[TowerTalk] Need recommendations for a 40-10m. Yagi

Sat May 5 12:52:06 EDT 2018

I posted similarly a couple weeks ago and got some good advice from the reflector.
It's come down to the JK Mid-Tri/40 and the Optibeam OB12-4W.
The JK is 40/20/15/10m, the Optibeam is 40/20/17/15.

The JK is less expensive, somehow a bigger windload, and  built like a tank. It has no WARC bands.
The Optibeam is more expensive, smaller windload (by about 5 sqft, not sure how), built just as well as the JK and has 17m. I won't be caring too much about 12 and 10 meters for a while. When the spots come back I'd need to get a 17/12m beam for the JK or a 12 and 10m beam for the Optibeam.

Either beam will be at 70-75 feet on an AN Wireless HD70 tower and 3" x .25 wall CMoly mast, Plans are to top things off at 90 feet with an JK 80 meter dipole. When I started this, the plan was the Mid-Tri minus 40m, WARC band beam half way up and an 402T at 90 feet. VE7RF advised I should consider the 40M Mid-Tri and the 80m dipole. I have never had an 80m dipole that high much less rotate it. It's always been very short verticals or very low dipoles.

Since I have never been on 6m I may stick a 6m Beam between them at 80 feet and see what happens. 

Rotator is going to be a SPID Big Rak.

R. Kevin Stover    AC0H

ARRL, FISTS, SKCC, NAQCC.
One of the guys that made sneakernet irrelevant, in my little corner of the world.
“If it doesn’t work the first time you push the button it won’t work the 20th…Just stop.”

-----Original Message-----
From: TowerTalk <towertalk-bounces at contesting.com> On Behalf Of rlvz--- via TowerTalk
Sent: Friday, May 4, 2018 7:59 PM
To: towertalk at contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] Need recommendations for a 40-10m. Yagi

Guys,

I'm looking to purchase a 40-10m. Yagi this summer.  It will be mounted on a 120' Self-Supporting Pi-Rod Tower in Wisconsin.  I'd prefer the antenna to cover the WARC bands but it's not imperative as I'm a contester first and a DX'er second.  Gain and reliability are my two greatest needs.

Note: I currently have a 3-element SteppIR at 50' so I do have WARC band capability for 17 & 12m.  I'd love for my Yagi at 120' to cover 30m. but it's not a requirement.  

A couple of questions:

1) If you were purchasing a 40-10m. Yagi this summer please advise which one you'd purchase and why?

2) The antenna is probably going to have a windload between 15-20 sq. ft.  Please advise which rotor you'd purchase for it?

Thanks & 73,

Dick- K9OM
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