Philip Nyströmer wrote in
:

Hi,

I have used a Butternut HF-9VX vertical for many years. Now I am
thinking of getting a HF beam antenna. I am not into contesting.
Rather I enjoy memorable QSO's with hams that like to share thoughts
and ideas. Since I have enjoyed "local" (i.e. mostly Europe) QSO's
with my vertical, I would now like to reach as far as I can, i.e. real
DX's. I am doing CW and SSB equally much.

My interest profile leads me to optimize my beam for a warc band, on a
higher frequency, e.g. 12m or 17meters. But how common is warc out
there? If I got a 12 or 17meter mono bander, would I sit in vain to
find the QSO's I want? Would it be more safe to just optimize for 20
meters?

Given the solar cycle I guess it would be wise to optimize for
something in the "mid-range" wave lengths, like somewhere in the range
of 17-20m, to be able to DX in the solar cycle dip as well. Is it a
waist of money to get a beam for the higher frequencies, except during
the high peaks in the solar cycle?

I would appreciate if anyone could share experiences and ideas on this
matter. Also if some one could recommend a really good, high quality
beam for my interest profile.

Tnx de SM5WVN /Phil


My suggestion would be a log periodic. I have a Tennadyne, 6 el log,
http://www.tennadyne.com/ and it works very well for me. The nice part
is the ability to go anywhere on the bands with a good usable SWR and
consistent performance. If I had to do it over again, I would buy the 8
el Tennadyne as the SWR curves are a bit flatter. It’s been up for about
6 years now and has weathered ice storms and high winds with no problems.
I like the Tennadyne brand and I think they are honest about their
antennas.
73

John Passaneau, W3JXP