This spring sees a big change at my home QTH, as I will be installing mini beam. Up until this weekend I had my heart set on a MA5B. All was well, but a few days ago I discovered the TGM MQ26-SR. a hybrid quad, which on the face of it seems pretty good. It has some amazing gain values and all from a small package. The crucial question is this - Which one to install? I’ve added the specs to each antenna below and a link to their respective web sites. i think i know which one i will be going for. but it makes for interesting reading
Details for each of the antennas are taken from their respective websites:
| MA5B | MQ-26SR | |
| Bands | 10m, 12m, 15, 17m, 20m | 6m, 10m,12m,15m,17m,20m |
| Gain 6m | --- | 6.0dBd |
| Gain 10m | 5.3dBi | 6.0dbd |
| Gain 12m | 1.0 dBi | 5.8dbd |
| Gain 15m | 4.8 dBi | 5.8dbd |
| Gain 17m | 1.0 dBi | 5.4dbd |
| Gain 20m | 3.6 dBi | 5.0dbd |
| Power Rating | 1200w | 1200w |
| Front to Back | 10 to 22 dB | 12 to 20dBd |
| Front to side Ratio | --- | -20dB |
Mechanical Specifications
| MA5B | MQ-26SR | |
| Element Legnth | 17.1' | 11' 9" |
| Boom Legnth | 7.3' | 4 1/2 " |
| Turning Radius | 8.8' | 6" 8' |
| Height | 2" | 4' |
| Wight | 26.5 lbs | 23lbs |
| Wind Survival | ? | 75MPH |
Get the MQ-26SR or even better the MQ-36SR
ReplyDeleteOn second thoughts, after putting up the thee element version today it's huge! if a compact size is important I guess the two element would be more sensible....
ReplyDeleteHi John, my thoughts were if I get the 2 element I can always upgrade. Also the position this mast/ antenna will be against the house, so it will need a fair stand off I suppose. How did you find construction and tuning?
ReplyDeleteThanks
Dan
I just bought mine second hand, £150 but only the MQ-34SR. It's already been fine tuned by the last owner so I'm hoping it will work as I don't intend taking it back down! It's fixed to the wall by a pair of stand off brackets. The hard bit was attaching the antenna to the pole without bending the rods on the top hats, then getting from horizontal to raised. Two us us did it this afternoon but we really needed three as it was a real struggle. It's much bigger than I expected and moved around a lot in the wind...I'll be terrified next gale!! I think they're pre tuned new to the speech part of each band, so should be fairly easy. Haven't connected mine yet, too knackered today (have to route the coax around the attic)but will give it a blast tomorrow and let you know how it fairs against my reference G5RV. Cheers, John M6VAT
ReplyDeleteAntenna's amazing. From hearing nothing on the GR5V to 9+ on the beam both directions. Spent all afternoon contesting and getting a reply on the first call. Looking forward to working some real DX! I don't think you'll be disappointed if and when you get one.
ReplyDelete