I have a new MEGA Antenna for 6 Meters! 50 MHz Ham Radio

It's always been a goal of mine to work the USA on the 6 meter band. With Solar Cycle 25 on the rise, chances are becoming more and more frequent. A yagi is essential to working the long haul DX on 6!
YU7EF Yagis:
www.yu7ef.com/
MMANA Antenna Modelling software (free):
gal-ana.de/basicmm/download/do...
gal-ana.de/basicmm/en/#18
🎥 Watch more recent videos here: / hamradiodx
⏱️Chapters⏱️
0:00 I have a new antenna!
1:32 The 5 Element YU7EF Yagi Antenna
3:25 VERY long distance stations heard!
5:05 Modelling the antenna in MMANA
11:01 Other Antenna articles on hamradiodx.net
12:32 Yoshi!
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► Ham Mail: Hayden Honeywood - P.O Box 5071, Sandy Bay Tasmania 7005 Australia
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[@dougtaylor7724]

How funny. I was thinking today about building a clone of the 5 element M2 five element yagi for 6 meters for FT8. And now this video pops up.

[@HamRadioDX]

KZbin doing it's thing! These antennas are incredibly easy to build and pretty robust too! Check out yu7ef.com/

[@MadScotsmanNZ]

Just came across your channel as I have just set up a 6M rotatable dipole and I just spotted my callsign in your video. I am using a ic7300 with 100W de ZL4SY thanks for the QSO and the video

[@HamRadioDX]

Thanks Norman, yes I think I worked you the other day on FT8 👍

[@paulstubbs7678]

I like those clamps, never hear of them before, all the beams I've seen run the elements through holes in the boom, then using screws for temporary, or rivets for permanent builds.

[@mikeZL3XD7029]

Hi Hayden, Thanks for the mention of MMANA, I've been looking for something like this for modelling some Yagi antennas that I'm looking to fabricate. Cheers, Mike ZL3XD

[@HamRadioDX]

Good luck, hope to see you on 6m soon Mike!

[@mbedsor]

I've been playing around with SDR lately and the last few nights have been amazing on 20m. Been picking up signals from all over Australia, New Zealand and even northern Japan

[@HamRadioDX]

Wow! Nice!

[@DonzLockz]

Very interesting, cool program to custom build to suit your needs.👍

[@markn1mmo510]

I used a 5 element 6 meter antenna during field day for few years. It worked great.

[@HamRadioDX]

Good stuff! How many contacts did you make off it?

[@markn1mmo510]

@@HamRadioDX this was durinng the mid to late 90s. Probably made 100+ contacts, it was a part time station with only 2 people running it

[@wushock92]

Oh wow! I actually understood the MMANA portion. I must be learning something.

[@HamRadioDX]

Haha thanks Phil!

[@FrozenDoberman]

During the last 7 days I have decoded 50.313 MHz FT8 from Kuwait, China, Japan, Texas, USA, New Zealand, Bonaire, Mexico, Fiji, New Caledonia, Guatemala, and Costa Rica using a simple horizontal polarised 4 metre length 'open' dipole at 3.7 metres above ground. The hand-rotatable mast is attached to a backyard metal fence post. Because the JTDX software is so sensitive, a low gain antenna like a wideband dipole can be used to decode many overseas countries from my home VK2 QTH. The dipole is wideband from ~ 20 to 60 MHz. I am a SWL that also monitors military, meteor radars, and two-ways from overseas on 20 to 60 MHz. A PGA-103+ 0.6 dB noise figure LNA is used indoors next to a Icom R8500 communications receiver.

[@HamRadioDX]

That’s awesome 👍

[@mikeb2459]

I’ve mostly been working MSK144 with my 4-el 6m Yagi but I cranked it around to your heading and will be listening on FT8. Snowballs chance but I gotta try.

[@garys.7846]

6 meters used to be a lot of fun on ssb and cw. Most have now migrated to FT8 which I find very impersonal with computer talking to computer.

[@markkennard861]

True but long Dx via ssb is still hit and miss. Its ft8 or nothing in most cases. Think of it as a waffle stopper :)

[@aeron-mw7ofs]

Great stuff, im yet to hear anything on 6m here . But I've bought a new 6m antenna ready for when I get a radio upgrade 👍

[@HamRadioDX]

Sweeeet!

