We continue to hear from a growing number of our customers whose HEX-BEAM®s have served them well for over a decade now. A few have wondered what maintenance or service is required. Aside from the usual checking of connections, sealing of the feed-line, or replacing of something damaged or broken, the answer is... nothing. To those in high UV areas we have suggested rotating the fiberglass spreaders (and arm fittings) so that the spreader top goes down. This should add another decade of useful life. We are very pleased to find that even when a mast/support has failed and the entire system has collapsed, the damage to the HEX-BEAM® has been minimal, if any. We are grateful for, and yet humbled by, the many enthusiastic and positive comments we received at Dayton 2011 and otherwise. Thank you.

BASIC HEX-BEAM HISTORY/COMMENTS

The hexagonal beam concept began in the spring of 1992 with a creative spark--two W shaped elements placed tip to tip--a dipole element with a single parasitic utilizing tip coupling. Since it was 1/2 the usual size, we expected a somewhat compromised beam with a rather modest level of performance, but found that its performance improved instead. The HEX-BEAM® is a very "quiet" array. The expected compromises didn't exist and many of the problems found in present arrays were eliminated. It worked surprisingly well--often better than much larger conventional designs. Reference antennas in addition to a standard dipole, were an optimized 3 element Yagi-Uda on a 1/3 wavelength boom, a wide spaced two-element Quad, and an LPDA. An extended period (3+ years) of R&D followed, which focused on optimization of the initial concept. The main design objectives were:

1. Maximum gain in smallest possible size at lowest practical height
2. Durability to overcome problems long associated with wire beams
3. Good directivity
4. VSWR<2:1
5. Operating bandwidth similar to conventional designs (3% +/-)
6. Legal limit capability

Since the HEX-BEAM® performed on par, or better than, the above mentioned much larger known designs, and others using HEX-BEAM®s today are reporting similar results, we believe these goals have been met with the HEX-BEAM®.

Along the way there have been many surprises. Some of these surprises are inexplicable at this time. These don't show up in models of the design, yet are repeatedly observed and experienced during actual operation. HEX-BEAM® users can often work weak stations that those using much larger systems aren't even hearing. This is especially true at band opening and closing. Also, the HEX-BEAM® is less affected by QSB and during A/B comparisons with other designs it is often "heard" better though S meter readings are identical. Unique to the HEX-BEAM® are the deep rearward nulls in its radiation pattern. These nulls are sharp and deep, similar to a notch filter. During reflected path operation the transmitted wave appears to remain more intact than other designs. We believe these characteristics are a result of the intense flattened fields found in the HEX-BEAM®. There's still much to learn here.

The hexagonal configuration itself goes a long way in minimizing/eliminating many of the problems found in conventional arrays, especially wire arrays, but much more has been done to refine the original concept. A few of these should be mentioned.

With the 5 band HEX-BEAM® we realized that long term survivability is impossible without a good support structure, so a lot of our effort focused on this area of design. Having the "right" spreaders has been a big challenge. Though it took a year of design/development effort, our present Epoxy-glass spreaders, though pricey, are even stronger and more durable than our earlier spreaders, yet have the proper stiffness and flex. This tapered 2-piece design results in reduced wind load, and saves on shipping cost. They are ring-reinforced at the machined ferrule and mounted to the hub plate using simple, yet very effective, resilient UV resistant doublers. These spreaders, along with the incorporation of Phillystran? lines promise even better service with the "i" (improved) series of HEX-BEAM®s. Sometimes seemingly little things can cause bigger problems later. Some adjustable clamps called "stainless steel", have housings and/or screws that are only Cad plated and will eventually deteriorate. These may be satisfactory in some areas, but become a real problem in salt spray environments. For this reason, and others, standard equipment with the "i" series of HEX-BEAM®s is all-stainless hardware.

Another challenge has been finding the right element-end insulators and element mounting fittings. The insulators and mounting fittings we use are designed and manufactured in-house. Though the materials used are expensive and the manufacturing process labor intensive, this element termination and element to spreader mounting method has stood the test of time. Also, the brass to brass element attachment method used is very low loss, water tight, handles high power levels, simplifies assembly/dis-assembly, eliminates other separate support structures, and contributes significantly to its long-term efficiency and survival in the worst conditions. The UV resistant center support has just the right amount of "give" and the internal wiring harness/mounting stud system is trouble-free and extremely low-loss. These are a few of the refinements mentioned earlier. When you see a HEX-BEAM®, you're cordially invited to take a closer look, if you haven't already.

Our goal has been to make the HEX-BEAM® be the best little beam we possibly can. Still, when asked about a "cheaper" version, we have often wondered what to change or leave out to make the HEX-BEAM® more affordable. Those who don't have a HEX-BEAM® yet, consider it "spendy." Those who have one say "it's worth every penny." When we have asked: "What should we change?" The virtually unanimous answer is: "Don't change a thing!" (One person added "but, I'd STILL like to get it for $500 or so!"). From those who "have been there, done that" with large, expensive systems we hear: "Best antenna investment I ever made... 5 mono-banders... single feed... no problems... and this thing works!"

With the thought in mind to make it possible for others to enjoy the benefits of a hexagonal beam and keep out-of-pocket cost at a minimum, two articles were published in the nineties providing the formulas and basic assembly information for experimenters to build their own. We soon realized that this opened the door to great variations in the finished array. This became obvious later when some hams built their own versions of the real HEX-BEAM® they called "classic hexbeams" which performed rather poorly. The HEX-BEAM® has a deceptively simple appearance, but optimum performance especially at low heights and low take-off angles is elusive. For example, small variations in element length, element termination, etc. can make a significant difference in performance. Wire length differences between a marginally performing hexagonal beam and a real HEX-BEAM® is measured in millimeters. Also, different band combinations require different element lengths. We decided to eliminate the potential problems and build the complete antenna, making the final assembly, installation, and use an enjoyable experience for you.

So far, we haven't found the right answer to making "cheaper." Instead we've tried to make "better" and keep prices as low as possible in spite of increasing costs. Though we all are challenged by the present economic conditions, we don't want to take shortcuts with the HEX-BEAM® now. We have found that the shortcut is often the shortest route to the longest--and most expensive--way around. A copy of an old adage is still on the bulletin board beside my desk to remind me:

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten."

The HEX-BEAM® is made the way it is for many reasons--some that are obvious immediately when used for the first time, and others that are realized later. HEX-BEAM®s are found in some of the harshest environments known and have survived desert heat, Antarctic region cold, and winds in excess of 140mph.

We hope that those who have in good faith purchased our antennas, or intend to do so, can see through the present confusion and misstatements concerning the HEX-BEAM®, realizing that not every hexagonal beam called a "hexbeam" is really a HEX-BEAM® or performs like one.

The HEX-BEAM® is small... it's light... it's tough... it works.

73,

Mike Traffie, N1HXA