The HEX-BEAM®, manufactured by Traffie Technology, is new approach to beam antenna design and has demonstrated remarkable performance. Antennas are available that cover 6 through 40 m in various monoband and multi-band configurations. The purpose of this Group is to discuss the technical and operational aspects of the HEX-BEAM including installation, adjustment, modeling, performance, comparisons, and operating techniques. The upper left photo shows a HX-5B with the 20-m band elements highlighted and the beam heading direction shown by the arrow. The HEX-BEAM is a two-element wire beam using a driven element (red) and a reflector (yellow). See comments user posted on eHam and the Archive for this Group. Additional information about how to install the HEX-BEAM, RF chokes, theory, photos, etc. can be found in the Group Files Photos Areas. A variety of HEX-BEAM installations are located in the Photos Section. See the details of the W4TI (SK) installation for some ideas.

Posters are requested to sign their postings with their name and call sign, e.g., Tom, KD8XYZ.

A commonly asked question is what material should be used for an RF choke. For the HF bands, the best material to use is Type 77 (or 73) ferrite beads. About 6 Amidon FB-77-1024 beads side over RG-213 and can be held in place with heat shrink. (Do not attempt to glue the beads together.) This balun should be located just below the base of the Hex-Beam, never within the elements or above it. Type 43 material is not appropriate for HF, but is the material of choice for VHF and UHF.