Cubical Quad Antenna, is this the best directional antenna?
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- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
- In this video I build a 2m cubical quad antenna. I show the parts I designed an 3D printed for the build.
12-volt rotor build, • This is the best and e...
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#Cubical Quad, #Amateure Radio, #Antennas,
I built a 10-15-20 Quad in the 60’s while in high school with bamboo spreaders and it worked like a champ!
Carson that's awesome! I hope to eventually do a bigger one later, build my own spreader mounts from some lite metal. Thanks for watching!
The quad has always been a favorite antenna of mine; I even built a quad for 15 m back in the 70s when I was a Novice. Excellent build and follow up afterwards. I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate the effort you made not only with the antenna but in your photography. You controlled the depth of field which most guys don't bother doing and this technique draws our attention to you and to your subject. Great work!
Thanks Glen, I have wanted to build one of these for a while after seeing a neighbor's 70cm quad. Glen thanks for noticing the camera work also, hopefully it helps the presentation.
And as Chuck indicated, just rotating antenna 90°, changes the polarization allowing you to use it for both sideband and FM to leverage the typical orientation of antennas on those two modes.
There's also an excellent antenna design website and if I can remember it correctly, K7MEM has a plethora of antenna information available for free. I used his site to design a few antennas I currently use including an 11 element 440 Yagi.
I made one in the 70s using ground wire. It was rigid enough to only need 2 spreaders (up and down) to hold the elements. The plans show a tuning stub at the feed point but I don’t see that in your build. Supposedly adjusting the stub is the more common tuning method vs fine adjustment of element length and spacing. Mine was 2 elements, vertical, and could key a repeater 140 miles away with 5 watts. Really! Of course the repeater was at 14,110 feet on Pikes Peak. 73, K0GWR
I am now a retired Ham Radio operator N5YTH. I have time to be more active and things are different. Twenty plus years ago I decided to make two identical cubical quad antennas. It could be something about being a identical twin. I used fiberglass pole vault pole for the mast and spreaders. My design was close to yours, only five element Quads. I used a CB Caul phase coax cable to bring both antennas together. Mounted about 16 feet off the ground and used rotor to aim. I took one leg of each element and placed a spring under the tip cap. This kept the element tight, it also allowed me to make changes to the length of the wire without cutting each spreader. Still need to get wire as close as possible. Once completed like you're, my SWR was very low across the band. The front to back ratio was very high! From Tulsa, OK I worked Wichita, Kansas and Dallas, Texas on less that 5 watts and a handy talkie. I can see where 3D printed parts, use arrows as spreaders, spring load elements for easy disassembly, a portable version would be possible. The GAIN jumps with each element. Have fun, I did and will again.
Built about a Dozen of 2 and 6 meter quads and there fantastic Make sure you use a choke , I built coaxial sleeve chokes for mine and got 280 miles across Texas in early morning with ground wave on 10 watts
I took another approach and it certainly works: I just used 4mm aluminum rods, bent them to rectangular shape with the proper dimensions and mounted all elements on a side beam (not a center beam like in this vid). This was much easier. To connect the ends of the aluminum elements I just used regular electrical connectors (used in house installations). These connectors are screwed on the plastic beam. The whole project took maybe 3 hours to complete, together with tuning.
Nice build! One question, do you have a link to the STL 3d printer files?
Gidday Chuck,
Way back in the mid 80's, I attempted one of these antennas for CB radio here in New Zealand that uses 26 MHz, it was cumbersome, hard to tune and maintain in tune and I don't think I ever got the thing to run below an SWR of about 1:1.95.
When I passed my Ham ticket in 1988, I built a Quad for 2m, using solid aluminium rod as the elements, being smaller it was a lot easier to deal with and I've used these sorts of antennas ever since, especially on 70cm.
I certainly like your ideas on fabrication with plastic parts to insulate the boom from the element mounts.
Top video, mate.
73, Mike ZL3XD.
Thanks Mike, yea I first learned about these antennas when I was into CB also. They are hard to construct and keep up in the lower bands where they get pretty big, thanks for the comment!
A two element quad for 2m was one of the first antennas I built when I was first licensed back in '87. I had it as a hand held antenna which I would stick out of the sunroof of my father's car while parked up on top of a hill. Just a year or two ago I built a 5 element quad to put in my attic. It also works on 70cm - it actually works better on 70cm!
