Overall Description
This is a G3TXQ broad band hexagonal beam for 6 - 20 meters. It is just under 22 feet in
diameter and is constructed of six fiberglass tubes and 14 or 16 gauge stranded copper wire.
The center post is a five foot piece of fiberglass or PVC. The beam is fed at the top of the center
post with 50 ohm coax and weighs about 25 pounds.
The hexagonal beam consists of two elements for each band. The driven element is in the
shape of an "M" and the reflector element is wrapped around the four spreaders to the rear of
the driver wires. The elements are made of wire instead of tubes used by most yagi antennas.
Therefore there is a need for a supporting structure. The supporting structure consists of six
flexible fiberglass tubes attached to a base. The tubes are as shown and thus the name
hexagonal beam.
The antenna elements are held in place by the base/tube structure, the wires and kevlar/dacron
cords. All bands of the antenna are fed by a single coax cable.
To the right are sketches of how the G3TXQ broad band hexagonal beam is configured for a
single band. A sketch of the wires of a five band hexagonal beam can be viewed here.
Why the G3TXQ Broad Band Hexagonal Beam?
The classic hexagonal beam has been in use for several decades and a commercial version is
available for purchase in a variety of configurations; multi-band, mono band, etc. Many,
including the author have built home brew versions of the HEX-BEAMR and used them quite
successfully. Guidelines for building one are available on other sites for those who prefer to
stick with the tried and true.
The classic hexagonal beam, for its compact size, is fairly narrow banded in its front/back and
SWR performance. This is one of the trade offs for the compact physical size that makes the
classic hexagonal beam so attractive. In late 2007 Steve Hunt, G3TXQ conducted extensive
testing and modeling of many variations of the classic hexagonal beam seeking to overcome
its narrow banded deficiency without sacrificing the simplicity and small size. The design
featured in this G3TXQ broad band hexagonal beam is the result of his efforts in this regard. A
full explanation of the design is available on Steve's web site. An overall comparison of the new
broad band design and the classic design is available.
These guidelines are based on my own construction of the G3TXQ broad band hexagonal
beam.
This is a G3TXQ broad band hexagonal beam for 6 - 20 meters. It is just under 22 feet in
diameter and is constructed of six fiberglass tubes and 14 or 16 gauge stranded copper wire.
The center post is a five foot piece of fiberglass or PVC. The beam is fed at the top of the center
post with 50 ohm coax and weighs about 25 pounds.
The hexagonal beam consists of two elements for each band. The driven element is in the
shape of an "M" and the reflector element is wrapped around the four spreaders to the rear of
the driver wires. The elements are made of wire instead of tubes used by most yagi antennas.
Therefore there is a need for a supporting structure. The supporting structure consists of six
flexible fiberglass tubes attached to a base. The tubes are as shown and thus the name
hexagonal beam.
The antenna elements are held in place by the base/tube structure, the wires and kevlar/dacron
cords. All bands of the antenna are fed by a single coax cable.
To the right are sketches of how the G3TXQ broad band hexagonal beam is configured for a
single band. A sketch of the wires of a five band hexagonal beam can be viewed here.
Why the G3TXQ Broad Band Hexagonal Beam?
The classic hexagonal beam has been in use for several decades and a commercial version is
available for purchase in a variety of configurations; multi-band, mono band, etc. Many,
including the author have built home brew versions of the HEX-BEAMR and used them quite
successfully. Guidelines for building one are available on other sites for those who prefer to
stick with the tried and true.
The classic hexagonal beam, for its compact size, is fairly narrow banded in its front/back and
SWR performance. This is one of the trade offs for the compact physical size that makes the
classic hexagonal beam so attractive. In late 2007 Steve Hunt, G3TXQ conducted extensive
testing and modeling of many variations of the classic hexagonal beam seeking to overcome
its narrow banded deficiency without sacrificing the simplicity and small size. The design
featured in this G3TXQ broad band hexagonal beam is the result of his efforts in this regard. A
full explanation of the design is available on Steve's web site. An overall comparison of the new
broad band design and the classic design is available.
These guidelines are based on my own construction of the G3TXQ broad band hexagonal
beam.
Side View
Side View
| Five Band version (wires only) |
| G3TXQ Broad Band Hexagonall Beam Single Band (Top View) |
| Beam direction |
| Coax Feed Point |
| Driver wire |
| Tip Spacer |
| Spreaders |
| Center Post |
| Reflector wire |
Hexagonal Beam by K4KIO
Building the G3TXQ Broad Band Hexagonal Beam
Available for purchase
Other Sites
Understanding the
Hexbeam byG3TXQ
Yahoo hexbeam user
group
G3TXQ Broad Band Hex
Beam built by WY3A
Understanding the
Hexbeam byG3TXQ
Yahoo hexbeam user
group
G3TXQ Broad Band Hex
Beam built by WY3A
| Site publication date 12/2007 Page revision date 7/2009 Copyright 2009 |