Prime mentioned "angle of radiation", different antenna heights, etc. I want to share a quick story I witnessed as a 16 year old boy in the 80's that will clearly illustrate what Prime is saying... There was a ham in the neighborhood who had a huge beam on a 72' motorized tower. I had never seen a motorized tower before that so I asked why. Instead of trying to explain it to me, he showed me. He pointed the beam east and started fully extended and we listened. We could hear east coast stations and then he flipped the down switch. All of a sudden the east coast stations went away and the mid-west was coming in. As the antenna continued to come down the mid-west stations went away and we heard Colorado through Texas. Eventually the tower stopped at the bottom and everybody was gone. The height of your antenna above ground changes your TAKE OFF ANGLE. Ever play pool? If you want the ball to go in a center pocket you change the angle of your shot against the bumper to make the ball go where you want it. If you want the far pocket, you shoot at a different angle then for the center pocket. As that ham's antenna came closer to the ground, the TAKE OFF ANGLE of the signal changed...and so did the region where the signal landed. Now here is the thing with radio; that damn bumper (ionosphere) is always changing! So at 45' pointed north, on one day I'll hear Bullet Bob but the next day its all Prime. But if I raise or lower my antenna, I can make the Central Coast go away and talk to Prime with no problems because the skip is in. I just need to change my "angle" to get that ball to land in the NWC and I do that by changing the height of my antenna. Those of you with crank up towers can experiment with this. Its not an exact science and it changes every day but you would be surprised what happens when you change your take-off angle by varying your height above ground. This is why your top ham radio contesters run stacked beams! The more people they talk to, the more points they get. Stacking beams isn't as much about the increase in gain as it is about take-off angle. I'm sorry about the hijack Prime! Your videos do such a great job educating people and its a good opportunity to share knowledge on the things you touch on for those who might not yet know what you are referring to. Sometimes we forget that things we take for granted might be something new to the casual operator. Your mostly humble antenna/tower guy, Master Chief in Los Angeles.
I appreciate Everytging you say I remember my first build and you chimed in there I listened to what you said and I started to actually talk to people .one of the things you told me to do is read the arrl book and I read it plus have the cd. I’ve learned so much . The thing I learned to do is take my time and just adjust mark spots and test a different spot . Sounds crazy but it made me realize nobody that has a hamma and is at the top of this game is not just going to give you all the measurements and heights after it took them maybe a whole year to get their stuff perfect
As always some great teaching. You also brought back memories of me at 6 year old in 1965 and my uncle frank with his tube cb radio and 1/2 inch copper water pipe antenna on his roof. He let me talk to some local operator and BOOM..... i was hooked. I am now 61 years old and still experimenting and chasing that next best station set up. Keep it going Prime. Love you and all you do. You are the curator of the real deal. Drag 'N Fly down in tennessee said that and i'm back quiet.
Prime , thank you for doing this video . I’ve done a few with a direct feed driven element and interaction under tuning . I think I might do a few here on RUclips with the lfa when I get settled and my tower out from Cali . . Iowa doesn’t have any heavy hitters out here so I might get my name called on the bowl . Good on you man . Educate these folks .. don’t hate .. take care . Disco duck !!
Great Video man and you did it so that even the novice could understand. I built a 5 element quad last summer to compare to a 5 element yagi. And as I had always said the Yagi out performed the quad hands down. So this spring it comes down and the yagi goes back up. I have been building my own from 1975 up til now. It is my favorite thing to do in Ham Radio and 11 meters. So I have tried a lot of antennas in my time. But for the 40m 60m 75m and 160m I always use a full wave square or Delta loop. Can't beat them.
good deal on checking it on the ground vs the air. Thats why i like my 3 element..i still get cali blasting thru the side when im pointed sw in boston.
Enjoyed the video. Knowledge is power. How long is the boom and the elements? It would have been nice to be able to see how you was making the adjustments. I have an ideal since I have built my own antennas back in the 80s and 90s. Thank You for sharing your knowledge. Bug aka 654 Las Vegas.
Hello Prme Propinator 476 - Chicago, the Commander and Chief here. The last time we talked was Thanksgiving 2013 or 2014 and I will forever be honored for that contact with you. I will be back on the band soon. Wooooooo Whooooooooo!
