Making a 28 MHz vertical dipole into a beam: Does it work?

Is it worthwhile adding a parasitic element to a wire dipole to form a 2 element beam? Here I try it with a crude vertical dipole on 28 MHz.
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[@Dazzwidd]

Your parasitic and driven elements are blowing around quite a bit, especially the parasitic one, probably accounting for some variance. Especially if it's messing with the effective element spacing/coupling. I have done experiments with this using an end fed half wave antenna and a self resonant 1/2 wave element a 1/4 wave away from it. A self resonant element at this spacing provides reflector action with pretty well the best gain for a 2 element antenna (A director can provide slightly more but with a lower feed impedance). With this self resonant element and configuration the SWR didn't degrade, but even dropped. It was 1.15:1 without the element, and went down to 1:1 with the element in place. Field strength measurements indicated perhaps a 4 to 5dB increase and signals in the direction away from the element appeared to go up by around 1 S unit

[@Paul_VK3HN]

Another experiment I've always wanted to do. Suggestion, call an antenna pantry, get 5 mates around, BYO squid pole, and make a 5 element beam on the local oval. 🤓

[@vlfreak]

Thanks for another useful, practical demonstration peter 👍

[@izzzzzz6]

Great demo. Can you base or top load the inductor? Why wouldn't you just have all 3 elements and switchable on front and rear?

[@alexanderleon2465]

Good video thanks for covering every angle 😉

[@RobR386]

The CW at the beginning sounded like VK3YS

[@VK2XXL]

Great video Peter. I've done this set up on 40m with both the reflector and director .25 wavelength appart. Gain is about 6 to 7db or one S point. Complete with an amplifier its made me competitive with the big guns but I'd love to try this in the wilderness one day QRP. Knock em dead Peter. 73 from Andrew VK2XXL.

[@BoB4jjjjs]

That is quite impressive, I think it is worth it. But what do I know? On low power (I like a challenge) it might make the difference contact and nothing.

[@johnwest7993]

Set up with 3 elements it would make an unreadable QRP signal readable.

[@whitefordpipeshandmadebymi7238]

Interesting experiment! Take care! 73 de ve3hip in welland Ontario Canada 🇨🇦

[@artdodd2932]

This is a great video. Art K2ADC

[@AlanGarfield]

Gosh the 1k tone in the background is really annoying. Good video otherwise.

[@vk3ye]

That was WSPR transmitting

[@jamesk0ua]

My God, man why the horrible single tone in the background? I couldn't listen to you. Just too painful.