[TowerTalk] Rai Beam

[Joe Reisert]

To Interested Antenna Buffs,

I must have deleted the prior message from a happy guy in New Mexico who 
just got on 10 meters with a  2 element Raibeam. Raibeams gain claims have 
always been, well, rather high, so I just discount them out of hand and 
turn the page!

Today, my curiosity got the best of me so I decided to look further. I 
found one of the latest Raibeam ads in the April 2000 QST on page 132. It's 
a tri-bander with what looks like 3 separate 2-element interlaced Yagis. I 
almost flipped out for two reasons.

1. The  ARRL actually published the Raibeam's claimed gain. I've heard ARRL 
has done it before but I have never seen any such ad. Was this a mistake? 
Was it slipped through the editorial department? Did it pass the new so 
called antenna test data and models they have imposed on all published gain 
claims in QST?

2. If it is true gain, we better all dump our antenna software, get a 
Raibeam and take down those big beams we are now using. Greater than 8 dBi 
gain in "free space" on 2-element a tri-bander using only an eight foot 
(0.12 wavelength on 20-meters) boom is mighty impressive. Furthermore the 
pattern in the ad infers a F/B ratio of almost 30 dBs!

Is this antenna patented? If so, what is the patent number so I can get a 
copy and be enlightened.

I'm anxiously awaiting the new antenna gain theory!

Joe, W1JR






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