Hey Prime, can we have a educational video on coax and how it should be properly tuned threw your radio station set up? My understanding is that if your coax is probably cut and tuned threw out your station all the way to the antenna, reflect is greatly reduced. Could you express your opinion on tuned coax in a next video. That would be another great educational video to those that want a better understanding of it. G-Man, Texas
I’m currently building my station after being off the radio for a while. I never heard about tuned (zeroed) out coax until I watched a video from Donkey stomper. He explained zeroed out coax and demonstrated it. It would make sense that tuned coax to the frequency span you want to accomplish would give less reflect. I knew about 6’ jumpers between radio and amp, but never knew about cut and tuning threw out to other amps and main antenna feed line to reduce reflect even more. My current antenna is set flat 1.0 with rig expert. When I tune my coax to that flat frequency span, it should be electrically correct....right? Some say that your coax feed line length from your big box to antenna is no big concern. I’m still waiting on new amps to get finished up and delivered. Once I get my amps in, I will cut and tune my coax as I go all the way threw the antenna. That’s what I plan on doing unless I’m wrong. If I’m wrong on my cut and tune procedure please let me know y’all. I’m just a small duck in this big pond.
@@gburlin One Duck to another brother. :) I believe Donkey Stomper is correct. Make those jumpers invisible by zeroing them out with your analyzer. I believe the main feed line should be zeroed at 1/2 wave tuning and the jumpers should match. Hopefully Prime will step in and let us know his thoughts. It seems that 12' jumpers would be correct. Maybe Danny 123BuiltChigago will add in too. He shared with me to go with 12' jumpers. As Donkey Stomper shared we want those jumpers invisible! 5ZERO1 NY with the wave!
@@timsmith1029 The way I understand this is that a amp or amps inline that cannot be tuned like a tube amp need to be tuned as you go by cut and tuning the coax, even threw meters. Not every transistor amp is 1.0 SWR, so to correct this would be to tune the whole system starting from the radio and finish at the end of the main coax to the antenna connection. You have to cut and tune threw every thing you have inline as you go including meters. If you do everything right and your antenna is already pre tuned to 1.0 SWR prior to tuning the coax threw your station, your SWR will remain 1.0 after you hook everything in line to the end. That’s my understanding of it. If your pill boxes are 1.2 SWR and you hook zeroed jumpers to it with out tuning as you go method, you will still have 1.2 SWR regardless. Now, you can correct the 1.2 SWR at the antenna, but the antenna will not be resonant to that frequency you are achieving. Thanks Tim👍
Well Prime you might agree or disagree but I would like your opinion that a quad has better reception due to it being a full wave antenna. Where a Yagi is a 1/2 wavelength antenna. Just more surface area.
Can you share more about the matcher you are using? It looks like a hairpin but I know most have limited power ability. I agree that the one sided gamma match must radiate to one side. Nice video. Looking forward to some more antenna shoots. 5ZERO1 NY
How do you recommend tuning it on the tower. I have a hinge plate on my tower. I heard have the reflector towards the ground firing into the sky. Any truth to that
PM, always good tech along with explanations. I agree with you on the issues with hate on new techs....... Long time local listener from down on the other end of the money behind the red barn. We sit on mobile often above fairfax to catch all the skip too. Digging all the watergates too. Sittin chop topped tossin 3s and 8s brother.
@@skullcracka1708 why do prefer the hairpin match over the direct feed antenna .I use a dipole antenna designed by Henry Poleman in the Netherlands I just wanted to know if there are any advantages I moved away from the gamma match because I read that caused the signal to be favored to the gamma match side of the element rather evenly across the driven element . What has been your experience . Thank you for any information I read if you spend any money in this hobby spend at least 60% of it on your antenna verses Watts we know that Watts count but you get the idea thank you again
@@clayharris7814 Actually I never said I preferred either one. The gamma does skew pattern on longer booms but it actually skews to the opposite side from left driven to front right. The gamma has been called lossy but I have never checked for it. I have used both and didn't really notice and appreciable gain differences. I am direct feed now... You are correct... The heart of any station is the antenna. Far more than the amp
I’ll tell you a funny but stupid thing I did as a kid, so my dad has and still talks on the radio, I remember listening to 766, and switchblade talking with him on the radio growing up, well one Christmas dad got my brother and I walkie talkies, I had decided that they didn’t get out far enough and I wanted to be like dad and really talk, I got the dumb bright idea to cut and tap into his coax line feeding his antenna while he was sleeping, my brother and I went out with a kitchen knife and cut away until we seen the center conductor and hooked a piece of copper wire up to it and ran it to our bedroom while he slept, I was around 1:00am so we knew crawling out the window he would never know haha, then we cut the rubber coating off the walkie talkie antenna and hooked that wire up to it, I sent my brother down the road on his bike to see how much range we gained, it didn’t help but being kids we thought it did, we thought we pulled it off but little did we know dads meters on his desk told on us, he came back to our room and boy was he pissed off, my question for him was how did you know, the meters son, they told on you, I had no clue what he meant by that so we were always worried the meters would catch us from there on out, oh what it was like being a kid, sure miss the good ole days haha, turning 39 to and watching this video talking about walkie talkies took me back to my childhood, 261 Canyon Hopper Utah said and I’m back out
Hey, just adjust length and looking at swr a few feet above the ground is not how this is done, cause we need impeadance (z) to be 50 ohms And we need reactance to be 0 at 50 ohms . And this need to be set at working height. Then we have the issues with the coax causing inductance and capacitence issues to tune when the antenna feed impedance doesn’t match the line impedance. With the money spent on this meter that shows all these factors and your using it as a swr meter? I guess that’s the level of expertise Here I in this video, who cares right? I mean just feed it more power ! You have an abundance of power. But hey I am just a ham, what would I know .
