BEAWNI HANDBOOK Everything you need to know about beam design, construction, operation New computer-aided Yagi designs that give you maximum gain in minimum space New data for long Yagi HF and VHF beams; beams for the new 10, 18 & 24 MHz bands How to tell if a beam is working properly; compact beams for difficult locations WILLIAM |. ORR, W6SAI STUART D. COWAN, W2LXBEAM ANTENNA HANDBOOK William 1. Orr, W65Al Stuart D. Cowan, W2LK AMATEUR CALLBODKCaution: Working on antennas of inwers can be dangerous. All wamings on the equipment and al epereling and usa instructions should be adhered 10. Make sure thal the antenna is disconnected from the station equipment bofare: you bagin 10 work on it, Make sura thal your antarea ig ie dose to power linas, and that it cannet drop on a powar line & wires or supports fail, Da net attempt to climb a tower without a Safely bell It is beet to work on your anenna with someone who. can assisl you wilh taols and will ba able to help in the ‘event of a problem er an emergency, (Copyright © 1290 by Aladio Publications, Ine. Published in 1993 by Radio Amateur Gallbook, {an imprint of Watson-Guptill Publications, a division of BPI Communications, Inc}, P.O. Box 2013, Lakewood, New Jersey 08701 Library of Congress Gatalng Card Number: 83-061B24 ISBN O-6290-8704-2 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced ar used in any farm or by any means—grephic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retieval systems—riinout writtan permission of the pubisher. Manufactured in the United Stales af Arnerica 1294567 8 901 00 9990 97 96 95 94.93 CHAPTER 1. CHAPTER 2. CHAPTER 3, CHAPTER 4. CHALTER 5. CHAPTER 6. CHAPTER 7. CHAPTER 8. CHAPTER 9. CHAPTER 10. CHAPTER 11. CHAPTER 12. INDEX .... TABLE OF CONTENTS RADIATION AND PROPAGATION ....... Pees How the antenna warks. The ionosphere and the MUF, Effects of the sunspot eyele on hi communication. Anteana heights far best long distance DX, THE YAGI BEAM ANTENNA . Signal transmission in easy terms, How reflectars and directors work. Power gain, radiation resistance and front-ta-hack ratio. Miniature beams explained. THEHFYAGI....... Bi, HSE 8 Element length. diame: nd. laper effects Frequency sensitiv Dimensional data for popular DX antennas. Scaling important antenna dimensions, THE MULTIBAND BEAM ANTENNA .. How the popular “uibandee" bean works. The decoupling principle Multiband designs. Interlaced beams, The high gain LEY broadband antenna THE VHF YAGI ANTENNA ..,.... ‘The NBS Yagi design. The DL6WU Long Yapi design. Sealing vii antennas. VHF feellines and baluns. Dimensional dara for popular antennas ALL ABOUT TRANSMISSION LINES.......... 4 The trath about coaxial lines, How to use and abuse then. Line Joss, Cable contaminativn. Ferrite head vbl balun, Easy ways to install Pugs on coax lines, MATCHING THE ANTENNA TO THE LINE. Delta, Gamma and Inductomatch systems. HE baluns. Harness fi systems. Transmatch circuits, The correc, way po adjust and check Four matching systems HOW TO BUILD AND INSTALL HEAM ANTENNAS ..... 185 Choice of tubing. VHF antenna assembly. The easy way to. assemble an hf antenna. All abour rovers and hardware, ANTENNA TEST INSTRUMENTS. . Altaboue the SWR meter and how it can fool you | How eo reduce unwanted line currents. How ta check che SWE meter. BEAM ANTENNA SYSTEM EVALUATION ............ Running an SWE curve, Six questions about beam performance. How to tell if your beam is working properly. ERECTING THE BEAM ANTENMA,. ‘Tower infurmation. Special antenna mounts. How 10 erect your heam quickly and safely. Zoning laws, ANTENNA ROUNDUP - The W4SAl compact Yagl. LPY antenna designs. Wire antenn. Useful infarmatian about beams. él 105 2H