Great update on the quad! I built mine on a 1/2” pvc pipe frame and used 3/32” bronze brazing rods for elements 27 years ago. It worked great on the satellites QRP. I painted it dark green to hide it. Thanks for sharing your great updates on my favorite 2M antenna. I look forward to using the calculator to update mine. Nice job! KS4NG
the only that scares me about painting an antenna is the pigment in the paint
Nice video and cool antenna!! Thanks for taking the time. If you have it in mind to use a cubical quad for portability seems like the next logical step would be to integrate the cubical quad with a box kite. It would end up large enough to generate enough lift to drag small coax up into the atmosphere. Box kites generate a ton of lift and with all that altitude, I bet you’d be able make some really long distance contacts.
That's a cool idea thanks!
Used to be called a Moonraker 4 (in that configuration for 11 meters). Was a hell of a beam.
Not wrong , still got mine I bought in 1988. Built my first cubical quad ( 4 element ) in 1990 for 11m then made one for 20m ( 4 element ) for a friend in 1998 which he still uses to this day. Quads rule over Yagi for gain by using a full wavelength in the driven element . Also built a quagi antenna ( 7 element ) . A 2 element cubical quad and 5 Yagi directors . Lots of fun but takes lots patience to put it up and keep it up without the winds getting rough.
Built a 6 elemant quad for 11m back in the late 70s. It was a monster.
73
I've always thought quads outperform yagis, especially receiving. Polarity of signals changes on a round planet, and the quads' design can better catch whatever polarity a signal may be arriving with. 😀
A Gem Quad for 10,15,&20 meters was my favorite back in the 80s and 90s.
A quad is basically two stacked yagis, with the elements folded over half way to join each other and feed the other "yagi". It should have better gain than a yagi.
In the late 1970s several of the local hams got a 2 element or 3 element Triband Cubex Quad. They worked really great for many years. The “life expectancy” of an HF Quad can vary from location to location and I was pretty lucky living along the Gulf Coast that it survived several storms and it was a bit “awkward” but an easy enough fix to make minor repairs or adjustments. With the introduction of carbon fiber technology and Printing Technology into the consumer marketplace a ham could make a really nice quad that could last much longer than fiberglass products. The “spider” is the most complicated part but one that can certainly be fabricated using modern computer printing technology. One benefit not often mentioned with quads is the apparent receive “advantage” from the full wave loop effect. I’m not entirely sure that it’s a real thing but in on the air experiences and discussions with other Quad users it does seem to offer an edge over a 3 ele Yagi in reception of weak signals and some possibilities of reducing atmospheric noise 🤷🏻♂️. Your experience may vary due to location and elevation, etc. Just tossing my 2¢ into the ring to foster discussion 😉😂
That is a really cool design Chuck. Since I don't have a 3D printer I will try and find some Parts to build one of these. Thanks for making this video 🤩
Nice build! I built a 4 Element Quad for 6 Meters. A fellow ham has a 3-D printer that made the nocks for the end of the spreaders that the wire rests in. The sun on hot days would melt the plastic nocks. So he made me some more and I sprayed them with clear flexseal to keep that from happening, and it has been over a year now and still surviving the wx. This is the first quad antenna I have built, and I had to redo it 3 times to make it durable enough to withstand the wind. I to used fiberglass driveway markers. I only have it 20' above ground and on a rotor. I have worked Japan & European stations for the first time ever with this antenna. I have only had wire antennas before on 6 meters and could not contact those dxcc's from my location. I also found out after I got the quad built to adjust the swr you move the reflector not the driven element. Just saying, every situation is different when it comes to home brewing. Look forward to what you do next! I just found your channel today. 73 from Northeast Missouri!
Let me congratulate you on the antenna builds on video! You teach how antennas work rather than tell Hams to go out and buy them (which is NOT what Amateur Radio is all about). Every Ham that builds their own antenna and tweaks them into resonance has learned about antennas and likely will never forget. Two things I might add - resonance and capture effect. A resonant antenna never wastes power, and the more resonant antenna elements in the air captures more signals on your chosen frequency. The more resonant metal you have in the air, the more signals you will "capture" (I said that, but repeated it because it is important in weak signal work). Buying antennas will never teach anything to you.
73 de W4FJF.