As I was trying to say no disrespect to the other techs. Don’t know how that got sent before I could make the correction. And you are correct hobby is to small. I’m like you i started out on walk-in talkies got mine first set of those back in the mid seventies as you know they would transmit on channel 14 got my first mobile in 1977 do believe that was the same year that it went from 23 channels to 40 channels anyway have a good day 7 3 as we say on the other bands and yes I still get on 11 meters and play there.
Man I was so hoping that you would mention that crutch beam I built. But , I didn't even know you were gonna do a video on antenna's. I would love to have a diagram of that antenna. How can I contact you sir ?
Hey Prime I want a one of your 4 element yagis. I want it dedicated for channel 6 can you please message me where to look at prices I might even want a 5 element I build my own but I’m at the point where I need one that will be bad ass . I run a coqui build 3000 1/2 in heliax have a tower i use a vacuum gamma I want as much as I can get out of the front end as possible .. I don’t want one I have to have one .. thank you woodchuck ny
Do you have a specific coax length on your analyzer for tuning your antennas.I am building a new beam.I saw an antenna builder showing some antennas and he spoke about a calculated measurement of jumper from the analyzer to the beam. Thanks
The proper place to check SWR is AT the feedpoint, its just not practical, especially if you have the antenna in the air. The next best option is to use a multiple of an ELECTRICAL HALF WAVE LENGTH of coax. Since your signal repeats every half wave, an electrical half wave of coax will let you see exactly what's going on AT the feedpoint! So what is an "electrical half wavelength" of coax? Radio signals travel at the speed of light...unless they travel in a cable. The radio waves actually slow down. They measure this and come up with a "velocity factor" for that particular cable. Since the signal is traveling slower, the cable will need to be shorten. This is why a "physical" length and an "electrical" length will be different. Example: let's just assume a physical length is 18'. An electrical half wavelength of LMR-400 with a velocity factor of 84% is 15.18'. For RG-213 with a velocity factor of 66% its 11.93'. This is for 27.205MHz. If the frequency changes, so does the electrical length! I use an electrical half wavelength of LMR-240 cut for 27.205MHz when I tune antennas. If I was Minister, I'd have one for 27.025MHz. Now, all that being said, what happens if you tune your antenna for channel 20 using an electrical half wavelength of coax and you talk on channel 6? Nothing. It will work fine. No, it won't be a perfect match on any frequency other than channel 20 (which is why Prime tunes everything for channel 6! 🤫). In the end, an electrical half wavelength of coax is allowing you to see exactly what is going on at your feedpoint on that frequency and that's it. Once the feedpoint is dialed in, it doesn't matter what your coax length is (to a point). Let me know if you have more questions. Here is the math... 11802.8 / Frequency (in MHz) = electrical full wave in free space in inches. 11802.8 / 27.205 = 433.85 inches (Full wave, free space) 433.85 / 2 = 216.92 inches (1/2 wave, free space) 216.92 x .84 (velocity factor of LMR-400 is 84%) = 182.21 inches in LMR-400. 182.21 / 12 = 15.81 feet of LMR-400 ( inches converted to feet)
Hay master chief got another question I have been wondering about.I am building a five element short boom.My tower is 45 feet.Is the radiation angle of the yagi going to go well with my tower hight for maximum range.I almost started building a quad but occasionally we get an ice storm out here in Virginia.Just curious I’m almost committed to it now.
@@davey4636 Generally, the higher your antenna the lower your take off angle. The variable is the skip layer which will change heights every day. Today 18' works and tomorrow its 36'. Same goes with 45'. Some days you win, someday you don't. Here is the thing though, a horizontal antenna works with the ground reflection to affect take off angle AND produce gain. Its almost like having a stacked array. If you get too far away from the ground you are only working with the main antenna lobe. Experiment! Its your best teacher! Try 36'. Try 18'. Try 40' Keep track and remember, what works today may not work tomorrow.
