TH3 vs A3S

[John Siegel]

I am thinking it may finally be time to replace my old tribander. Based
on size, weight, mast size and power handling capability, I found two
popular models that are good candidates. Looking for comments and
comparisons between the HyGain TH3MK4 and the Cushcraft A3s.
73
John

[The Shadow]

I am thinking it may finally be time to replace my old tribander. Based on
size, weight, mast size and power handling capability, I found two popular
models that are good candidates. Looking for comments and comparisons
between the HyGain TH3MK4 and the Cushcraft A3s.
73
John

John I would try to put up an HF beam that also covers 17M and 12M as well
as 10, 15, and 20M These are great bands.

Lamont

[The Shadow]

Post by The Shadow

Post by John Siegel
I am thinking it may finally be time to replace my old tribander. Based
on size, weight, mast size and power handling capability, I found two
popular models that are good candidates. Looking for comments and
comparisons between the HyGain TH3MK4 and the Cushcraft A3s.
73
John

John I would try to put up an HF beam that also covers 17M and 12M as well
as 10, 15, and 20M These are great bands.
Lamont

Is the Cushcraft MA5B too big? Covers 12 and 17M as 10, 15, and 20M

URL:
http://www.cushcraft.com/Wireless_Product_Details.asp?group_id=1717

Lamont

[John Siegel]

Post by The Shadow

Post by The Shadow

Post by John Siegel
I am thinking it may finally be time to replace my old tribander. Based
on size, weight, mast size and power handling capability, I found two
popular models that are good candidates. Looking for comments and
comparisons between the HyGain TH3MK4 and the Cushcraft A3s.
73
John

John I would try to put up an HF beam that also covers 17M and 12M as well
as 10, 15, and 20M These are great bands.
Lamont

Is the Cushcraft MA5B too big? Covers 12 and 17M as 10, 15, and 20M
http://www.cushcraft.com/Wireless_Product_Details.asp?group_id=1717
Lamont

While including 12 and 17 is not a bad idea, the antenna models I have
seen that add these bands are generally
heavier with greater wind area than I want to handle. The MA5B, while
not too big, reduces the 10, 15 and 20 performance significantly and
only gets you a rotatable dipole for 12 and 17. I would rather stay
with the tribander and the vertical I have for 12 and 17.

Moseley has some antennas out there that have the same performance
across all 5 bands but now we are talking quite a bit heavier.
John

[DMD]

Force 12 C-3SS is a good choice also. For 3 bands, 10/15m is 2 elements
full size, 20 m is 2 shorted elements and a rotary dipole on 12/17.



Only 26 pounds, 12 ' boom and 24 ' longuest element. Small but very
performant antenna.



A bit more expensive. No heavy traps but a lot of aluminium tubing.



DMB

Post by The Shadow

Post by The Shadow

Post by John Siegel
I am thinking it may finally be time to replace my old tribander. Based
on size, weight, mast size and power handling capability, I found two
popular models that are good candidates. Looking for comments and
comparisons between the HyGain TH3MK4 and the Cushcraft A3s.
73
John

John I would try to put up an HF beam that also covers 17M and 12M as well
as 10, 15, and 20M These are great bands.
Lamont

Is the Cushcraft MA5B too big? Covers 12 and 17M as 10, 15, and 20M
http://www.cushcraft.com/Wireless_Product_Details.asp?group_id=1717
Lamont

[John Passaneau]

Post by DMD
Force 12 C-3SS is a good choice also. For 3 bands, 10/15m is 2
elements full size, 20 m is 2 shorted elements and a rotary dipole
on 12/17.
Only 26 pounds, 12 ' boom and 24 ' longuest element. Small but very
performant antenna.
A bit more expensive. No heavy traps but a lot of aluminium tubing.
DMB

Post by The Shadow

Post by The Shadow

Post by John Siegel
I am thinking it may finally be time to replace my old tribander.
Based on size, weight, mast size and power handling capability, I
found two popular models that are good candidates. Looking for
comments and comparisons between the HyGain TH3MK4 and the
Cushcraft A3s.
73
John

John I would try to put up an HF beam that also covers 17M and 12M
as

well

Post by The Shadow

Post by The Shadow
as 10, 15, and 20M These are great bands.
Lamont

Is the Cushcraft MA5B too big? Covers 12 and 17M as 10, 15, and 20M
http://www.cushcraft.com/Wireless_Product_Details.asp?group_id=1717
Lamont

Hi:
I have the Tennadyne 6 el Log periodic antenna. Covers 13 to 30Mhz with
an SWR of under 2:1. It has a 12' boom and the longest element is 38'. No
traps or any other trickery and weighs 37lb. I've had it up since 2002
and have worked DXCC on all bands and have about 1500 band countries.
Which means nothing in reality as it's more of a mark of my persistence
than antenna performance. The fact is the antenna performs just as the
specs say and it stays up even with 1/2" of ice. I would look carefully
at this antenna if you are looking for an all band high performance
antenna.