Hey there, Chuck! Another good video. Thanks for the education. I am interested in the cubical quad, just don’t have a need for it right now. I need to build my end fed and other antennas first. All the best!
Very attractive 'tinkertoy' look.
Very well done Chuck. I built one years ago but lost it in the house move. I need to build another. I still have the drill jig I made to drill the PVC boom at perfect right angles for the spreaders. 73.
P.S just noticed you have a mentioned my channel in your description. Thank you so much 😁
Thanks Colin, yea drilling the pcv straight is the hard part for sure. It did great the other night for everything but the net I got into but I think that's a location deal with the hills around me.
I’ve worked roughly 470 grids on linear satellites using this antenna. Paired with a 7 element yagi for 435mhz. 30 degree pitch. The “field of view” is amazing on these for satellite work. Yours is perfect. Maybe 1/2” boom and it’d be perfect. Great job 👏🏻
Could you please share the Tinkercad files or STL’s. I don’t see them in the description.
The front to back ratio is not very good, but the forward gain is excellent. For the boom size.
I've made 8 elements cubical quad for 2m,10-11m, and 800m
Only difference I made a different style reflector on them. It's over sized name escapes me at the moment. But its got many elements spaced on the reflector down the spreaders to create a mesh. It takes some tuning but it really makes it super directional. Gain is great, rejection of unwanted signals is unreal. I can swing the back end towards town and drop signals in the red down to 0-2
It does great in dx contests ive talked all over the world on this antenna even as low as a 1 watt carrier.
The 2m rig same as the 10-11m by basic design talks 50-70 miles radio to radio no repeater on 5 watt setting I think it is "low"
I love quads, dopple quads.
Pretty sweet antenna dude . P.S. The intro tune was awesome , I looked up his music , sub to both of you .
Interesting. I'm just getting into weak signal thus 2 meter SSB. I've M2 yagi up now and I'm thinking about adding a store bought dual cubical quad. I like what you said about gain. I'd a horizontal and a vertical feed for each band. Good job, wish I had a 3D printer
73 W9DLP
Great video, may have to give it a try i have a friend who has a printer maybe I can have him make me these parts, you should sell the parts to those who want to try to make this and dont own a printer
Worked great last night.
Excellent! I built one in the early 2000s out of wooden blocks and wooden arrowshafts, no antenna analyzer but dang it worked well! might need to build your excellent antenna! Thanks
Ham/antenna guy here...enjoyed the video. Sad...I can't (won't) wear any of my North Face gear anymore.
Great build, I built a moxon for 6 that was awesome then one for 2 and meh it was so so, gonna try this and see what I can do
I had a chance to buy a cubical quad for 27-28Mhz many years ago. I had a 2 el V-Quad on my roof at the time....the full cubical was VERY tempting, but for one issue.....at 10-11m band...it's rather big.....and my puny rotator wasn't up to the load. The custom made antenna was an absolute steal at $150, but it needed a $1500 rotator and a hefty mast to hold it up at 60 foot in the air......way beyond my budget at 17 years old.....I WISH I had that antenna now I live in a regional town not the city.....I still remember how damn good it was in use, even at it's 10 foot test height. A 2m band one seems far more managable.
BMK, I have been amazed at a few antennas that where only at 10' and how well they still worked. Thanks for the comment and watching!
Excellent design and build Chuck, thanks for sharing. It looks superb too, I must admit I really enjoy 2 metre SSB. You have a winner there buddy, again excellent Video thank you.
These are great on CB radio. The moonraker 4 has 14.5dB gain. I saw someone phase 2 together once long ago. Was a blowtorch even at the barefoot 12 watts peak AM.
That's a lot of heavy metal music, for such a light antenna! 😅😜🤘😉
Need to up the db's somehow!
It looks super fiddly, I'm not sure if I have your patience Chuck! Haha
I need that or a yagi to reach my repeaters. :)
🥰📻🔥 I love it when you show us your Antenna designs!♡ thank you sir
Great build Chuck, I would like to build one for 70cm
Nice build looking forward to a video of it in use
very cool! Thanks for sharing!
The Quad or Cubical Quad antenna is the best antenna you will ever have, period.
interesting. Thanks Chuck
Hej. Szukałem właśnie informacji na temat tej anteny. W Polsce nie jest to popularne :-( . Pozdrawiam 👍👌💪🏻 i zostawiam subskrypcję
You should build a Quagi. I believe it has more gain than a four element quad on two meters.