Question? Why don't you see many stacked beams? I know the extra engineering, and fabrication would be very costly especially with large beams. Is the added performance just not worth the cost? Just curious Railroader 546 Outside of Chicago IL
Here is the truth about stacked beams... They KICK ASS and are expensive to do right. I've been bugging Motormouth for YEARS about replacing that monstrosity with a stacked system, mainly because he has the real estate and chops to pull it off. I've also talked briefly to D-Rail and Prime. Most stacked systems are on rotating towers and this is where the first major expense comes in. Initially you can start small and build it up but you need the bones in place which are the rotating base foundation and equipment, and the guy anchors. Rohn 45 is plenty for 11-meters. Start with two and later add a third and 4th. Then there is the technical prowess to properly space the stack and feed it. You need phasing lines and possibly a Stack Match (although I would recommend against that). People don't do it for these three reason...lack of space, lack of money, and lack of knowledge. A stack done right is unbeatable, but its not for everybody. Prime could pull it off. Motormouth and D-Rail too. I'm sure there are others. Some day someone will take my suggestion. 😁
@@masterchief4839 lots of hams running stacked 20 and a few even 40 meters. I think stacked 10 meters should be doable :). Phasing shouldn't be too difficult but I have no experience in these 5 digit power levels. I think prime could do better on his audio and look into using the puresignal function of his apache, get the predistortion dialed in and he'll have the best audio on the planet.
@@v12alpine, Prime's audio is exactly what Prime wants it to be. He has stated publicly that he doesn't have a "radio voice" and that his is raspy. I disagree. I wouldn't be surprised if he's running pure signal. Nothing he does is by accident. Decades ago I dismissed his abilities and boy was I wrong! As for stacks, I've had a few opportunities to work on them. I'm very familiar with what's possible and designing mine now in preparation for a move to Arkansas. Its a small club and we're accepting membership. 😁
Prime....! This will probably be the only chance I'll get to chat with you.... So I'll take it... Big time hello. Straight up , you need to do this more often. The average radio operator are not antenna builders. It's all a big secret. You payed the cost to be out here. You played with a hair pin..... Need to play with a gamma .......
Ya gotta admit, sometimes the excuses and conspiracy theories the trolls come up with are absolutely hilarious. IE, somehow placing a T-shirt on a beam while tuning it gave you an unfair advantage and magically gave you favorable readings😂😂😂
SKULLCRACKA background on antenna Stock Maco M108 measured to their specs, 1/2 in hard line to hair pin. When I built it on the ground had it at 1.03 when I put it on the tower went up to 1.5 , moved driven elements in and out no change and no change with slider. And stay about the same thru the band.
@@keithbarker4744 Hey Keith the M-108 is such a broadband beam, Maco would tell you 1.5 is fine. question.... how is your coax connected at the feed point?
I caught myself playing in the bash game years ago. I realized it wasn't productive, unneeded stress and yes, it scares some newcomers away. If the bashing and slagging keeps getting worse the CB hobby is going to end up being a spin off of Highlander, "There can only be one."
Yea same story here pair of radio shack 3 channel walkie talkie..the the good old local boys took my 10 year old ass to school..at 12 I was running Johnson 6 channel with a borrowed maco 500 and in the 70s I thought I had arrived...good to here how you got into it..peace Mr prime minister..be blessed👍🇺🇸👍
Mr. Prime Minister, you made this beam? And if so whats the smallest one you make ? Possibly for mounting on my little focus like the a99 on my channel.
Prime mentioned "angle of radiation", different antenna heights, etc. I want to share a quick story I witnessed as a 16 year old boy in the 80's that will clearly illustrate what Prime is saying...
There was a ham in the neighborhood who had a huge beam on a 72' motorized tower. I had never seen a motorized tower before that so I asked why. Instead of trying to explain it to me, he showed me. He pointed the beam east and started fully extended and we listened. We could hear east coast stations and then he flipped the down switch. All of a sudden the east coast stations went away and the mid-west was coming in. As the antenna continued to come down the mid-west stations went away and we heard Colorado through Texas. Eventually the tower stopped at the bottom and everybody was gone.
The height of your antenna above ground changes your TAKE OFF ANGLE. Ever play pool? If you want the ball to go in a center pocket you change the angle of your shot against the bumper to make the ball go where you want it. If you want the far pocket, you shoot at a different angle then for the center pocket. As that ham's antenna came closer to the ground, the TAKE OFF ANGLE of the signal changed...and so did the region where the signal landed.
Now here is the thing with radio; that damn bumper (ionosphere) is always changing! So at 45' pointed north, on one day I'll hear Bullet Bob but the next day its all Prime. But if I raise or lower my antenna, I can make the Central Coast go away and talk to Prime with no problems because the skip is in. I just need to change my "angle" to get that ball to land in the NWC and I do that by changing the height of my antenna.
Those of you with crank up towers can experiment with this. Its not an exact science and it changes every day but you would be surprised what happens when you change your take-off angle by varying your height above ground.
This is why your top ham radio contesters run stacked beams! The more people they talk to, the more points they get. Stacking beams isn't as much about the increase in gain as it is about take-off angle.
