Is a hexbeam directional?
A hexbeam, or hexagonal-beam, is a type of a directional antenna for shortwave, most often used in amateur radio.
How does a hexbeam antenna work?
Basically, the driven element configured as a dipole radiates in both directions broadside to its axis as shown in red. When the RF wave strikes the reflector element, it induces current in the reflector causing it to radiate in both directions also (green).
What is the gain of a Hexbeam?
The hexagonal beam has gain of about 3 dB over a dipole when the target is broadside to the dipole as shown on the azimuthal radiation pattern chart to the right. The Blue trace is the dipole pattern and the red trace is the hex.
What is a cobweb antenna?
MFJ HF Cobweb Wire Dipole Antennas cover multiple bands and are suitable for many restricted space applications. They have fiberglass spreaders and wire elements. These are multi-band half-wave dipole antennas, strung around fiberglass spreaders, into an open-loop.
How big is a Hexbeam?
If you have a small area and want a monoband performance antenna then the Hexbeam will suit your needs. At only 6.5 meters across it will fit inside most gardens. The turning radius is only 3.25 meters. Compare this to a 20m yagi with a span of 10.75 meters and a turning radius of 5.75 meters.
Is a cobweb antenna directional?
Cobwebs are horizontally polarized and generally Omni-directional; a rotator isn’t needed. They typically exhibit low SWR due to MFJ’s broadband feed network. MFJ HF Cobweb Antennas are relatively small in size, are light weight, and are low cost.
Can the hexbeam antenna be made even smaller?
The Hexbeam is already a small antenna – its turning radius being approximately half that of a full-size 2-element Yagi. It is therefore unreasonable to expect that it can be made even smaller without significant performance penalties.
What is a hexagonal beam antenna?
A hexagonal beam is a form of the Yagi antenna which is based on parasitic principles developed early in the last century in Japan for achieving gain in one direction. Alright, so how does a Yagi work then? Well, a two element Yagi has a driver and a reflector made of aluminum tubing that is mounted on a boom and supported by a mast.
Can I move my hexbeam from 5-band classic to broadband?
Some Hexbeam constructors who have already built a 5-band Classic design may wish to move to the Broadband design without modifying the support structure.
Where does the driver wire go on a Yagi beam?
The driver wire is broken in the middle where it comes to the center of the hexagonal beam or the bottom of the middle of the “M.” where it is fed by a transmission line from the radio. The result is that you have a wire configuration that performs like a two element Yagi and is directional depending on the aim of the beam.