Build Amazing Cheap Professional HexBeam for £170 ($220)

[@FromthehamshackwithNJ4Z]

watched this a second time... just an amazing journey and piece of engineering by Colin. This is going to be a winter project for the YCARS Club. Brilliant stuff, you guys make a potent team!

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Yes John.. It's very cool!

[@RichardDePas]

Absolutely fantastic! Thank you gentlemen. I've been running an SP7IDX hexbeam for four years on a roof mounted tower. Great antenna but I had to just take it down due to getting a new roof installed. Seeing some items that need to be replaced and your parts list is just the ticket. 73 K9WWW

[@MM0OPXFieldRadio]

The late great Waldi made a fantastic Hexbeam. I loved the one I had of his. His passing was a great loss to the Amateur Radio community.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Great to hear!

[@BrokenSignal]

Very popular antenna for a reason, they work good. Can't wait to see this build.

[@FjHenderson]

My hexbeam I built is a permanent installation. It is at the top of the beam at 45 feet and I have made contacts around the world. You dont want your elements tight but to droop a little bit.

[@robertmeyer4744]

Great job you two ! Colin was super good work. his channel has helped me a lot with my projects. so happy to see callum working with colin . Great ideas come out. you both got that right. when stuck on a project get coffee or just sleep on it. I find work on a different thing them come back what you are stuck on. With different projects going ,As I am working on 1 ,I find a solution for the outher . Funny how fixing a car problem and help with a antenna problem . The worst thing is when stuck . and getting more stuck and trying to go forward and you go backward. I been there and done that. Just stop and let your head clear . Sometimes go on a date with my girlfriend really helps as well. Hex Beams work well . in the US we have Buddy hex portable one that works very well. 6 threw 20 meters. it is like a fanned dipole but put in the shape of a hex . The RF just goes in the right wire. and with a duplexer or triplexer of penplexer . you can have that hex beam going to more than 1 radio . just 1 band per radio. 3 or 4 stations on same hex. Fun on field day . this can be done on most multiband antennas. Many have done this with the DX commander antennas . great work from the USA ! 73

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Good advice..

[@GarenEvans]

Your lighting is great - thanks!

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Thanks for watching!

[@PrimulaCarniolica]

Nice video Callum! I like the way of thinking from Colin. From daily stuff all around us - HOW to use it for new antenna and practical solutions. Example, monoband HexLoop (cheap,effective,light,simple and spending time counts, special mobile/portable.) Stay both well & TNX to share.👍 73, S51X,Boris

[@didierpenchenat6494]

Looking for a good time to build this antenna, I would like to thank you Callum for this live that give me a lot of advice about this contruction. Thanks also to collins to share his skills. Hamradio is a very good hobby!!!

[@colinmcdonald7591]

Hexellent stuff! Colin's content always inspires me to build antennas. Looking forward to the DX commander Hex Beam being for sale in 2025 :)

[@M7BVV-Phil]

Talk about food for thought, nice work guys!

[@stephenwade8093]

Really enjoyed this video, gave me a few ideas on solutions for a few projects .

[@andye2005]

the threaded inserts mentioned, look up clinch nuts, self clinching nuts and rivet nuts. the self clinching nuts do not need a special tool, the others do. For the right angle loops, look as fishing rod rings and tips. A normal ring can be fixed with two small hosepipe clamps. RSGB Radio data reference book - my copy is very old, and the table will be in most data books of this type. Has the formulae for the Z of selection of transmission line shapes. Coaxial, is 138 log base10 D/d where D is the inside dia of the outer, and d is the outside dia of the inner. they list Square coax, wire in rectangular trough and a few others. Andy

[@MM0OPXFieldRadio]

Watch this space re centre post. I have plan in place with items on back order. Based on one of the ideas you mention there. I had already found those fishing loop things. They are pricey when you need 36!

[@genoa1979]

I love this man hexbeam fantastic antenna is my dream

[@SM3TEK-Lars]

Awesome. Thanks mates

[@VE1PS]

In the immortal words of Rumpole, "She who must be obeyed"!

[@G5STU]

Looking forward to it 👍

[@daveengstrom9250]

Just a thought on the antenna wire: Stainless steel wire (cable) used on downriggers for fishing and the metal crimps to go along to make the loops should work well. It's tough ( 80 or 150 lbs. strength) it won't rust and it should last many years. It is a bit stiff, but once it is up that should not be a problem. I am talking permanent construction. ALso: Is there a link to Colin's channel and build videos?

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Check description. That's his channel.

[@k2icc]

Just a question, if you can make a video on the design app. It is possible to use 4 yagis of the same band, and frequency at the same time, north, south, east, west? The idea is to be omnidirectional but with the gain of yagis. Thanks.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Erm. Bloody expensive. It's it's for VHF and above, instead look at a "Big Wheel" and stack a pair of them.

