[TowerTalk] antenna choices

[Jim Lux]

On 4/10/15 10:34 AM, Roger (K8RI) on TT wrote:
> Setting up an assembly line for low volume products is an expensive
> proposition.  Then again, other than fixtures for drilling holes and
> making custom insulators, what in building antenna "kits" can be
> automated?  One of my first jobs was working in an automotive plant
> which thankfully was only a couple of years.  So I'm well aquainted with
> production lines and small parts even if it is old information.

M2 does this.. they have a "make 50 pieces of tubing X mm long" machine 
(well, not quite).. so they can kit up all the elements for a given 
antenna pretty quickly from a huge stock of precut pieces of aluminum.

They use the same hardware on all the antennas, so whether you are 
buying a 2 wavelength long 2 meter Yagi or a 5 wavelength long crossed 
yagi UHF antenna, it's about the same production cost.



>
> A manufacturer can purchase tubing in standard lengths of 24 feet and in
> bulk for quite a bit less than DX Engineering sells it for, but theirs
> is reasonably priced for small lots.  Remember they are a retail
> operation, so that tubing has probably gone through at least 3 levels of
> sales.
>
> To me, large ham antennas do not lend themselves to mass production like
> TV antennas where the elements are small, thin, rolled sheet that is
> fragile (read cheap) for a mass market.  the entire antenna can be
> assembled before shipping.  The customer just snaps the elements into
> place.  Still, they are so fragile it's easy to break an element even on
> top end models.

Exactly.. can you ship it UPS in a package less than 6 feet long?  A 20 
meter Yagi made up of pieces where no piece is longer than 2 meters is 
going to be a mechanical nightmare, and take a while to assemble.