Does anyone think its worth it to invest in a beam antenna to extend the range of 2 meter simplex.The reason I ask is there's a group wanting to start a simplex group for emergency relay communications on 2 meters.So far I haven't been able to contact anyone in the area of the core group yet.
Sure it is. Nice thing about 2m is that you can build yourself a beam antenna quite easily. I made one out of #14 AWG bare copper ground wire and a wooden dowel—worked great, although it was a little fragile. Note use of the past tense there. If I had to do it over again, I'd use 1/4" CU tubing.
All the world’s a stage, but obviously the play is unrehearsed and everybody is ad-libbing his lines. Maybe that’s why it’s hard to tell if we’re living in a tragedy or a farce.
What's the current 2m antenna, how high is it, and will the beam be at the same height as the current antenna?
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I can think of a couple of plausible layouts involving fixed-pointed 5-7 element Yagis or quads and some method of switching between them. One pointed in each of the "major" directions you wish to cover, and gain/beamwidth factoring into the design calculations.
Are you in the center of the activity or is everyone in the group you're trying to reach clustered in one discrete area?
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Lots of simplex activity in my area, so it'd be worth it. However, I'd focus more on getting your antenna higher. With 2 meters, height is king, directionality is queen.Originally Posted by kk4fpx
I'm on a j-pole at the present.It's only 17 feet to the bottom of it.I can get it about 3 of 4 feet higher or if I don't get a beam I can put it on top of the tower which would put it at about 28 feet.
Also I'm probally 50 miles from the main group.I'm on a mountian but in a hollow.
If the mountain is between you and the group, it's going to be tough to work them, no matter what the antenna is.
Antenna height is going to more important than anything.
"People Who Don't Want Their Beliefs Laughed at Shouldn't Have Such Funny Beliefs" -AD5MB
"If someone tells you he believes in and talks to an invisible bunny named Harvey, you put him on medication and a regimen of therapy. If someone tells you he believes in and talks to God, well, that's perfectly acceptable. Why that's the case is impossible for me to fathom." - WP2XX
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It depends on the direction of the nearest club member as to if I'm blocked or not.
Build the beam. It can only help.
This is the first 2M Beam I built. I used parts scabbed from a TV antenna. AT 40 feet I could work stations 75 Miles away simplex. KA9NRT stacked 2 of them. That thing was awesome.
5elbeam1.jpg5elbeam2.jpg
"One man with courage makes a majority." ~ Andrew Jackson
Steve KA9MOT
Macomb, IL
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