Sorry to interrupt the WAVE-PARTICLE Duality seminar but...

Any comments on the SpiderBeam antenna?

It's a sort of maxed-out Moxon such that the director and reflector
elements are bent toward the center of the antenna.

Apparently it is frequently used on DXpeditions.

There is a version for home use...a kit and the elements are wires.

Anyone using one or care to comment?

(My understanding is that it can send and receive both waves and particles.)

73

John
AB8O

On Feb 4, 7:14 pm, jawod wrote:
Sorry to interrupt the WAVE-PARTICLE Duality seminar but...

Any comments on the SpiderBeam antenna?


See http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/860

$1100 for six fiberglass poles, some wire and a center plate. No
thanks.


It's a sort of maxed-out Moxon such that the director and reflector
elements are bent toward the center of the antenna.

Apparently it is frequently used on DXpeditions.

There is a version for home use...a kit and the elements are wires.

Anyone using one or care to comment?

(My understanding is that it can send and receive both waves and particles.)

73

John
AB8O

Brian w3rv

Brian Kelly wrote:
Any comments on the SpiderBeam antenna?


See http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/860

$1100 for six fiberglass poles, some wire and a center plate. No
thanks.

Wrong product - that's the HexBeam!

Try www.spiderbeam.net

There are eight different models, each covering three or more bands from
30m up to 10m, and starting from $500 for a kit. Instructions are also
freely available to build it yourself from local materials.

The Spiderbeam was originally designed as a highly portable multiband
yagi. It uses full-length interlaced elements, and the design has been
computer optimized for maximum performance within the boundaries of the
cross-braced "diamond" shape - 10 metres (33 feet) from corner to
corner. That computer design has then been translated with unusual care
into detailed practical assembly instructions.

Be aware that the Spiderbeam was originally developed as a lightweight
beam for portable operation on a push-up mast. For these applications it
really shines - many DXpeditions out of Europe have used Spiderbeams
with great success. With practice it can even be erected single-handed.

But the cord-and-wire braced construction is not suitable for every
home-station site (Spiderbeams and trees make a very bad combination)
and even the heavy-duty version may not be suitable for year-round
survival in every kind of climate. Also, the Spiderbeam needs to be
fully assembled on the ground - with is fine for the original concept of
a push-up mast, but it can cause installation problems for tower owners.

What you'll see on the *correct* Spiderbeam review page at eham.net
(http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/3688)
is the expected mixture of "5/5" reviews from people whose locations are
Spiderbeam-friendly... and lower ratings from people whose locations are
not.


[For the record, my own relationship with Spiderbeam is that I bought
one for use at a new home, but ran into zoning/planning problems about
cutting back the trees. Reluctantly I sold the beam to a DXpedition
group, where I'm sure it will do very well.]


--

73 from Ian GM3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek

Ian White GM3SEK wrote:
Brian Kelly wrote:
Any comments on the SpiderBeam antenna?


See http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/860

$1100 for six fiberglass poles, some wire and a center plate. No thanks.

Wrong product - that's the HexBeam!

Try www.spiderbeam.net

There are eight different models, each covering three or more bands from
30m up to 10m, and starting from $500 for a kit. Instructions are also
freely available to build it yourself from local materials.

The Spiderbeam was originally designed as a highly portable multiband
yagi. It uses full-length interlaced elements, and the design has been
computer optimized for maximum performance within the boundaries of the
cross-braced "diamond" shape - 10 metres (33 feet) from corner to
corner. That computer design has then been translated with unusual care
into detailed practical assembly instructions.

Be aware that the Spiderbeam was originally developed as a lightweight
beam for portable operation on a push-up mast. For these applications it
really shines - many DXpeditions out of Europe have used Spiderbeams
with great success. With practice it can even be erected single-handed.

But the cord-and-wire braced construction is not suitable for every
home-station site (Spiderbeams and trees make a very bad combination)
and even the heavy-duty version may not be suitable for year-round
survival in every kind of climate. Also, the Spiderbeam needs to be
fully assembled on the ground - with is fine for the original concept of
a push-up mast, but it can cause installation problems for tower owners.

What you'll see on the *correct* Spiderbeam review page at eham.net
(http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/3688)
is the expected mixture of "5/5" reviews from people whose locations are
Spiderbeam-friendly... and lower ratings from people whose locations are
not.


[For the record, my own relationship with Spiderbeam is that I bought
one for use at a new home, but ran into zoning/planning problems about
cutting back the trees. Reluctantly I sold the beam to a DXpedition
group, where I'm sure it will do very well.]


Ian,
Thank you for your insights. I read the eham reviews and think I will
give it a miss. nice design, though.

73

John
AB8O

Brian Kelly wrote:
On Feb 4, 7:14 pm, jawod wrote:
Sorry to interrupt the WAVE-PARTICLE Duality seminar but...

Any comments on the SpiderBeam antenna?


See http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/860

$1100 for six fiberglass poles, some wire and a center plate. No
thanks.


It's a sort of maxed-out Moxon such that the director and reflector
elements are bent toward the center of the antenna.

Apparently it is frequently used on DXpeditions.

There is a version for home use...a kit and the elements are wires.

Anyone using one or care to comment?

(My understanding is that it can send and receive both waves and particles.)

73

John
AB8O

Brian w3rv
Brian

I think the cost is just north of $600 but I agree.

John
AB8O

On Feb 6, 4:04 am, Ian White GM3SEK wrote:
Brian Kelly wrote:
Any comments on the SpiderBeam antenna?

Seehttp://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/860

$1100 for six fiberglass poles, some wire and a center plate. No
thanks.

