DIY 6 Meter Moxon Antenna: Boost Your Summer VHF Fun!

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Excellent build, Michael. Putting fun projects together like you just did, is one of my favorite parts of the hobby. Thanks for showing us how to build this antenna.

[@miket7184]

Love that up tempo style smooth jazz in your production! Thanks for this one, Michael. You got me wanting to build one. As another poster mentioned and with your response about having patience with 6 meters, I might dedicate one of my portable rigs as a 'monitor' next to my main ham shack one.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

I'm glad you enjoyed the music. It can be hard to pick something that appeals to a wide variety of viewer tastes. I've been known to turn up the volume and set the squelch on my rig so I can monitor the 6m band while I go about my day.

[@KK6USYHamRadioAdventures]

Hi Michael! This is one of my favorite antennas to make and they work so good. Thanks for the shout out and I think I will make one also, 73!

[@stefanpaul9443]

Same here - love my 10m portable Moxon!

[@jmac217x]

so few people ever mention Velocity Factor. Good stuff

[@rohnkd4hct260]

Six was always my favorite band.

[@joelaut12]

Might want to throw it up a a nearby park to see how it works before field, just a thought, great video Michael!

[@russellroberts2228]

Great backyard project. I've built a few Moxons for 2 meters and was impressed by the performance. It's time to try 6-meters, although that might be a stretch from Hawaii Island. Aloha, Russ (KH6JRM),

[@jolebole-yt]

More antenna project videos like this please!! Thanks for everything you do!

[@joe-kb9rcr]

Michael, Another great video! I've been interested in building a moxon antenna for a couple of years now. And now I have access to a 3-D printer at my public library. I had a couple of W6NBC's ugly balun coil forms printed out. Now, i think I'll be downloading your moxon parts very soon to get them printed out. This may be my next antenna project I'll be building in my backyard in the next few weeks. Just not in my boxers. Lol

[@r_kuhl]

You have some nice trees. You could bypass the painters pole for some paracord and a throw bag and gain some elevation.

[@Aramalas]

I am absolutely going to build one of these...might experiment and make a multiband version for POTA use. Also, I really enjoyed the music. Way more entertaining than the usual royalty free fare found on KZbin.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Chuck, KK6USY, has experimented with a dual band Moxon on his channel, you might want to check that out. I've given up on the KZbin music a long time ago and get my royalty free music from Soundstripe.

[@Aramalas]

@@KB9VBRAntennas I'll have to take a look. I was considering something a bit overambitious. 20/17/15/10m. Could it fail horribly? Yes! Will I learn something? Probably!

[@KF0NNQ]

I appreciate you demonstrating your thought and build process. I'm saving this in my arsenal and tool chest of knowledge. Thank you and 73, KF0NNQ.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Thanks, I'm not expecting everyone that watches the video build the antenna, but at least you walk away with some ideas or tips for a future project.

[@KS0JD]

Nice build! An idea off putting a 3-d printed cap on the end of each spreader to rub the wire through. Just an idea. 73

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Capping the ends of the spreaders would be an option and certainly dress up the antenna build.

[@WG5Xradio]

I found a file on thingiverse for an adjustable arrow nock that I think would work. I haven't tried to adjust dimensions yet but the author included a step file so it shouldn't be too hard.

[@allencampbell3726]

Nice build. You're suspicion that "something" is interacting with the antenna is a certainty. The most apparent something is that big coated steel picnic table (TreeTop Products model 1JH1000) that's easily within the near field of 6 meters. So any resonance measurement is not meaningful because that bench is effectively a part of the antenna.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Yes, either the picnic table or my house and garage, which are both covered with metal siding. Since you referenced the picnic table, it's a Wausau Tile MF1020. I won it at a chamber of commerce raffle about 20 years ago. wausautile.com/Products/Square-Modular-4Bench-Table-MF1020.cfm

[@KN4VA]

Perfect timing. I have been looking to make one of these. No 3D printer, but I'll figure out something for the hub. Locally 6m is pretty active with some local nets, so I am hoping soon to be able to participate. 73

[@WG5Xradio]

If you can't figure something out, I will print it and send it to you for the cost of postage. I was also in the USAF in the early 80's. Spent whole enlistment at Barksdale. My email is good on the zed. 73

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Check out the links in the description for my 15 meter Moxon build I did last year. The original plans I based that antenna on used a hub made out of wood.