John Passaneau, W3JXP

[Sal M. Onella]

"John Passaneau" <***@arrl.net> wrote in message news:***@128.118.141.40...

< snip >

Post by John Passaneau
I have the Tennadyne 6 el Log periodic antenna. Covers 13 to 30Mhz with
an SWR of under 2:1. It has a 12' boom and the longest element is 38'. No
traps or any other trickery and weighs 37lb. I've had it up since 2002
and have worked DXCC on all bands and have about 1500 band countries.
Which means nothing in reality as it's more of a mark of my persistence
than antenna performance. The fact is the antenna performs just as the
specs say and it stays up even with 1/2" of ice. I would look carefully
at this antenna if you are looking for an all band high performance
antenna.
John Passaneau, W3JXP

Can you get it to work on 40m or lower with a tuner? I ask because I just
have a kluge antenna that I am feeding through a tuner [TRANSCEIVER > VSWR
METER > PI-NETWORK TUNER > COAX > BALUN > OCF DIPOLE, 8 FT X 20 FT] and it's
working better than I expected, even on 40.

Just wondering. TKS.

"Sal"
(KD6VKW)

[John Passaneau]

Post by Sal M. Onella
< snip >

Post by John Passaneau
I have the Tennadyne 6 el Log periodic antenna. Covers 13 to 30Mhz
with an SWR of under 2:1. It has a 12' boom and the longest element
is 38'. No traps or any other trickery and weighs 37lb. I've had it
up since 2002 and have worked DXCC on all bands and have about 1500
band countries. Which means nothing in reality as it's more of a mark
of my persistence than antenna performance. The fact is the antenna
performs just as the specs say and it stays up even with 1/2" of ice.
I would look carefully at this antenna if you are looking for an all
band high performance antenna.
John Passaneau, W3JXP

Can you get it to work on 40m or lower with a tuner? I ask because I
just have a kluge antenna that I am feeding through a tuner
[TRANSCEIVER > VSWR METER > PI-NETWORK TUNER > COAX > BALUN > OCF
DIPOLE, 8 FT X 20 FT] and it's working better than I expected, even on
40.
Just wondering. TKS.
"Sal"
(KD6VKW)

Hi Sal:

Well you could get it to load with a tuner but it wouldn’t act like a
beam.
The directivity of an antenna is controlled by the parasitic elements in
the case of a yagi or by the more complex relationship between elements
in a log periodic. Getting power into the driven element at a lower
frequency than the antenna is designed for doesn’t excite the parasitic
elements in the proper manner to make then function and give directivity.
At best it will act like a very short dipole in this case. There are some
who have claimed that this antenna will work on 30 meters, I’ve tried it
but it had no directivity and no indication that it worked any better
than my dipole. Others claim it works up to 6 meters. Again I’ve tried
that too with no good results.

If I was going to try this antenna on 40 meters, I would short the shield
to the center conductor and feed it as a vertical with a top hat. The
boom of the log periodic is insulated from the tower which makes this
possible. Again though I don’t think it will preform better than or as
well as an antenna made for 40 meters.

73

John Passaneau

[Jimmie D]

Post by The Shadow

Post by John Siegel
I am thinking it may finally be time to replace my old tribander. Based
on size, weight, mast size and power handling capability, I found two
popular models that are good candidates. Looking for comments and
comparisons between the HyGain TH3MK4 and the Cushcraft A3s.
73
John

John I would try to put up an HF beam that also covers 17M and 12M as well
as 10, 15, and 20M These are great bands.
Lamont
I remeber my friend replacing his tri-bander about 5 years ago with a
multi-band quad(2 elemnts on each band). The quad while being a pain in the
butt to get on the tower was a much superior performing antenna per he.

Jimmie

[John Siegel]

Post by Jimmie D

Post by The Shadow

Post by John Siegel
I am thinking it may finally be time to replace my old tribander. Based
on size, weight, mast size and power handling capability, I found two
popular models that are good candidates. Looking for comments and
comparisons between the HyGain TH3MK4 and the Cushcraft A3s.
73
John

John I would try to put up an HF beam that also covers 17M and 12M as well
as 10, 15, and 20M These are great bands.
Lamont
I remeber my friend replacing his tri-bander about 5 years ago with a
multi-band quad(2 elemnts on each band). The quad while being a pain in the
butt to get on the tower was a much superior performing antenna per he.

Jimmie

Could be. However I have VHF/UHF antennas above that would not work
with a quad.