Iya saya pernah buat ini dan hasilnya sangat bagus... perlu kesabaran dalam matching kan
nice... are the prints up somewhere ?
Thank you for the video. But why not use the antenna for 2M SSB? You can use a vertical for FM, but what you made is most useful on SSB. Regardless, great work.
Jose, SSB is what I made the antenna for mostly and I have with good success. I choose 146.52 just as the center of the tune and it covers the whole band at 1.7:1 or less. You could easily make it for any part of the band. Thank you for the comment and watching!
Beautiful work, but in mi country, the waves we need to catch are from 1,70 m to 0,15m in length. A lot of variation. So, ... the more Yagi it is, the more channels uhf will be seen in box list. That "QUAD" antenna is hard to understand, the antenna are four? Made by four wires not electrically connected ? And also a reflector must look like a sieve (?) or a flat plate for simplicity. When a parasite bar is present, it is 0,9 of the active bar ... as the Yagi way of thinking.
Are the stl files loaded any where? i would like to make one
Nice build!
Thank you.
That's Awesome!
Can you share the files for the parts? Really interested in assembling one for portable
Hi Jim here, I like that style of antenna,do you make them for 11 meters ( SSB )
Thanks
Jim check out max gain systems they have parts and formulas for them
Great video! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. 73 Bret/AC0AE
Thanks Bret, it was a fun project.
very nice job! what's the forward gain on this?
Hey, did you ever post the STL files for the 3D print? I am printing up another project at the moment, but would like to do this next. 73 WX1TOR
What size of wire did u use?
Im frm Philippines and planning to make one for 2m band. Tnx and god bless
22 gauge I believe
@@KK6USYHamRadioAdventures can i use the inner wire of the coax RG58 or RG8?
Love the content.... but I listen to UA-cam with headphones... so the blasting guitar music is not a favorite. Maybe some different intro music??
I don't suppose you might desire to share the pl;ans for the 3d parts?
На какие частоты друг?
Of course it's the best directional antenna, you can use it from your office cubical right?!😁
HI I LIKE YOUR VIDEO I MADE AT HOME SAME ANTENNA WORK GOOD THANKS 73
Awesome! I like it when Hams make their own antennas, thanks for sharing!
Wow what camera did you use wow
That was a Sony 6100 with a Sigma 56mm 1.4 lens, Thanks for the comment
So what configuration is best for ssb , the square or the diamond configuration, i know both have to be feed at bottom but whats the difference out of both options , diamond or square ?
I found the diamond shape fed at bottom best for me but don't forget a value 1-1 , I talked 280 miles across Texas with 10 watts an a 4 element with ground wave
Tinker toys? I just remembered Tinker Toys….
Awesome!
Good cubicle antena,fool DB*my home* thanks 73 YD1EJZ
Where can we get the spares
would you have the .STL files available, VE7URL
Can one of these be made for UHF GMRS????
Sure! Just have to work out the wire lengths!
What brand and model analyzer of did you use?
Roy
WA0YMH
It's a Comet CAA-500 Mark II, I have a link above in the description.
@@KK6USYHamRadioAdventures Thank you for the reply, I had a senior moment and didn't check the description before asking.
@@yornotelppa , actually I forgot to put it in so you reminded me, thank you!
Ohhhh
I can't find the calculator.
Look in the description
73
Tinker toys for grown ups!
Your music is many magnitudes louder than your voice and F..in annoying. Significantly reduce the volume of the music. What are we doing, watching a amature radio vid or wakeing the dead? Otherwise enjoyed it.
Kctulu
Thought this was about ham raido antenna's until the head banging satanic music started to play. Stopped at 30 seconds. I've heard enough. 🙄
Hey John,
thanks for watching!
What makes music satanic?
Satan wouldn't allow me to turn it off so I had to watch the whole video. you have Animal who was possessed by satan and played heavy metal drums on your profile pic.
What's with the raucous 'music' at the start of your clip? Why do folk think this is wanted? Had to dismiss & move along.
i like that music in the beginning, bookmarked that musicvideo ☺
Jay I guess you can't please everyone thanks for the chance.
Trains are good LOL How is a 5 element, Works about the best with diminishing returns with more? KF0HRF
Yea 5 gets better but not a lot more gain , but I may add a second boom and more elements to see
На какие частоты друг?