I'm sorry about the hijack Prime! Your videos do such a great job educating people and its a good opportunity to share knowledge on the things you touch on for those who might not yet know what you are referring to. Sometimes we forget that things we take for granted might be something new to the casual operator.
Your mostly humble antenna/tower guy,
Master Chief in Los Angeles.
very interesting story,thanks for sharing!
I appreciate Everytging you say I remember my first build and you chimed in there I listened to what you said and I started to actually talk to people .one of the things you told me to do is read the arrl book and I read it plus have the cd. I’ve learned so much . The thing I learned to do is take my time and just adjust mark spots and test a different spot . Sounds crazy but it made me realize nobody that has a hamma and is at the top of this game is not just going to give you all the measurements and heights after it took them maybe a whole year to get their stuff perfect
Thank you,that really helps us new people....
As always some great teaching. You also brought back memories of me at 6 year old in 1965 and my uncle frank with his tube cb radio and 1/2 inch copper water pipe antenna on his roof. He let me talk to some local operator and BOOM.....
i was hooked. I am now 61 years old and still experimenting and chasing that next best station set up. Keep it going Prime. Love you and all you do. You are the curator of the real deal. Drag 'N Fly down in tennessee said that and i'm back quiet.
I appreciate the shoutout Prime! Very cool! It’s nice to hear even the big guys started out small.
What a great video definitely opens your eyes to what is possible when building an antenna
Prime , thank you for doing this video . I’ve done a few with a direct feed driven element and interaction under tuning . I think I might do a few here on RUclips with the lfa when I get settled and my tower out from Cali . . Iowa doesn’t have any heavy hitters out here so I might get my name called on the bowl . Good on you man . Educate these folks .. don’t hate .. take care . Disco duck !!
Prime….. you are a gentlemen and a scholar. Keep up the good things. Cheers from down under 👍🇦🇺
Great Video man and you did it so that even the novice could understand.
I built a 5 element quad last summer to compare to a 5 element yagi. And as I had always said the Yagi out performed the quad hands down. So this spring it comes down and the yagi goes back up. I have been building my own from 1975 up til now. It is my favorite thing to do in Ham Radio and 11 meters. So I have tried a lot of antennas in my time. But for the 40m 60m 75m and 160m I always use a full wave square or Delta loop. Can't beat them.
Glad to see you give other tech respect and not putting them down.. let your equipment performance do the talking.. Respect...
Thank you for promoting our slowly shrinking hobby! We need to recruit the young brothers! -=PEAKABOO=-
I like max FB Ratio and make it wide banded instead of narrow
Great video and great tuning. I do the same with my beams. Keep up the greatness man.
good deal on checking it on the ground vs the air. Thats why i like my 3 element..i still get cali blasting thru the side when im pointed sw in boston.
Enjoyed the video. Knowledge is power. How long is the boom and the elements? It would have been nice to be able to see how you was making the adjustments. I have an ideal since I have built my own antennas back in the 80s and 90s. Thank You for sharing your knowledge. Bug aka 654 Las Vegas.
Muscle Man Flint Michigan. Rest in peace, Larry Mosley
What a genius you are mr prime minister great video
Hello Prme
Propinator 476 - Chicago, the Commander and Chief here.
The last time we talked was Thanksgiving 2013 or 2014 and I will forever be honored for that contact with you.
I will be back on the band soon.
Wooooooo Whooooooooo!
Hey Prime, can we have a educational video on coax and how it should be properly tuned threw your radio station set up? My understanding is that if your coax is probably cut and tuned threw out your station all the way to the antenna, reflect is greatly reduced. Could you express your opinion on tuned coax in a next video. That would be another great educational video to those that want a better understanding of it. G-Man, Texas
I have questions to on this ..
I’m currently building my station after being off the radio for a while. I never heard about tuned (zeroed) out coax until I watched a video from Donkey stomper. He explained zeroed out coax and demonstrated it. It would make sense that tuned coax to the frequency span you want to accomplish would give less reflect. I knew about 6’ jumpers between radio and amp, but never knew about cut and tuning threw out to other amps and main antenna feed line to reduce reflect even more. My current antenna is set flat 1.0 with rig expert. When I tune my coax to that flat frequency span, it should be electrically correct....right? Some say that your coax feed line length from your big box to antenna is no big concern. I’m still waiting on new amps to get finished up and delivered. Once I get my amps in, I will cut and tune my coax as I go all the way threw the antenna. That’s what I plan on doing unless I’m wrong. If I’m wrong on my cut and tune procedure please let me know y’all. I’m just a small duck in this big pond.
@@gburlin One Duck to another brother. :) I believe Donkey Stomper is correct. Make those jumpers invisible by zeroing them out with your analyzer. I believe the main feed line should be zeroed at 1/2 wave tuning and the jumpers should match. Hopefully Prime will step in and let us know his thoughts.