[gb]

I am thinking it may finally be time to replace my old tribander. Based on
size, weight, mast size and power handling capability, I found two popular
models that are good candidates. Looking for comments and comparisons
between the HyGain TH3MK4 and the Cushcraft A3s.
73
John

What is an "old tribander" -- Wilson? Mosley? Homemade?

gb

[John Siegel]

Post by gb

I am thinking it may finally be time to replace my old tribander. Based on
size, weight, mast size and power handling capability, I found two popular
models that are good candidates. Looking for comments and comparisons
between the HyGain TH3MK4 and the Cushcraft A3s.
73
John

What is an "old tribander" -- Wilson? Mosley? Homemade?
gb

TH3Jr Old is approaching 30 years of use.

[DeanO]

Post by John Siegel
I am thinking it may finally be time to replace my old tribander. Based
on size, weight, mast size and power handling capability, I found two
popular models that are good candidates. Looking for comments and
comparisons between the HyGain TH3MK4 and the Cushcraft A3s.
73
John

I owned the A4S for about 7 years and it was a replacement for my old
TH3..
I loved the A4!!! Was much better on bandwidth and I got great signal
reports.
Its bigger and more sturdy than the A3. Also costs more but its one
awesome
antenna. When I get my new home it'll be my antenna of choice for a
triband.
Also, the first in a series for Cushcrafts antenna design software
they bought back then
The A4 and A3 were designed on their very expensive program.

[The Shadow]

I am thinking it may finally be time to replace my old tribander. Based on
size, weight, mast size and power handling capability, I found two popular
models that are good candidates. Looking for comments and comparisons
between the HyGain TH3MK4 and the Cushcraft A3s.
73
John

Just a comment John on Antennas - here comes the brag tape.

I worked the last 150+ countries to make Honor Roll with a Vertical -
Cushcraft R-7000 and an Ameritron AL-80B.

The first 150 countries was on a Hy-Gain TH-3Jr and barefoot.

Also Worked DXCC-QRP including Mozambique with the vertical and 5 Watts.

So a multi-band covering 20 - 10M + 17 and 12M should do ya just fine
Love dem 12M AND 17M bands

Just a thought

Lamont

[John Siegel]

Post by The Shadow

Post by John Siegel
I am thinking it may finally be time to replace my old tribander.
Based on size, weight, mast size and power handling capability, I
found two popular models that are good candidates. Looking for
comments and comparisons between the HyGain TH3MK4 and the Cushcraft A3s.
73
John

Just a comment John on Antennas - here comes the brag tape.
I worked the last 150+ countries to make Honor Roll with a Vertical -
Cushcraft R-7000 and an Ameritron AL-80B.
The first 150 countries was on a Hy-Gain TH-3Jr and barefoot.
Also Worked DXCC-QRP including Mozambique with the vertical and 5 Watts.
So a multi-band covering 20 - 10M + 17 and 12M should do ya just fine
Love dem 12M AND 17M bands
Just a thought
Lamont

I have decided to go with the Th3. I feel that it is better
mechanically than the A3.
Actually, except for the Beta match, it is built almost identically to
my current antenna with some beefier parts. If it lasts at all like the
Th3Jr did it will outlast me.

I haven't done much DX chasing in recent years but I did have about 280
using the Th3Jr so it does work. I expect the new one to do as well.
I can load the Th3Jr on 12 and 17 using the tuner built into the
transceiver; no idea what the pattern would look like. I normally use
the vertical on those bands and have not really tried using the beam -
it might be negative gain relative to the vertical.
John

[Tam/WB2TT]

Post by The Shadow

Post by John Siegel
I am thinking it may finally be time to replace my old tribander. Based
on size, weight, mast size and power handling capability, I found two
popular models that are good candidates. Looking for comments and
comparisons between the HyGain TH3MK4 and the Cushcraft A3s.
73
John

Just a comment John on Antennas - here comes the brag tape.
I worked the last 150+ countries to make Honor Roll with a Vertical -
Cushcraft R-7000 and an Ameritron AL-80B.
The first 150 countries was on a Hy-Gain TH-3Jr and barefoot.
Also Worked DXCC-QRP including Mozambique with the vertical and 5 Watts.
So a multi-band covering 20 - 10M + 17 and 12M should do ya just fine
Love dem 12M AND 17M bands
Just a thought
Lamont

I have decided to go with the Th3. I feel that it is better mechanically
than the A3.
Actually, except for the Beta match, it is built almost identically to my
current antenna with some beefier parts. If it lasts at all like the
Th3Jr did it will outlast me.
I haven't done much DX chasing in recent years but I did have about 280
using the Th3Jr so it does work. I expect the new one to do as well.
I can load the Th3Jr on 12 and 17 using the tuner built into the
transceiver; no idea what the pattern would look like. I normally use the
vertical on those bands and have not really tried using the beam - it
might be negative gain relative to the vertical.
John

Good choice. I have found it to work like gangbusters. HUGE improvement over
TA33JR that it replaces. If you want a 5 bander to work as well on 15/20,
you are probably into something with a 20+ foot boom.

Tam/WB2TT