In a message dated 1/29/02 9:00:21 AM Pacific Standard Time, w8ji@akorn.net
writes:
> > stature, to be installed at a later date. I am very insecure about the
> > HexBeam and am now carefully considering the Force 12 antennas. I'll
> > keep you all posted.
>
> You should be insecure about the Hex beam. There is far too much
> hyperbole and far too few facts offered in the claims.
I'm a huge skeptic of the performance of 'new', non-traditional antenna
designs. I went to the Hex website and founds loads of anecodotal information
and lots of 'smoke and mirrors' about how it's angles have to do with
"reflected path performance" and other hyperbole. Also, there's lots of
technical mumbo jumbo (I'm not an antenna engineer or expert so I can't
comment authoritatively about the calcs and formulas) about the antenna as
well as comments about 'tests' that were conducted with no other info
available.
In the Hex website was a copy of a CQ magazine review by Lew "I never met
an antenna I didn't like" McCoy. Some more interesting anecdotal information.
I'm also skeptical about the RAI Beam and others. Let me say that I'm
sure that these antennas 'radiate.' Whether they live up to their claims is
the question. N6BT had some fun using a lightbulb as an HF antenna so it also
radiated. In the case of our antenna testing, we found that Force 12 was the
only manufacturer whose published antenna specs corroborated our findings.
I'm hoping to be able to test these and other antennas for a future
update to our tribander comparison report but need a technical guy who can
run the test equipment and help interpret and help write-up the results.
Testing will take place in Washington State later in the year. Let me know if
you're interested in co-authoring the third edition.
In the case of our tests, we have published the protocol so that anyone
can repeat our findings. Nothing like that ever appears in any antenna
advertising (with the exception of Force 12) so ALL antenna manufacturer's
performance claims are suspect. And some of them are TOTALLY WRONG.
Cheers,
Steve K7LXC
Tower Tech
PS. Our tribander and vertical comparison reports are available from <A
HREF="http://www.championradio.com";>www.championradio.com</A> .
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