‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM MARCH 2015 QST  PAGE 54 ‰
THESE DOWN, IF DESIRED, ONCE ANY FINAL TUNING ADJUSTMENTS ARE PERFORMED.
EACH ELEMENT SECTION IS MARKED WITH A LETTER A OR B.  THE A AND B SIDES ARE
EXACTLY THE SAME LENGTH, BUT THE HOLES FOR RIVETS DIDNT ALWAYS LINE UP IF I
FAILED TO OBSERVE THE A AND B MARKINGS.  FOR THE MOST PART, THE ANTENNA
WENT TOGETHER EASILY.  I STARTED BY ASSEMBLING THE BOOM AND SETTING IT ON
SAWHORSES WITH THE ELEMENTS ON THE TOP SIDE FOR EASY ACCESS.  THE XR6
MOUNTS TO THE MAST WITH ELEMENTS DOWN, B

XR6 INCORPORATES 11 FULL SIZE ELEMENTS ON A 12 FOOT BOOM AND USES A SINGLE
FEED LINE.  IT OPERATES AS A MONOBAND TWO ELEMENT YAGI ON EACH BAND.  THE
20, 17, AND 15 METER YAGIS USE A DRIVEN ELEMENT AND REFLECTOR, WHILE THE 10
AND 6 METER YAGIS USE A DRIVEN ELEMENT AND DIRECTOR.  THERE IS A 12 METER
DRIVEN ELEMENT, BUT THAT ANTENNA USES THE 15 AND 10 METER ELEMENTS FOR
DIRECTIVITY RATHER THAN ITS OWN REFLECTOR OR DIRECTOR.  THATS A LOT OF
ELEMENTS ON SUCH A SHORT BOOM.  TO MAKE THE SPACING WORK OUT, THE 10 METER
DRIVEN ELEMENT IS MOUNTED ON STANDOFFS DIRECTLY BELOW THE 20 METER DRIVEN
ELEMENT, AND THE 12 METER DRIVEN ELEMENT IS MOUNTED ON STANDOFFS AS WELL.
THE DESIGN GOAL WAS TO HOLD PATTERN, SWR, AND GAIN PERFORMANCE OVER A WIDE
BANDWIDTH WHILE KEEPING THE OVERALL ANTENNA COMPACT.  THE XR6 BOOM IS 2
INCHES OD WITH A 1/8 INCH WALL, AND NO SUPPORT TRUSS IS REQUIRED.  ELEMENTS
ARE MADE FROM HIGH STRENGTH ALUMINUM TUBING, AND ELEMENT JOINTS ARE SECURED
WITH RIVETS.  ALL ELEMENTS ARE INSULATED FROM THEIR MOUNTING BRACKETS AND
FROM THE BOOM USING RUGGED STAUFF CLAMP INSULATORS.  THE FEED SYSTEM
CONSISTS OF A PARALLEL CONDUCTOR TRANSMISSION LINE MADE FROM SQUARE

FORCE 12 XR6 20 6 METER YAGI ANTENNA  THIS COMPACT YAGI PACKS A PUNCH ON
SIX BANDS WITH ONE FEED LINE.  IN 2013, I CLEARED SOME TREES AND INSTALLED
AN INNOVANTENNAS DESPOLE ROTARY DIPOLE FOR 20, 15, AND 10 METERS ON A
DECOMMISSIONED UTILITY POLE IN MY WOODS.  THAT ANTENNA WORKED FINE, AND I
MADE THOUSANDS OF CONTACTS WITH IT.  LAST APRIL, I INSTALLED INVERTED V
ANTENNAS FOR 12 AND 17 METERS IN PREPARATION FOR OPERATING AS W1AW/1 DURING
NEW HAMPSHIRE WEEK.  AGAIN, THOSE ANTENNAS SERVED ME WELL, BUT AFTER WHILE
I WAS HUNGRY FOR MORE.  THE FORCE 12 XR SERIES OF MULTIBAND YAGI ANTENNAS
CAUGHT MY EYE.  ALTHOUGH THE XR MODEL DESIGNATOR HAS BEEN IN THE FORCE 12
LINEUP FOR YEARS, THE CURRENT ANTENNAS HAVE UNDERGONE A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL
AND MECHANICAL REDESIGN.  IN 2013, FORCE 12 WAS ACQUIRED BY THE GROUP THAT
BRINGS US INNOVANTENNAS.  THE NEW DESIGN WAS DEVELOPED BY INNOVANTENNAS,
LTD FOUNDER JUSTIN JOHNSON, G0KSC.  THE LINEUP INCLUDES SEVERAL MODELS
RANGING FROM THE XR3 FOR 20, 15, AND 10 METERS TO THE XR6 FOR 20, 17, 15,
12, 10, AND 6 METERS.  I PICKED THE XR6 BECAUSE I ENJOY OPERATING ON ALL OF
THOSE BANDS.  I WOULD BE ABLE TO MOUNT IT ON MY UTILITY POLE USING THE SAME
BRACKETS, MAST, AND TAILTWISTER ROTATOR I HAD USED FOR THE DESPOLE, AND I
COULD MAKE ROOM TO TURN IT AFTER CLEARING A COUPLE MORE OF THOSE PESKY
TREES TO ACCOMMODATE THE ANTENNAS 19R7 FOOT TURNING RADIUS.  OVERVIEW THE
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