The G3TXQ Broadband Hexagonal Beam

This antenna surely has to be one of the most talked about antennas over the past eighteen months or so. I started looking into buying one of these back in the spring of 2007 and at the time the ONLY commercial version was from Traffie Technology on www.hexbeam.com from the USA. Although the quality is of high standard it was out of my price range at over $1100 USD plus shipping and import tax so I decided not to buy one. A few months later I mentioned to an amateur radio op friend of mine that I was looking for a cheaper alternative and he informed me of the yahoo groups Hexbeam forum. This a forum run by Hexbeam enthusiasts from all four corners of the globe. You can find the forum on Yahoo Groups

In the Autumn of 2007 a new version of Hexbeam was being designed by Steve Hunt G3TXQ an avid home brewer and antenna modeler! This version used the same basic structure that the Traffie or “Classic version” uses but the element lay out is different. From above the classic version looks like an M over a W While the new G3TXQ broad band version looks like a M over a U. More info can be seen on Steve's, page for the broadband Hexbeam by clicking here and here for the classic Hexbeam click here.

Steve’s website is one of the most informative websites on the web for explaining all the theory behind the new broadband version of Hexbeam and he also explains the theory behind the classic as to compare the two different but similar designs. If you are like both Steve and I a keen home brewer then you must pay a visit to Leo K4KIO website at www.k4kio.com. Leo explains how to build your own G3TXQ broadband Hexbeam, there are lots of measurements and plenty of photos for those hard to explain procedures, it is all very easy to follow! I will make no attempt to emulate either Steve or Leo's site as the work that these two Hexbeam stalwarts have produced is outstanding and deserves full credit, well done both!

This brings me to the spring of 2009. I am a member of the Strumblehead DX and Contest Group and we had been given permission to activate Ramsey island EU-124 off the west coast of Wales during the IOTA weekend.  I had been given the task of producing two lightweight multiband antennas for this trip, enter the G3TXQ Heaxbeam!

Spot the two G3TXQ Hexbeams, one either side of the buildings

We wanted to enter the IOTA contest, activate the island and assemble an efficient station. The hexbeam seemed the ideal antenna for the job. First port of call was the hexbeam forum as listed above, this was the source of a wealth of information and where I have met fellow hexbeam enthusiasts such as MM0GPZ and the designer of the broadband version, Steve G3TXQ. I made two hexbeams for the IOTA expedition and 5,500 qsos were logged in 3 days. No problems were encountered and all the team members commented on how easy they were to assemble, in fact since July 2009 two of the team members have converted to Hexbeams for their home stations, Tim M0URX and Chris G1VDP, not to mention Oliver MW0JRX who already had one before the expedition, o and ME

73’s Ant MW0JZE