Hex Beam by K4KIO
Site publication date
12/2007
Overall Description

This is a G3TXQ broad band hex beam for 10 - 20 meters. It is just under 22
feet in diameter and is constructed of six fiberglass tubes and 16 gauge
stranded copper wire. The center post is a five foot piece of fiberglass or PVC.
The hex beam is fed at the top of the center post with 50 ohm coax and weighs
about 22 pounds.

The hex 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
rods attached to a base. The rods are as shown and thus the name hex beam.
The antenna elements are held in place by the base/rod 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 hex beam is configured.


Why the G3TXQ Broad Band Hex Beam?

The classic hex 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
classic hex beam and used it quite successfully. A detailed set of guidelines
similar to these is available elsewhere on this site for those who prefer to stick
with the tried and true.

The classic hex 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 hex beam so attractive. In late 2007 Steve
Hunt, G3TXQ conducted extensive testing and modeling of many variations of
the classic hex beam seeking to overcome its narrow banded deficiency without
sacrificing the simplicity and small size. The design featured in this G3TXQ
broad band hex 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
hex beam.
Side View
Building the G3TXQ Broad Band Hex Beam