Arrow Antenna 6 El 162 MHz Yagi

[N1LF]

The Stainless Steel Solid Element Arrow Antenna for 162 MHz is a game-changer. Up until now, I've done most of my DXing on the weather band using either a 5/8 whip on my Yaesu VX-150 or a 5/8 J-Pole feeding my AirSpy HF+ Discovery. While both worked well, the 6 element Yagi is much better for nulling stations and digging out weaker signals underneath. Plus, this thing is built like a tank. It will survive almost anything extreme weather can dish out. Made in America by Arrow Antennas. Price including shipping was $204.00. A small TV rotor can easily handle it. Instructions for assembling the antenna below.

[Guest]

Where did you get a 5/8 wave whip for weather band frequencies?

[N1LF]

NOAA Weather / Railroad Band 160 - 162 Mhz J-Pole Antenna - KB9VBR Antennas (jpole-antenna.com)

KB9VBR makes a 5/8 J-Pole that performs well. It's made from copper pipe and they do a very professional job. It's cut for 162 MHz.

[WHJ]

I don't see the Arrow Antennas 6-element weather radio antenna on their web site anymore--just their 4-element version. I'd recommend instead purchasing the PCTEL MYA1506K antenna while they it's still available. It is also a 6-element antenna which has been discontinued. DigiKey still has seven left marked down below its $280.98 list price to $117.63 (plus $6.99 postage). See: MYA1506K Amphenol PCTEL | RF and Wireless | DigiKey

It comes with a graph showing the element lengths needed to for the desired frequency. I tested my first one and found that its front-to-back ratio was too poor to permit the desired reception. I redesigned it and its directivity was significantly improved:


The picture of the actual antenna shows it being tested before I modified the element lengths and spacings. Yagi's with evenly spaced elements are a poor design. The upgraded antenna received the distant station fine. I have installed three of them at different locations. The redesigned dimensions are as follows:


The antenna was obviously modeled for operation with the antenna 995"/about 83' high. Its pattern remains pretty much the same at lower heights. And while the antenna's instructions show the antenna's gamma match dimensions, it would be best to have a meter for tuning the match.

[WHJ]

After receiving my new MYA1506K today I reviewed my other modeled improvements and found that one used the factory supplied element holes and different element lengths and achieved about the same improved front-to-back ratio as that shown on the improved pattern above at the expense of creating four -20 dB side lobes. The element dimensions for that are shown below:

[N1LF]

After the Easter Weekend tropo opening here in the Southeast, I'm convinced that I need a tighter pattern and better F/B ratio. I've ordered the PCTEL MYA1506K from Digi-Key and will attempt the suggested modifications. I'll then mount it in the same location and compare the two. Most every night I leave my SDR "parked" on 162.425 to record audio overnight looking for meteor scatter. I'm very familiar with that frequency over almost every type of band condition.

This should help me with comparisons.

Very grateful to Bill for sharing his knowledge. All-Time New Ones on the weather band are rare as hen's teeth, so I'm excited about the prospects.