Building a Quick and Dirty 5 Element 3G Yagi Antenna

Not everybody has the tools to build a large Yagi antenna for cell phone and 3G
modem use. However, it is quite easy to build a quick and dirty version to test if
an antenna will improve your reception. And it requires very little in the way of
tools.
In this document we will look at the construction of Audionuts 10.5 dBi 5 element
850 mHz yagi antenna using only common household hand tools. It is not
beautiful or stylish but it will work and should increase your signal strength.
The following image shows the basic design of a 5 element Yagi antenna.


Each element is a piece of 10 mm (3/8) metal rod or pipe with a specific length
that is placed a specific distance from its neighbors. Most of the construction of
the antenna entails creating something to hold the elements the correct distance
apart. Most homemade yagi antennas use a piece of PVC pipe or a piece of wood
(called the boom) to hold the elements apart. Holes are drilled through the boom
and the elements are placed in them. The following images are some examples of
this technique.


The above yagis use plastic or PVC pipe as the boom.


These two are more esoteric. The upper image shows a split wood boom, while
the lower uses wires to suspend each element in place.
The one thing all these antennas have in common is the need for more tools and
experience during their construction than many people have. Drilling round pipe
or wood strips almost always requires a drill press to achieve accurate results. It
can be done without one but the effort increases greatly.
We will be taking a lower tech approach to construction. Instead of drilling holes
in the boom we will use a hot glue gun to glue each element to a strip of wood. By
using a small alignment jig we can get the elements in their correct place easily
and accurately.

Antenna Details
Before beginning construction, we must know the lengths of each element and
the distance apart they are to be placed. A cheap and easy to find source of
material for making the elements is an old TV antenna. These antennas are made
from aluminum, which is easy to cut and file, and seem to use 10 mm (3/8) tube
in their construction. This is perfect for our use. Any piece of metal tube or rod
will work, though, as long as it is 9 to 12 mm in diameter.
The following table gives the lengths of each element.

Element # Length in mm
Reflector 170
Driven 160
Director 1 140
Director 2 140
Director 3 130

Accuracy is important when cutting the tubing to length. The best method is to
cut each element slightly long, and then file the ends down until the desired
length is achieved. The Driven element is a special case and should be cut long
and left for later, when we will modify it some more.
The distances between each element are also critical. The normal method of
describing these distances is to give the distance to each element from the
Reflector element, not the distance from the previous element. This allows for
more accurate measuring, as errors do not accumulate. The following table gives
the distance that each element is from the Reflector element.

Element Name Distance from Reflector Element in mm
Reflector 0
Driven 86
Director 1 148
Director 2 245
Director 3 337

As you can see from the above table, this is a small antenna at less than 40 cm
long.

Cutting the Elements
Now that we know the lengths of each element, we are ready to cut them to size.
As stated above, cut them a bit long and file them down to the correct size. You
want as accurate a length as you can achieve.
A simple cutting jig can be used to make it easier to cut each element. Drill a hole
the same size as your element tube in a piece of board, push the tubing through
the hole to the cutoff mark and use the edge of the board to guide your hacksaw
when cutting.



This holds the tube solidly while you are cutting and guides the blade to give a
square cut.
Measuring the tube length can be done with a good ruler or a cheap set of
calipers.



By butting the tube and the ruler against something straight you can accurately
mark the tube for cutting.

This method allows for easy checking of the length.



If you have a set of calipers, they can be used in place of a ruler. This is probably
the most accurate method of measuring.
Our cutoff jig can be used when filing the elements to length.

This will give a square end on the tube without any guessing.
As stated above, leave the Driven element long and dont file the ends down yet.
It must be modified to accept the cable that connects the antenna to our Rocket
Hub or Stick.

Making the Boom
We will use a piece of wood for our boom. In this case I used a piece of wood
17mm (3/4) square and about 50 cm long. This gives some extra boom behind
the Reflector element and ahead of Director Element 3 so we can hold on to it.
The first step is to mark a centerline down the length of the boom. It does not
have to be exactly in the center or perfectly parallel to the side, as long as it is
straight.

This centerline will be used to line up the centers of our elements.
Along this centerline we must mark the location of each element. The easiest way
to do this is to clamp a tape measure to the boom.


Place the location for the Reflector element at the 10 cm mark on the tape and
mark out each element position after that. Remember to add 10 cm to the tape
location. The following table gives the distances with the Reflector at the 10 cm
mark.
Element Name Distance from End of Boom in mm
Reflector 10
Driven 96
Director 1 158
Director 2 255
Director 3 347


Modifying the Driven Element
The Driven element is the heart of the antenna and it must be modified to allow
the connection of the cable going to our modem.
The first step is to cut the tubing in two, so we have 2 pieces 80 mm long. We
then drill a small hole about 6 mm from one end in each of the pieces. This hole
goes completely through the tube.

Next, we must enlarge one of the holes in each piece so the screws shown can go
through it.

