[Towertalk] Force 12 vs. Cushcraft who wins?

[Michael Hatzakis, Jr]

Just moved to the seattle area and am assembling a new station.  Possibly an MA-550 55' tubular tower with a 10' mast.  Trying to decide between two classes of beam, in roughly the same price range are the Cushcrafts and the Force 12's.  

The Cushcraft A3S/A4S 3 and 4 element standard trapped beams claim 6db gain (3ele) and 7db (4ele) over dipole.  And the Force 12 2 element beams running around 4.5 db.  The 3ele cushcraft and the force 12 have about the same dimensions... They have about the same windload, 5sq ft for the tubular..

Any thoughts on pro's and con's of the two antennas?  experiences?  The cushcraft is 3db high gain, but is it lost in the traps?  

Thanks, Michael  K3MH


Michael Hatzakis, Jr MD 
Physiatrist, Treating Individuals with Neuromuscular Disabilities 
Consultant, Information Technology Based Health Care Solutions


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