[@Pilgrim420]

Cool video, thanks Cal

[@2e0wmp]

Been sanding down my pole clamps and center pole clamp needed filing out,its all starting to come together now,i at to put 14mm aluminum tubes in my base plate and then my tent poles only fit if i take the ferrule of the end of the 11mm tent poles. Good work Colin Will you be building one Callum?

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Yes, eventually (after the quad) I fancy one!

[@gm1sxwraymond882]

I'll need to watch this back 2moro as I missed the start. But definitely of interest. Been investigating a 6m/4m Moxon, that might allow a nested 2m element inside?

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Slightly different. Unlikely.

[@frederiklalkens8825]

Nice information. The only point I’d like to make is that at a certain point the “yeah” began to bother me. For the rest good content. Greetings, Frederik

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Yeah

[@FromthehamshackwithNJ4Z]

awesome stuff!

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Tnx John!

[@georgejaroslavsky5148]

Why not to create a center post made of 2 parallel vertical square or round tubes with the right separation creating a 50 OHM open wireline and then a 1:1 balun?. Regards from M0LDW (LW5DX). P.S.: Will be like a double boom in a log periodic acting as a coax.

[@MM0OPXFieldRadio]

I have another centre post in the works already based on your suggestion. Watch this space.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Yes, Colin has that in the works!

[@philipchandler330]

Is there a parts list for this hexbeam?

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Oh yes!

[@mewrongwayKOCXF]

Awesome!! 👍👍👍 There you go Callum, Add a Hexbeam to your line of products!

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Some day!

[@carlosfiretablet267]

Callum, mate. Please, let the guy speak😂. Video flow is kinda wheeling down a hill on a 70s car over a potty crappy road. Hard to get there😅

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Whatever

[@TheKomunyaka]

Is hexbeam omnidirectional?

[@DXCommanderHQ]

It's like a 2-element compact multi-band Yagi

[@spitfirejme]

no, it is a beam

[@DXCommanderHQ]

@@jomckarth4836 A small Yagi is often single band.. Making a multi-band yagi is expensive. Of course, there's also the Quad!

[@Scotscan]

Aka a log periodic - vastly expensive for the average joe

[@brianfields4479]

Thanks for sharing. I have been following this project, and great praises to the maker, but I was very saddened to hear , this marvel of engineering was not given a standing ovation, as it was permanently put up in your garden because someone else with no connection to the hobby deemed it not too be. I must be extremely lucky I think, as when I got married, I told my wife what my hobby meant to me, and I would have a nice warm shack in the house, and any number of different ant outside. She of course agreed and and follows all my enjoyment in my hobby. My wife wanted a walk in wardrobe, she got it, she wanted too many shoes she got them, she wanted holidays of her choice she got them, so my one and only hobby is my rules not hers. Just saying, everyone has different circumstances I know, but let's remember our hobby helps many people through mental health and other issues in life, so don't let others take it from us. Controversial I know, but it's said from the heart, and not to be taken in a nasty way, life is too short. 73.

[@billbrown3414]

I give up: Why is this thing so popular? If you ad just two more spreaders and flip it sideways, you get a cubical quad. It would have the gain of a 3-element yagi on all bands and can easily be tuned with stubs for optimum f/b ratio. And a quad is no more unwieldy

[@yipvrc6876]

Quad Antenna

[@johanhumblet6090]

cubical quad is much heavier then this. Also, you will never get good spacing for all your bands on the cubical quad. The spreaders of the quad are vertical and you just can't make them this light weighted

[@DXCommanderHQ]

There are Pros and Cons. Yes a Quad will add an additional say 1.5-2 dB *BUT* it's twice as much of everything, twice the wire, double the weight and fully three dimensional. Further, purists will need a 6-way switch at the feedpoint. I see a Cubical 2-element quad as a future upgrade but not as a replacement.

[@ON8EI]

@@johanhumblet6090 You will get the correct spacing on an off set quad eg the Gem quad.

[@M0RMY]

It is the smallest footprint, multiple-banded, smallest turning radius beam antenna with a single coax feed for small gardens (yards) that is available. Particularly in countries where space is at a premium and can be home-made as demonstrated.

[@2e0wmp]

Got my plate drilled,tent poles centre post etc I wish Callum would of sold these in kit form.

[@Aimsport-video]

Two antenna experts pretending to have average IQ. Hilarious. You two are brilliant.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

How to think "Engineering"..

[@ve9mwbmike100]

A very motivating training video, good vibes and great questions ansd answers, Thank you and your guest for the positive video we know and appreciat the time took. Mike, ve9mwb