Repeat on the other piece.
Next get a pencil or other piece of wood rod that will fit inside the tubing and cut
off a piece about 40 mm long.

Insert this rod halfway into one of the pieces of tubing and screw the screw into
it. Drilling a pilot hole in the rod makes this much easier and there is less risk of
the wood splitting.

Repeat for the other piece of tubing, making sure there is a 1 to 2 mm gap
between the tubing pieces.

It is critical that the two pieces of tubing do not touch. Otherwise the antenna
will not work.
Measure the length of the Driven element and file each end equally until it is the
proper length. Again, this is critical. The frequency that the antenna works best at
is determined by the length of the driven element.

Mounting the Elements to the Boom
Now that the elements are cut to their proper length and the boom is marked for
their location, we can assemble the antenna.
By making a small squaring jig, it is easy to get the elements glued to the boom
correctly.


The jig is simply a short piece of wood attached at right angles to another piece of
wood. The important part here is to make sure the pieces are square to each
other. I used a T-Square to do this during assembly but even a square end on a
board could be used.
Place this squaring jig on the boom and line up the leading edge with the first
element location mark.




Next, mark the center of the element that will be placed here and clamp it to the
jig with that mark on the centerline of the boom.

Apply hot glue to the element to fasten it to the boom.

When the glue cools, remove the jig and apply hot glue all around the element
where it touches the boom. This will hold it securely in place.
Repeat for all the elements.

We will end up with something that looks like this.

Not too pretty but it is a working Yagi antenna.

And we didnt need much in the way of tools.

Tool Inventory
Drill and a few drill bits, 2 Dollar Store clamps, hacksaw, ruler, tape measure, file,
screwdriver, T-Square (optional) and a hot glue gun.


The Final Step Making the Cable
With the antenna built we can turn our attention to the cable that connects it to
our Hub or Stick. The type of coax cable we need to use depends on how long it
must be. For short runs of 3 to 5 meters we can use RG 6/u, RG 58/u or RG 174/u.
These are cheap and reasonably easy to find. For longer runs we need to use a
better cable such as LMR400, which has less signal loss per meter than the other
types. Too long a length of high loss cable and you lose the signal you gained from
the antenna.
Antenna End of Cable
Regardless of the type of cable, preparing the end to attach to the antenna is
always the same. First, you remove a section of the outer cover exposing the
braid.


Separate the braid so it comes off the center core and twist it into a solid wire.


Next, remove the inner core insulation, exposing the copper center wire.



We put spade lug connectors on the copper wire and the twisted braid wire.


If possible, solder the connectors to the wire. Crimping is not as electrically sound
as soldering but it will work. In some cases, the braid is made of a metal that cant
be soldered so you must crimp the connector on to it.
Finish off the job by using heat shrink tubing to cover the exposed wire.

Connect a spade lug connector to each of the screws on the Driven element of the
antenna and the cable is attached.

Complete and ready to go.


Modem End of Cable
The other end of the cable attaches to our Hub or Stick and requires a special
connector, depending on the make and model of the modem.
The Netcomm 3G10WVR2 and 3G25W-R Rocket Hubs require a female SMA jack,
while the ZTE MF668 Rocket Stick needs a TS9 plug. Other models of Hubs and
Sticks may use a different connector.
If at all possible, get the place where you purchase the cable to put the correct
connector on one end. This will save a whole lot of problems down the road. Take
the Hub or Stick with you so they can see exactly what type of connector is
needed.
If that is not possible, you can purchase cables with ends already on them. Just
cut off the extra connector and prepare that end as shown above.
For those using the Netcomm Rocket Hubs that require an SMA connector, a 3
meter long cable with the correct SMA connector can be ordered from NCIX at
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=24547L&vpn=RPSMASMA10MM&manufacture=S
TARTECH.COM%20-%20DT%20SB

Just cut off the unneeded end and you are good to go.
Another place to get cables, connectors and adapters is RFSupplier, an eBay store.
Their store is at http://stores.ebay.ca/rfsupplier.
They have a 5 meter cable with an SMA connector on it at
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/SMA-male-SMA-female-Straight-connector-KSR195-
cable-5M-free-shipping-
/380400090826?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58919cbeca.

Again, cut off the unused end to make a usable cable.

Another option is to purchase a cable with a common connector like N or FME on
one end and use an adapter connector to convert it to the correct type.
RFSupplier has a huge selection of adapters that can convert to and from most
any connector.
For many people this is a very attractive option. RG 6/u cable can be purchased
almost anywhere, as it is used for satellite TV systems and it comes with an F
connector already crimped on each end. Adapters can be used to convert to other
connector types such as SMA or mini-UHF. RFSuppliers has this F adapter at
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/SMA-F-adapter-SMA-Plug-F-Jack-straight-connector-
/380340700911?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588e1286ef

It converts the F connector on the end of a piece of RG 6/u to the SMA connector
used by the Netcomm Rocket Hubs. A low cost method of connecting the antenna
to the modem.