Deciding on a Multi Band Beam Antenna

The trouble is when you start building beam antennas and things go really well you end up wanting more!

Having successfully built the 17 meter Moxon I could go on to build another, like a twenty or a 15 meter version, but where the hell would I put them up. The problem is having had the taste of the db gain you get from such an antenna you wish you could have the same results on other bands. Which provides me with a dilemma?

I have a wonderful radio the Yaesu FTDX9000MP and it deserves the best antenna I can get, but I cannot put up a tower where I live because it’s an area of outstanding beauty and undoubtedly I would be told to remove it. I amazed how I’ve got away with the Cobweb and the Moxon without somebody complaining. So I’m stuck with my 30 odd foot scaffold pole which means I’m limited with weight and size of an antenna one of the reasons I built the Moxon, because it is very light.

I could probably get away with replacing the Moxon with a two element Yagi or something similar to cover the three bands, but again it would have to be light and so I’ve been looking at what’s about and have come across a few that might deal with my problem.

The old favourite, the Hexbeam, a good reasonable antenna and covers all the major bands including six. The Spiderbeam, another lightweight antenna which covers 20,15 and 10 meters or you can get one for the five bands. Lastly something like a Mosley mini-32-A antenna, a lightweight two element mini Yagi which covers the three bands 20,15 and 10. To be honest the Yagi would be my favourite because it looks simple to set up it's very light 6lbs and it’s less complicated that the Hex or Spider, I would cover the other bands 17 and 12 with other antennas.

 

 

 

A mini Mosley beam like the 32-A might work for me!

 

The other issue for me is whether to build or buy? At the moment I have little time available to me to build so I would most likely have to go down the purchase route and my limit would have to be around £400. The entire antennas I’ve mentioned are roughly around that price although the Spiderbeam is a little more expensive at 400 odd Euros. Interestingly the Yagi M-32-A comes out the cheapest but literally by about £10 over the Hex!

We'll just have to wait and see, whatever the outcome it's a hobby at the end of the day, so it's quite a nice dilemma to have!