Earlier I wrote about my new 6 meter amplifier and power supply. Now it’s a new 6 meter Yagi. My goal is to use these in the home ham shack and for a few 6 meter grid activations as well as the CQ WW VHF contest as a rover.
DSEJX5-50 5-element Yagi
In selecting the Directive Systems Yagi, I built the usual spreadsheet with all the various options. Chiefly I needed a short boom for rover operation and the backyard. I also needed to transport it between grids and assemble it at each grid. This looked like the best option.
It has a twelve-foot boom that splits into six-foot sections. It looks like that will allow me to split the antenna and place it on the roof rack with some overlap on the sides. The elements, roughly eight to nine feet long, would line up with the length of the car. The booms would fit across the top.
Although I still love the much smaller and lighter M2 6M-3SS for use on a pushup mast, and the Par Electronics Stressed Moxon on my rooftop rover setup, I wanted more gain and more power for the backyard and for special grid activations.
Building the Antenna
The build instructions were good. I, of course, want the old Heathkit illustrations and written directions. But I had no real problems putting it together.
I am impressed with the heft of the construction. The elements are each three different diameters of tubing. The center bolts to the boom. The next section fits into the center, also secured with the same bolts. The final section is riveted in place. You can get a feel for it in my photos below. Mouse over the image for the captions.
Each element is clearly labeled as DE, D1, etc. That is very helpful and builds confidence in the construction. The driven element and T-match along with balun goes together quite well, paying close attention to placement of lock washers, etc.
Performance
The directions provided the settings for the T-match. They worked well with 1.5 VSWR from about 50 to 52 MHz. No need for further adjustment.
It’s heavy, or at least heavier than the M2 3-element yagi (13 lbs vs 6 lbs). It just barely fits into my backyard with some tree trimming needed.
It’s tough to directly compare the antennas, but this 5-element Yagi is giving me lots of signals and I’m able to work them if I can hear them. It should help a great deal with some of the openings this year and I know it will improve my grid activations.
Good antenna and fits my needs.
Looks good. You could probably tell people it’s a TV antenna and they would never know the difference. Are you turning it by hand or using a rotor?
It’s the fourth antenna on a push-up mast with an armstrong rotator. I started with a 15-meter moxon made from fishing poles, using it for some of the big contests. Since then it has been 6 meter moxon, a 3-element yagi, and now 5-element. Let’s hope it stays in the air.
73, Jim @ K5ND
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