Overdoing the Octopus Antenna (

[@3v068]

Well Dave, Thanks to your guidance, I'm building my first antenna. Hopefully I can get the radials cut to the proper lengths. Thanks for all the helpful information.

[@norrinradd8952]

I think Dave is spot on by horizontally separating them on two masts. It would be interesting to see some meter readings taken with them stacked vs separated as he suggested. An alternative: both Butternut and Cushcraft make a 9 band vertical. Personally, I'd purchase an antenna from M0MCX.

[@giffjim55]

I have an MFJ Octopus antenna and never did get it tuned on 20 or 40. I used the MFJ 259 tuner and just never achieved an acceptable SWR. I believe I adjusted those stingers until my fingers were raw. That antenna and ham sticks are now piled against a wall in my garage. It may just be my situation. Thanks for all your great information, Dave!

[@garyjones630]

same thing here. should have spent a little more and put up the mfj 1838 , for verry little more money.

[@clems6989]

Pretty cool idea, I have a rotatable dipole made from two hamsticks. I use for portable ops etc and it is surprising how well it can work. Having multiple bands would be great for field day...

[@allenmiddendorff2068]

Thank you!

[@gary6212]

The deer animation is cracking me up.

[@wramsey2656]

Dave that was one strategic deer, he must have scoped your antenna farm out beforehand! We have a lot of them where i live and they can be nuts! Great video on the antennas. Thx! K4WSR

[@TheREALJosephTurner]

I considered the Octopus, but a couple of things had me doubting it: First, some of the bands are just too big for one dipole to be efficient covering the whole thing. I've not seen anything mentioned about running two of the dipole pairs on the same band, but each tuned for a portion of the band in question. Second, you would have multiple bands all at the same height, which itself is a compromise. And third, it would seem like a nightmare to rotate this thing if you were interested in rotation. Seems to me that if you really wanted to run Hamstick dipoles, it would make a lot more sense to mount multiple MFJ-347's (say, 3 or 4) to a single mast, with each band closer to the height that works best for them. Yeah, you lose the single coax feed unless you go with a remote antenna switch, but it seems like the varying heights would be less of a compromise- and less of a headache figuring out which band is rotated to which direction.

[@W9HJBill]

Thanks for the video Dave, great suggestion and explanation. I figured it would be a little overly complex, but I love tinkering with antennas, but in order to try this it would be a lot of ham sticks so I'd figure I'd ask for some basic guidance. 73

[@kirkgoins7214]

First Thanks for the many videos. I have the non-MFJ version of the Spider with just a pair of 20m and 40m sticks. I can get a reasonable SWR using ny LDG YT-1200 Autotuner. IT's not perfect but usable. See Below I used the FT8 Freq and the Middle of the phone band for Generals as the Freqs 80m 3.573MHz < 1.0 3.9MHz 1.3 40m 7.074MHz 1.3 7.2375MHz 1.2 30m 10.168MHz 1.2 10.125MHz 1.3 20m 14.074MHz

[@kelvin0mql]

My inverted V covers 80 thru 6. If I had a full acre sized lot, it could go to 160 (I plan to experiment with end loading to get down there). A bit expensive, likely more than a fully populated octopus… but it’s pretty awesome to be able to get it resonant at any freq, no tuner, one feed line.

[@bentrider1972]

Make a inverted V folded 160-6 dipole..Works for me to get down to 160 when I want to and takes half the room..All you need is a dipole and some spacers to keep the wire apart..Yaesu and Icom both make one for 160-10 and a few otherrs make them as well..Take up about 80-90 feet for one made right..

[@kelvin0mql]

@@bentrider1972 Well I'm not giving up the feature of being resonant on any freq without a tuner. But on the rare occasions I'd want to get down to 160m, walking out and clipping *something* to each end of the legs is what I'm after. And that something might go outward, might fold back inward, might go sideways... it is as yet undetermined. Thanks for the suggestion - definitely looking that up for ideas.

[@timg5tm941]

Can you get 15m on a 40m Hamstick? I know you can from a dipole but I thought hamsticks were mono banders?

[@david_W5QDF]

Wonder if you could put reflectors under each whip to extend range?

[@SteveWaterhouse]

Why not use several 2 stick mounts and mount them on the same pole but above each other so they are all parallel. that would look more like the fan antenna.

[@kingduckford]

I've enjoyed fiddling with my 75 meter Hamstick. Little bit of work to tune, but I've got on the ND net with it, and I was surprised by the badnwith, ~50 KHz

[@521cjb]

Universal antenna ? Discone. Wow, an 80 meter discone would be a genuine monster !

[@f.allenrisler5303]

IMO, a Comet CHA-250B would be a better option than doing or overdoing an Octopus antenna.

[@erpece]

I love my cobweb - too bad yours was destroyed, hope you will find a way to get it up again.

[@Andy2e0ree]

Cobweb

[@gregsmith1116]

Thank you, Dave! Good advice. De K5GTE

[@lyfandeth]

Dave, isn't it illegal to trap deer with a snare, regardless of season, in Utah? (G)

[@happyhome41]

I JUST received email from Josh Miller that the SPIDER was discontinued several years ago, and the QUAD ONE has ceased, and neither will be returning.

[@davecasler]

Try Buddipole and MFJ.

[@happyhome41]

@@davecasler Your other video said that the quality of the MFJ ("Makers of Fine Junk") was substandard and as a result, crossed off my list. Have instead turned to another of your recommendations, the family of DX Commander verticals.

[@happyhome41]

@@davecasler Another update. Chameleon contacted me, and said for the remaining QUAD ONEs, they are out of brackets, and offered me a $10 discount, which I accepted on condition they would supply the drawing for the bracket, and attempt to make my own.

[@davecasler]

@@happyhome41 Thanks for the update! 73, Dave, KEØOG

[@kellypaws]

Except it will probably be outperformed hugely by a vertical 10m wire, driven by a 9:1 transformer.

[@936712a]

is that the same as a spider beam?

[@kelvin0mql]

No. The spider beam is directional, whereas the octo is a nearly omnidirectional dipole.

[@erpece]

@@kelvin0mql Is it? I would reckon it is directional, like any horizontal dipole.

[@kelvin0mql]

@@erpece Horizontal dipoles are NEARLY omnidirectional, in that they have a bit of (but not complete) null off the ends. And there's no front-to-back difference like a beam has.

[@davep6977]

I've got up a MFJ-1785 rotatable di-pole, but it's 38 feet tip to tip. Sure you can get a much smaller antenna for 40 and 80. It's called a dummy load. Just because you have low swr, doesn't mean it's radiating. You need surface area to get those electrons into the air. Dave's right, and tuning 80 is a b*tch. On a good day I'm lucky to get 30kc. I switch over the G5RV inverted "V" W9DLP

[@mnoxman]

It looks like a HF discone antenna.

[@chrisreich40]

Dave, if you're going to continue to have the camera looking *up* at you, or if you feel it necessary to rear your head to the camera, would you *please* do us the courtesy of trimming your nostril hairs, or getting them trimmed? Gross!

[@charlieeverhart6646]

Chris if you are going to leave comments on a video that someone has taken time out of their day to help people learn about a hobby, would you please do us the courtesy and not comment or at least be less rude

[@chrisreich40]

@@charlieeverhart6646 This gentleman has nearly 100K subscribers and his physical presence in the camera can be distracting to the content. I cannot possibly be the only one who notices. Presenters should all be mindful of their presentation to their audience

[@glenmartin2437]

Thank you. N0QFT