It seems that 12' jumpers would be correct. Maybe Danny 123BuiltChigago will add in too. He shared with me to go with 12' jumpers. As Donkey Stomper shared we want those jumpers invisible!
5ZERO1 NY with the wave!
@@timsmith1029 The way I understand this is that a amp or amps inline that cannot be tuned like a tube amp need to be tuned as you go by cut and tuning the coax, even threw meters. Not every transistor amp is 1.0 SWR, so to correct this would be to tune the whole system starting from the radio and finish at the end of the main coax to the antenna connection. You have to cut and tune threw every thing you have inline as you go including meters. If you do everything right and your antenna is already pre tuned to 1.0 SWR prior to tuning the coax threw your station, your SWR will remain 1.0 after you hook everything in line to the end. That’s my understanding of it. If your pill boxes are 1.2 SWR and you hook zeroed jumpers to it with out tuning as you go method, you will still have 1.2 SWR regardless. Now, you can correct the 1.2 SWR at the antenna, but the antenna will not be resonant to that frequency you are achieving. Thanks Tim👍
Awsome job. Think you for taking the time to make this video.
Antenna building is something I just started. Did some verticals and looking at beams
I got into it growing up riding shotty as a kid in a w9a when everyone used to talk on the radio. Nice beam!
Well Prime you might agree or disagree but I would like your opinion that a quad has better reception due to it being a full wave antenna. Where a Yagi is a 1/2 wavelength antenna. Just more surface area.
Keep 'em coming Prime!!!
channel 14 is the walkie talkie channel. glad another person besides me remembers that . wow that smoke is unreal. bashing is a big no no .
Can you share more about the matcher you are using? It looks like a hairpin but I know most have limited power ability. I agree that the one sided gamma match must radiate to one side. Nice video. Looking forward to some more antenna shoots.
5ZERO1 NY
Nice Job...
That was a 2x ya?
All good I’ll have to send out some New Stuff too ya when my guy gets his new Set up!!
Love the Beam ..
i remember one triple zero back in 80-90's
How do you recommend tuning it on the tower. I have a hinge plate on my tower. I heard have the reflector towards the ground firing into the sky. Any truth to that
PM, always good tech along with explanations. I agree with you on the issues with hate on new techs.......
Long time local listener from down on the other end of the money behind the red barn. We sit on mobile often above fairfax to catch all the skip too. Digging all the watergates too.
Sittin chop topped tossin 3s and 8s brother.
Split screen would've been great,,lol im trying to listen and picture what you're doing...lol great to see you're ok ...waving.
I was mostly changing driven element length until the end. Then I finished with the hairpin adjustment
@@skullcracka1708 why do prefer the hairpin match over the direct feed antenna .I use a dipole antenna designed by Henry Poleman in the Netherlands I just wanted to know if there are any advantages I moved away from the gamma match because I read that caused the signal to be favored to the gamma match side of the element rather evenly across the driven element . What has been your experience . Thank you for any information I read if you spend any money in this hobby spend at least 60% of it on your antenna verses Watts we know that Watts count but you get the idea thank you again
@@clayharris7814 Actually I never said I preferred either one. The gamma does skew pattern on longer booms but it actually skews to the opposite side from left driven to front right. The gamma has been called lossy but I have never checked for it. I have used both and didn't really notice and appreciable gain differences. I am direct feed now... You are correct... The heart of any station is the antenna. Far more than the amp
@@skullcracka1708 thank you for your input I will be watching with great enthusiasm especially when you are talking about antennas
You the man
like your comment on the hobby sir...
That sent before I could make the correction
I know this is 2 years old or whatever but why does that rig expert say KHZ instead of MHZ
I’ll tell you a funny but stupid thing I did as a kid, so my dad has and still talks on the radio, I remember listening to 766, and switchblade talking with him on the radio growing up, well one Christmas dad got my brother and I walkie talkies, I had decided that they didn’t get out far enough and I wanted to be like dad and really talk, I got the dumb bright idea to cut and tap into his coax line feeding his antenna while he was sleeping, my brother and I went out with a kitchen knife and cut away until we seen the center conductor and hooked a piece of copper wire up to it and ran it to our bedroom while he slept, I was around 1:00am so we knew crawling out the window he would never know haha, then we cut the rubber coating off the walkie talkie antenna and hooked that wire up to it, I sent my brother down the road on his bike to see how much range we gained, it didn’t help but being kids we thought it did, we thought we pulled it off but little did we know dads meters on his desk told on us, he came back to our room and boy was he pissed off, my question for him was how did you know, the meters son, they told on you, I had no clue what he meant by that so we were always worried the meters would catch us from there on out, oh what it was like being a kid, sure miss the good ole days haha, turning 39 to and watching this video talking about walkie talkies took me back to my childhood, 261 Canyon Hopper Utah said and I’m back out
Does that car bother your antenna
Hey, just adjust length and looking at swr a few feet above the ground is not how this is done, cause we need impeadance (z) to be 50 ohms
And we need reactance to be 0 at 50 ohms . And this need to be set at working height.
