6 Meter moxon antenna
Build a 6-meter Moxon wire beam antenna with detailed construction and tuning tips.
Description
Presents the construction of a 6-meter (50 MHz) Moxon wire beam antenna, detailing the use of #14 AWG THNN stranded wire and a treated wood frame. It covers the assembly of a galvanized pipe mast, emphasizing the use of pipe sleeves for joint reinforcement over threaded couplers to prevent breakage during raising and lowering operations. The resource also describes the integration of a 1:1 current balun, rated for 50-54 MHz, and the use of RG-8X coax for the transmission line, recommending low-loss alternatives like Belden 9913-7F.
Further, it outlines a manual rotation mechanism using pipe hanger clamps and carriage bolts for true North orientation, incorporating magnetic declination calculations from NOAA. The antenna's performance is discussed, noting good gain and take-off angle, with SWR tuning facilitated by a Palstar AT-500 manual tuner. An EZNEC+ 5.054 model for the antenna is available for download, alongside predicted radiation patterns and SWR curves, compared with actual AIM-4170C measurements.