[TowerTalk] Matching Sections - Modified Yagi

Julio Peralta jperalta4 at verizon.net
Mon May 12 07:41:47 EDT 2008


Most V-UHF beams use a T match and a coax balun, al la the M2 design, on
the driven element. I don't believe the standard yagi balun that is used
for a tri-bander will be very effective at 2M and above. I believe the
ARRL antenna manuals show how to make one.

Julio, W4HY

-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of
john at iguanavilla.com
Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2008 7:05 PM
To: TOWERTALK at contesting.com
Cc: kb0fhp at comcast.net
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Matching Sections - Modified Yagi

I am not at all familiar with the antenna you are referring to, however
it 
sounds like you have modified it into a conventional style yagi.  If the

impedance really is 13 ohms and you are using a 4:1 balun to match it to
50 
ohm coax, I don't see the need for any other type of matching.  You
should 
be able to just connect the balun to the split driven element.

John KK9A



From: "Scott MacKenzie" Date:
Sun, 11 May 2008 16:00:12 -0400

Thanks Ralph.

I have the manual - I was able to download it.  One issue that I have,
is
that I substantially modified the antenna.  The only thing I kept was
the
matching section and the driven element.  Everything else was changed
except
for the spacing.  All the other dimensions of the elements were changed.
Instead of the three reflectors that came with the antenna, it was
replaced
with a single reflector.  When I did the modeling, the impedance was
calculated to be about 13 ohms, so using a 4:1 step-up balun, I should
have
it at 50 ohms.  I am just not sure why they used the 75 ohm coax.  Seems
to
me, the impedance must have been higher.  Also the length of the
matching
section seems way too short.  The balun that was on the matching section
when I got it, was 2 feet long.  If I back calculate the frequency for
the 2
feet of RG-11 and apply a velocity factor of 78%, the frequency works
out to
be 191.9 MHz - it should be much longer!

I know I really should measure at the end of the coax - I just didn't
have a
good way to measure it, without dragging out the rig and extension
cords,
etc.  I may have a handheld that I could use (I guess I could borrow the
wife's).

Just doesn't make a lot of sense.  I guess I will just try making a new
balun and see what happens.  But I really hate the "cut and guess"
method.

Scott

-----Original Message-----
From: Ralph Matheny
Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2008 3:42 PM
To: Scott MacKenzie
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Matching Sections - Modified Yagi

I have some experience with that antenna.  Normally the match is simple
and
easy.

The original balun is a half wave of RG-11, 75 ohm cable.  The match is
a
"Tee" match with bars along the driven element set to some "proper"
point
and then  the driven element is shortened to get rid of some inductive
reactance.  Some of those antennas had a plastic box with something
inside,
I don't know what those were.

If you don't get the answer you need e-mail me back iand I'll see if I
can
find the paper on the WB215 that I had and that may get you out of
problems.

Don't measure at the end of 50 foot of cable, btw.  Cut a half wave of
cable
(or even multiple thereof) that is fairly short.  I aim the antenna
straight
up with the reflector 4 or 5 feet above ground for setup of mathcing.
After
you get close, then you can aim at horizon and check things out.  IF you
use
long cable you run the risk of getting inacurate results because of
cable
attenuation and length.  You can tune the antenna to the cable length in
some cases.

Ralph Matheny
K8RYU
207 Gibbons Place
Marietta Ohio  45750
mathenyr at marietta.edu 

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