On Feb 6, 4:04 am, Ian White GM3SEK wrote:
Brian Kelly wrote:
Any comments on the SpiderBeam antenna?

Seehttp://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/860

$1100 for six fiberglass poles, some wire and a center plate. No
thanks.

Wrong product - that's the HexBeam!

Trywww.spiderbeam.net

Oh bother . . Yes, I blew it Ian. TNX.

I fail to understand why anybody who knows what's up would buy a
Spiderbeam when a light-duty cubical quad would have a considerably
smaller footprint and marginally better performance. Beyond the fact
that nobody I know about is selling light-duty "expedition quality"
quads off the shelf.


There are eight different models, each covering three or more bands from
30m up to 10m, and starting from $500 for a kit. Instructions are also
freely available to build it yourself from local materials.

The Spiderbeam was originally designed as a highly portable multiband
yagi. It uses full-length interlaced elements, and the design has been
computer optimized for maximum performance within the boundaries of the
cross-braced "diamond" shape - 10 metres (33 feet) from corner to
corner. That computer design has then been translated with unusual care
into detailed practical assembly instructions.

Be aware that the Spiderbeam was originally developed as a lightweight
beam for portable operation on a push-up mast. For these applications it
really shines - many DXpeditions out of Europe have used Spiderbeams
with great success. With practice it can even be erected single-handed.

But the cord-and-wire braced construction is not suitable for every
home-station site (Spiderbeams and trees make a very bad combination)
and even the heavy-duty version may not be suitable for year-round
survival in every kind of climate. Also, the Spiderbeam needs to be
fully assembled on the ground - with is fine for the original concept of
a push-up mast, but it can cause installation problems for tower owners.

What you'll see on the *correct* Spiderbeam review page at eham.net
(http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/3688)
is the expected mixture of "5/5" reviews from people whose locations are
Spiderbeam-friendly... and lower ratings from people whose locations are
not.

[For the record, my own relationship with Spiderbeam is that I bought
one for use at a new home, but ran into zoning/planning problems about
cutting back the trees. Reluctantly I sold the beam to a DXpedition
group, where I'm sure it will do very well.]

--

73 from Ian GM3SEK 'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek

Brian w3rv