up in the middle and slide clamps into place and snug up , line up and tighten up.

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Next install the two outside assembles that were standing  on the three diagonals . I slide the clear tubing into the horizontal sleeve  on each side.  Then attach the diagonals at the top of the reflector to the bolt on the clear tubing , washer then nut second nut locks to first nut.

Then do the same to the bottom of the reflector

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(reflector assembly on the ground horizontal )

Take lag bolt with washer and two short wires and then bolt through the two center diagonals and tighten part way

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Take  lag bolt with washer on it , hook the two short wires on the first 1/4 " on the lag bolt the hook the two long wires on the tip next

then come up vertically and tip the bolt tip over the end on the clear  insulator into the hole and tighten up part way.

Then do the other side  the same way.

Tighten  up and check every thing when finishing reflector.

This how I do this assembly using this  sequence

Question Replacement Spokes

Answer  Spokes can be purchased or Made from Aluminum Tig welding filler rod 1/8"  or as close to 3.18MM Metric that they sell. This rod is sold on E-bay and E-bay UK