[CQ-Contest] Quad Antennas performance for Contesting

[Bill Parry]

Renner,

I just wanted to play the devils advocate for a few a minute. I had a two
element and a four element quad for about 10 years back in the 70s.  It used
real nice fiberglass spreaders. The antennas were good performers.

You said, "I intent to assemble what i will call a "simple & cheap" contest
station. My plans are to build a reasonable competitive station to SOAB LP
efforts using cheap stuffs."

You may be able to find the components for a 2 element quad (bamboo) for an
inexpensive price but otherwise there is nothing simple about a quad. Quads
need to be constructed partly/completely on the ground and then moved to the
top of the tower. I had a crank down tower so it alleviated some of the guy
wire problems. Even at that, moving a fully constructed quad to the top of a
tower (as fragile as they are - is no "simple task.) Once that is done, the
quad needs to be tuned - preferably in place. That means that you have to
get to the feed point.

Quads are fragile and if a wire breaks (depending on where) the repair job
is not simple.

I have not used quads for years for that reason. Frankly, a 2 element quad
is not going to make you competitive.  You will be able to have a lot of
fun. I recommend that you rethink the idea of a quad. Depending on your
preferences, you might decide that a fairly good antenna for one band would
be good maybe a 4 element 15 M yagi). You could work SO/SB. I did this for
years and had a lot of fun on just 15 meters (and 15 will be back before you
know it). Or, if you want a tribander there are a number of nice tribanders,
that aren't too big or expensive. Maybe even find someone that has a used
one for sale.

Just another way of looking at things,

Good luck

Bill W5VX 


-----Original Message-----
From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Renner, PY7RP
Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 7:14 PM
To: CQ-Contest at contesting.com
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Quad Antennas performance for Contesting

Hello Guys
I intent to assemble what i will call a "simple & cheap" contest station.
My plans are to build a reasonable competitive station to SOAB LP
efforts using cheap stuffs.
I have thought on many options for the antennas. I would like to use
wire antennas instead of traditional yagis with aluminium due to the
facility on building it and price, sure!.
So thinking on wire-made antennas i stoped my eyes on a multiband
quad antenna. A 2 element 10-15-20 quad seems to be a great choice,
since the gain seems to equal a 3 elem monoband yagi and the price 
in comparison to 3 differents monobanders is really a bargain.
I found a store that sells Bamboo fishing poles for a good price here.
They are 9 meters tall and costs only ~ 5$/unit. They seems to be
strenght enough and well straight bamboos.
I haven't bought it yet. I began to search on the internet articles about
cubical quad antennas made with bamboo. My interest is to find something
about the treatment they must have to keep in a well shape for
a reasonable time up on the air i.e. passing through bad weather conditions.
Does anyone have any idea about why kind of treatment they should have
before going up on the mast?
73 Renner
PY7RP 


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