Then we have the issues with the coax causing inductance and capacitence issues to tune when the antenna feed impedance doesn’t match the line impedance.
With the money spent on this meter that shows all these factors and your using it as a swr meter?
I guess that’s the level of expertise Here I in this video, who cares right? I mean just feed it more power ! You have an abundance of power.
But hey I am just a ham, what would I know .
Good Video! Keep them coming!
As I was trying to say no disrespect to the other techs. Don’t know how that got sent before I could make the correction. And you are correct hobby is to small. I’m like you i started out on walk-in talkies got mine first set of those back in the mid seventies as you know they would transmit on channel 14 got my first mobile in 1977 do believe that was the same year that it went from 23 channels to 40 channels anyway have a good day 7 3 as we say on the other bands and yes I still get on 11 meters and play there.
Candyman 747 waving
Thank you ☺️
Man I was so hoping that you would mention that crutch beam I built. But , I didn't even know you were gonna do a video on antenna's. I would love to have a diagram of that antenna. How can I contact you sir ?
Hey Prime I want a one of your 4 element yagis. I want it dedicated for channel 6 can you please message me where to look at prices I might even want a 5 element I build my own but I’m at the point where I need one that will be bad ass . I run a coqui build 3000 1/2 in heliax have a tower i use a vacuum gamma I want as much as I can get out of the front end as possible .. I don’t want one I have to have one .. thank you woodchuck ny
Do you have a specific coax length on your analyzer for tuning your antennas.I am building a new beam.I saw an antenna builder showing some antennas and he spoke about a calculated measurement of jumper from the analyzer to the beam. Thanks
The proper place to check SWR is AT the feedpoint, its just not practical, especially if you have the antenna in the air.
The next best option is to use a multiple of an ELECTRICAL HALF WAVE LENGTH of coax. Since your signal repeats every half wave, an electrical half wave of coax will let you see exactly what's going on AT the feedpoint!
So what is an "electrical half wavelength" of coax? Radio signals travel at the speed of light...unless they travel in a cable. The radio waves actually slow down. They measure this and come up with a "velocity factor" for that particular cable. Since the signal is traveling slower, the cable will need to be shorten. This is why a "physical" length and an "electrical" length will be different.
Example: let's just assume a physical length is 18'. An electrical half wavelength of LMR-400 with a velocity factor of 84% is 15.18'. For RG-213 with a velocity factor of 66% its 11.93'. This is for 27.205MHz. If the frequency changes, so does the electrical length!
I use an electrical half wavelength of LMR-240 cut for 27.205MHz when I tune antennas. If I was Minister, I'd have one for 27.025MHz.
Now, all that being said, what happens if you tune your antenna for channel 20 using an electrical half wavelength of coax and you talk on channel 6? Nothing. It will work fine. No, it won't be a perfect match on any frequency other than channel 20 (which is why Prime tunes everything for channel 6! 🤫). In the end, an electrical half wavelength of coax is allowing you to see exactly what is going on at your feedpoint on that frequency and that's it. Once the feedpoint is dialed in, it doesn't matter what your coax length is (to a point). Let me know if you have more questions.
Here is the math...
11802.8 / Frequency (in MHz) = electrical full wave in free space in inches.
11802.8 / 27.205 = 433.85 inches
(Full wave, free space)
433.85 / 2 = 216.92 inches
(1/2 wave, free space)
216.92 x .84 (velocity factor of LMR-400 is 84%) = 182.21 inches in LMR-400.
182.21 / 12 = 15.81 feet of LMR-400
( inches converted to feet)
Thanks master chief I have taken notes and have learned something
Hay master chief got another question I have been wondering about.I am building a five element short boom.My tower is 45 feet.Is the radiation angle of the yagi going to go well with my tower hight for maximum range.I almost started building a quad but occasionally we get an ice storm out here in Virginia.Just curious I’m almost committed to it now.
@@davey4636 Generally, the higher your antenna the lower your take off angle. The variable is the skip layer which will change heights every day. Today 18' works and tomorrow its 36'. Same goes with 45'. Some days you win, someday you don't.
Here is the thing though, a horizontal antenna works with the ground reflection to affect take off angle AND produce gain. Its almost like having a stacked array. If you get too far away from the ground you are only working with the main antenna lobe.
Experiment! Its your best teacher! Try 36'. Try 18'. Try 40' Keep track and remember, what works today may not work tomorrow.
Thanks chief
💯 as always!!!
i like big beams and I cannot lie
Question? Why don't you see many stacked beams? I know the extra engineering, and fabrication would be very costly especially with large beams. Is the added performance just not worth the cost?