[@godzilla6765]

Looks like the 6mtr 'bug' has bitten you :) 6mtrs is a fascinating band and can be very surprising sometimes but be prepared to put in the hours Hayden. Before you know it, you will be upgrading antenna / cable over and over and over in search of more openings. Yep, that's what i have been doing for around 32 years. Cheers and don't forget you can use PSKR for reverse spotting as well (prop testing). Gary VK8AW / VK4ABW

[@HamRadioDX]

Well and truly! I think the 6m bug bit me a few years ago. I love it! Thanks mate 👍

[@lyledal]

Yoshi! I had no choice but to like the vid. 😂

[@HamRadioDX]

Haha thanks Lionel 👍

[@vicmiller7191]

That looks like a nice little project antenna. And yes when I get a psk report that you are on the air I try to get you from Florida on FT8. Thanks for the video... 73 Vic KE8JWE

[@HamRadioDX]

Thanks Vic. Look forward to a QSO

[@TomR459]

im glad you included JA7YSH in the video

[@HamRadioDX]

I did? I'll have to go back and have a look!

[@TomR459]

@@HamRadioDX yeah yoshi ja7ysh

[@darrelldundee7198]

now that i have a 6-meter amplifier i will be ready for some serious dx as soon as i can find a antenna to handle 1500 watts this summer

[@meggalavk3ktt]

good video Hayden i have built the 3 ,4,5 and 7 element yu7ef antennas i found the 7 element @ 8.9 m long another world on 6m furthest qso was lu2xp in souther argentina on jt65. the 3 elements good for vk/zl 4 and 5 element great for vk zl pacific and asia ja ,hl, bv, by kh2 etc. height above ground makes a huge difference.

[@HamRadioDX]

thanks Steve, yeah I really need to get my antenna up a little higher if I can!

[@OzzieKev]

Got you yesterday from Sydney on my half wave vertical. Not much space due to the back yard pool and a wife who doesn't want antennas visible from the street...

[@HamRadioDX]

Great stuff Kenny! Conditions were good yesterday. Stealth antennas - that might be a good video to do! 73 cheers mate

[@SevenFortyOne]

I have a 5 element Yagi for 6 meters up about 6 meters off the ground. The furthest I've been able to work so far from my QTH in Connecticut is the Canary Islands on SSB using 100W - about 3,000mi. I've not tried FT8 on 6 meters but your video gives me inspiration to give it a go.

[@HamRadioDX]

Thanks Rob! That would’ve been a pretty cool contact to over there. I think the furthest I’ve heard (but not worked yet) is Texas

[@marvs4321]

I wonder if you’ve done an terrain analysis of your QTH using HFTA? Although it’s for the HF bands you could get an idea of the necessary vertical takeoff angle that you would need to reach the U.S. and other parts of the world. This would tell you the best height to place your antennas at.

[@HamRadioDX]

I haven’t done that, I’m kind of limited here by how high and where I can put my antennas

[@ellisc.foleyjr9778]

They don't call it the Magic Band for nothing. if the conditions are there , almost any antenna no matter how big will do the job. I have worked from upper New York along side the Mass state line. to southern Peru. and I worked a guy mobile to boot. he was running a 100w rig. and I had a 7 el yagi at abt 30ft. and 50w at the time from my Old Kenwood TS 690S. so lot of power, and huge antennas no needed if the prop is there have also herd and worked HI and AK. worked many EU stations Canary Islands etc So pray to the Gods or RF they give us some gud old fashioin rare 6m openings, like there have been in the past. 73 gud dx de Ellis WA1RKS

[@n2slo513]

nice vid.. If I heard you correctly, the coax was RG58? The minimum I would use is LMR 400 type, especially for any amplifier work... Loss on that cable you can look it up... good luck

[@HamRadioDX]

Short piece of RG-58 into RG-213 over a short run. 10m at 50 MHz is about 1dB of loss. LMR-400 is much better cable, but it's solid core makes it not as flexible.

[@n2slo513]

@@HamRadioDX not worried about loss on that short run for the boom, but if you throw any power through that like I do at 500 or 1KW that RG 58 will fry up. Good luck

[@MichiganPeatMoss]

Shame that my browser doesn't like those non-secure MMANA links but looking forward to learning more about 6 meters and antenna design software.

[@HamRadioDX]

Really? that's weird I don't get those errors in Chrome

[@Siskiyous6]

Try another browser, I run 4 different browsers on my system.

[@JosephVE3GKT]

Great video Hayden! Just wanted to mention one thing, it came across a little unclear. The material selection is for the elements and boom (if the boom was modeled), not the mast. You can add a mast as another element if you're at all interested in the effects of it. It's my 2am brain watching this so if that's all in my head, and that's not what you meant, I apologize. 73 de VE3GKT

[@HamRadioDX]

Hi Joseph, yes I noticed that error when I watched today on the premiere, I missed it until now. It's good to model the mast/coax or other nearby things for currents etc. Thanks for watching!