Wrong product - that's the HexBeam!

Trywww.spiderbeam.net

Oh bother . . Yes, I blew it Ian. TNX.

I fail to understand why anybody who knows what's up would buy a
Spiderbeam when a light-duty cubical quad would have a considerably
smaller footprint and marginally better performance. Beyond the fact
that nobody I know about is selling light-duty "expedition quality"
quads off the shelf.


There are eight different models, each covering three or more bands from
30m up to 10m, and starting from $500 for a kit. Instructions are also
freely available to build it yourself from local materials.

The Spiderbeam was originally designed as a highly portable multiband
yagi. It uses full-length interlaced elements, and the design has been
computer optimized for maximum performance within the boundaries of the
cross-braced "diamond" shape - 10 metres (33 feet) from corner to
corner. That computer design has then been translated with unusual care
into detailed practical assembly instructions.

Be aware that the Spiderbeam was originally developed as a lightweight
beam for portable operation on a push-up mast. For these applications it
really shines - many DXpeditions out of Europe have used Spiderbeams
with great success. With practice it can even be erected single-handed.

But the cord-and-wire braced construction is not suitable for every
home-station site (Spiderbeams and trees make a very bad combination)
and even the heavy-duty version may not be suitable for year-round
survival in every kind of climate. Also, the Spiderbeam needs to be
fully assembled on the ground - with is fine for the original concept of
a push-up mast, but it can cause installation problems for tower owners.

What you'll see on the *correct* Spiderbeam review page at eham.net
(http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/3688)
is the expected mixture of "5/5" reviews from people whose locations are
Spiderbeam-friendly... and lower ratings from people whose locations are
not.

[For the record, my own relationship with Spiderbeam is that I bought
one for use at a new home, but ran into zoning/planning problems about
cutting back the trees. Reluctantly I sold the beam to a DXpedition
group, where I'm sure it will do very well.]

--

73 from Ian GM3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek

Brian w3rv

On Feb 6, 10:41 am, john Wiener wrote:
Brian Kelly wrote:
On Feb 4, 7:14 pm, jawod wrote:
Sorry to interrupt the WAVE-PARTICLE Duality seminar but...

Any comments on the SpiderBeam antenna?

Seehttp://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/860

$1100 for six fiberglass poles, some wire and a center plate. No
thanks.

It's a sort of maxed-out Moxon such that the director and reflector
elements are bent toward the center of the antenna.

Apparently it is frequently used on DXpeditions.

There is a version for home use...a kit and the elements are wires.

Anyone using one or care to comment?

(My understanding is that it can send and receive both waves and particles.)

73

John
AB8O

Brian w3rv

Brian

I think the cost is just north of $600 but I agree.

http://www.hexbeam.com/pricelist.shtml

The way I read it the 5-band HX5Bi is 1129 Yankee bucks. Or we're
talking about different versions.

John
AB8O

w3rv

Brian
The antenna being asked about is the Spiderbeam not the Hexbeam.
--
Tom Horne, W3TDH


On Feb 6, 8:05 pm, Brian Kelly wrote:
On Feb 6, 10:41 am, john Wiener wrote:



Brian Kelly wrote:
On Feb 4, 7:14 pm, jawod wrote:
Sorry to interrupt the WAVE-PARTICLE Duality seminar but...

Any comments on the SpiderBeam antenna?

Seehttp://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/860

$1100 for six fiberglass poles, some wire and a center plate. No
thanks.

It's a sort of maxed-out Moxon such that the director and reflector
elements are bent toward the center of the antenna.

Apparently it is frequently used on DXpeditions.

There is a version for home use...a kit and the elements are wires.

Anyone using one or care to comment?

(My understanding is that it can send and receive both waves and particles.)

73

John
AB8O

Brian w3rv

Brian

I think the cost is just north of $600 but I agree.

http://www.hexbeam.com/pricelist.shtml

The way I read it the 5-band HX5Bi is 1129 Yankee bucks. Or we're
talking about different versions.

John
AB8O

w3rv

On Feb 8, 10:06 pm, Tom Horne wrote:
Brian
The antenna being asked about is the Spiderbeam not the Hexbeam.
--
Tom Horne, W3TDH

Agreed but see my post of Feb 6, 4:04 am in response to one of Ian
White's posts. on the subject.

w3rv

Brian
You have my undivided attention on this one. Can you steer me to a
design for the Cubical Quad that you were referring to? I have all
of the parts for a three element quad out in my shed. It came to me
from the clean off of an antenna tower removal. I'm unfamiliar with
the merits of that antenna but I am interested. The Forty Two Foot
Tower will probably end up at field day this year if I don't sell or
trade it but that will have the tribander three element beam on it. I
am planning to have a forty eight foot mast comprised of 1/4" wall
thickness two inch tubing and I was looking at the Spiderbeam as one
possible choice for the antenna on it. The original plan was to use
the mast for stacked VHF UHF array to go after the extra points
available by working those bands without changing our class. This
because a VHF / UHF station's contacts count but the transceiver does
not count as a station for class. The reason I was looking at the
possibility of another beam was that our GOTA station will need a
directional antenna that it does not have to share with the Two HF
Stations. That begs the question of what will I mount the VHF / UHF
stuff on but I digress.
--
Tom

On Feb 8, 10:14 pm, Brian Kelly wrote:
On Feb 8, 10:06 pm, Tom Horne wrote:

Brian
The antenna being asked about is the Spiderbeam not the Hexbeam.
--
Tom Horne, W3TDH

Agreed but see my post of Feb 6, 4:04 am in response to one of Ian
White's posts. on the subject.

w3rv