Just curious
Railroader 546
Outside of Chicago IL
Here is the truth about stacked beams... They KICK ASS and are expensive to do right. I've been bugging Motormouth for YEARS about replacing that monstrosity with a stacked system, mainly because he has the real estate and chops to pull it off. I've also talked briefly to D-Rail and Prime.
Most stacked systems are on rotating towers and this is where the first major expense comes in. Initially you can start small and build it up but you need the bones in place which are the rotating base foundation and equipment, and the guy anchors. Rohn 45 is plenty for 11-meters. Start with two and later add a third and 4th.
Then there is the technical prowess to properly space the stack and feed it. You need phasing lines and possibly a Stack Match (although I would recommend against that).
People don't do it for these three reason...lack of space, lack of money, and lack of knowledge. A stack done right is unbeatable, but its not for everybody. Prime could pull it off. Motormouth and D-Rail too. I'm sure there are others. Some day someone will take my suggestion. 😁
@@masterchief4839 lots of hams running stacked 20 and a few even 40 meters. I think stacked 10 meters should be doable :). Phasing shouldn't be too difficult but I have no experience in these 5 digit power levels. I think prime could do better on his audio and look into using the puresignal function of his apache, get the predistortion dialed in and he'll have the best audio on the planet.
@@v12alpine, Prime's audio is exactly what Prime wants it to be. He has stated publicly that he doesn't have a "radio voice" and that his is raspy. I disagree. I wouldn't be surprised if he's running pure signal. Nothing he does is by accident. Decades ago I dismissed his abilities and boy was I wrong!
As for stacks, I've had a few opportunities to work on them. I'm very familiar with what's possible and designing mine now in preparation for a move to Arkansas. Its a small club and we're accepting membership. 😁
Good Video
Hello I wish to purchase one of your 7 elements beams please let me know thanks
Hi prime. I want a 6 pill amp for mobile. How can I get in touch with you?
I started around 12 years old with radio shack emergency radio
Awesome job prime minister!! Still would like for you to hold my beam and I agree be disrespect for other thechs
I'm guessing that I can't get in contact with you ? No email ? I wanted to ask about the beams
I have a question. If a bird sits on your driven element will it change the SWR ? I guess so
Slightly
Is there a way to contact you ? Email ? I text with BBI . Can he tell me ? I just want knowledge bro
Prime....! This will probably be the only chance I'll get to chat with you.... So I'll take it... Big time hello. Straight up , you need to do this more often. The average radio operator are not antenna builders. It's all a big secret. You payed the cost to be out here. You played with a hair pin..... Need to play with a gamma .......
Hey Prime like your antennas would like to buy some parts give me a text or call cookie man Beaumont got down
😁
Ya gotta admit, sometimes the excuses and conspiracy theories the trolls come up with are absolutely hilarious. IE, somehow placing a T-shirt on a beam while tuning it gave you an unfair advantage and magically gave you favorable readings😂😂😂
ROTFLMAO!!!!! The old T-Shirt trick..... Dammit you caught me
@@skullcracka1708 Lol... we want to see that hairpin ;)
Thats because it was a 123BuiltChicago shirt! LOL
@@timsmith1029 LMAO
Wish I could talk to you about my antenna tuning..
What’s the problem?
SKULLCRACKA can’t seem to get my hair pin to tune below 1.5 .
SKULLCRACKA background on antenna
Stock Maco M108 measured to their specs, 1/2 in hard line to hair pin. When I built it on the ground had it at 1.03 when I put it on the tower went up to 1.5 , moved driven elements in and out no change and no change with slider. And stay about the same thru the band.
@@keithbarker4744 Hey Keith the M-108 is such a broadband beam, Maco would tell you 1.5 is fine. question.... how is your coax connected at the feed point?
They say its fine but the reflect watts don’t lie, direct feed pig tail.
I caught myself playing in the bash game years ago. I realized it wasn't productive, unneeded stress and yes, it scares some newcomers away.
If the bashing and slagging keeps getting worse the CB hobby is going to end up being a spin off of Highlander, "There can only be one."
I totally agree! Competitiveness is good but personal attacks is crossing the line. None of us get rich selling amps anyway. lol
More antenna more
QY4 is what I use
Yea same story here pair of radio shack 3 channel walkie talkie..the the good old local boys took my 10 year old ass to school..at 12 I was running Johnson 6 channel with a borrowed maco 500 and in the 70s I thought I had arrived...good to here how you got into it..peace Mr prime minister..be blessed👍🇺🇸👍
Mr. Prime Minister, you made this beam? And if so whats the smallest one you make ? Possibly for mounting on my little focus like the a99 on my channel.
Look might fine prime 👌 keep up geat work 💪 , no hate peace love and chicken grease.