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VHF / UHF Yagi Construction

On this site are some Yagi designs for VHF and UHF. Most of the designs are from a German ham, Martin Steyer DK7ZB. His designs are very popular in Europe. The dimensions are given in metric. I could convert them but it is easier to just purchase a tape measure with metric/English units. It is easier to get an accurate length with the metric scale than in English units. It is easier to measure 1022mm than it is 40 7/32". On 440 antennas it matters if the elements are not exact, if you want to get the maximum gain etc.

Most of the designs I have chosen are for a Driven Element impedance of 28 ohms. This gives better gain and pattern than a 50 ohm design. It is easily matched to 50 ohm using two 1/4 wavelengths of 75 ohm coax in parallel. This design has the Driven element as a simple dipole (easier to construct & match).

The tubing in the design is metric, below is a table to convert metric tubing into our tubing sizes. Most of the time the only difference in the design is the bigger tubing is a little shorter (positions are usually the same).

Metric

English Units

Recommendations

3.2 mm

.126"

use #8 solid copper wire = .125"

1/8" Aluminum welding rods

4 mm

.157"

5 mm

.197"

6 mm

.236"

use 1/4" Tubing = .250"

8 mm

.315"

10 mm

.394"

use 3/8" Tubing = .375"

12 mm

.472"

use 1/2" Tubing = .500"

For the 3.2mm elements I use 1/8" aluminum welding rods. They come in 3 foot lengths they are too short for the elements. I cut them at 20 1/2" and join them with 5/32" brass tubing. I use a piece of 2" tubing and then I crimp them using a coax connector crimper. This provides a very good mechanical connection. You can cut your brass tubing using a Dremel cut-off wheel (this will prevent warping the tubing).

DK7ZB web site is: http://www.qsl.net/d/dk7zb/start1.htm

Below are designs for Light weight beams. These can be made from PVC pipe and small elements. These antenna are usually used for portable operations. These are all 50 ohm drivers (no matching network).

4 Element - 2M - 50 ohm - Light Weight

Element

Position

2.4 mm

3.2 mm

4 mm

6 mm

Reflector

0 mm

1022 mm

1022 mm

1020 mm

1016 mm

Driven Element

260 mm

977 mm (4 mm)

977 mm (4 mm)

977 mm (4 mm)

980 mm (6 mm)

Director 1

470 mm

941 mm

935 mm

930 mm

924 mm

Director 2

985 mm

921 mm

915 mm

910 mm

890 mm

5 Element - 2M - 50 ohm - Light Weight

Element

Position

2.4 mm

3.2 mm

4 mm

6 mm

Reflector

0 mm

1038 mm

1037 mm

1036 mm

1034 mm

Driven Element

280 mm

995 mm (4 mm)

995 mm (4 mm)

995 mm (4 mm)

988 mm (6 mm)

Director 1

430 mm

959 mm

954 mm

949 mm

939 mm

Director 2

950 mm

949 mm

944 mm

939 mm

929 mm

Director 3

1480 mm

935 mm

929 mm

923 mm

912 mm

6 Element - 2M - 50 ohm - Light Weight

Element

Position

3.2 mm

4 mm

5 mm

6 mm

Reflector

0 mm

1028 mm

1030 mm

1030 mm

1030 mm

Driven Element

260 mm

1001 mm (4 mm)

1003 mm

995 mm

993 mm

Director 1

395 mm

956 mm

952 mm

944 mm

940 mm

Director 2

845 mm

940 mm

934 mm

931 mm

927 mm

Director 3

1470 mm

940 mm

934 mm

931 mm

927 mm

Director 4

1980 mm

914 mm

908 mm

904 mm

900 mm

7 Element - 435 MHz - 50 ohm - Light Weight

Element

Position

3.2 mm

4 mm

6 mm

Reflector

0 mm

341 mm

340 mm

336 mm

Driven Element

115 mm

336 mm (4 mm)

337 mm

335 mm

Director 1

165 mm

312 mm

310 mm

305 mm

Director 2

330 mm

302 mm

299 mm

293 mm

Director 3

545 mm

299 mm

296 mm

290 mm

Director 4

785 mm

302 mm

299 mm

293 mm

Director 5

960 mm

295 mm

292 mm

285 mm

9 Element - 435 MHz - 50 ohm - Light Weight

Element

Position

4 mm

6 mm

Reflector

0 mm

337 mm

334 mm

Driven Element

140 mm

336 mm

332 mm

Director 1

195 mm

313 mm

308 mm

Director 2

365 mm

300 mm

294 mm

Director 3

610 mm

294 mm

288 mm

Director 4

875 mm

291 mm

286 mm

Director 5

1130 mm

291 mm

285 mm

Director 6

1385 mm

293 mm

288 mm

Director 7

1580 mm

280 mm

273 mm

Notice that the only difference between sizes of tubing is that the bigger tubing is a little shorter, but uses the same position.

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