[@trevorstudent4625]

Where can you buy Thai elements like this?

[@aussiedazvk4djh889]

G'day Hayden. I have 6 on 6m the unfortunate part it is stowed away on the shed roof at the moment until the house has sold. 😥

[@HamRadioDX]

Yeah I hate antennas that are on the ground too Daz! Hope you get a sale soon mate 👍

[@eliekadi_OD5KU_KU5OD]

Hello, Better put an LMR400 at this Frequency, Got a 4elts stepper with 2 parasitic elts on 6m and worked US ON ft8 and SSB, vy73 OD5KU

[@DonDegidio]

Hi Hayden, Looking at the yagi's radiator position from the picture, it appears to be spaced about 1/3rd from the director to the reflector. In MMANA it looks to be closer to the director. Am I seeing a visual illusion? Stay safe. 73 WJ3U

[@HaydenHoneywood]

Good eye Don! The model is slightly different in MMANA than the built version. The model in MMANA has a slightly shorter boom. The gains are almost identical though.

[@Siskiyous6]

I am about to put up a 6 Meter antenna I built myself. Living here on the Pacific Coast I would be thrilled if we made contact!

[@HamRadioDX]

100% I'd be up for that!

[@Batt21]

Frequenza che non c'è mai nessuno bel video iu5aqj operatore livio 73

[@HamRadioDX]

Qui è abbastanza popolare. 73

[@pieterdutoit9642]

I had a M2 5 element for contesting Portable very very good some year a go now use 4 element MOXON small an compact ( real 6m Hams do SSB not this F!!!!! 8 stuff) would like 10 elmement M2, ZL1PDT

[@joseng6259]

Can you write down the name of the clamps. So I can search it. Thanks.

[@HamRadioDX]

Pirtek - Australian company. They would have other similar products worldwide. www.pirtek.com.au/products/productcategory/hydraulic/tube-clamps

[@KN4YEM]

Hello I want to know could you DX on SSB into U.S on 100watts? With that beam?

[@HamRadioDX]

In the peak of a solar cycle, yes it should be possible

[@JayN4GO]

6m would be nice if people used voice and Cw.

[@tracysroberts]

Ok, thumbs up for Yoshi. Just this once though, you shouldn't exploit his cuteness power for personal gain unless you have the red cap and moustache. Which of the 4 FT8 frequencies are you using? VK3TTT

[@HamRadioDX]

50.313, which I think is the international standard for WSPR in WSJT-X. Haha on Yoshi

[@tracysroberts]

@@HamRadioDX That did it. Had a couple of VK4 FT8 contacts this evening. Not too bad for an EFRW which bends its way around the house.

[@TimonSuricata]

There is cb'ers on 50mhz? sweet let me fire up my kenwood ts-680 with my 1kw amp!!

[@paulhastings3109]

Like you're content. You alot young than I, it's great to the young people to get a license. A radio for base is the way to go. HT's have their place. I just don't like it for newbe. Because it will not be your first radio KQ4CD Paul ⚓️

[@moozoowizard]

"I've only got 100W", sigh, in Australia the most you can do legally for FT8 is 120W. 400W is only for SSB speech J3E.

[@HamRadioDX]

Those extra 20W could make all the difference… at least until ACMA allow experimental high power

[@moozoowizard]

@@HamRadioDX with an IC-7300 set for 100w (pep) and "digital Mod %" of 30% then I think your only using 30W. But I don't have an IC-7300. So I don't know how much you can up that % before the ALC kicks in or it overheats.

[@kevinkc3onohelijeepworld953]

Send my buddy KA2FOP John a email he got a nice station on 6m ant has a 30’ boom, good height and a decent radio and a sb220 mono banded for 6m normally he’s monitoring 50.130 don’t think he does digital but voice he’s also plays on 40m in the am. He has a rig in the shop so he can meet up at any time. Tell him Kevin sent ya

[@okhamradio]

In my country 6 meter band is forbidden for ham

[@HamRadioDX]

Really? What country mate?

[@okhamradio]

@@HamRadioDX I’m from Russia

[@user-je7ly4we4b]

Bad antenna/ Bad calculation: jX, R active, SWR - very poor! You need work with program!

[@HamRadioDX]

Very poor hey? A SWR of 1:5:1 is 4% loss of power.... the antenna measures 1:2:1...not sure what more you expect?

[@teddean7763]

Hi admin I believe is your name what is your call sign ? I typed this call sign Yu7ef it doesn't look like you nor does the name match ....