[@KN4VA]

@@WG5Xradio Thank you. I have sent you an email via your QRZ email. It might end up in your spam folder, if you don't see it.

[@flightstatic4662]

perfect timing, i was just looking into building one of these!

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

The ARRL VHF contest is this weekend. Better get crackin'

[@W7LDT]

The hub is being printed. It’s been going for 5 hours and has a looooong way to go.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

It takes my printer over 20 hours to print the hub.

[@WG5Xradio]

@@KB9VBRAntennas Bambu X1C took 10 hours, and that counts the filament change to put my call sign on it. I'm gonna send you a picture.

[@fredhulesii1435]

Michael, how did you calculate the length of the spreader rods?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Geometry. If you look at the Moxon rectangle, the spreaders make a a right triangle. If you take half the length and half the width from the antenna formula, you can then plug the numbers into a right triangle calculator and get the length of the hypotenuse, which is the same as the spreader bar. (Or, the square root of side A squared + side B squared)

[@fredhulesii1435]

@KB9VBRAntennas Thank you, Michael! You triggered my memory from high school geometry class. I long since forgot how to calculate the unknown length of a triangle.

[@trcwm]

Does it work ok? You will probably need a balun too as it’s a symmetrical antenna, like a dipole, to get the desired radiation pattern.

[@m9ovich785]

I might just "Pop" in to the Field Day site this year. I have not seen anything about Field Day Yet ? Can you just use a Butt connector at the end of the Trimmer line to wire connection ? and just a Piece of No.12 solid Copper from the SO 239 center pin to the Lug, No crimp connector necessary Thanks Mike M..

[@scouterdonn3110]

Thank you! I am excited to build my first antenna. A few questions I have. In interest of having the weight of the SO239 connector could you use the smaller SMA connector to a 24" coax pigtail to the shaft and then have a SO239 at the pole? Or what about just soldering the coax in place of the SO239 connector and making a pigtail to the antenna shaft with the SO239 connector there? Again newbie asking questions. I did 6m on Field Day and was giddy like a school kid making contacts hundreds of miles away, being a tech class I am limited. Thanks!

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

You don't have to have a connector at the feedpoint. You can make a coax pigrtail and solder it to the ends of the wire, or use a lighter connector. Either method will work well.

[@joelaut12]

Michael, can you rotate the antenna and use it vertically polarized without issue?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Yes you can. Moxons work great either horizontally or vertically polarized.

[@wildbill1]

Great video

[@natep121]

Could that generator program also be used to scale one down to 2m or even 70cm?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Yep, it will generate element lengths for about any frequency. I used the same program last year for my 15 meter Moxon.

[@stephenwade8093]

How did you work out the angles for each arm? this is where I went wrong on my build.is it 30 and 60 degrees.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

You'd assume that the spreaders should be spaced at a 30 degree angle, but that is too wide according to the dimensions of the antenna elements. So I fed the numbers into a right angle triangle calculator and found that the ideal angle is about 20 degrees. That's the angle I used in my hub.

[@jeromeGrzelak]

Ibuilt one for 2 and 70 cm the work great kg6mn

[@Philip-KA4KOE]

I've yet to hear 6m activity. Probably just bad luck.

[@nealbeach4947]

Don't be afraid to call CQ on 50.125. If everyone is listening then nobody is talking.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

I’ve found that 6 meters takes a lot of patience and listening. Sometimes I’ll crank the volume and turn up the squelch on the rig. Then I can hear when the band opens. Calling CQ doesn’t hurt either.

[@Hero1395]

Terrible band...I have a 6m beam that is a total waste of tower space